《The Big-Shot is Pampered after She Becomes the Villainness》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Xiao Man, you¡¯re awake! Quick, call Master and the Young Masters and tell them that she¡¯s awake. Tell them to come over quickly!¡± Hearing the noisy voices, Shi Man slowly opened her eyes. What greeted her was a high-end decorated room and a gentle and beautiful woman. ¡°You¡­¡± Who was it? Before she could say anything, the woman hugged her. An elegant fragrance filled Shi Man¡¯s nose. It was completely different from the familiar smell of blood and ammunition. ¡°Xiao Man, you scared Mommy to death.¡± The beautiful woman hugged Shi Man as she sobbed. Mom? When did she have a mother? Shi Man was puzzled. Ever since she was born, she had been adopted by the organization and raised as an agent. She had never experienced kinship. Today was supposed to be her first day of retirement from her career as an agent. Unexpectedly, the organization was planning to clean her up and not really let her retire. In a fierce battle that ensued, she tried her best to launch a counterattack against the organization and escape. Then¡­ she fainted by the roadside. She seemed to have died. The resistance had exhausted her last bit of strength. Even if she escaped, she did not get far. Every time she moved, her wounds would tear and bleed. Shi Man did not have much strength to support herself. Her last shred of memory stopped at the roadside. After she collapsed, her consciousness dissipated. So where was this place? Could it be a trap set by the organization? Thinking of this, Shi Man suddenly pushed away the woman hugging her, and put on a defensive stance. Wait a minute! Shi Man stared at her hands. These hands were obviously not hers. There were no calluses on her fair and slender palm. Her nails were trimmed very exquisitely and were painted with pink and translucent nail polish. Looking down, the gauze wrapped around her slender wrist had traces of blood, and the bright red color was especially dazzling. ¡°Xiao Man, what¡¯s wrong¡­¡± The woman watched as Shi Man pushed her away. Her joy turned into sadness, and she even began to sob.¡± It¡¯s my fault. I will definitely let Yi Zheng marry you. Don¡¯t be angry with me. ¡± The woman cried as she spoke. Yi Zheng? Shi Man was stunned for a moment. This name was so familiar. Wasn¡¯t this a character in the novel she had read to the target¡¯s daughter when she was working undercover as a maid? ¡°Yi Zheng¡­ doesn¡¯t he like Su Tang?¡± Shi Man tentatively said the name of the female protagonist in the novel. When the woman heard Su Tang¡¯s name, she instantly stopped crying and said righteously, ¡°No matter how Su Tang seduced Yi Zheng, Yi Zheng is your fianc¨¦. As long as you like him, Mom will never allow them to be together.¡± It was as she had expected. Shi Man held her forehead. It seemed that she had transmigrated to the body of the female supporting character in the novel she had read. When she read the novel to that young lady, she was a little unhappy because the vicious female supporting character in the novel had the same name as her. She was called Shi Man. In the novel, Shi Man had a strong family background and was the only daughter of the family. She was the apple of her mother¡¯s eye, and her four brothers doted on her unconditionally. The only person who could rein her in slightly was her father, Shi Zhong. However, Master Shi was a slave to his wife. With her mother backing Shi Man, Shi Zhong often couldn¡¯t do anything to her. As for the male lead, Yi Zheng, he had been engaged to Shi Man since she was in her mother¡¯s womb. The Yi family and the Shi family were close. In the past, when the Yi family was in crisis, it was the Shi family who helped. The two families were as good as one. Therefore, after Yi Zheng was born, Old Master Yi always wanted to arrange a marriage with the Shi family. However, at that time, Shen Xian was still the mother of four sons. Everyone had always been looking forward to the Shi family welcoming a little princess. Therefore, after Shi Man was born, she enjoyed the love of the two families. However, she, who had a good hand, crushed her cards in the game of life. In order to obtain the male protagonist¡¯s attention and love, Shi Man used all sorts of methods to provoke the female protagonist, Su Tang. She died when she was later thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena by the male protagonist. In order to avenge her, her family broke up with the Yi family and had a tragic ending¡­ She did not know if the supporting actress was stupid or wilful, but Yi Zheng was really selfish. Shi Man narrowed her eyes and looked at Shen Xian, whose face was filled with heartache and worry. She actually felt angry. Because the supporting actress had hurt the person he liked, Yi Zheng did not hesitate to kill her and even caused the death of the Shi family. Such a person was not worthy of being her fianc¨¦. ¡°I don¡¯t love Yi Zheng anymore. Let¡¯s cancel our engagement.¡± Shi Man cleared her throat and tried to speak with this little girl¡¯s body. She was indeed a pampered young lady. Even her voice was so delicate and lovable. ¡°Xiao Man, what¡­ what are you talking about?¡± Shen Xian widened her eyes in disbelief. In the past, she had seen how Shi Man had quarreled with them in order to be with Yi Zheng. Two days ago, she had gone to seek death for Yi Zheng¡¯s sake and slit her wrist to commit suicide. Why did she cancel the engagement when she woke up today? ¡°I¡­¡± Shi Man wanted to say something, but she was interrupted by the person who barged in. ¡°Xiao Man! How is Xiao Man?¡± A person rushed to the bed and saw Shi Man sitting on the bed in a daze. He hugged her. ¡°Xiao Man, you scared me to death.¡± Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios For a moment, a group of people appeared in the ward. Shi Man took a closer look. The young men who surrounded her were probably Shi Man¡¯s four brothers ¨C Shi Ke, Shi Jue, Shi He, and Shi Mu. It had to be said that the Shi family¡¯s genes were really good. From Madam Shen Xian to the four young masters of the Shi family, all of them looked outstanding. At a glance, the four sons of the Shi family looked similar, but on closer look, the feeling and vibe they gave off were completely different. Especially the eldest brother, Shi Ke. It was really easy to tell that he was the eldest son at a glance. He was steady and mature, giving off an imposing aura. Fourth Brother Shi Mu was about the same age as Shi Man and was a little rash. It gave the other brothers a headache, and Shi He was the one who had the greatest headache. After Shi Mu was born, Shen Xian, who did not have a daughter, was very sad. Shi Zhong abandoned the company¡¯s affairs and brought Shen Xian around the world. As the eldest son, Shi Ke could only pick up the mess his father had left behind and take care of the company. Shi Jue had to help Shi Ke handle the company¡¯s matters and juggle his high school studies at the same time. Naturally, he did not have the time to care for his newborn younger brother. Hence, the burden of taking care of Shi Mu was placed on Shi He. When Shi He was young, he took over matters such as changing his brother¡¯s diapers and stepped onto the path of no return. ¡°Alright, alright. Manman just woke up and hasn¡¯t recovered yet. Don¡¯t disturb her,¡± Shi Jue said as he covered Shi Man with a quilt and helped her lie down slowly. When she was reading the novel, Shi Man liked Shi Jue the most. This Second Young Master of the Shi family had a name with the same symbolism as hers. He was as gentle as jade. Even the arrogant and domineering Host would look for Shi Jue to confide in him when she was sad. Shi Jue was also the only member of the Shi family that Yi Zheng did not want to kill. However, when faced with the broken family and the good friend who had harmed his family, Shi Jue still chose to be enemies with Yi Zheng. In the end, he naturally couldn¡¯t defeat the male lead¡¯s protagonist halo. The feud took a toll on his body and he died of depression. ¡°Alright, Manman finally woke up. As her brothers, you should take good care of her.¡± Shi Zhong walked straight to Shen Xian and hugged her. ¡°Look at how tired your mother is.¡± Shen Xian pushed Shizhong¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I have to be by Manman¡¯s side at all times. Otherwise, what if Manman misses her mother?¡± Seeing everyone surrounding her worriedly, Shi Man was a little dazed. Was this how it felt to have a family¡­ At this moment, a tall and charming girl walked over. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. Rest well. I¡¯ll take care of Manman. She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Who was this? ¡°That¡¯s good. With Jingjing taking care of Manman, I¡¯m much more relieved.¡± Jingjing, Shi Jing! Shi Man remembered. So it was this scheming bitch. Shi Jing was the daughter of a distant relative of Shi Man. Initially, she came to G City to study and stayed with the Shi family for many years. The distant relative of the Shi family had always wanted to curry favor with them and had racked their brains to let their daughter stay with the Shi family. In addition, Shi Jing had always been very obedient and sensible. The Host liked her very much, so they let Shi Jing stay. Shi Jing had been jealous of the Host since she was young. She often schemed against her and encouraged her to do bad things. Shi Jing then pretended to be obedient and cute, setting up a basis for others to compare the two of them. The Host was just an arrogant little girl who had been spoiled. It was Shi Jing who had bewitched her to do many vicious things. Shi Jing contributed greatly to the Host¡¯s provocation of the female protagonist, Su Tang. Not only that, but Shi Jing also betrayed the Shi family in the end and joined the male lead. This allowed the male lead to get hold of important information and beat the Shi family to the point of no return. Thinking of this, Shi Man¡¯s expression changed. Compared to her, Shi Jing was too inexperienced when it came to acting. ¡°No, no¡­¡± Shi Man pushed Shi Jing away and hid in Shi Jue¡¯s arms.¡±Sister Jing Jing, I don¡¯t want to cut my wrist again. It hurts.¡± As Shi Man spoke, she squeezed out a few tears. Her deer-like eyes were filled with fear, and she looked aggrieved. Shi Jing did not expect Shi Man to say it so directly. Her smile froze on her face. ¡°Xiao Man, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Sister Jingjing, didn¡¯t you say that as long as I slit my wrist, Yi Zheng would feel sorry for me and come to see me?¡± Shi Man continued to maintain her innocent appearance. ¡°What? Jingjing asked you to slit your wrist?¡± When Shen Xian heard Shi Man¡¯s words, she switched from her gentle and virtuous appearance and scolded sternly, ¡°Shi Jing, what¡¯s going on?¡± Shi Jing quickly argued, ¡°I didn¡¯t. Manman, are you out of your mind? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Is that so? Sister Jingjing, you brought that knife to me. You pressed my hand and asked me to cut my wrist. Do you want me to get someone to send the knife over to check for fingerprints?¡± Shi Man glanced at the chicken soup that Shi Jing had brought over. She picked it up and sniffed it, pretending to drink it. Then, she suddenly stopped. ¡°It seems that I have to test this chicken soup too. Why do you always like to add something to my food?¡± Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°I¡­¡± Shi Jing wanted to say something, but she was interrupted by Shen Xian. ¡°Butler Qi, take this bowl of chicken soup and send it for testing,¡± Shen Xian said to the butler standing at the side. The butler understood and covered the chicken soup before leaving. Shi Jing saw that the butler was about to leave and rushed forward to stop him, but she was pulled back by Shen Xian. A crisp slap sounded in the quiet ward and Shi Jing¡¯s face instantly swelled up. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll settle this score with you slowly.¡± Shen Xian¡¯s expression was cold. She was not soft-hearted towards outsiders who hurt her daughter. When Shi Man saw this scene, she knew that her mother would definitely deal with Shi Jing. With Shen Xian¡¯s personality, Shi Jing would definitely not have a good ending. In that case, she had to rush to the next scene to clean up the mess left behind by the Host. ¡°Mom, I suddenly remembered that there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t settled. Go home and wait for me.¡± After Shi Man finished speaking, she got off the bed and rushed out of the door before anyone could react. It did not matter if Shi Jing was dealt with sooner or later. She could not be late. If she remembered correctly, in the novel, while Host was still being held by Shi Jing so she could slit her wrist, Shi Jing ordered someone to kidnap the female lead, Su Tang. Shi Jing even hired a few hooligans with criminal records to defile her. After Yi Zheng received the news, he ordered people to look for Su Tang. In the end, he finally saved her before she was attacked. It was because of this that Yi Zheng completely broke off the engagement with Shi Man. The Host could not accept such a shock. In addition, Shi Jing had been drugging her food with depressants. She became more and more irritable and became a joke of the upper class. Because of this, Shi Zhong was completely disappointed in his daughter, whom he had doted on since she was young. Instead, he devoted his fatherly love to Shi Jing and adopted her. From then on, Shi Jing¡¯s status soared. Losing her sweetheart and fatherly love in succession made the original Shi Man even more paranoid. She thought that it was all the fault of the female protagonist, Su Tang, so she made things worse for her. The consecutive provocations made the male protagonist lose his patience. He could not tolerate the person he loved being threatened like this. In the end, the Host was thrown into the Bestial Battle Arena by the male protagonist and bitten to death by wild beasts. It could be said that she reaped what she sowed. However, whether the Host was bewitched by Shi Jing, she should not bear all of this. Shi Man left the hospital and hailed a taxi by the roadside. ¡°To the twenty-first factory on XX Road.¡± ¡­ ¡°Who are you? Don¡¯t come over!¡± Su Tang opened her eyes and realized that she was tied up in an abandoned factory. She shouted for a long time but no one heard her. Just as she was about to despair and think that she was going to starve to death here, three burly men appeared in front of her. Clearly, they were not here to save her. These burly men had dark skin and fierce eyes. One of them had a scar on his face. They sized Su Tang up wantonly and their eyes filled with lust. The words they said made Su Tang nauseous. ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t be afraid. Play with us.¡± ¡°Yes, play with us. I¡¯m sure you like it.¡± ¡°I guarantee you won¡¯t be able to take it.¡± Su Tang was so frightened that her face turned pale. She shrank back, but her hands and feet were tied and she could not move at all. ¡°No, don¡¯t¡­ help,¡± Su Tang whispered desperately. Seeing her like this, the burly men became even more excited. They pounced on her and started to tear her clothes. Bam! There was a loud bang as the steel door of the factory was kicked open. The scar-faced man turned around and saw a little girl in a hospital gown. The young lady had a European-style hairstyle that was incompatible with her age. Although she was wearing a hospital gown, she was beautiful and elegant. One look and one could tell that she was from a rich family. Although her face was pale, she looked more like a beautiful and fragile porcelain doll under the contrast of her black hair. She was so captivating that people would not be able to look away from her. ¡°You can get lost.¡± Shi Man walked up to the burly men expressionlessly and said calmly. The burly men were stunned for a few seconds before they reacted. Scarface let go of Su Tang¡¯s arm and placed his hand on Shi Man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re lucky today. We have money to get and women to have fun with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the other two agreed. ¡°Are we getting one for free?¡± Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man glanced at the hand on her shoulder. In the next second, the arm of the scar-faced man was twisted 180 degrees with a crack. A pig-like howl instantly resounded throughout the factory. ¡°My arm!¡± Shi Man threw his arm away and wiped her hand on the hospital gown with a look of disdain. ¡°Brother, are you alright?¡± The two burly men beside him hurriedly helped the scar-faced man up. His face was covered in sweat, and his arm hung limply by his side. It was obviously dislocated. ¡°Damn it, kill her!¡± the scar-faced man shouted fiercely. Shi Man was expressionless. She looked at the three of them coldly, as if she was already looking at three dead people. Under the girl¡¯s cold gaze, the men suddenly felt afraid. On second thought, she was just a young lady. They were clearly the stronger party. Why did she look at them like they were disgusting trash and sewer rats? ¡°F*ck your mom. I¡¯ll kill you.¡± They didn¡¯t want to meet Shi Man¡¯s eyes again and rushed toward her. Shi Man did not even look at them. The next thirty seconds were the most unforgettable moment of their lives. A young lady had beaten them up in all aspects. They couldn¡¯t even get close enough to see her movements. Their knees were shattered, and their palms felt like they were pierced by iron rods. Bolts of unbearable pain came one after another, sweeping through their entire bodies. They could only let the other party ravage them without being able to fight back. After a while, the two burly men fainted on the ground. Shi Man raised her hand to tuck her slightly messy hair behind her ear and walked towards Scarface, who had collapsed to the ground. ¡°Do you want to die?¡± Shi Man looked down at him with cold eyes, and there was no warmth in her voice. ¡°Please, please, please spare me, please spare me¡­¡± The scar-faced man trembled as he crawled to Shi Man¡¯s feet and begged her desperately. Shi Man rubbed the blood on the tip of her shoe on the scar-faced man¡¯s shoulder and stepped on his shoulder blade. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The scar-faced man groaned in pain, but he didn¡¯t dare crawl away. ¡°Get lost. Think carefully before you do anything in the future.¡± Shi Man kicked him away. ¡°Stay away from those you are not supposed to touch.¡± The scar-faced man scrambled out of the factory, while the other two burly men lay motionless on the ground as if they were dead. Su Tang huddled in the corner as she watched the scene unfold. She recognized her. She was Shi Man, Yi Zheng¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and the person who had been targeting her. But why was she here? Why¡­ would she save her? Shi Man patted the dust on her body from the fight and walked towards Su Tang, wanting to untie her. Su Tang had just seen Shi Man¡¯s fierce appearance. Seeing her reach out, she reflexively shrank back. She had always thought that Shi Man was just a spoiled rich girl, but after this battle, her impression of Shi Man completely changed. Previously, Shi Man might just torture her, but now, she might really kill her. ¡°You, what do you want¡­¡± Su Tang asked carefully. Shi Man sighed. She had just saved Su Tang, but the latter had spoken to her using the same words she used on the hooligans. Forget it. Since she was only intending to clean up the Host¡¯s mess, she didn¡¯t expect to be thanked. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Shi Man said as she untied Su Tang. Su Tang was a little dazed as she looked at Shi Man, who was seriously untying her. The weather was still very hot. As Shi Man was a little anxious, sweat seeped out from the tip of her nose. Her thick eyelashes cast shadows under her eyes. Her pale lips were pursed tightly, and her face was straining. Su Tang was very puzzled. Shi Man was the one who had asked someone to kidnap her. Why did she rush over to save her? Could it be an act? With this thought, she did not dare to lower her guard against Shi Man and immediately became vigilant again. Shi Man did not have the time to care about what Su Tang was thinking. There was one more thing that had to be solved soon! She had always been this single-minded. In the past, when she was in the organization, she had to do everything as quickly as possible. Once there was someone she deemed as worthy, she would always be good to that person. Because of her personality, she became a top agent in the organization and was placed in an important position. But because of this, she didn¡¯t know the truth until she retired and was purged by the organization. Her thoughts drifted away as she untied the rope. Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Alright, see if you can stand up.¡± Shi Man threw away the rope and stood up abruptly. Her vision darkened and she almost fell. She had forgotten that the Host had just cut her wrist and was still very weak. Su Tang supported Shi Man from behind with one hand and held her own tattered clothes with the other. After Shi Man recovered, she was a little surprised that Su Tang would help her. However, she recalled that Su Tang was a pure and kind girl in the original novel, so she understood. After she recovered, Shi Man took off her hospital coat and handed it to Su Tang. She was only wearing a vest. Su Tang quickly declined. ¡°No, no. You¡¯re still a patient. You should wear it yourself.¡± ¡°Just wear it.¡± Shi Man ignored what she said and helped Su Tang put on the clothes. ¡°Then you¡­¡± Su Tang pointed at the white vest Shi Man was wearing. Shi Man did not say anything. She used to wear even less than this during training. What was wrong with that? ¡°Oh right.¡± Shi Man suddenly remembered another purpose of her trip. She reached into the pocket of her hospital gown and took out the Host¡¯s card that she had just asked the maid for. ¡°This card is for you.¡± ¡°Card? What do you mean? Why are you giving me money?¡± Su Tang was puzzled. ¡°It means we¡¯re even. I might have done something rude to you in the past. Just treat it as my¡­ apology.¡± Shi Man waved at Su Tang and walked towards the factory door. She had finally cleaned up after the Host. Next, she would go back and deal with that scheming bitch, Shi Jing. However, in the next second, the factory was surrounded by cars. Countless bodyguards in black got out of the car and rushed into the factory and formed a line. The person who came in after them was the cold and handsome Yi Zheng. ¡°It¡¯s you? To think you still dare to appear here!¡± Yi Zheng was a little shocked to see Shi Man here. The moment Shi Man saw Yi Zheng, she sighed in her heart. Tsk tsk, no wonder the Host was charmed by Yi Zheng. He was indeed born well. Even she, an agent who was used to seeing beauties in the world, couldn¡¯t help but feel her eyes light up. Yi Zheng¡¯s facial features were extremely stiff. His features were not as delicate as those of the men from the Shi family. Instead, he was exceptionally handsome. His distinct features and his arrogant and oppressive aura made people shiver. However, they also had an irresistible appeal. He exuded an aura that was both dangerous and tempting. ¡°Is it strange that it¡¯s me?¡± Shi Man looked up and met Yi Zheng¡¯s gaze. Her eyes were firm and clear. Yi Zheng looked at his little fianc¨¦e in front of him and actually felt she was a little unfamiliar. Her eyes, which were as tough as a small animal¡¯s, flickered with the afterglow of the setting sun outside the house, eliciting an inexplicable feeling from him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Your woman is behind.¡± Why was this man stopping her here instead of looking for Su Tang? Did he know that this was arranged by the original Shi Man? ¡°Miss Shi, don¡¯t say that.¡± Su Tang walked into a battle of auras between Shi Man and Yi Zheng. ¡°Brother Yi was only entrusted by my uncle to take care of me. We really don¡¯t have any other relationship.¡± Su Tang was in a difficult position. No matter how many times she explained, this Missy was unwilling to listen. Yi Zheng heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Su Tang was fine. He saw the tattered clothes under the hospital coat and roughly knew what had happened. ¡°Did you save Tang¡¯er?¡± ¡°Not really. I can only say that we won¡¯t owe each other anything in the future.¡± Shi Man walked around Yi Zheng and walked out of the factory without looking back. No matter what the male and female leads thought, she had already done her best. What Shi Man did previously had nothing to do with her, and from now on, Shi Man had nothing to do with Yi Zheng and Su Tang. The girl¡¯s figure faded into the distance. ¡°Brother Yi, are we¡­ going home?¡± Su Tang asked softly. Yi Zheng had always been distant. Even though he was entrusted by his old friend to take care of Su Tang, he had never treated her well in his life. Apart from Su Tang, only Shi Man could approach Yi Zheng. Yi Zheng did not speak. With a slight movement, the bodyguard beside him immediately understood. ¡°Miss Su, follow us.¡± He escorted Su Tang into the car. ¡°Find out what happened today.¡± After Su Tang left, Yi Zheng looked around the factory with a strange glint in his eyes. ¡°Yes,¡± Tang Zhe replied. As Yi Zheng¡¯s right-hand man, he naturally knew what to do. The burly man in the pool of blood let out a groan and was immediately dragged down by the bodyguards. Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Shi Man returned from the factory, the sky had already darkened. The baroque-style street lamps in the manor lit up, adding a hint of beauty to the night. After Shi Man resolved the mess with the male and female lead, she was in a good mood. She went home and admired the beautiful decorations of the manor. In her days as an agent, she had sneaked into the residences of countless wealthy politicians. The Shi family¡¯s manor was even better than theirs. Shi Man had only casually read this novel once in the past and did not investigate it in detail. Now that she was here, she truly felt the status of the Shi family. The figure that suddenly appeared in front of her broke Shi Man¡¯s mood. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Shi Jing, whose cheeks were swollen from the slap, was kneeling in front of the Shi family residence. When Shi Jing saw that Shi Man had returned, she immediately rushed up and pulled Shi Man¡¯s pants tightly like a drowning person. She cried and begged for mercy. ¡°Xiao Man, Miss, can you help me beg Madam? I was possessed for a moment. I was insensible and went overboard. Xiao Man, you¡¯re a magnanimous person. Let me stay with the Shi family¡­ I swear that I won¡¯t do anything to let you and the Shi family down again.¡± ¡°Shi Jing, go back. On account of your father¡¯s blood relationship with the Shi family, I¡¯m already being polite to your father by not teaching you a lesson.¡± At this moment, Shen Xian walked out in a silk housecoat and said to Shi Jing, who was kneeling on the ground. If Shi Jing¡¯s father did his sums, he was just a distant relative of the Shi family. To put it bluntly, they were from the same village in the early years. They were not really related by blood. Back then, Shi Zhong only felt that it was not easy for Shi Jing¡¯s father to bring her all the way to G City to study, so he kindly helped her. Later on, Shen Xian considered that Shi Man had to study, and since Shi Jing was obedient and sensible, she asked her to stay with the Shi family to be Shi Man¡¯s companion so that Shi Man would not be lonely. Shi Jing, on the other hand, did not know what was good for her. She used the Shi family¡¯s money to deal with the Shi family¡¯s biological daughter. She brainwashed Shi Man every day and coaxed her to wear distasteful clothes. She made a fool of Shi Man at various banquets and even drugged Shi Man¡¯s food, making her anxious and irritable. As a result, Shi Man could not control her emotions, causing Shi Zhong to dislike his only daughter more and more. Instead, he paid more attention to Shi Jing, who was only an outsider. Now that Shi Jing had instigated Shi Man to slit her wrist, how could Shen Xian tolerate it? She had already been kind by chasing her out of the Shi family. Shi Man was helpless when she saw Shi Jing begging her. Just as she was about to kick her away, Shi Zhong walked over. ¡°Xian¡¯er, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Shi Zhong gently put the shawl on Shen Xian. When he saw Shi Jing crying miserably, he couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this. ¡°Jingjing used to be a good child. She was beaten and punished this time. Let her go back to her room.¡± ¡°Shi Zhong! She almost caused Manman to lose her life!¡± Shen Xian said angrily. Shi Zhong looked at Shi Man with disdain. ¡°If she wasn¡¯t willing, who could force her to slit her wrist? To put it bluntly, she even sacrificed her life for that kid from the Yi family!¡± ¡°Shizhong!¡± Shen Xian was even angrier. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Your daughter just came out of the hospital. Not only do you not care about her, but you¡¯re also still siding with someone else¡¯s daughter. You¡­¡± ¡°If Shi Jing wants to stay, then let her stay.¡± Before Shen Xian could finish, Shi Man interrupted her. Compared to unknown risks, she was more used to taking everything into her own hands. Shi Jing was an important character in the novel. If she was sent away, she might cause some unexpected trouble in the future. Instead of that, it was better to leave her with the Shi family. With Shi Jing¡¯s intelligence, she would not have the ability to fight with her. When Shi Man said this, Shen Xian and Shi Jing were a little shocked. Shen Xian did not expect her usually willful daughter to be willing to forgive Shi Jing this time. Shi Jing also did not expect Shi Man to be willing to speak up for her after knowing that she had drugged her. Shi Zhong was surprised and relieved. His daughter had been unreasonable since she was young. If she didn¡¯t like someone, not to mention staying in the Shi family, even staying in G City would be a problem for that person. As long as she said a word, this person could never appear in front of her. He didn¡¯t expect her to plead for Shi Jing now. It seemed that she was very loyal. Although she was a little spoiled, she was not bad. Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Alright, since Manman has already pleaded for you, Shi Jing, you can continue to stay. In the future, your expenses will be halved. Manman, go back to your room and clean up before coming down for dinner. Don¡¯t catch a cold. The entire family is waiting for you.¡± Shi Zhong spoke and concluded this matter. At the same time, he looked at Shen Xian¡¯s expression. Seeing that she was not unhappy, he hugged her and returned to the dining room. Shi Man had the same intention. Although it was still summer, the Shi family¡¯s manor was in the suburbs and surrounded by mountains and rivers. At night, the temperature would be lower than in the city. The evening wind was slightly cold, but it was still too strong for someone who was only wearing a vest. ¡°Xiao Man.¡± Shi Man was about to leave when Shi Jing stopped her. Seeing Shi Man return in a vest and hospital pants and even speak up for her, Shi Jing felt that Shi Man was still the same as before. She was stupid and arrogant. As long as Shi Jing coaxed her and said good things, she would still listen to her and be controlled by her. ¡°Speak.¡± Shi Man turned around, her eyes expressionless. Looking at the girl¡¯s unfamiliar gaze, all the words Shi Jing wanted to say were stuck in her throat. She felt as if she was locked in a transparent glass jar naked and being seen clearly. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Seeing that Shi Jing didn¡¯t speak, Shi Man turned around and went upstairs. Actually, she knew what Shi Jing wanted to say. It was nothing more than the same trick she used to coax the Host. First, she would admit her mistake and praise the Host. Then, she would continue sucking up to her to make her happy. But she was not the original Shi Man. No matter what Shi Jing wanted to do, she could match her advances. ¡°Since I have nothing to do, I¡¯ll play with her.¡± A smile appeared on the girl¡¯s face. ¡­ On the other side, in the dining room, Shi Mu was arguing with Shi Jue. ¡°You hugged Manman today! You didn¡¯t let me hug her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you were pressing on her wound.¡± Shi Jue sat at the dining table sorting out the case information and ignored Shi Mu. ¡°I didn¡¯t! Did Xiao Man say that I was pressing on her?¡± Shi Mu chattered, feeling very unhappy that he had been pulled away when he held his sister today. ¡°Please, you¡­¡± Shi Jue wanted to say something, but he looked up and saw Shi Man coming downstairs after changing. He was stunned. Why did his sister feel a little different today? She looked¡­ good. After Shi Man returned to her room, she encountered the first headache she had since her rebirth. What was in her closet? A princess dress made of deadly Barbie pink, a bright red and yellow jumpsuit, a tight top embroidered with peonies with fungus¡­ Was this really the aesthetic sense of a normal person? No wonder Shi Zhong felt embarrassed about bringing the Host out. Shi Man held her forehead and hesitated for a long time before taking out a normal white shirt from the closet. The size of the shirt was relatively large, and it did not look like the original owner¡¯s clothes. After Shi Man put on the shirt, it covered her thighs, and the cuffs were also longer. There was a strange badge pattern embroidered on the collar and chest of the shirt. Shi Man rolled up her sleeves and took a wide black belt from her other outfit to tie around her waist. The overly wide belt looked exaggerated on the original outfit but complemented this pure-colored shirt very well. The golden buttons on the belt also echoed the golden threads on the shirt. When Shi Man looked at herself in the mirror, she nodded in satisfaction. She finally looked like a normal person. In the dining room, the Shi family was sitting at the table. The dishes had been served, but no one had touched them. It seemed like they were indeed waiting for her. Shi Man looked around and realized that Shi Jing was not in the dining room. It seemed that she had gone back to her room to hide today. After all, other than Shi Zhong, no one in the dining room liked Shi Jing, especially when they knew how Shi Jing treated Shi Man. ¡°Xiao Man¡­¡± Shi Jue called out when he saw Shi Man. Immediately, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Shi Man. She was not used to such attention, but she still made the appearance of sitting down to eat. ¡°Xiao Man seems to be dressed differently today,¡± Shen Xian said with a smile. Although her daughter looked good in everything, she looked especially good today. Shi Man nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t like the clothes in the closet.¡± Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Shen Xian heard Shi Man¡¯s words, she immediately became excited. ¡°Then Manman, go shopping with Mom tomorrow. I¡¯ll get Butler Qi to seal the CBD for a day. Only the two of us will shop tomorrow.¡± ¡°As you please.¡± Shi Man wasn¡¯t interested in shopping, but the clothes in the closet really couldn¡¯t catch her eye. It was torture to wear them. ¡°Xiao Man is wearing Big Brother¡¯s clothes today.¡± Shi Jue pushed the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose bridge and accurately grasped the key point of the outfit. ¡°It¡¯s the uniform of Cassel Academy that you asked Big Brother for, right?¡± Cassel Academy? Shi Man looked down at the badge on her chest. Was this crest the school badge of Cassel Academy? Cassel Academy was one of the top aristocratic academies in G City and the country. Its requirements for students were extremely strict. A good family background was only the foundation for enrollment. Countless rich children dreamed of getting the chance to enroll in Cassel. As Yi Zheng was a student of Cassel Academy in the past, the Host had always looked forward to attending Cassel Academy. However, she did not have the qualifications to enter, so she went to her brother and asked for his uniform from Cassel Academy for collection. Shi Ke had long graduated from Cassel Academy. He was very happy to satisfy his sister¡¯s small request. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I picked it up casually,¡± Shi Man said calmly. If Shi Jue hadn¡¯t said so, she would have forgotten that there was such a school. ¡°Xiao Man, do you still want to come to our school? Why don¡¯t I talk to the principal? Since I¡¯m the president of the Student Union, the principal will do me a favor.¡± Shi Mu sat beside Shi Man and said with heartache. In Shi Mu¡¯s opinion, since his sister had already put on the uniform, she must really yearn to join the academy. In the past, Xiao Man would say whatever she wanted directly. Why would she remind them so tactfully? Shi Man did not know that what Shi Mu said reflected what her other brothers were thinking. She did not have any obsession with Cassel Academy. It was the same for her whichever school she went to. She had long completed her education when she was in the organization. She did not intend to do anything earth-shattering in this rebirth. She just wanted to experience life outside of being a special agent. In the past, she had never had a life of her own. Every day, when she opened her eyes, she was either training or on a mission. She lived like a puppet. Now that the heavens had given her a chance to be reborn, she wanted to use this opportunity to live the life she wanted. ¡°It¡¯s just studying. It¡¯s the same everywhere,¡± Shi Man replied indifferently. The Shi family was shocked again. Was this still the original Xiao Man? But no matter what, their sister¡¯s wish had to be fulfilled. Shi Ke took out a folder from somewhere and handed it to Shi Man. ¡°Xiao Man, open it and take a look. It¡¯s a gift from me.¡± A gift? Shi Man was confused, but she took it and opened it. Cassel Academy interview invitation. ¡°What is this?¡± Shi Man asked. ¡°Cassel Academy will have an interview invitation for outstanding transfer students every school year. Students who receive an invitation can have the chance to participate in the entrance interview at Cassel Academy. As long as they pass the interview, they can study at Cassel Academy in the next school year,¡± Shi Ke explained carefully. ¡°Heavens, Big Brother, how did you even get this?¡± Shi Mu was shocked. The interview invitation to Cassel Academy was very rare. It was specially set up to invite outstanding talents. The few noble students who could not enter the academy through normal channels were waiting for this opportunity. After all, there was a lot of room for negotiation. ¡°I¡¯m an outstanding graduate and famous alumnus of Cassel Academy. It¡¯s not too difficult to get this.¡± Shi Ke shrugged. No matter if it was difficult or not, as long as Shi Man wanted it, there was nothing he couldn¡¯t get. Shi Man looked at the invitation. After hearing Shi Ke¡¯s explanation, she roughly knew what this thing was for. She smiled sweetly at Shi Ke. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother.¡± Since the Host wanted to go so much, she might as well go to this difficult Cassel Academy to take a look. Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man¡¯s thank you and smile instantly made Shi Ke lose all his seriousness. His sister was too cute! ¡°Don¡¯t thank me! Manman, tell me what you want. I can get you anything.¡± When the other brothers saw Shi Man like this, they also acted up. ¡°Xiao Man, Xiao Man, I can take you to Cassel. I¡¯m the president of the Student Union. I¡¯ll protect you in the future!¡± Shi Mu looked at Shi Man expectantly. ¡°Come on.¡± Shi Jue said, ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡¯re about to graduate, right? How can you protect Manman? Manman, you know that I¡¯m a lawyer and I have some collaboration with the legal team of Cassel Academy. I¡¯m also an honorary alumnus of the academy. If anyone in school bullies you, tell me. I will sue him until he goes bankrupt.¡± Shi He couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. Why was he just a celebrity? Although he was a top celebrity, what he had achieved couldn¡¯t be compared to Cassel. ¡°Xiaoman, if you¡¯re tired of studying, Third Brother will bring you to a concert. Why don¡¯t we go to a movie? Or if you like any celebrity, we can ask him out to play with you and relax.¡± ¡°Pfft,¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Her brothers usually put on more serious demeanors. Why did they look like they had lost their souls in front of Shi Man? ¡°Thank you, Second Brother, Third Brother, and Brother.¡± Shi Man thanked them again. The brothers were lost in Shi Man¡¯s sweetness overload. Their little sister was so nice today. She was gentle and beautiful. Shen Xian and Shizhong watched them banter as they ate. They smiled and shook their heads. The laughter that appeared to be long lost echoed in the manor. However, there was someone in the manor that was not part of the blissful scene. ¡°Cassel Academy¡­¡± Shi Jing sat in the corner of the kitchen and ate, quietly listening to everything in the dining room. Why? Why could she attend Cassel? Was she worthy with her stupid appearance? Shi Jing¡¯s expression changed as vicious thoughts arose in her mind. If she couldn¡¯t go, then no one should go. ¡­ Outside the villa, a group of unknown men in black was lying in ambush at various locations. In the sniper scope were the heads of Shi Zhong and Shi Ke. ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve locked onto the target. We¡¯re ready to attack at any time.¡± A man in black was reporting through the equipment. ¡°Strange, aren¡¯t there seven people?¡± Another man in black suddenly realized that something was wrong and asked. ¡°Are there fewer people?¡± ¡°We seem to be missing the youngest daughter of the Shi family.¡± ¡°Ignore her. She¡¯s just a piece of trash. Watch Shi Zhong and Shi Ke,¡± the leader of the black-clothed people said to the others through the equipment. They had to work for others if they were paid to do so. ¡°Who are you calling a piece of trash?¡± A clear girl¡¯s voice came from somewhere. The men in black were instantly vigilant and glanced around, but they didn¡¯t find anything. Suddenly, there was a movement above the sniper¡¯s head. When he reacted, the silver knife and fork had already been inserted into his arm. The other men in black who were defending with guns were also hit by the knife and fork to varying degrees. Unexpectedly, the leader of the men in black panicked for a moment and immediately changed his strategy. ¡°Bring your weapons and retreat first!¡± After receiving the order, his subordinates immediately packed up and evacuated the manor. Looking at the specks of blood on the ground, Shi Man smiled evilly and immediately followed. When she was eating just now, she sensed that something was amiss. It was as if she was being stared at by several pairs of eyes. In order not to alert the enemy, Shi Man pretended to eat with the Shi family normally. Then, she made an excuse before saying that she wanted to go back upstairs first. Unbeknownst to her family, she had taken the few knives and forks from the table to the window. She did not expect these people to be so timid. They were frightened away before she could make her next move. How could she miss such an interesting thing? After all, the guns in their hands seemed to be quite good. Shi Man had not been in this world for long, but she realized that this world was a little different from her previous world in terms of weaponry and medical technology. It was not easy for her to have this opportunity to come into close contact with firearms, and this made her curious and excited. Shi Man followed the blood and footprints left by the men in black. The air was filled with the smell of blood. As the night wind blew, it was like an invisible red line, allowing Shi Man to determine the direction the other party was going. Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Although there were not many people from the group, they were all very skilled killers. Not only did they have a plan and strategy, but they also had a certain level of anti-reconnaissance skills. If not for Shi Man¡¯s strong foundation, they would have shaken her off. After walking around for a long time, Shi Man finally stopped in front of a warehouse. It seemed this was their stronghold. In the warehouse, the men in black took off their coats and revealed their original appearance. The leader was a bald man with an azure dragon tattoo on the back of his head that extended to his neck. ¡°What was going on today? We are an international mercenary group, but we can¡¯t even deal with two merchants?¡± The other men in black also took off their equipment and began to help each other treat their wounds. Many people were injured, but everyone was not too seriously injured, except for the two snipers. The knife that flew over almost cut off their wrists. Such strength could not be trained without ten to twenty years of training. ¡°Boss, we were so close just now. I really didn¡¯t expect there to be a mistake¡­¡± One of the lackeys was about to explain when suddenly, the lights in the entire warehouse went out. Everyone fell into darkness. Moonlight shone through the small skylight at the top of the warehouse, barely allowing some visibility. A black shadow quickly flashed past the periphery of the group. Screech¡ªscreech¡ª After a few sounds, several or the men in black fell to the ground. The person finally revealed her face and appeared in front of him. ¡°Who are you!¡± The leader of the men in black looked terrified. The young girl in front of him had actually defeated the mercenaries under him in just a few seconds! Although everyone was in a bad state and the darkness in the environment was not helpful, they were still men. If they were defeated by a little girl, would they still be able to survive in their line of work? Wait a minute¡­ Why did this girl look a little familiar? The leader of the men in black asked uncertainly, ¡°You are¡­ Shi Man?¡± The only daughter of the Shi family? Shi Man walked into the moonlight and revealed herself. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The man clenched his fists. ¡°No problem.¡± No matter what the person¡¯s intentions were, he just had to fight. Shi Man chuckled. She had clearly seen through his thoughts. Without a moment to lose, she rushed toward that person. The leader of the men in black did not expect a little girl to be so fast. He could not withstand it for a moment, but as the leader of the organization, he had some foundation. He quickly stabilized his pace and began to counterattack. Neither of them held a weapon, but between their fists and feet, it was as if they had the strongest weapons. Every punch hurt. After a few rounds, the man was clearly exhausted. Shi Man looked relaxed as if she was just playing games with him. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± the man in black asked. Shi Man did not kill his lackeys, including the two snipers. It meant that she did not want to take their lives. ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to see who dares to touch the Shi family.¡± Shi Man smiled again. In the pale moonlight, she looked like Satan¡¯s messenger. ¡°Tell me, who sent you?¡± The leader of the men in black looked down at his brothers who were lying on the ground and did not speak. The mercenaries were hired by others, so most of the time, they didn¡¯t know the real background of their employer. Even if they knew, they couldn¡¯t reveal their employer¡¯s identity. This was the rule of their line of work even in the face of death. ¡°If you want to kill or torture me, just come at me.¡± The boss in black did not intend to continue struggling. Whether he revealed his employer¡¯s identity or not, he would die. If he fell into the hands of the Shi family, he could predict the outcome. However, he would try to keep his brothers in the team alive. This was also the last thing he could do for them. At this moment, the people who had just been knocked out by Shi Man gradually woke up. She didn¡¯t beat around the bush with them anymore and rushed up to clamp the neck of the leader. She asked with a cold gaze, ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Who sent you?¡± The subordinate who had just woken up did not know what had happened, but seeing that his boss was in danger, he hurriedly said, ¡°We don¡¯t know who the employer is! Usually, buyers hide their information!¡± Seeing that they really didn¡¯t know, Shi Man slowly let go and threw the purple-faced man aside. The leader of the men in black fell to the ground and took deep breaths. It took him a long time to recover. ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°Boss, are you alright?¡± His subordinates rushed forward to protect the man. Shi Man raised her eyebrows. Interesting. In a moment, she knew what she wanted. ¡°I want your people. Why don¡¯t you consider following me?¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You want them?¡± The leader frowned. ¡°You want us?¡± The mercenaries under him exclaimed. ¡°Yes, I want you.¡± Shi Man saw the other party¡¯s shocked expression and was a little amused. ¡°How about it? Do you want to consider hanging out with me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? How can we follow you?¡± Hearing Shi Man¡¯s words, the people in black who had just fallen perked up and retorted in disdain. They did not know that while they were unconscious, this little girl defeated their boss. ¡°What do you say, Little Green Dragon?¡± Shi Man ignored the others. Little Green Dragon? Damn, how could this woman call their boss that! The lackey felt that his boss was being looked down on and wanted to rush up to teach this arrogant little girl a lesson, but he was stopped by his boss. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± The leader looked troubled. Although the mercenaries valued money more than their lives, everyone was a brother who had gone through life and death together. He did not want anyone to die in vain. When they attacked the Shi family this time, they were discovered. If they did not listen to Shi Man, both the Shi family and their employer would not let them off. At that time, it would not be a matter of guns and dignity. Moreover, although this Shi Man looked like an ordinary girl, she had such strong skills. It meant that the Shi family was far more powerful than they had imagined. After some consideration, he decided to listen to Shi Man. ¡°Sure.¡± Shi Man nodded in satisfaction. She didn¡¯t know that the baldy had considered so many factors, but it was fine as long as the result was what she wanted. ¡°Then from now on, I¡¯ll be your boss. Let me introduce myself. My name is Shi Man.¡± The bald man knelt down on one knee. ¡°Greetings, Boss.¡± ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°Boss, don¡¯t!¡± Before the others could recover from their surprise, they saw their boss paying his respects to someone else. To top it off, this person was the daughter of their target. What was this about? ¡°Shut up and listen to me,¡± the bald boss scolded. ¡°Come and meet the new boss!¡± The mercenaries were still a little unconvinced, but they obediently knelt on one knee and bowed to Shi Man. Boss must have a reason! No, they had to call him Second Boss in the future. Boohoo¡­ Shi Man was dressed in white and sitting on the black leather sofa in the middle of the warehouse like a noble and cold queen. ¡°In this case, bring out all your firearms. I need some weapons that can be used easily.¡± The people below moved when they heard that. They placed all the handheld equipment in the warehouse neatly in front of Shi Man. As for the large weapons and ammunition, they showed them to Shi Man in the form of pictures. Shi Man took a look. It was barely satisfactory. It seemed that the firearms in this world were not very developed. In the end, Shi Man picked a few that were still usable and reluctantly used them. The Host¡¯s body was relatively small, and the size of the pistol was still a little inappropriate. However, this kind of thing could not affect Shi Man at all. In addition to the pistol, Shi Man also picked two military knives and put them in her boots. There would always be a time when the bullets were used up, but cold weapons could be used repeatedly. After choosing both melee and long-range weapons, Shi Man remembered something else. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your organization?¡± The mercenary who was asked was very proud. He stood up straight and said, ¡°Azure Dragon Gang!¡± Shi Man was speechless. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s nice, right? Our boss¡­ No, our second boss came up with the name.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°Azure¡­ Azure Dragon Gang?¡± This name was too old-fashioned! Shi Man held her forehead and sighed. ¡°From today onwards, it¡¯ll be called Immaculate.¡± ¡°Immaculate?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded. ¡°Unaffected by external forces and focused on the purity of the heart.¡± Wow, the mercenaries looked at one another. This boss was so cultured. Although they didn¡¯t understand, she seemed very powerful. It seemed that following her wasn¡¯t bad. And she seemed to know a lot about armaments. Could she be some hidden big shot? Shi Man ignored the mercenaries¡¯ curious expressions and asked the bald man standing beside her, ¡°What¡¯s your name, my second-in-command?¡± The bald man felt a little uneasy being called by Shi Man. ¡°Ahem, my name is Sean.¡± Shi Man nodded. ¡°Then Sean, you¡¯ll be in charge of Immaculate from now on. You can continue to take orders, but every mission needs to be reviewed by me first.¡± Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sean nodded. From now on, Shi Man would be their boss. ¡°Apart from accepting mercenary missions, do you have any other sources of funds?¡± Shi Man asked again. Sean shook his head. ¡°Nothing else. We¡¯re an organized and disciplined mercenary group, not just any small organization.¡± Shi Man understood. ¡°Then this shouldn¡¯t be your base camp, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Sean said. ¡°This is just one of the strongholds. Storage points are usually used for transition and there are rest stops to complete missions in the city. Our camp is in City M because most of the missions are concentrated in Southeast Asia. It¡¯s more convenient to operate from City M.¡± City M was located at the border of Country Z, not far from City G. Compared to the extremely urban City G, City M was more like a small city on the border that had yet to be fully developed. There were all kinds of people there, and it had the largest black market in Country Z. ¡°Then how many people are there in the mercenary group?¡± Shi Man needed to know this organization well. With the abilities of Sean¡¯s mercenaries, they would be a great killing weapon if they were used well. ¡°There are about three hundred of us. Other than the brothers stationed in M City and our brothers here, some of us are out on other missions.¡± Sean thought for a moment and added, ¡°This time, the ones who came with me are the core brothers in the regiment.¡± Shi Man knew that he was telling her that as long as everyone on their side acknowledged her, the other mercenaries would be easy to deal with. Mercenaries had always been loyal and only cared about money. Although she had become their boss, they would not be too calculative if she did not restrain them and did not hinder their way of earning money. ¡°That¡¯s it then. You guys continue doing your things. If you want to contact me in the future, just come to the house.¡± With that, Shi Man left the warehouse and disappeared into the night. She would let them digest what happened today internally. She was also a little tired. She had done so much just after her rebirth. She had to rest well. After the encounter, Shi Man returned to the Shi family residence. Shi Man was about to go upstairs when she heard movement from the kitchen. She walked closer and saw that Shi Jing was doing something. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shi Man leaned close to Shi Jing and whispered in her ear. Shi Jing did not notice Shi Man¡¯s approach and was shocked. The soup spoon in her hand fell to the ground. ¡°Xiao, Xiao Man, it¡¯s you. I¡¯m making soup for Third Brother. He just said that he¡¯s a little hungry. I want to make him some supper.¡± Shi Jing¡¯s timid look was completely different from before. Previously, she was always either obsequious or disdainful in front of Shi Man, but she was never afraid. It seemed that Shen Xian¡¯s slap had temporarily restrained her. Shi Man glanced at the chicken soup simmering on the fire. If she remembered correctly, Third Brother liked what Shi Jing made because Shi Jing added drugs to his food. In the novel, not only did Shi Jing want to replace Shi Man, but she also had a good impression of Shi Jue and Shi He, who were the best-looking. As a lawyer, Shi Jue was too sharp. So Shi Jing picked Shi He. By feeding him the food she had drugged, Shi He gradually became addicted and could not leave her. It seemed that she was going to use the same trick today. Shi Man raised her eyebrows. ¡°Alright, continue.¡± When she got close to Shi Jing just now, she wanted to see if she had done anything to the soup. Now, it seemed that she had not had the time to put it in the soup, but with her sharp nose, she could already smell the drug on Shi Jing. This was an addictive drug. Overconsumption could even cause hallucinations. After taking it for a short period of time, the person would feel abnormally clear-headed. Dopamine would be secreted in large quantities, creating an illusion of pleasure. Shi Jing wanted to make Shi He think that he had fallen in love with her food. Shi Man still didn¡¯t know how far Shi He had taken it. She could only put the matter aside for the time being and not stop him. Otherwise, if he suddenly stopped taking the drug and something went wrong in front of the public, it would be a devastating blow to his career. Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios But¡­ why did she start thinking about her brothers? Shi Man did not stay any longer and turned to go upstairs. She should take a shower and sleep. Behind her, Shi Jing¡¯s expression changed when she saw Shi Man go upstairs. She returned to her original hatred and disdain. When did Shi Man stop wearing the clothes she ¡°picked¡± carefully? She was dressed properly today and actually looked quite pretty. Moreover, she knew that she had drugged her. Shi Jing thought that her actions were flawless. With Shi Man¡¯s brain, it was impossible for her to suspect anything. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the drug she gave Shi Man only had half an hour of effect, she would really be finished after the chicken soup was sent over to be tested. Shi Jing picked up the soup spoon on the ground and washed it. Then, she took out a bag of red powder from her pocket and poured it into the soup. After adding the powder, the soup emitted an alluring fragrance. In a few seconds, it disappeared without a trace, as if it had never appeared. As long as there was still someone in the Shi family who needed her, and as long as she could continue to control Shi He, she still had a chance to take down Shi Man. A vicious expression appeared on Shi Jing¡¯s face, but it disappeared the moment she went upstairs. She turned back into the gentle and lovely obedient girl. Holding the soup, she knocked on Shi He¡¯s door. When Shi He saw her, he didn¡¯t say much. He just took the soup and let her leave. In the night, the worries of many people shrouded the Shi family¡¯s villa, but morning would eventually come. The next day, Shi Mu woke up early. He was neatly dressed in the uniform of Cassel Academy. He sat in front of the dining table and obediently waited for Shi Man to come down. He had not expected this. First, it was Shi Jue, then it was Shi Ke. Even Shi He, who usually didn¡¯t wake up in the morning, came down for breakfast! ¡°Hey, hey, hey! What¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡± When Shi Mu saw them taking their seats, he shouted, ¡°Big Brother, shouldn¡¯t you have gone to the company long ago? Second Brother, you too. Didn¡¯t you go straight to the law firm? Why are you here for breakfast?¡± Shi Jue smiled kindly at his younger brother as he drank his coffee. Shi Ke ignored Shi Mu and sat at the dining table reading the newspaper. Shi He looked sleepy as he grabbed a piece of toast and stuffed it into his mouth. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, go back to sleep, okay?¡± What was wrong with these people? They actually came to ruin his romantic breakfast with Manman! He was still thinking of sending her to school after eating with her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I got up to have breakfast with Manman.¡± Shi He tried his best to force himself to wake up. Damn it, he had planned to sleep after drinking the soup yesterday. Who knew that he would be alert and frustrated? He didn¡¯t rest well the entire night. Shi Ke folded the newspaper and placed it aside. ¡°Xiao Man is going to Cassel Academy for an interview today. She might be very nervous. As her big brother, how can I not accompany her to deal with all the challenges?¡± Shi Jue, who was sitting beside him, nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Shi Mu sat back down angrily. He could not win against three people. Just as they were ¡°loving one another¡±, Shi Man came upstairs. She didn¡¯t have a uniform from Cassel Academy yet. But she had an interview today, so she couldn¡¯t possibly dress too ridiculously. So she did something to the clothes in the closet. She cut off the outer layer of a gorgeous red princess dress, leaving only the pink silk dress inside. Although Shi Man¡¯s clothes were all very strange, they were all very expensive without exception. The lining was often the most comfortable and made of top-notch material. Then, she cut another piece of a white and translucent knitted long robe and made it into a small shawl fastened with a peony-shaped jewelry brooch. Her hair was casually tied up with a hairpin, making her look like a gentle Jiangnan woman. Looking at herself in the mirror, Shi Man went downstairs to eat in satisfaction. ¡°Morning, brothers.¡± Shi Man sat down beside Shi Mu. Her brothers seemed to have come down long ago. She woke up a little late today. Shi Man¡¯s morning temperament was a little strange. She had just woken up and her reaction was slower. Her words and actions were like those of a sloth. In order not to let her condition affect the mission, she usually exercised for an hour after getting up to wake her body up completely before meeting people. This led to her needing to wake up earlier than the others, but she had just been reborn into this body and was still a little uncomfortable. She needed to sleep a little more than her previous self. Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When the brothers saw Shi Man sit down, they pushed the food in front of her. ¡°Xiao Man, Big Brother specially asked the kitchen to prepare two types of breakfast today. What do you want to eat?¡± Shi Ke said to Shi Man gently. Shi Jue was not to be outdone. ¡°Xiaoman is going for an interview today, so it¡¯s not suitable for her to eat something too greasy. Second Brother got someone to make green tea for you with pastries. It won¡¯t be too greasy.¡± Shi Mu was not as thorough as his two brothers. He only knew to pile everything in front of Shi Man. Shi He took out a row of car keys. ¡°Which car do you want me to drive? Third Brother will send you to school today.¡± Shi Man smiled sweetly at her brothers and took a sip of milk. She randomly picked one from the row of car keys. ¡°I¡¯ll go to school myself.¡± After saying that, Shi Man left the house with her car keys. ¡°I knew it! I knew it! Manman must like the car I gave her the most!¡± Shi Mu was very happy to see that Manman was holding the key to the silver sports car he gave her. Shi He sighed. Not only did his sister not let him drive her, but she had also stopped driving the pink Lamborghini that she had said she liked the most. Not driving? Wait! ¡°Xiaoman is driving there herself? I thought she didn¡¯t know how to drive?¡± Shi Jue suddenly reminded them. The four members of the Shi family immediately took their things and drove after Shi Man, afraid that something would happen to her. Shi Man did not know that the Host did not know how to drive. At this moment, she was following the navigation and heading toward Cassel Academy. At the entrance of the academy, a group of students was frightened by the wild silver sports car and avoided it. The moment the sports car was about to hit the academy¡¯s sign, it did an extreme drift and parked into the lot. ¡°OK, full marks for parallel parking,¡± said Shi Man as she got out of the car. The school gate of Cassel Academy was very imposing, comparable to a city wall. At the entrance of the academy, there were students walking in twos and threes. Although they were all wearing uniforms, they could not hide their nobility. The cars that sent the students to the academy were all parked by the roadside. They were not as luxurious as Shi Man¡¯s car, but they were still expensive. ¡°Who is this?¡± a few students gathered to discuss. ¡°She¡¯s not wearing a uniform. Is she from our academy?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know her? She¡¯s the daughter of the Shi family. She¡¯s infamous for causing trouble every day just because her family is powerful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s her, Shi Man! She only knows how to pester men every day! She¡¯s so fair and clean today that I didn¡¯t recognize her immediately.¡± ¡°I¡¯m dying of laughter. Does this piece of trash think she can come to Cassel? She might as well go and look for Yi Zheng?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why did she come to our school? How unlucky.¡± ¡°She must have a back door. Otherwise, how can a lousy person like her enter? I thought she only wanted men and isn¡¯t interested in studying. How shameless.¡± Shi Man heard the surrounding people discussing her and did not take it seriously. Previously, because of Shi Jing¡¯s manipulation and her family¡¯s dotage, Shi Man was very arrogant and domineering. At a young age, she wore thick makeup all day long, making it impossible to see her original facial features. The current Shi Man did not like to put on makeup, so she only put on a little makeup when she went out this time. Her clear skin and exquisite facial features made it difficult for those who had seen her to recognize her. But even if they recognized her, they wouldn¡¯t dare approach her. Although Cassel was a noble academy, and the students here were either rich or noble, members of the elite were also divided into different ranks. As the richest family in this world, there were not many people who dared to provoke the Shi family. If they angered her, they would not be able to bear the consequences. Shi Man did not want to spend time on meaningless people. She followed the sign to the interview venue where the receptionist was waiting. ¡°Hello, Miss Shi. Please sit here and wait for a moment. The principal is interviewing a student.¡± Shi Man nodded and sat down. The reception room was large and decorated in European style. It was filled with all kinds of books and maps. Shi Man picked up a book from the shelf and read it. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was a book about ancient Roman history. The waiting process was boring, so Shi Man simply started reading with interest. The receptionist standing at the side curled her lips in disdain, thinking that Shi Man was pretending. After all, this was an English book. How could an uncultured fool like Shi Man, who only knew how to enjoy herself and think about men, understand it? It didn¡¯t take long for the door to the principal¡¯s office to open. ¡°Miss Shi, this way please.¡± Shi Man followed the secretary into the principal¡¯s office. As soon as the door was closed, the room outside was filled with people. ¡°Is this Shi Man?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t pass the interview.¡± Almost all the form teachers in the academy came to take a look and expressed the same thought. ¡°How could she not pass? Don¡¯t you know the status of the Shi family? Back then, Shi Man couldn¡¯t blame anyone for not being able to pass the written test. It¡¯s written there in black and white. If we don¡¯t let her pass this interview, isn¡¯t it obvious that we are disrespecting the Shi family?¡± ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t let such a person enter Class S. Not everyone can enter Class S.¡± The form teacher of Class S was a capable woman. ¡°Don¡¯t come to Class A either. Just throw her to Class F. Why do we need to feel conflicted?¡± The form teacher of Class F was already a little unhappy that they had pulled him over. They relied on the fact that their students were outstanding and were always mean. Every time there were bad students, they would push them into his class. This caused the average score of their class to become lower and lower, becoming the so-called Class F. When the teacher of Class B saw that the form teacher of Class F did not look too good, he hurriedly nudged the few teachers who spoke and asked them to restrain themselves. After all, they were all colleagues and should not make things too ugly. In the principal¡¯s office, Shi Man was introducing herself. The commotion outside was too loud. With her hearing, she could make out everything clearly. Class F? Interesting. ¡°Student Shi, I have some questions for you for the interview.¡± The principal of Cassel Academy was a very wise-looking old man. He wore a gold-rimmed chain monocle on his right eye and looked like a 19th-century British noble. It was said that the principal of Cassel Academy was of a mixed-blood heritage. It was no wonder that the style of the academy was so European. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Shi Man nodded slightly and was polite. ¡°What do you make of the rumors about you?¡± Shi Man did not expect the principal to be so straightforward. The principal must have known about her style and rumors in advance. The reason why he asked this question was probably that the Shi family had already given Cassel Academy an offer that it could not refuse. Since he could not change the outcome, he wanted to see if Shi Man was really as the rumors said. Shi Man looked into the principal¡¯s eyes and said bluntly, ¡°I don¡¯t care about them.¡± The principal raised his eyebrows and gestured for Shi Man to continue. ¡°We can¡¯t chase the past; we can only look towards the future.¡± Indeed, what had already happened was in the past. The current Shi Man could not change it, but anything that happened to this body in the future was under her control. ¡°A very philosophical thinking representative of the Eastern culture.¡± The principal nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s start the rest of the interview process.¡± After asking Shi Man some questions relating to professional specialization, the principal changed his opinion of Shi Man. ¡°Then one last question. Which class do you want to go to?¡± With Shi Man¡¯s potential, he could even arrange for her to go to Class S. On the one hand, Shi Man did have this ability. He believed in his judgment of people. On the other hand, it could be considered as giving the Shi family respect. In the future, if there was anything in the academy requiring support, he could reach out to the Shi family. Shi Man shrugged and relaxed her body slightly. She leaned back in her chair. She could actually not take this interview so seriously. Considering the strength of the Shi family, it was already certain that she would enter Cassel Academy. However, she still tried her best. Showing her strength was also an ability, wasn¡¯t it? Now that her ability had been recognized, she had to start doing things she liked. ¡°Class F then,¡± Shi Man said briskly with a standard smile. Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Class F?¡± The principal looked at Shi Man with interest. He didn¡¯t expect Shi Man to make such a request. Although the teachers of Cassel Academy were very outstanding, the atmosphere of the class and the character of the students also affected the students¡¯ learning. Could it be that Shi Man had no intention of coming to Cassel Academy to study? ¡°Yes, Class F.¡± Shi Man nodded. She did not intend to improve by studying. She just wanted to experience the atmosphere of the school and the feeling of studying. When Shi Man was studying in the organization in the past, she never had people she could call her classmates. They were all colleagues, competitors, and even enemies. Everyone only wanted to improve themselves through learning, defeat others, and become important people in the organization. Once they could not keep up with the organization¡¯s progress and were eliminated, no one knew what would happen. In short, they would never appear in front of others again. Shi Man had already experienced such high-pressure learning and high-intensity training. There was no need to torture herself again. In addition, she also wanted to see what Class F, which everyone despised and avoided, looked like. After all wasn¡¯t Class F more suitable for the legendary Shi Man? Seeing Shi Man¡¯s confident look, the principal knew that she had thought it through, so he personally led her out. In the reception room, when the teachers saw the principal come out, they all stood up to express their respect. The principal briefly introduced Shi Man to everyone and handed her to the Year Head. ¡°In the future, this student will be studying in Class F. Director Zou, bring her to collect her books and send her to Class F for class.¡± After the principal finished speaking, he turned around and returned to the principal¡¯s office. The teachers from Class S and Class A gloated and nudged the form teacher of Class F¡¯s shoulder maliciously. It was only right. A student like her should be assigned to Class F. ¡°Alright, you guys should go back quickly. The morning class is about to begin.¡± Director Zou said to the teachers who had come to watch the commotion. Fortunately, the principal did not fuss too much about it just now. Otherwise, she would have been reprimanded again with these teachers around. ¡°Student Shi, follow me.¡± Shi Man nodded and followed behind Director Zou obediently, listening to her introduce the various places and some characteristics of the academy. After receiving her books, Director Zou brought Shi Man to Class F and handed her to the form teacher before leaving. ¡°Hello, Shi Man. I¡¯m your form teacher, Mr. Geng Hui.¡± Geng Hui led Shi Man to the podium and introduced her to everyone. ¡°This is Shi Man, who has just transferred to our class. She will be a part of Class F in the future.¡± Geng Hui was a gentle but somewhat dense middle-aged man. Facing the many young ladies and young masters of Class F, he clearly did not have much presence. The class was in chaos. No one was listening to Geng Hui. Geng Hui seemed to be used to it. He pointed to a seat by the window and said to Shi Man, ¡°Shi Man, sit over there with the class monitor.¡± Shi Man understood and walked to the seat with the book. The girl at her desk was sleeping. Shi Man raised her voice slightly. ¡°Student, move aside.¡± The girl looked up at Shi Man blankly. For a moment, both of them were a little shocked. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Shi Man¡¯s deskmate was none other than the original heroine of the novel, Su Tang. Oh right, Su Tang was indeed in Class F in the original novel. After her parents died, Su Tang stayed with her uncle and lived a relatively frugal life. Even her living expenses were earned by working and studying. Through her own hard work, she was able to gain admission into the noble academy, Cassel. She had obtained a scholarship and a top student spot. It was just that in order to gather money to buy the uniform for the academy, Su Tang had been working part-time for the entire summer vacation. In addition, her uncle¡¯s sudden death had left Su Tang too overwhelmed to study. As a result, she failed the class allocation exam at Cassel Academy and was assigned to Class F. When she started studying in Class F, Su Tang¡¯s excellence and seriousness made her a natural candidate for the position of class monitor. ¡°Su Tang, move aside.¡± Shi Man straightened out the plot of the original novel and quickly adapted. ¡°Ah, oh, oh, okay. Go in.¡± Su Tang was only stunned for a moment before she immediately reacted and let Shi Man in. Today, Shi Man gave her a completely different feeling. Not only did she look better, but her aura was also different. Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Tang¡¯s memory of Shi Man was still from the last time she hit those thugs in the factory. It would be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t afraid, but Su Tang still had an inexplicable trust in Shi Man. As long as she didn¡¯t provoke Shi Man, she wouldn¡¯t do anything to her. After confirming her thoughts, Su Tang mustered her courage and wanted to talk to Shi Man, but she was interrupted by a voice from behind. ¡°Xiaohan, it¡¯s Shi Man. She¡¯s a shameless woman who keeps pestering Cousin Song Zhi.¡± ¡°Aiyo, why isn¡¯t she dressed like a pheasant today?¡± Fang Han sneered. She and Yi Zheng¡¯s cousin, Song Zhi, were good friends. She often attended some banquets with the Song family. Every time, Shi Man would dress inappropriately and become a joke at banquets. In the past, Shi Man always came to please Song Zhi for Yi Zheng¡¯s sake. Naturally, the people in their circle had always looked down on Shi Man and mocked her. Su Tang heard them discussing Shi Man and glanced at her awkwardly. Although Shi Man had always caused trouble for her in the past, she had not suffered any substantial harm after all. Moreover, Shi Man was a little jealous because her fianc¨¦ was living with another woman. Furthermore, Shi Man had saved her previously¡­ ¡°They¡¯re like that. Don¡¯t take what they say to heart.¡± Su Tang hesitated for a moment before saying something comforting. Of course, Shi Man didn¡¯t take it to heart. In fact, she didn¡¯t listen to what they were saying at all. She was used to not having much private time. As such, she usually didn¡¯t waste it on meaningless people. That was something she¡¯d come to understand when she was an agent. However, Shi Man was still a little surprised by Su Tang¡¯s attitude towards her. After all, Shi Man had asked someone to kidnap Su Tang a few days ago. If Shi Man knew what Su Tang was thinking, she would definitely be very shocked and puzzled. She did not understand how there could be such a pure and stupid person in this world. After being bullied, she even thought about how difficult it was for others. ¡°Yes,¡± Shi Man replied casually. She opened the book and started to compare it to the blackboard, not knowing what Su Tang was talking about. Geng Hui had already started his lecture. This was a history lesson. She happened to be very interested in the history of this world and wanted to listen carefully. Su Tang was a little relieved to see that Shi Man seemed keen to learn. Previously, Miss Shi had been pestering Brother Yi and finding trouble for her every day. Now that she was studying hard, it meant that she was still motivated. Thinking that she still had to work part-time at night, Su Tang started to listen seriously. Geng Hui, who was on the podium, was very touched by the two students¡¯ longing for knowledge. Other than Su Tang, no one had listened to his class seriously for a long time. No, to be precise, only Su Tang listened to the class seriously. The others ignored him. Although Cassel Academy was a school, it was essentially a service for the young masters and young ladies of the nobles. Even his salary was paid by the families of these young masters and young ladies. It was very difficult to discipline them. However, as long as someone listened, Geng Hui would teach them seriously. Moreover, there were already two serious students now. He didn¡¯t know if this Miss Shi was really different from the rumors on a whim, but this was no longer important!! Geng Hui seemed to have been inspired and instantly perked up. He recounted the recent history of this country vividly. However, there were still many students in the class. His mouth was no match for the dozens of mouths below. As Shi Man was seated by the window, she could not hear what Geng Hui was saying. She turned to look at Su Tang, who was carefully taking notes. Shi Man was puzzled. ¡°What did you hear Geng Hui say?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear him,¡± said Su Tang, ¡°but I can read lips.¡± Shi Man was speechless when she saw Su Tang¡¯s serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m joking. I¡¯m already used to it. I can learn from the blackboard and textbooks.¡± Su Tang tilted her head and revealed an innocent smile. Her cheeks were slightly pink, and her small canine teeth made her look even more exquisite and cute. Shi Man looked at Su Tang¡¯s smile and thought carefully about what she had done these past few days. Were the two of them on good terms? Or was Su Tang a spontaneous friend? No matter what, if this continued, she would not be able to listen to the class today. Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man closed the book and turned to look for the source of the noise. The students who were playing in the rear suddenly felt a chill down their spines. They looked around and met the silent oppression in Shi Man¡¯s eyes. Just by meeting her terrifying gaze, they couldn¡¯t help but keep quiet. After the noisiest few shut up, the classroom became much quieter. At this moment, Shi Man slammed the book on the table. The sudden sound attracted the attention of the entire class. ¡°Mr. Geng, you can continue.¡± Shi Man glanced around and flipped open the textbook on the table in front of her. Geng Hui was also shocked just now, but this was good. It had been a long time since he had such a quiet class. At this moment, he was considering whether he should let Shi Man be a disciplinary committee member. After all, she was such a good seedling. ¡°Alright, students, turn to the seventh page now.¡± Geng Hui was in a good mood, and even his tone became lively. Fang Han sat at the back and wrote a few words in her book. ¡°Pheasant dressed as a phoenix.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Her deskmate laughed when she saw this. It was very obvious in the quiet classroom, so she quickly controlled her voice and retracted it. ¡°That¡¯s right. She probably wants to please the teacher so that she can go to Class S to look for Song Zhi in the future.¡± The textbook that was handed back said. Fang Han imitated Shi Man¡¯s gaze and revealed a disdainful expression. She thought to herself, ¡°An idiot who only knows how to cling to men really thinks highly of herself.¡± Shi Man heard faint laughter from behind and did not care. The history of this world was still a little different from the world she was in before, but fortunately, the general direction was similar. It meant that the knowledge she had learned was not completely useless in this world. As Shi Man listened to the class, she took out a ring with a black shell pearl from her bag. This was given to her by Sean when she left the warehouse. He said it was a symbol of status. This ring was completely black and looked very low-key. The black pearl was round and smooth, and its surface was suffused with a blue luster. Shi Man did not wear the ring on her hand. Instead, she played with it in her palm. The black pearl felt very good, moist but not astringent. She still did not know how big Immaculate was and if its reputation in the underworld was good. She did not know what effect it would have if she rashly revealed this card. As she thought about it, the class bell rang. Su Tang got up and went to the bathroom while Shi Man planned to rest. She did not rest well last night and was still sleepy. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Fang Han gave her two lackeys a look. They tacitly followed Su Tang out of the classroom. Shi Man¡¯s eyes moved, but she did not move. She was not the savior and her relationship with Su Tang was already settled. Moreover, Su Tang had the male protagonist backing her up, so she did not have to interfere. Su Tang came out of the washroom cubicle and met Fang Han and her lackeys. ¡°Monitor, our homework is missing,¡± one of the girls said, poking Su Tang¡¯s head. ¡°As the class monitor, are you going to help your classmates solve the problem?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me your homework?¡± Fang Han said. ¡°Also, please do theirs.¡± Su Tang did not speak. She wanted to walk around them and return to the classroom, but she tripped over one of them and was pushed by Fang Han. She fell straight into the pool. ¡°Tsk tsk, how dirty. It¡¯s perfect for a poor girl like you.¡± They stepped on Su Tang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I asked you to do our homework for us, do you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Su Tang whispered. ¡°If you hear me, you have to say ¡®Yes, Missy¡¯.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ Missy.¡± Su Tang¡¯s voice was very soft. This was not the first time this had happened, but she could not resist, nor could she completely abandon her pride to compromise. She did not dare to tell Yi Zheng since she had already caused him a lot of trouble. Moreover, Yi Zheng would not care about such a small matter. Seeing that Su Tang had compromised, Fang Han and the others left in satisfaction. Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The bell rang for a long time, but Su Tang still did not return. Due to Shi Man¡¯s deterrence, no one made a fuss during this class. Even if they did not listen to the class and did their own things, they tried their best not to make a big commotion. The entire Class F was so quiet that when Teacher Ren came to class, she was shocked and incredulous. ¡°Report.¡± Su Tang appeared at the classroom door. ¡°Come in.¡± Teacher Ren frowned unhappily when she saw Su Tang. She remembered that this girl was the class monitor and had always abided by the school rules. Why did she come to class dressed like this today and was even late? Su Tang lowered her head and quickly walked to her seat, burying her face in her book. Shi Man glanced at her. It looked like she had been bullied in the washroom. Her hair and uniform were wet, and one could vaguely see the color of her underwear. She was not wearing her uniform jacket. Instead, she stuffed it into a drawer. The jacket was even wetter than her shirt, and there were a few shoe prints on it. Shi Man sighed silently in her heart. She had been taught since she was young, the principle of an eye for an eye. She would treat others the way they treated her. When they hit her, she would hit them back until they were unable to retaliate. If they were enemies, she would kill them directly. As long as they were alive, they might pose a threat to her in the future. Back when she was reading the novel, she had expected better from Su Tang. Fortunately, Su Tang did not tolerate her again and again. Instead, she proved her ability and value in her own way, making the male lead, Yi Zheng, look at her in a different light and fall in love with her. She even obtained the approval of others and became someone who had the ability to walk side by side with Yi Zheng. Seeing that she would improve in the future, Shi Man softened. ¡°Wipe it.¡± Shi Man instructed and handed her handkerchief over. Stunned, Su Tang took the handkerchief. Shi Man heard the sound of tears hitting the textbook. She pretended not to see and turned to look out the window. Su Tang secretly wiped her tears and the water off her body with a handkerchief. Ever since she entered school, Shi Man was the only person who had reached out to her. Although the teachers knew that Su Tang had been bullied by her classmates in school, almost all of Cassel¡¯s students were children with formidable family backgrounds, so the teachers could not control them. Since nothing serious happened to Su Tang, they naturally turned a blind eye. ¡°I¡¯ll return it to you tomorrow after I go back and wash it.¡± Su Tang put away Shi Man¡¯s handkerchief. The pure white handkerchief emitted the refreshing fragrance of orchids. Su Tang looked at the person sitting beside her and couldn¡¯t help but think that perhaps she had never seen her true self before. After all, no matter how she looked at it, Shi Man was not as unreasonable and cunning as the rumors said. ¡°No, throw it away.¡± What was there to wash a handkerchief for? It wasn¡¯t anything expensive. Su Tang¡¯s hand paused as she put the handkerchief back on the table. It was time for class to end again. A few people surrounded Su Tang¡¯s desk. ¡°Su Tang, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Tang¡¯s appearance was outstanding among her peers. Her personality was pure and non-aggressive, so she naturally attracted the attention of some boys. However, they were only interested in her appearance. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just fell.¡± Su Tang smiled at them and said it casually. ¡°Then do you want to go play after school? We have an appointment to go to Nightless City.¡± Nightless City was a famous bar in G City. From the service staff to the performers, all of them were good-looking and capable. The young masters in G City liked to go there. Hearing that, Su Tang¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°I won¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make things difficult for the class monitor.¡± Fang Han walked over and stood between Su Tang and the others. ¡°With the class monitor¡¯s family situation, she can¡¯t afford to go to such a high-spending place.¡± Su Tang saw Fang Han coming over and lowered her head again. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Class Monitor?¡± Fang Han sat down at Su Tang¡¯s table when she ignored her. There was not much space on the table, to begin with. As soon as Fang Han sat down, she pushed all the books on the table to the ground. Chapter 20 - Su Tangs Imagination The textbooks and stationery were scattered on the ground. Su Tang hurriedly bent down to pick them up, but Fang Han stepped on a textbook. Seeing that Fang Han was making things difficult for Su Tang again, the students did not want to be nosy and dispersed. Su Tang resisted the urge to say, ¡°Fang Han, please move aside.¡± ¡°Aiya, I didn¡¯t see it. Sorry, Class Monitor.¡± Fang Han pretended to be innocent and kicked the textbook further away. Su Tang was about to pick it up when Shi Man stopped her. Shi Man walked to Fang Han¡¯s desk. She handed the book to Su Tang and kicked Fang Han¡¯s entire desk. ¡°Shi Man!¡± Fang Han saw Shi Man¡¯s actions and shouted in shock, ¡°Are you crazy? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Fang Han was about to attack when Shi Man grabbed her and pressed her against the table. ¡°Let me remind you that you¡¯re very annoying.¡± After Shi Man finished speaking, she took off Fang Han¡¯s uniform jacket and threw it down the window. ¡°Ah! Shi Man!¡± Fang Han rushed to the window. Outside the school building was a huge water fountain. Fang Han¡¯s coat had undoubtedly been thrown into the water. ¡°If you disturb me again, it won¡¯t be as simple as a coat.¡± Shi Man cleared her ears from Fang Han¡¯s loud voice and said impatiently. Initially, Shi Man didn¡¯t want to care about their small matters, but Fang Han was really too annoying. She kept circling around Su Tang and it was too noisy. Fang Han¡¯s eyes were filled with resentment when she heard Shi Man¡¯s words. ¡°Shi Man, just wait. I¡¯ll tell Zhizhi everything that happened today! Let¡¯s see how you can appear in front of Yi Zheng then!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Zhizhi?¡± Was there such a character in the novel? ¡°Why are you pretending? Do you not know Song Zhi?¡± Fang Han mocked. Song Zhi? Shi Man remembered. She was the male lead¡¯s cousin. ¡°Then tell her.¡± Shi Man shrugged indifferently. It didn¡¯t matter who she told. Anyway, she had nothing to do with Yi Zheng anymore. The engagement had to be annulled sooner or later. ¡°You¡­¡± Fang Han wanted to say something, but she was frightened by Shi Man¡¯s gaze. Strange, when did this idiot¡¯s gaze become so terrifying? Every time she looked at someone like this, it was as if she was already looking at a dead person, making one feel a chill down their spine. Behind Shi Man, Su Tang watched her leave with mixed feelings. Initially, she was a little grateful to Shi Man for handing her the handkerchief. However, Shi Man had asked her to throw it away. Just as she thought that Shi Man didn¡¯t want the handkerchief back because she despised Su Tang, Shi Man stood up for her. At this moment, Shi Man did not know that Su Tang¡¯s imagination was so rich. If she knew, she would sigh at Su Tang¡¯s simple and sensitive mind. The first day of school quickly came to an end. Geng Hui gave Shi Man the address of the uniform tailor shop at Cassel Academy and instructed her to customize an autumn school uniform and a summer school uniform. Shi Man took the address and planned to go on the way home. Unexpectedly, she saw her four brothers at the school gate. Early in the morning, after Shi Man drove out, the four of them followed her worriedly. Seeing that their sister was studying in the classroom safely, they were relieved. Shi Ke went to look for the principal in the morning and found out that his sister had taken the initiative to go to Class F. He returned to the company to work with relief. Not only did his sister perform well, but she was also so humble. She was afraid that others would think that she had relied on the Shi family¡¯s background to enter Class S, so she chose to enter Class F first to prove herself. This really touched him. Shi Jue did not stay idle either. He first used his legal identity to retrieve the surveillance cameras at the school gate. After confirming that his sister was indeed not hurt, he ordered someone to go to the uniform shop to customize his sister¡¯s uniform and bring it over. Shi He didn¡¯t have any work today. After going home to catch up on his sleep, he appeared at the school gate to pick up Manman from school. Fourth Brother Shi Mu had just finished dealing with the Student Union and was waiting at the door for Xiao Man to go home. Chapter 21 - A Rare Helplessness The four young masters of the Shi family appeared at the entrance of the academy at the same time, causing quite a commotion. Especially Shi He, who was wearing a casual work suit with a vest on his upper body and a jacket tied around his waist. He was fashionable and casual, and he exuded a hint of sexy handsomeness, attracting many fans. Before Shi Man reached the school gate, she heard everyone discussing. ¡°Come quickly, come quickly. Shi He is here!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really at the school gate!¡± ¡°The president is here today! Ah! The president is really handsome.¡± Why did these four come together today? Shi Man raised her eyebrows and thought. In order not to cause a traffic jam at the entrance of the academy, Shi Man quickened her pace and arrived at the school gate. ¡°Xiao Man!¡± Shi He was the first to see her. He took off his sunglasses and waved at her. Shi Man walked to the four of them. ¡°Brother, why are you all here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still talking!¡± Shi Mu tapped the tip of Shi Man¡¯s nose dotingly. ¡°Are you not supposed to know how to drive? Why didn¡¯t you say anything before driving to school alone today!¡± Shi Man was a little embarrassed to be treated like this by Shi Mu. After all, Shi Mu was only 18 years old this year, even younger than she was. Touching the tip of her nose, Shi Man smiled slyly and said coquettishly, ¡°Hehe, in the past, I wanted my brothers to send me off more, so I pretended that I didn¡¯t know how to drive. But after this incident, I feel that I still have to grow up.¡± Shi Man¡¯s sudden maturity caught her brothers off guard, and they felt mixed emotions in their hearts. On the one hand, they were relieved that their sister had grown up and become sensible, but on the other hand, they were filled with heartache and pity for her. ¡°Xiao Man, you can always be insensible in front of your brothers and be a child forever. Do you understand?¡± Shi Ke touched Shi Man¡¯s head. ¡°Go home with us first. Mom is waiting for you at home.¡± ¡°Waiting for me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Mom said that she¡¯s bringing you to the CBD to buy clothes today. Butler Qi has already gone over to clear the area.¡± Shi Mu pulled Shi Man to his car. ¡°Xiao Man, take Little Brother¡¯s car back.¡± Shi Man was about to take out her car keys to show that she had driven when she realized that the wild silver sports car had disappeared. Where was her car? Shi Jue could tell what Shi Man was thinking and explained, ¡°In order to bring you home, we¡¯ve already gotten someone to tow your car back.¡± This was really unexpectedly domineering. Shi Man looked at the expectant people in front of her and finally chose to take Shi Jue¡¯s car back. Shi Mu was too noisy. It was easy for fans to chase after Shi He¡¯s car. Shi Ke¡¯s black business car looked dull. ¡°Please get in, my little princess.¡± Shi Jue opened the door for Shi Man. His car was a blue-green convertible with a warm and bright interior. There was a bouquet of roses on the inside of the passenger seat and snacks on the table. Shi Man smiled and nodded as she got into Shi Jue¡¯s car. If not for the fact that the Shi family was too famous, the two of them would definitely be thought of as a perfect couple. The reason why Shi Man chose this car was not only because of Shi Jue but also because it was a convertible. She had just come to this world and did not have the chance to appreciate the scenery. Of course, she didn¡¯t have much of a chance to admire the scenery in her original world. Therefore, she wanted to take this opportunity to relax. G City was very romantic at dusk. The car was driven over a bridge and she looked at the waves in the sea. The warm yellow light of the setting sun shone on the city, seeming to cast a golden shall over it. Shi Man leaned back in her chair and looked at the scenery outside with the rose. The pastry was put back after a few bites. She didn¡¯t like sweet things. Shi Jue seemed to have noticed Shi Man¡¯s fatigue and turned on the central control to play a song. Broken walls intersect with broken bones I hold fast to this moment of peace. Just for you I will eventually meet what is mine. Embrace the thunder¡­ Shi Man¡¯s thoughts drifted to the sky with the music. For the first time, Shi Man felt a sense of nothingness without purpose. She had been an agent for too long and had long been used to the life arranged for her. Would she meet the beauty that belonged to her just like in the song? Would she be able to live again in this world for herself? Chapter 22 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A figure suddenly barged into her thoughts. It was a cold and handsome figure in black. It was Yi Zheng. Shi Man shook her head, not understanding why she suddenly thought of Yi Zheng. Not to mention that he was destined to be with Su Tang, even if he was just an ordinary person who did not have a determined ending, Shi Man would not like him. Shi Jue noticed Shi Man¡¯s sudden change in mood and thought that she was a little anxious, so he comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Second Brother will send you directly to the CBD later. Mom and Butler Qi are there. Take a rest, Manman.¡± Shi Man nodded and took a relaxing nap in her seat. When she opened his eyes again, she was already in the CBD. Shen Xian waited in the VIP room on the sixth floor. Butler Qi and the mall manager greeted her at the door. After arranging things with the manager, Shi Jue returned home. The manager led Shi Man to the sixth floor. This building looked tall from the outside, but after entering, she realized that it was completely different. Unlike ordinary shopping malls, the interior of this building was not only luxurious but also very unconventional. The sightseeing travellator ran across the entire mall. The outermost booth was the core product of the shop. One only needed to stand on the sightseeing travellator to look down at the entire store. The mall was very quiet. There was no sound of anyone other than the pure music playing. It seemed that Butler Qi had done a good job clearing the place. ¡°This is it. Please come in.¡± The manager stood outside the door and bowed slightly to guide him. Shi Man entered and was shocked by what she saw. She had thought that the VIP room was just an ordinary lounge, but it turned out to be a huge display hall. Shen Xian sat in front of the runway and watched as the models of various brands walked on the runway to show her how the outfits looked when worn. There were rows of clothes hanging around the runway, waiting to be chosen. ¡°Xiao Man, you¡¯re here. Come and sit beside Mommy.¡± Shen Xian waved at Shi Man excitedly. Ever since Manman was hospitalized, she had become more and more beautiful. Shen Xian looked at her slender daughter and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Although she had always known that her daughter was beautiful, Shi Man had always felt strongly about her sense of aesthetics and insisted on liking her own style. As a parent, she prioritized their daughter¡¯s happiness, so it was not appropriate for her to interfere. After all, it was normal for children to have their own thoughts when they grew up. However, seeing that Manman¡¯s taste had become more palatable recently, Shen Xian was very happy. She immediately decided to update Shi Man¡¯s wardrobe. ¡°Xiao Man, the ones on the runway are the new designs of the season that haven¡¯t been released yet. They¡¯re women¡¯s clothes designed by the designer. If you like them, we¡¯ll buy them. Buy as many as you want.¡± Shen Xian pulled Shi Man to sit beside her. Today, Xiao Man was especially gentle and pleasant. She had really inherited her genes perfectly. Shi Man looked at the dazzling clothes around her and felt a little dizzy, so she called the salesperson over. ¡°Ask them to find some simple, elegant items made with comfortable fabrics to show me. Take a little of each style and try to stay with basic colors.¡± The salesperson noted down Shi Man¡¯s needs and immediately arranged for someone to bring Shi Man clothes that met the requirements. Shi Man was not in the mood to nitpick on too many details. About ten minutes later, she was almost done picking. With the speed at which she picked out clothes, she was afraid that the room wouldn¡¯t be able to fit her if it took any longer. With Shen Xian¡¯s personality, she would probably arrange another room for her. ¡°That¡¯s all, Manman?¡± Shen Xian hadn¡¯t had enough yet. Seeing that Shi Man had finished choosing, she felt a little regretful. Shi Man pretended to wheedle. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. Mom, continue looking. I¡¯ll walk around outside first. We¡¯ll go home together after you¡¯re done choosing, okay?¡± It had been a long time since Shen Xian had seen such an obedient daughter. She couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°Alright, then take a breather outside first. If you need anything, just tell the manager.¡± Shi Man nodded and left the VIP room. She began to wander around the mall. The manager introduced some information about the mall to Shi Man, who listened casually. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the mall. ¡°Why can¡¯t we enter? Aren¡¯t we clients?¡± Chapter 23 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Outside the door, a girl¡¯s sharp voice sounded. Shi Man found it familiar, so she walked forward to find out. Unexpectedly, it was Fang Han. Fang Han was holding her skirt and shouting at the staff at the door. The girl she was with also looked unhappy. ¡°Do you know who we are? How dare you stop us?¡± Fang Han was arrogant and did not seem to have been stopped outside. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss. Our mall was booked by a VIP today and is not open to the public. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The staff kept bowing and apologizing, but she did not receive any understanding from Fang Han and her companions. ¡°If I can¡¯t enter today, you can forget about working in this mall tomorrow.¡± The girl at the side said ruthlessly. ¡°Well¡­¡± The staff looked troubled. Shi Man sneered. She thought that waiting for Shen Xian would be very boring. Now, it seemed that something interesting had come knocking on her door. ¡°What happened, Manager He?¡± Shi Man brought the manager to the entrance of the mall and asked. The manager beckoned to the employee who was apologizing and asked her to return to the mall. He apologized to Shi Man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Shi. Our staff didn¡¯t handle it well and disturbed you.¡± Fang Han looked at Shi Man walking out of the mall in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s you? You booked the mall?¡± Shi Man nodded. ¡°Are you surprised?¡± Fang Han said disdainfully, ¡°When did you have the ability to appreciate the clothes in this mall?¡± After saying that, she pointed at the girl beside her and said, ¡°Since you booked it, why don¡¯t you let them bring us in?¡± Shi Man looked at Fang Han¡¯s arrogant expression and didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°I see that Song Zhi is here, so?¡± ¡°So?¡± Fang Han¡¯s eyes widened. What was this idiot talking about? Didn¡¯t she suck up Song Zhi every day? Song Zhi was also a little surprised. In the past, whenever Shi Man saw her, she couldn¡¯t wait to come over and give her the world, hoping that she could say something good about her in front of her cousin. Song Zhi also enjoyed the feeling of being flattered by Shi Man. Although Shi Man¡¯s reputation was not good, the Shi family was indeed very powerful. Being fawned over by the young lady of the Shi family augmented her status in the upper-class socialite circle. ¡°Shi Man, if you don¡¯t let us in today, you can forget about seeing my cousin again.¡± Song Zhi revealed a proud expression and said to Shi Man. Shi Man looked cold. ¡°As you please. Even if you don¡¯t say it, I won¡¯t see your cousin again.¡± Fang Han chuckled. ¡°Do you believe what you¡¯re saying? Everyone in the upper class in G City knows that Shi Man would commit suicide if she can¡¯t marry Yi Zheng.¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t want to bother with them anymore. She turned around and returned to the mall. ¡°Think whatever you want. Manager He, no one is allowed to let the two of them in today.¡± Manager He nodded and a few staff locked the entrance of the mall. Shi Man stood in the viewing gallery and looked down at the two exasperated people at the door. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She should go back and look for Shen Xian. She did not know if she had finished shopping. ¡­ In the end, when Shen Xian returned home with Shi Man, another room had to be used to make a new cloakroom¡ªshe and Shi Man added another one. At the dining table, Shi Man watched as Shen Xian told everyone how she felt about shopping today and the clothes she chose for her daughter and sons. Her beaming expression unknowingly touched Shi Man. She had never experienced the days when the family gathered for a meal with laughter. Shi Man did not realize that in just a few days, the hostility she had when she first came to this world had dissipated a lot. If she saw the gentle smile on her face as she ate, she would probably be shocked. But happy times never lasted particularly long. Someone had to break this peace. ¡°Not good! Master and Madam!¡± A servant ran over. ¡°Miss Shi Jing¡­ committed suicide.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Everyone was shocked, including Shen Xian and Shi Man. Shen Xian¡¯s concern was that no matter what, Shi Jing was a distant relative of the Shi family and committed suicide in the Shi family. If news of this spread, it would probably affect the Shi family¡¯s reputation greatly. Shi Man was surprised that Shi Jing was willing to commit suicide. Chapter 24 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Jing was an absolute egoist. She was extremely selfish and absolutely narcissistic. Would such a person choose to commit suicide? Shi Man did not believe it. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you calling an ambulance? Get Kate to give Shi Jing first aid first!¡± Shi Zhong instructed. ¡°Mr. Kate has already gone to her,¡± the servant said. Doctor Kate was the Shi family¡¯s private doctor. He usually lived in the Shi residence and checked on them. If there were any emergencies, he could deal with them in time. Back then, Shi Man relied on Doctor Kate¡¯s emergency rescue to survive. The ambulance soon arrived at the Shi family manor. Shi Jing, who was covered in blood, was also carried down by Doctor Kate. Shi Man looked at her wrist and narrowed her eyes. She had actually cut her wrist. The shrill wail of an ambulance siren pierced the night. The night was destined to be restless. After Shi Jing was sent to the hospital, the Shi family chose to stay behind to accompany Shi Man and only sent Butler Qi to take care of her. On the one hand, it was to investigate the reason for Shi Jing¡¯s suicide at home. On the other hand, they were worried that Shi Man would be agitated when she saw this scene and recalled how she cut her wrist. ¡°Xiao Man, Mom will sleep with you today, right?¡± Shen Xian looked at Shi Man worriedly. Ever since Shi Jing was sent to the hospital, Xiao Man had been distracted. Shen Xian was worried that she was frightened by the scene just now, so she suggested sleeping with Shi Man. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need.¡± Shi Man rejected Shen Xian¡¯s suggestion. At this moment, the servant also walked over with the suicide note that she found in Shi Jing¡¯s room. ¡°Master and Madam, this was found in Miss Shi Jing¡¯s room.¡± Shi Zhong took it and looked at it. He sighed and threw the suicide note on the coffee table. Shi Man leaned over and glanced at it. The content related to how Shi Jing had been bullied in her original school. Her classmates had all bullied her and knew that she was close to Shi Man, so they asked her to instigate Shi Man to cut her wrist. Otherwise, they would beat her up in school every day. Shi Jing couldn¡¯t stand the students¡¯ long-term bullying, so she listened to them and did as she was told. She thought that it would be fine as long as she didn¡¯t cut too deep, but she didn¡¯t expect Shi Man to not be able to control her strength, so she snatched the fruit knife. In the note, other than describing the bullying she had suffered, there was also an apology to Shi Man and gratitude to Shi Zhong and Shen Xian. This will was written so well that it made one sorrowful to read it. Shen Xian also picked up the note and looked at it with a conflicted expression. After all, this was only Shi Jing¡¯s side of the story. However, Shi Jing was usually obedient and sensible. They also felt that there was something wrong with this act that seemed unusually out of line. From the looks of it, this was the only explanation. If what Shi Jing said in her note was true and she had lived such a life in school, it would be certain that they would transfer schools for her after she recovered. Shi Man looked coldly at the suspected tear stains on the suicide note and could guess at Shi Jing¡¯s goal was. The next morning, when the hospital sent the news that Shi Jing had woken up, Shi Zhong planned to visit Shi Jing with Shen Xian. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Shi Man woke up early and put on the uniform of Cassel Academy that Shi Jue had brought back. She put on some light makeup and tied her hair into a high ponytail. Shi Zhong looked at his obedient daughter who was carrying her school bag and was in a good mood. It was not that he did not love his daughter. On the contrary, he loved Shi Man too much. That was why he acted sternly when Shen Xian and his four sons doted on Shi Man. Although he was confident that he could protect Shi Man for the rest of her life, he also hoped that Shi Man could become a talent and not a ruthless and brainless heiress who could only rely on her parents. Now that he saw Shi Man like this, it was as if he had seen the light at the end of a tunnel. It was as if his daughter had returned to her cute and sensible self. ¡°Okay, if Manman wants to visit Sister, she can go with Daddy and Mommy.¡± Shi Zhong nodded in satisfaction. Then, he said to Shi Mu, ¡°When you go to school, apply for leave for Sister.¡± Shi Mu¡¯s face fell again. ¡°Alright.¡± How unlucky. He couldn¡¯t go to school with Xiao Man today. Xiao Man was so cute today. He really wanted to drive her to school! Chapter 25 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the hospital, Shi Jing was lying on the hospital bed. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red as if she had just cried. Her delicate appearance was very lovable. That was how she looked when Shi Man and the others arrived. ¡°Xiao Jing, are you feeling better?¡± Shi Zhong walked in and asked. In their hearts, Shi Jing was an obedient child. After seeing the note, Shi Zhong believed that she didn¡¯t mean to hurt Shi Man. Shen Xian also came to Shi Jing¡¯s bed to check on her. If word got out that Shi Jing was bullied while she was with the Shi family, it would damage the Shi family¡¯s reputation. Shi Jing, on the other hand, looked like a pitiful victim. She answered Shi Zhong softly, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m much better. I¡¯m sorry for causing trouble for you and Aunt again¡­ When I think of how Manman was injured so badly because of me, I feel sorry for all of you¡­ How would I have the cheek to stay with the Shi family? Uncle, let me repay Manman¡­¡± Speaking of the emotional parts, Shi Jing shed a few more tears. Her teary look made people unable to believe that she was the one who forced Shi Man to commit suicide. Shen Xian went forward to pat Shi Jing¡¯s back and comforted her. ¡°Xiao Jing, what happened to you in school? Don¡¯t be afraid. Tell me. As long as it¡¯s true, I will definitely make the person who bullied you suffer.¡± Shen Xian¡¯s eyes were sharp, and she did not look like she was comforting anyone. Shi Man knew that Shen Xian meant that if this matter was fake, she would not let Shi Jing go easily. ¡°That¡¯s right, Xiao Jing.¡± There was a hint of displeasure on Shi Zhong¡¯s face. How dare a person bully someone with our surname in G City? Wasn¡¯t this clearly going against the Shi family? There were few people with the surname Shi, to begin with. Even if she was an outsider, one should consider it carefully. ¡°Uncle, Aunt, I¡¯m studying in a public school. My classmates are all ordinary people. I believe they didn¡¯t mean to be like this. My classmates are still young. If their families are involved because of me, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be good for the Shi family¡­¡± Shi Jing looked like she was about to cry again. Shi Man glanced at her disdainfully. What Shi Jing meant was that the students of the public school did not know people from the upper class like them, nor did they believe that she was related to the Shi family. She did not want Shen Xian and the others to investigate with great fanfare, lest it seemed like the Shi family was bullying them. To put it bluntly, Shi Jing did not want her lie to be exposed. ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and spoke from behind Shen Xian. Didn¡¯t she just want to follow her to Cassel? ¡°That¡¯s right, Xiao Jing. Tell Uncle and Aunt. How do you want to resolve it?¡± Shi Zhong also asked. ¡°I¡­¡± Shi Jing bit her lower lip and looked at Shi Man fearfully.¡± I want to accompany Manman and atone for my sins. ¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Shen Xian was stunned. ¡°I want to stay by Xiao Man¡¯s side and take care of her. I heard that Xiao Man went to a new school. We used to study together. I¡¯m afraid Xiao Man won¡¯t be used to being alone in school. I know I hurt her this time, but I really want to make it up to her and win her forgiveness.¡± As Shi Jing spoke, she struggled to sit up and held Shi Man¡¯s hand. ¡°Xiao Man, can you give me a chance? I will definitely take good care of you.¡± Shi Zhong was very moved when he saw their ¡°sisterly relationship¡±. Therefore, even if Shi Jing¡¯s family was unrelated to them, Shi Zhong was willing to help. Shen Xian stole a glance at Shi Zhong. She naturally knew that Shi Zhong valued brotherhood. The reason why she was willing to marry him was because of his loyalty. Now that Shi Jing said this, there was a high chance that Shi Zhong would agree. It was not good for her to embarrass Shi Zhong. ¡°Xiao Man, since Xiao Jing has spoken, you should express your stance,¡± Shi Zhong said to Shi Man. Shi Man pretended to be obedient. ¡°As long as Sister can enter Cassel, I¡¯m definitely willing.¡± Chapter 26 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Zhong looked troubled when he heard this. He had just stuffed Manman in two days ago. Now that the summer vacation had passed and Cassel had started school, he had to stuff another Shi Jing in. He was afraid that the old man from Cassel Academy would be unhappy and would definitely ask for an exorbitant price. Shi Jing saw that Shi Zhong¡¯s expression was wrong and quickly expressed, ¡°I can do it, Uncle! As long as there¡¯s a chance, I won¡¯t disappoint you! I¡¯ve been receiving scholarships in public school. Uncle, have you forgotten?¡± Shi Zhong nodded. ¡°Xiao Jing, I still believe in your ability. I¡¯ll get Big Brother to help you ask around and see if I can slot in an exam for you. However, whether you can enter depends on yourself.¡± Shi Zhong was actually confident that Shi Jing could enter the school, but after all, the children were still young. He had to let them know that they could not rely on the adults for everything. ¡°I understand, Uncle! I¡¯ll definitely work hard!¡± Shi Jing was excited and tried her best to suppress her laughter. If even that idiot Shi Man could enter, it would be easy for Shi Jing. She had to snatch everything that Shi Man had! Her face was filled with gratitude, and she said obedient words. However, her thoughts were vicious. Shi Man knew that Shi Jing had achieved her goal, so it was not strange. In the previous novel, Shi Man brought Shi Jing along after transferring schools. Although many things changed after she was reborn, the general direction was still the same as in the book. However, she definitely wouldn¡¯t die foolishly like Shi Man in the book. Shi Man did not continue to look at Shi Jing. That level of trickery could not affect her. After greeting Shen Xian, she drove to Cassel Academy for class. In the classroom that was originally noisy, everyone automatically fell silent when Shi Man appeared at the door. Shi Man wanted to return to her seat, but Su Tang stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t sit on it.¡± Seeing Su Tang¡¯s aggrieved look, she must have been bullied again. But what did it have to do with her? Separated by Su Tang, Shi Man looked at her seat. The drawer was filled with wet textbooks, and there were earthworms squirming on them. The chair was also covered in a transparent glue-like substance. It was probably glue. Looking at Su Tang again, her cheeks which were covered by her hair were red. If Shi Man guessed correctly, Su Tang should have wanted to stop things, but she was beaten up. ¡°Fang Han?¡± Shi Man asked. Su Tang just lowered her head without saying anything. Shi Man looked around and saw Fang Han looking at her with a smug expression, waiting to see her embarrass herself. ¡°Get up and get out of the way,¡± Shi Man said to Su Tang. Su Tang did not understand, but she obediently did as she was told. The teacher was uneasy on the podium. What was this little ancestor of the Shi family trying to do by not sitting down for class? He wanted to interfere, but he didn¡¯t dare to. But if the leader saw this¡­ Sigh, it would be difficult! Shi Man didn¡¯t care how difficult it was for the teacher. She walked up to Fang Han, pulled her up, and threw her heavily onto her own seat. ¡°Shi Man! What do you want? This is class!¡± Fang Han shouted. ¡°What do you think I want?¡± Shi Man¡¯s expression was cold as she pressed Fang Han onto the chair. She grabbed her arm with one hand and stuffed her head into the drawer with the other. ¡°Ah!¡± Fang Han was about to cry. She shouted, ¡°Help! Help! You lunatic, let go of me! Help!¡± Seeing that the matter had blown up, the teacher hurriedly ran over to stop the fight. ¡°Student Shi, calm down. You can tell me what happened. Don¡¯t be rash!¡± Every one of them was a young master and young lady. He could not afford to offend them! If they were injured in his class, he would not be able to bear the consequences. ¡°I¡¯m playing with Fang Han. Right, Fang Han?¡± Shi Man said with a sweet smile. If not for the fact that Fang Han was still struggling under her hands, no one would have thought that a girl with an angel¡¯s face could have such ruthless methods. ¡°Who¡¯s playing with you¡­¡± Fang Han denied it, but she was so agitated by the pain in her arm that she could not speak. She could only beg for mercy.¡± Yes, yes, it¡¯s just playing around¡­¡± Chapter 27 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°In that case, sit here and listen to the class on my behalf,¡± Shi Man said as she let go of Fang Han¡¯s arm and pressed her hand on the table. The table was also covered in glue by Fang Han and the others. The glue stuck to her skin, and the burning sensation made Fang Han cry out in pain. Shi Man pulled Su Tang to Fang Han¡¯s seat and kicked her deskmate away. The two of them sat down. Su Tang was stunned, not knowing how things had turned out like this. She originally wanted Shi Man not to be bullied, but she did not expect Shi Man to retaliate and teach them a lesson. However, it made sense. She looked at the petite girl beside her. Not only could she save her from a few burly men, but she also beat them up. How could such a person let herself be bullied? Su Tang was relieved. Shi Man was targeted by Fang Han and the others because she was close to her. Initially, she felt a little guilty, but seeing that Shi Man could protect herself, she felt much more at ease. Shi Man didn¡¯t care about Su Tang. She only taught Fang Han a lesson because she couldn¡¯t stand Fang Han¡¯s sidekick. As for Fang Han, Shi Man knew that she wanted to take revenge on her for chasing her out of the CBD. But these were the lousy tricks they had up their sleeves. Shi Man flipped open the book. Fang Han¡¯s textbook was as clean as her brain. Shi Man nodded in satisfaction. These books would belong to her. She would give her table of earthworms and wet textbooks to Fang Han. Seeing that both sides had stopped, the teacher returned to the podium to continue the lecture. However, he was still a little worried about Fang Han, so he secretly sent a message to the school doctor. When the bell rang, Fang Han was taken away by the school doctor in tears. Everyone in the class was surprised to see Fang Han being taught a lesson by Shi Man. It was not that they had not heard of Shi Man¡¯s reputation for being unreasonable, but they did not expect that even Fang Han could be controlled by her. Such a girl was really scary¡­ Those boys who had designs on Shi Man because of her cute and beautiful face also retreated. It was better to tease Su Tang. She was soft-tempered and easy to manipulate. As for Shi Man¡­ the boys glanced in the direction of the infirmary and shivered. Forget it. In the medical room, Song Zhi was accompanying Fang Han to apply medication. ¡°I must kill Shi Man!¡± Fang Han gritted her teeth. How dare she make her hand look like this? She must make Shi Man pay! ¡°Alright, stop it.¡± Song Zhi frowned. Her best friend sometimes didn¡¯t know her limits. ¡°What¡¯s the Shi family¡¯s background? Do you still want to kill Shi Man? If you do it for real, your family will be implicated.¡± ¡°But I¡­¡± Fang Han didn¡¯t dare to be too impudent when she heard Song Zhi start to talk about her. She hurriedly said to Song Zhi aggrievedly,¡± Zhizhi, you have to help me take revenge. I was just joking with her, but she ruined my hand¡­¡± Song Zhi naturally wouldn¡¯t let Shi Man go so easily, but Shi Man no longer liked Yi Zheng. How could she control her? ¡°Didn¡¯t you always dislike that Su Tang who followed your cousin around? I think she¡¯s quite close to Shi Man. Does Shi Man think that pleasing her can make your cousin happy?¡± Fang Han raised her guess. Otherwise, why would Shi Man come to Class F and defend Su Tang? She must be trying to get close to Yi Zheng through her. Besides, she was still dying for Yi Zheng previously. No one would believe that she suddenly said that she didn¡¯t like him. When Song Zhi heard Fang Han mention Su Tang, she was furious. ¡°Don¡¯t mention her to me. Isn¡¯t she just an orphan entrusted by a dead person? Cousin is already doing a lot by helping to take care of her. What else does she have? Could an orphan become a phoenix after staying with the Yi family for a few days? No way!¡± ¡°Of course, I know. Su Tang is Brother Yi Zheng¡¯s ward. To put it bluntly, she¡¯s just a leech of the Yi family.¡± Fang Han quickly echoed Song Zhi. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that fool Shi Man doesn¡¯t know.¡± Song Zhi narrowed her eyes. ¡°Indeed, I should show Shi Man who she should please.¡± Chapter 28 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After school, Shi Mu still couldn¡¯t go home with Shi Man. When Shi Man, who had finished school early, saw the packed door, she knew that Shi He had come again. ¡°Xiao Man!¡± Sure enough, Shi He appeared at the school gate with red hair. He leaned against his sports car and waved at Shi Man. ¡°Third Brother will bring you home.¡± Shi Man lowered her head and quickly squeezed through the crowd. Shi He was simply like a peacock with its feathers on display. His facial features were already very stunning, and his upturned phoenix eyes and the mole at the corner of his eye were captivating. For some reason, he even dyed his hair red today, making him even more eye-catching! ¡°Third Brother! Let¡¯s go!¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t care about her car anymore and pulled Shi He back into the car. She had already heard the students in the academy spreading this matter. If she didn¡¯t leave now, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to leave! Although Shi He had come once previously, there was little chance of a commotion because the school term had not completely started yet and a number of students from the academy had not come. In addition, the four young masters of the Shi family appeared at the same time. The ladies still had to pretend to be reserved and not embarrass their family in front of the Shi family. Shi He looked at his sister lovingly as she pulled him into the car. His heart was filled with happiness. He hugged Shi Man and rubbed her head. ¡°I understand. Get in!¡± Shi Man touched her head blankly and sat in the front passenger seat. In the past, very few people touched her like this. After coming to this world, she was treated like a child every day. It was the same with Shi Ke previously and now it was Shi He. It was just that¡­ it felt good. Shi Man didn¡¯t know the expression on her face. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and her cheeks were slightly red, like a child who had received a reward. Shi He was very happy to see his sister¡¯s cute appearance. It had been a long time since he had interacted with Manman like this. Ever since Manman fell in love with Yi Zheng, she had been pestered by Shi Jing to get close to Yi Zheng every day. She had distanced herself from her family. Thinking of Shi Jing, a complicated look flashed across Shi He¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t like Shi Jing very much and felt that she had led his sister astray, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t reject the food she made. Other than Shi Jing¡¯s food, everything else tasted like wax. After staying on the production team for a long time, he would especially slip back for a few days just to eat the food Shi Jing made for him. Otherwise, he would be especially frustrated and couldn¡¯t calm down. Sometimes, he couldn¡¯t tell if the joy he felt after eating was because of Shi Jing¡¯s cooking or because he saw her. ¡°Third Brother,¡± Shi Man suddenly said, interrupting Shi He¡¯s thoughts. Seeing Shi Man sitting beside him, Shi He strengthened his heart. No matter what he felt for Shi Jing, he would cherish his current sister more. As for Shi Jing, she should scram as far as possible. It would not be worth it if she led her sister astray. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shi He asked lovingly. If his fans saw him like this, they would definitely scream. Shi He had never spoken so softly to anyone. ¡°There are people following the car,¡± Shi Man reminded. She really didn¡¯t know what Shi He was thinking. The convoy behind was long enough to form the Big Dipper constellation. Only then did Shi He notice the situation outside. Seven or eight cars of different colors followed them closely and were even accelerating to try to catch up with him. In addition to the fanatical fans in the cars, there were all kinds of cameras aimed at them. The paparazzi had probably received the news and come over. It was fine at Cassel Academy since the strict security would not let them in easily. After leaving the academy¡¯s outer wall, the paparazzi seized the opportunity and began to surround them. Shi He¡¯s expression was solemn. It didn¡¯t matter if he was alone, but Xiao Man was still in his car. It was very easy for cars to flip over when being chased. If Xiao Man was injured because of this¡­ At this moment, Shi He¡¯s agent called. Shi Man reacted quickly and helped Shi He answer the call on the central control screen. Chapter 29 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Shi He, are you being chased? I received news that a few groups of paparazzi are rushing over to stop you at the bridge.¡± Shi He¡¯s agent¡¯s name was Ning Hui. His name was like a girl¡¯s, but he was a decisive boy. ¡°Shit,¡± he cursed. The bridge was the only way back to the Shi family from Cassel. They knew that Xiao Man was in the car, but they still came to stop him. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged a few cars for you. Take the Zi Wei Road and come to Nightless City,¡± Ning Hui said on the other end of the phone. Shi He looked at Shi Man awkwardly and said into the phone, ¡°Xiao Man is in my car.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine with anything. Let¡¯s do as Brother Ning says.¡± Seeing him like that, Shi Man roughly knew what this so-called Nightless City was. ¡°Then come over quickly. It¡¯s easy for Manman to be in danger if you¡¯re late.¡± On the other end of the phone, Ning Hui was obviously relieved. Today, Little Ancestor was very easy to talk to. Shi He hung up the phone and hesitated for a while before driving to Zi Wei Road. As soon as they arrived at Zi Wei Road, they saw several small trucks rushing out from all directions, filling the entire road and successfully separating Shi He¡¯s car from the cars of the paparazzi and fans behind. Shi He accelerated and immediately left them behind as he drove into a small path beside the Zi Wei Road. They turned left and right before finally stopping at the entrance of the Nightless City. Ning Hui had already been waiting for a long time. ¡°The higher-ups opened a private room for you and called for a technician. There¡¯s another car parked in the garage. Do you want to change cars and go back to the Shi family now, or stay and play for a while?¡± Looking at Ning Hui¡¯s skilled operation, Shi He had probably encountered this situation many times. As for this technician¡­ Shi Man raised her eyebrows and looked at Shi He with interest. Shi He coughed awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary massage technician. Manman, don¡¯t think too much. Let¡¯s go back¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­¡± Shi Man suddenly wheedled.¡± Third Brother, I want a massage too. ¡± Shi He had never seen his sister like this before. He immediately pulled Shi Man into the Nightless City and said to the manager who welcomed them, ¡°Call all the best technicians here immediately. As many as you can.¡± Ning Hui couldn¡¯t help but laugh when she saw Shi He like this. After handing the key to Shi He¡¯s sports car to his assistant and instructing him to drive it back to the Shi family, he took out his phone and started to contact his group. ¡°Nightless City SVIP556. The little princess is here too. Come quickly.¡± Shi He didn¡¯t know what kind of person his sister was, but he did. These few young hunks in their company had been called out to play with Shi Man a lot. Whenever Shi Man had a setback, they would sing around her in a private room to cover her cries. Yi Zheng was really a god. He had tormented the only daughter of the Shi family to this extent. After sending the message, Ning Hui followed her to the private room. The sky was not completely dark yet, so there were not many guests in the Nightless City. Su Tang changed into her work clothes and began to sort through today¡¯s orders. After her uncle died, she started working part-time to earn living expenses. However, she was not yet 18 years old, so many places did not accept her. Only a gray industry like Nightless City would want a young waitress like her. She also knew that she was most likely arranged to be a waitress here because of her looks. However, as long as she earned money through her own labor, she would be clean. ¡°Rosy, let¡¯s start work.¡± Her colleague called out to Su Tang. Everyone here had an English name, so she was embarrassed to work here with her real name. ¡°Coming!¡± After tidying up a little, Su Tang carried the tray of wine to the hall. On the other side, Shi Man was enjoying the technician service that Shi He had arranged for her. In the past, every time she came to such places, it was to kill people. She did not expect to become a customer this time. She had never experienced it before. Shi He looked at Shi Man¡¯s enjoyment and was very happy. Just as he was about to chat with Shi Man, he was stopped by a group of people who suddenly barged in. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shi He looked at the juniors in front of him and said in a low voice. Chapter 30 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Hello, Brother He¡­¡± The celebrities greeted Shi He one by one.¡± We¡¯re here to accompany Miss Manman. ¡± ¡°Miss Manman? Who allowed you to call her that?¡± Shi He retorted. Who dared to call his little sister by her nickname? ¡°We¡­¡± The people looked at each other, not knowing what to do. They looked at Shi Man, hoping that she could speak up for them. Shi Man looked at the celebrities in front of her and was very curious. The men she had come into contact with when she was an agent were all more powerful and strong. She rarely saw such fair-skinned weaklings, let alone those with exquisite makeup on their faces. Seeing that Shi Man was just staring at them in curiosity and not saying anything, the few young hunks looked at Ning Hui for help. Ning Hui stood up to smooth things over. ¡°It¡¯s rare for Manman to come to play, so I called them over to accompany her. I¡¯m afraid that Manman won¡¯t be happy¡­¡± Ning Hui paused for a moment and continued, ¡°She keeps thinking about that person surnamed Yi.¡± Shi He was silent for a moment when he heard what Ning Hui said. What Ning Hui said made sense. He had dated many girls and knew very well that the best way to forget someone was to fall in love with another person. Although he didn¡¯t like the people in front of him, he felt it wasn¡¯t impossible for them to make Xiao Man happy. ¡°Find a place to sit.¡± Seeing Shi He relent, the few young hunks hurriedly sat around Shi Man. For some reason, Shi Man was actually dressed so beautifully today! Although she had only put on light makeup, she looked especially pure and charming in her uniform. It made them a little tempted. In the past, Shi Man was always dressed in a mess and had heavy and exaggerated makeup on. It was not that she was not good-looking, but she was a little scary. Therefore, they regarded the past sessions as work. Now, not only could they get money, but they could also¡­ A boy was fantasizing when he subconsciously reached out to Shi He. Shi He grabbed him and said, ¡°You better behave yourself.¡± The piercing pain in his wrist woke him up. He hurriedly nodded and admitted his mistake. Originally, if Shi He didn¡¯t make a move, Shi Man would have done it herself. However, since someone was guarding her, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to do it herself. A few young hunks began to play with Shi Man, and the atmosphere in the private room gradually became hot. A waiter came in to deliver wine. After seeing Shi Man, he secretly stuffed something into her hand and quickly left. He was from Immaculate. Shi Man had seen him before. There was a black S-shaped tattoo on the back of an Immaculate mercenary¡¯s left ear and neck. She had seen it when the waiter placed the wine. She opened her palm. In her palm was the packet of chocolates that the person had just given her. She read the words on the package. 80% concentration of black art. Shi Man smiled and found an excuse to leave the private room. She came to the door of the SVIP80 private room. At this moment, Sean and the others were trading in the private room. The guard at the door knew Shi Man and opened the door for her respectfully. ¡°Second Boss, Boss is here.¡± Shi Man walked in and raised her eyebrows when she saw the table full of guns and ammunition. Was he trading firearms in such a place? Sean seemed to have sensed Shi Man¡¯s thoughts. He introduced the supplier to her and explained, ¡°The Nightless City has its own security and means. It¡¯s safer to trade a small amount of equipment here.¡± Shi Man nodded without comment. Sean was more experienced in such matters than she was. There was no need for her to get involved. ¡°Why did you call me over?¡± Shi Man asked directly. Sean had specially asked someone to dress up as a waiter and sneak into her private room to call her over. If it wasn¡¯t important, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have gone through so much trouble. ¡°Boss, we¡¯re going back to M City.¡± After Sean gestured for his subordinates to bring the supplier out, he said to Shi Man, ¡°I have something to give you before we leave. I wanted to visit you at your residence, but I was afraid that you didn¡¯t want to make it public. Coincidentally, we met this time.¡± With that, Sean lifted the box beside him, opened it, and placed it in front of Shi Man. Inside the box was an exquisite silver pistol. The barrel was carved with roses coiling around it, and there were a few dazzling red diamonds on the spear. It was very dazzling. Chapter 31 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This pistol was clearly smaller than the average pistol. The handle was covered in sheepskin, making the grip softer and preventing the palms from sweating and slipping. Shi Man picked up the pistol. It was just the right size for her to hold. The muzzle was slightly smaller, but judging from the sound of the gun being loaded, it was not just a pretty accessory. ¡°I saw that the guns you picked out weren¡¯t very handy. I happened to have the chance to acquire this gun, so I bought it,¡± Sean said casually. Although Sean did not describe the origin of the gun, Shi Man knew that it must not have been easy to get hold of it. She was very satisfied with this subordinate. There were also some bullets and cartridges in the box and a dagger with the same rose pattern. The dagger¡¯s outer shell was also inlaid with red diamonds. Shi Man picked up the dagger and gestured twice. The weight, length, and sharpness were all okay. ¡°I also modified the gun and added a dagger,¡± Sean said as if forging a suitable dagger was as easy as buying groceries. Shi Man smiled and poked Sean¡¯s chest. ¡°Not bad. You deserve encouragement.¡± ¡°Ahem, I was just doing my job.¡± Sean¡¯s dark face flushed. Shi Man didn¡¯t know how to reward her subordinates, so she could only let them relax. ¡°Take a break tonight. Call your brothers over and play in Nightless City. Open a few more SVIPs and spend as much as you want. Boss will pay.¡± Hearing their boss¡¯s words, the lackeys below instantly cheered. Sean was helpless. He had wanted to go back to the base and reorganize everyone tonight. He had been too laid back in G City recently. But since his boss had said so, he had to do it. Shi Man looked at everyone¡¯s happy expressions and her thoughts returned to the past. Although they were all colleagues in the organization in the past, they were also competitors. Not to mention having fun together, they rarely even had a good meal. ¡°Boss.¡± Amidst the laughter, Sean handed Shi Man a communication phone. ¡°We often go to places without cell towers to carry out missions. We can¡¯t contact one another using ordinary phones. This is a satellite phone. The channel has been set. If you want to contact us, call me anytime.¡± Shi Man nodded. He was quite thoughtful. ¡°I won¡¯t take them. My brother will be suspicious when he sees them later. Send these to my room for me.¡± She meant the bullets and the communication device. After Sean expressed his understanding, Shi Man left. On her way back to the private room, she accidentally bumped into someone she knew. ¡°Just play with us. Is it difficult? Isn¡¯t that what you do?¡± The person who spoke was a boy from Shi Man¡¯s class. There were males and females in the group. They were surrounding a waitress and making things difficult for her. It seemed like they wanted to harass her. ¡°That¡¯s right, Su Tang. Play with us today. I guarantee that you¡¯ll get more than what you earn in a month,¡± another boy said. Wait, Su Tang? Shi Man, who had already passed by, returned and took a closer look. The waitress whom they had surrounded was really Su Tang. She remembered that this plot was not in the novel. Shi Man thought about it carefully. Indeed, in the novel, when Su Tang was working as a waitress, she met a wretched old man who wanted to force himself on her. Su Tang resisted with all her might and was saved by the male lead. But this¡­ was clearly not a plot from a novel. In order to observe the direction of the incident, Shi Man decided to stay and hide in the dark to see what would happen. ¡°Get out of the way. I still have to work.¡± It was rare for Su Tang to be stubborn, but one could hear that her voice was still trembling. ¡°Work?¡± A girl took the lead and laughed mockingly with the others. ¡°Your job is to sell yourself, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It doesn¡¯t matter who she sells it to. Young Master Du, she probably refused to go with you because she looks down on you.¡± Another girl fanned the flames. ¡°Damn it, you bitch, you¡¯re looking down on me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Young Master Du threw a wad of money in Su Tang¡¯s face. ¡°Is it enough?¡± Shi Man knew this person. In school, he often pestered Su Tang and made all kinds of dirty jokes at her. Every time Su Tang was bullied by Fang Han, he would say a few words. It looked like he was helping Su Tang out, but in fact, he was looking down on her. Chapter 32 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Tang didn¡¯t take his money. Instead, she got up and tried to get out of their encirclement, but the girl pulled her back by her hair. ¡°I extended basic courtesy to you, but you don¡¯t want it,¡± the girl said as she started to strip Su Tang¡¯s clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll take a photo of you and let everyone in school see what a shameless woman you are.¡± Seeing this girl move, a few of them also started to strip Su Tang¡¯s clothes. Another girl took out her phone and filmed Su Tang. ¡°No!¡± Su Tang struggled, trying to escape their control, but she was held down. Shi Man was furious. This incident was clearly not in the original novel. In the novel, after Su Tang was bullied by an old man, Yi Zheng made her quit her job in the Nightless City and began to take care of her life. The relationship between the male and female leads also started to heat up after this matter. However, it was obvious that this was not the trigger for that incident. Moreover, Yi Zheng still had no feelings for Su Tang. If the video of Su Tang being bullied circulated in school, it was difficult to guarantee that Yi Zheng would not have a strange opinion of Su Tang. As for the girl standing at the side taking videos¡­ Shi Man narrowed her eyes. She recognized her. She was one of Fang Han¡¯s sidekicks. Now, the whole story was very clear. Shi Man came out of the dark and rushed forward. She kicked away the boy who was stripping Su Tang¡¯s clothes. She turned around and raised her leg to kick the phone that the girl was filming. The phone hit and shattered the tempered glass wall. ¡°Who is it? Shi¡­ Shi Man.¡± Young Master Du, who was originally very angry, saw that the person who kicked him was Shi Man and immediately turned off his engine. Only then did Shi Man see their faces clearly. The boys were hooligans who had a good relationship with Fang Han. One of the girls was Fang Han¡¯s deskmate, and the other was Fang Han¡¯s follower. ¡°Get lost if you don¡¯t want to die.¡± Shi Man¡¯s voice was so cold that it made them freeze. The boys looked at Young Master Du, waiting for him to speak. ¡°There are five or six of us. Why are we afraid of a woman?¡± Fang Han¡¯s deskmate said fiercely. She had been kicked by Shi Man in class today, and now she couldn¡¯t wait to take revenge. The boys were also tempted. That¡¯s right, there were many of them, so they were not afraid that Shi Man would be good at fighting. Besides, Shi Man looked¡­ If they could play with two at the same time, things would be interesting. The boys rushed towards Shi Man before attacking. Su Tang was not afraid. She had seen Shi Man¡¯s skills and was just a little worried that she would be injured. After all, these people were not very clean. ¡°Shi Man, let¡¯s call the manager over!¡± Su Tang wanted to pull Shi Man and run. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Shi Man brushed away Su Tang¡¯s hand that was holding her hem. The weapon she had just obtained was itching to be used. The dagger was unsheathed, and Shi Man¡¯s movements were so fast that it was almost invisible. Shi Man punched the person who was coming at her hard in the stomach and cut open his clothes with the dagger. She didn¡¯t want to kill anyone yet; she just wanted to try the knife. It was indeed sharp. It didn¡¯t take much effort, just a light touch, and their belts, clothes, and ties were all cut. Shi Man controlled her strength very well. The blade cut through the clothes and skin, leaving a shallow wound on each of them. Although the cuts were shallow and would not bleed too much, they were still long and very painful for children like them. If the few burly men from before still had some skills and could barely withstand a few attacks from Shi Man, then these young masters and young ladies were completely insufficient. Su Tang could tell that Shi Man did not use much strength and yet they had already fallen to the ground. Shi Man wiped the blood on her dagger with the face of Fang Han¡¯s deskmate and put it back into the sheath. The students who had fallen to the ground wailed in pain, but they did not dare to be too loud, afraid that they would anger Shi Man who would beat them up again. ¡°You¡¯re just a bunch of bugs. In the future, don¡¯t attack your targets until you see them clearly,¡± Shi Man said leisurely. ¡°Also, don¡¯t believe any news given by anyone. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even know if you¡¯ve been used.¡± Chapter 33 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing that they did not seem to understand, Shi Man added, ¡°This clubhouse is the Yi family¡¯s business. Do you think Yi Zheng will tolerate the few of you bullying his ward in his territory?¡± Shi Man was not scaring them. This entertainment club was indeed Yi Zheng¡¯s. In the original novel, when Su Tang came to his club to look for a job, Yi Zheng ordered the person in charge to take her in, but he did not tell anyone else or give Su Tang any special treatment. When the boys heard her words, they clearly remembered something. Young Master Du cursed. ¡°Fang Han! How dare she trick me!¡± After cursing, he glared at Fang Han¡¯s sidekick. After school, Fang Han sent them a message, saying that they would meet in Nightless City and have fun together. At that time, they were still wondering why Fang Han asked them out to play when her hand had just been injured. When they arrived, only Fang Han¡¯s two friends were there. Without waiting for the boys to react, they pulled them into the clubhouse until they bumped into Su Tang. Shi Man had already expected this. These boys, especially Young Master Du, usually looked at Su Tang strangely in school. They had probably wanted to attack Su Tang for a long time but never had the chance to. Fang Han had somehow found out that Su Tang was working part-time in Nightless City, so she took the opportunity to trick them into going to Nightless City when there were fewer guests. Then, she asked her lackeys to calculate the time in advance to ensure that Young Master Du and the others could bump into Su Tang. Then, they would encourage Young Master Du and the others to take action. They could take the opportunity to take a few photos of Su Tang to threaten her or even destroy her. Shi Man glanced at those people coldly and turned to leave. Su Tang also packed up and stood up to follow Shi Man. Suddenly, a phone flew over from behind Shi Man. It was the phone that had just been kicked away by Shi Man. Shi Man tilted her head slightly. The phone brushed past her ear and hit the wall in front of her. With a wave of her hand, a shot rang out. The bullet grazed Fang Han¡¯s deskmate¡¯s ear and embedded itself in the wall. A trace of blood seeped out of her ear. It had been grazed by the bullet. Fang Han¡¯s deskmate¡¯s eyes were blank, and her legs were trembling. On closer look, she actually peed. She was too angry just now. She was angry at how Shi Man could always suppress them. Therefore, when Shi Man turned around, she picked up the phone that had fallen to the ground and threw it at Shi Man. However, she didn¡¯t expect Shi Man to have a gun. What was even more unexpected was that Shi Man actually shot her! She could really have killed her¡­ ¡°Next time, it will be aimed at your head.¡± Shi Man looked at her as if she was already looking at a corpse. Su Tang was also frightened. She did not expect Shi Man to take out her gun in such a public place. As she walked away from the students who were frightened out of their wits by Shi Man, Su Tang was in a daze. ¡°Why are you in Nightless City?¡± Su Tang asked as she and Shi Man walked away. Shi Man glanced at Su Tang as if she was an idiot. ¡°I came to play.¡± ¡°Oh, oh. Did you have fun?¡± Su Tang continued to ask. Shi Man looked at Su Tang¡¯s polite manner and couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer her. Instead, she asked, ¡°Why are you still working here?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Tang was stunned. ¡°To earn living expenses.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the card I gave you loaded with enough money? How much is in the card?¡± ¡°Three million.¡± After Su Tang finished speaking, she looked at Shi Man¡¯s puzzled expression and quickly added, ¡°I didn¡¯t use your money. I just looked at the number in the card.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Shi Man was puzzled. Why would someone take the money and not use it? She had already used the 500,000 dollars that Shen Xian had given her yesterday to pay for Sean and the gang. ¡°That¡¯s your money. I originally planned to find a chance to return it to you. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t think you would want it even if I gave it to you, so I haven¡¯t given it to you yet,¡± Su Tang explained. Indeed, Shi Man shrugged. There was no reason to take back what she had given away. Moreover, this was the money she used to compensate Su Tang. ¡°You can use it. Like I said, I¡¯ve done a lot of things to you in the past. Although they were not done of my volition, I still have to compensate you. This money is my compensation,¡± Shi Man said. Chapter 34 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Tang shook her head. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean what you did. You don¡¯t have a bad heart, so I can¡¯t take your money.¡± Why was she so rigid? Shi Man¡¯s head hurt. After thinking for a long time, she changed her words. ¡°Resign. I gave you money to help you lead a normal life. If you continue to work here and let it affect your studies, it will make me feel guilty.¡± Shi Man paused for a moment. ¡°And your studies are affected.¡± Shi Man was not belittling Su Tang. She had to work part-time after school at night and was lethargic in class. Coupled with the mixed environment of Class F, Su Tang had no chance to learn. In the novel, her academic results could not be improved, resulting in Yi Zheng¡¯s bad evaluation of her. Later, after Su Tang stopped working part-time in the Nightless City, she went home early to study and often bumped into Yi Zheng, who was also coming home from work. As time passed, not only did the two of them develop feelings for each other, but Su Tang¡¯s academic results also improved, which also improved Yi Zheng¡¯s impression of her. Although she didn¡¯t know if the couple¡¯s lack of interaction would affect her, Shi Man still subconsciously wanted their plot to develop normally. Su Tang blushed when she heard Shi Man¡¯s words. During her time as Shi Man¡¯s deskmate, she realized that Shi Man was really serious in class and was especially good at learning. She could immediately remember what the teacher said. Twice, she could not keep up with the progress because she could not hear her teacher¡¯s voice. Shi Man, who did not know how to do homework and did not even take notes, could immediately explain the solution to her. Now that Shi Man said this to her, she felt a little awkward. ¡°This part-time job really makes it impossible for me to study well¡­¡± Su Tang nodded. ¡°Thank you, Manman.¡± Shi Man looked at Su Tang in surprise. When did she become so familiar with Su Tang? Why did Su Tang call her that? It gave her goosebumps. ¡°Hurry up and clean up. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Shi Man pointed at Su Tang¡¯s torn collar and turned back to her private room. Only then did Su Tang realize that she was not dressed properly. She exclaimed and hurriedly ran to the changing room. The person staring at them from behind the monitor finally looked away. ¡°Boss, should we send someone over¡­¡± The manager stood behind Yi Zheng and spoke carefully. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression was dark, and he did not seem to be in a good mood. ¡°Tang Zhe, deal with those people¡¯s families.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Tang Zhe replied. It seemed that these families were going to be skinned alive. The manager of the Nightless City was trembling and didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Although the boss said that there was no need to give Su Tang special treatment, she was still half a member of the Yi family. If Su Tang was really hurt under his hands, losing his job was a small matter. His life would probably be in danger. Yi Zheng looked at Shi Man, who had disappeared into the private room through the surveillance camera, in a daze. He had watched Shi Man grow up and would be lying if he said that he didn¡¯t have any feelings for her. However, he couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since he had seen Shi Man like this. She was clean and bright like the cute Manman when she was young. After growing up, Shi Man became more and more spoiled. Yi Zheng hated such women the most. His prejudice made him gradually forget Shi Man¡¯s original appearance. Looking at Shi Man, who had just finished off those bastards and saved Su Tang again, Yi Zheng could not recognize her. Tang Zhe watched his boss stare at the monitor in a daze and sighed in his heart. Previously, his boss had asked him to investigate the ins and outs of Miss Su Tang¡¯s kidnapping. Only then did he know that it was Miss Song Zhi and Fang Han who couldn¡¯t stand Miss Su Tang staying by his boss¡¯s side. With their jeers, Shi Man thought that Miss Su Tang was his boss¡¯s lover, so she got someone to kidnap her. She planned to cut her wrist to force his boss to choose between saving Miss Su Tang or her. However, Shi Man probably didn¡¯t know that Shi Jing had bribed a few hooligans to attack Su Tang. Shi Man, who had woken up, must have uncovered Shi Jing¡¯s plan, so she ran over to save her without taking off her hospital gown. After finding out the whole story, Tang Zhe reported it to his boss without hiding anything. After Yi Zheng heard it, he was silent for a long time. In the end, he pretended that this matter did not exist. It wasn¡¯t his style. Chapter 35 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tang Zhe looked at his boss as the latter stared at the surveillance camera in deep thought. He had a headache. His boss had never cared about Miss Su Tang and Miss Shi Man. However, after the previous kidnapping, his boss actually started to pay attention to Miss Shi Man. Previously, he even asked him to investigate Miss Shi Man¡¯s enrollment. Yi Zheng was staring at the surveillance screen as if he had seen something that surprised him. The manager looked at Yi Zheng¡¯s focused expression and did not dare to make a sound. He could only stand at the side and accompany him. Suddenly, Yi Zheng came back to his senses and instructed, ¡°Take the bottle of 925 from the warehouse and come with me to give the Shi family a greeting gift.¡± The manager was stunned for a moment before hurriedly ordering someone to retrieve the wine from the warehouse. Leyi 925 Dragon¡¯s Tongue Orchid was a precious wine. After Yi Zheng bought it, he kept it in the warehouse. Tang Zhe thought that his boss would take it out to drink at some major business meeting, but he didn¡¯t expect to give it to the Shi family just like that. However, it made sense. With the Shi family¡¯s status, they might not even take a fancy to a precious wine like 925. Previously, he had heard that the boss was going to break off the engagement with Miss Shi. Now, it seemed like it was probably a rumor. There was a knock on the door of SVIP556. Shi He was engrossed in a drinking game. This was the first time Shi Man had played this world¡¯s drinking game. She was losing at the beginning, so Shi He helped her drink a lot. After playing a few rounds, Shi Man started to get used to it. Now, the people drinking were those young hunks. Ning Hui looked at the excited people and resigned himself to fate. He went over to open the door, but froze at the sight of Yi Zheng. What was he doing here? Ning Hui¡¯s eyes were heavy. The little princess and Shi He would not want to see him at this time. ¡°Young Master Yi, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Ning Hui blocked the scene in the room with his body, keeping Yi Zheng outside. Yi Zheng lowered his head slightly and looked at the man in front of him. He looked familiar, but he could not remember. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Shi Man.¡± After saying that, he frowned when he saw that the person in front of him had no intention of making way. ¡°Why, you won¡¯t let me?¡± ¡°How could that be? It¡¯s just that Manman is drinking with Shi He. It might not be convenient for her to see an important guest like Young Master Yi. I¡¯ll pass on your message.¡± Ning Hui¡¯s words were watertight. ¡°It¡¯s just some private matters. There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself.¡± Yi Zheng was already starting to get impatient. He reached out to tug at his tie and loosened his collar. In an instant, his aura changed. Ning Hui was also a little flustered. Although he didn¡¯t want Yi Zheng to appear in front of Shi Man again, he didn¡¯t have the ability to offend Yi Zheng. At this point, if he continued to go against Yi Zheng, he would be tired of living. After thinking for a moment, Ning Hui gestured for Yi Zheng and the others to enter the private room. After Yi Zheng entered the private room and saw the scene in front of him, he revealed an imperceptible trace of displeasure. Shi Man, who was dressed in the Cassel Academy uniform and had light makeup on, sat in the middle of a group of men with an innocent expression. Those men revealed greedy expressions like a group of flies and surrounded Shi Man tightly. Shi He sat beside Shi Man and looked at the group of men cautiously, ready to stop them from crossing the line. Seeing that neither side spoke, Ning Hui took the initiative to say, ¡°Shi He, Young Master Yi is here.¡± When Shi He heard Ning Hui¡¯s voice, he noticed Yi Zheng standing at the side. Shi He¡¯s gaze turned sharp. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°On behalf of Nightless City, thank you, Miss Shi, for helping an employee just now.¡± After Yi Zheng finished speaking, the manager standing at the side pushed the ice cart and sent the 925 to Shi Man. Shi Man was stunned. Why was Yi Zheng here? She thought that this was outside the plot, Yi Zheng could not save Su Tang since he would not be in Nightless City. However, she did not expect him to not only be here but also come to look for her. Looking at the gorgeous wine in front of her, Shi Man instantly understood what Yi Zheng meant. He must have seen the entire process of her saving Su Tang on the surveillance cameras and especially turned up to thank her. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll accept it. You can leave now.¡± Shi Man did not look at Yi Zheng from the beginning to the end. Instead, she was very interested in the 925. In the past, she had to stay sober at all times to deal with all kinds of sudden missions, so she almost didn¡¯t drink unless it was a requirement for her mission. However, in those cases, her mind was on the mission and she hadn¡¯t tasted the wine properly at all. Moreover, this wine looked very expensive. Chapter 36 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Help? What do you mean?¡± Shi He was stunned. Didn¡¯t Shi Man go out for some fresh air just now? What happened? From what Yi Zheng said, he had already taken over Nightless City. It seemed that he had to come here as little as possible in the future. Yi Zheng didn¡¯t look at Shi He. He kept staring at Shi Man and the men beside her. ¡°It seems that Third Young Master Shi still doesn¡¯t know. Miss Shi Man just saved a waitress who was harassed by a customer in our Nightless City. Miss Shi¡¯s valiant and heroic posture is really admirable.¡± When Shi He heard Yi Zheng say this, he immediately pulled Shi Man up and down to check. After confirming that Shi Man was not injured, he was relieved. ¡°Xiao Man, if you want to help when you encounter such a situation, just get me or Ning Hui to do it. Don¡¯t go alone. Brother will be worried.¡± Ning Hui adjusted his glasses. Please, he was a scholar. If they really fought, he couldn¡¯t imagine the outcome. Shi Man didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry when she saw Shi He like this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± It was not her style to call for help over such a small scene. Besides, SVIP80 had a room full of mercenaries. She would not need to resort to calling Shi He and the others over. The artists present were shocked again when they saw Shi He¡¯s nervous and coaxing manner. Originally, they were already a little embarrassed that Yi Zheng had come with such a big lineup. No matter what, Yi Zheng had yet to cancel the engagement with Shi Man. It was a little inappropriate for them to ¡°interact¡± with Shi Man in front of her fianc¨¦. Then, they saw Shi He, a top actor, whispering in front of Shi Man¡­ It really made them feel like they were sitting on pins and needles. ¡°Uh, why don¡¯t we leave first? Miss Manman and Mr. Yi, you guys chat¡­¡± The celebrities looked at Yi Zheng and spoke under immense pressure. If they didn¡¯t leave now, they felt that their future career would be over. ¡°Okay, remember to leave from the underground garage.¡± Ning Hui brought them out. It was indeed not appropriate for outsiders like them to stay here. ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Yi?¡± Shi Man lost interest when everyone left. Yi Zheng didn¡¯t stand on ceremony. He walked to the sofa beside Shi Man and sat down. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I want to chat with Miss Shi.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and looked at Yi Zheng, not knowing what he meant. Shi He was also very frustrated. He did not want Yi Zheng to appear in front of Manman. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll leave. Let¡¯s exchange pleasantries when we have the chance to do so in the future.¡± The Shi family and the Yi family were old friends. Even if they didn¡¯t like Yi Zheng because of Manman, they would still go to the Yi family¡¯s ancestral mansion during the holidays. Seeing Shi He¡¯s cold attitude, Yi Zheng naturally wouldn¡¯t stay here and ask for trouble. He ordered the manager to open the wine and pour it for everyone. ¡°Then I¡¯ll express my gratitude and not disturb you anymore.¡± With that, Yi Zheng drank a glass. Shi He was too embarrassed to make things too awkward and drank the wine. Shi Man wanted to try this wine too. The light shone through the wine glass and reflected a beautiful light. She studied it for a while and drank it with interest. As expected of a precious wine, the taste was mellow with a trace of aftertaste. It was bitter but not astringent, stimulating the taste buds and throat for a long time. Yi Zheng stared at Shi Man¡¯s hand holding the wine glass as if he was thinking about something. Since he was done being polite and was not welcome there, Yi Zheng did not linger and politely greeted them before leaving the private room. The manager followed behind Yi Zheng, not daring to breathe. The more approachable the boss was in the private room, the more oppressive his aura was when he went out. It turned out that the boss had restrained his aura in front of Miss Shi Man. She was indeed his fianc¨¦e! While the manager looked like he understood, Tang Zhe smiled knowingly. Yi Zheng did not restrain himself because that person was Shi Man. As long as it was beneficial to business, he would not act too high and mighty. Moreover, the Yi family and the Shi family were considered relatives. Chapter 37 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the commotion caused by Yi Zheng, Shi Man and Shi He lost their mood. They called Ning Hui and asked him to prepare the car before leaving. As a long time had passed and Shi He¡¯s sports car had been driven away, those fans and paparazzi had dispersed. Shi Man and Shi He arrived home safely. Since there was an IV stand in the corner of the house, they gathered that Shi Jing had returned. She had only been hospitalized for a day before coming back. Shi Man didn¡¯t know if Shi Jing was anxious to return or if she was fine. ¡°Tsk, I should have eaten something before coming back,¡± Shi He said. He had only been drinking in Nightless City today and had not eaten much. Shi Jing had just committed suicide and was still recovering. It was not good to wake her up to cook for him. In his opinion, the food cooked by the chef at home was just ordinary to fill his stomach. It was not good at all. When Shi Man heard Shi He¡¯s words, she realized that she was a little hungry, so she went straight to the kitchen. Shi He thought that his sister was looking for food, so he said, ¡°Xiao Man, why don¡¯t I call the chef out to make some food for you?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just cook noodles.¡± Shi Man was picking out the ingredients she needed in the fridge. She turned to look at Shi He and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat?¡± Since when did Xiao Man know how to cook? Shi He rubbed his chin and said, ¡°I¡¯ll eat.¡± Even if his sister made a pot of hell-level dark cuisine, he would definitely finish every morsel. Shi Man picked some vegetables and shrimp and started cooking. Soon, two bowls of braised shrimp noodles were out of the pot. Shi He was still immersed in the joy of watching his sister cook for him. He did not expect Manman to be so virtuous when she cooked. Her thick black hair was casually tied up, and the excess was tucked behind her ears. There was an apron tied around her waist, and the sleeves of her shirt were casually folded. She looked like the young Shen Xian. ¡°Eat your noodles. Why are you in a daze?¡± Shi Man gently knocked Shi He¡¯s head with her chopsticks, indicating for him to bring the noodles to the bar. Only then did Shi He react and did as he was told with a smile. It had to be said that Xiao Man¡¯s bowl of noodles did look decent. It was fragrant and seductive. It had been a long time since Shi He felt this way about someone else¡¯s food. After taking a bite, Shi He was even more shocked. It was delicious. Not only was it delicious, but it was also at the level of a chef! Most importantly, he did not have the same feeling as before. Looking at Shi He eating the noodles crazily, Shi Man was a little worried. Due to the special nature of her job as an agent, she learned how to cook when she was young. Sometimes, she had even disguised herself as a chef when she went on missions. She had always been diligent in building up her knowledge when nabbing her targets. She had especially added a lot of fennel when she made the noodles. It was mainly because the strong taste of the fennel could numb the tastebuds and cover the taste of the food. This was a small trick when making ¡°augmented¡± food. Shi Jing would obviously do the same. Shi Man made the fennel noodles to make Shi He temporarily forget the taste of the drugs in Shi Jing¡¯s food and deceive his nerves, making him think that this kind of noodles was the same as Shi Jing¡¯s drugged cooking. In addition, Shi Man cooked in front of Shi He. The visual impact and psychological satisfaction also relieved his dependence on the drug. ¡°Third Brother,¡± Shi Man said, ¡°you can tell me if you want to eat in the future. I especially learned cooking for you.¡± Shi He didn¡¯t look up. He just nodded in acknowledgment. Compared to the feeling of not eating normal food for a long time, Xiao Man¡¯s performance touched him even more. He liked that unreasonable sister in the past, but the current Xiao Man made him want to be close to her and feel like a family. Now, he didn¡¯t know if he should thank Yi Zheng or hate him for letting his sister slit her wrist. He felt that Xiao Man had really become much more sensible and would take her family seriously. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s one more thing.¡± Shi Man was thinking about something and ate the noodles quickly. ¡°Wash the dishes, Brother.¡± With that, Shi Man immediately slipped upstairs, leaving Shi He downstairs to savor the soup. He could just throw the dishes into the dishwasher and hand them to the servants. Chapter 38 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios While the Shi family was in harmony, Yi Zheng was looking at the surveillance cameras today with a serious expression. He especially went to Shi Man¡¯s private room to deliver wine today to take a closer look at Shi Man¡¯s ring. When he was watching the surveillance cameras today, Yi Zheng noticed the dagger and gun that Shi Man had taken out. The dagger was exquisitely made and had a sharp blade. There was nothing suspicious about it. However, the silver roses on the gun were custom-made by King Charles II of N Nation in the last century. It would be very expensive. Many years ago, it was bought by a rich businessman at an auction. After that, the rich businessman¡¯s family was cleaned up because of an underworld struggle. This gun had been missing since then. And now, it had appeared in Shi Man¡¯s hand. Yi Zheng knew the Shi family¡¯s background very well. Although they were the richest, they did not care to wander in the underworld. Their business direction was different from the Yi family¡¯s. The Yi family had many businesses in the gray area; they include clubs like Nightless City, some entertainment companies, casinos, and so on. This would require the Yi family to have a certain reputation and power in the underworld. Therefore, it was not strange for this gun to appear in the Yi family, but it was very odd for it to appear in the Shi family. Moreover, it was in Shi Man¡¯s hands. Moreover, Shi He was clearly unaware of all of this. There was also the black ring that Shi Man was wearing on her thumb. When Yi Zheng arrived at the private room, Shi Man¡¯s hand was already empty. It meant that she was wearing that ring for someone to see, and this person was in the SVIP80 room that Shi Man had gone to previously. ¡°Boss!¡± While Yi Zheng was thinking, Tang Zhe returned. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Yi Zheng asked the SVIP80 guest. Tang Zhe sorted out the information and photos in his hand and handed them to Yi Zheng. ¡°The guest in the private room is a U.S. veteran named Sean. He¡¯s a mixed race from both countries. He¡¯s currently living in M City in our country. Most of the time, he¡¯s active overseas and rarely appears in our inland area. The identity of his subordinates is more complicated. Some of them are also veterans like him, but most of their identities are unknown. They had an appointment with an arms dealer today. Now, both sides have left G City.¡± ¡°They left immediately after the transaction? Have you found out anything about the transaction?¡± Yi Zheng asked. ¡°We suspect that this is a small number of guns and ammunition, but they paid in cash. We didn¡¯t find any direct evidence. Moreover, their expenses in the Nightless City were paid for with Miss Shi Man¡¯s card.¡± Tang Zhe seemed to have thought of something and handed over another photo. It was the black ring that Yi Zheng had not seen clearly before, but this ring was on Sean¡¯s hand in the photo. ¡°This photo was taken in M City a few months ago. At that time, Sean was still wearing this black ring, but after he came to G City, there were more videos or photos of him wearing it.¡± In other words, what happened after Sean came to G City might have something to do with Shi Man, so Sean gave this ring to Shi Man, but Shi Man didn¡¯t want anyone else to know. ¡°Didn¡¯t their organization find out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve found out. It¡¯s a mercenary group called the Azure Dragon Gang, but I don¡¯t know if this information is accurate. After all¡­¡± After all, it was hard to accept that an international mercenary group was called the Azure Dragon Gang. Yi Zheng did not say anything. What did an international mercenary group have to do with the Shi Man? Moreover, the mercenaries who had been operating in M City and overseas suddenly came to G City¡­ It seemed that his ¡°fianc¨¦e¡± had many secrets that no one knew. Things seemed to be getting interesting. ¡°Boss,¡± Tang Zhe called out tentatively when he saw Yi Zheng¡¯s interest. ¡°This mercenary group should be Shi Man¡¯s now.¡± Yi Zheng paused the video of Shi Man shooting. The ring of the black pearl could be vaguely seen on her magnified finger. Shi Man? ¡°Surely not?¡± Tang Zhe said in disbelief. Could such a pampered young lady who only knew how to fall in love be the boss of an international mercenary group? Chapter 39 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°We¡¯ll know after the investigation,¡± Yi Zheng said as he patted the information on his chest and turned to leave. Tang Zhe was left scratching his ears and cheeks. He had to investigate again. Ah¡­ At this moment, Shi Man knew nothing about her identity being discovered by Yi Zheng. She had enjoyed her school days without Shi Jing. When Shi Jing entered school, the peace of her school life would be broken. Shi Man¡¯s studious performance successfully made the teachers in Class F look at her in a different light. Of course, the most important reason was that with Shi Man, the students of Class F did not dare to be rash. Although they were not listening seriously, at least no one dared to make a scene in class. After teaching those classmates a lesson in Nightless City that day, Fang Han¡¯s deskmate transferred schools and never came to Cassel Academy again. The boys and the girl who harassed Su Tang also stopped their bullying and did not continue to find trouble with Su Tang. As for Fang Han, she seemed to have received some news from her deskmate or Song Zhi. She didn¡¯t dare to cause trouble again. Shi Man had a few peaceful days. Shi Jing had been assigned to Class D because she had performed well in the written test that Cassel had specially arranged for her. When she heard this result, Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She thought that Shi Jing would be very strong, but she didn¡¯t expect her to go to Class D. Shi Jing was not too satisfied with this outcome. She looked for the teacher and principal several times, hoping that they would assign her to a better class on account of Shi Zhong. But the principal of Cassel would not hear of it. It was already overboard for the Shi family to interfere, and now she actually wanted him to change her class. Seeing that the discussion was fruitless, Shi Jing had no choice but to accept it. On second thought, Shi Man was still in Class F and was still inferior to her. Shi Man didn¡¯t care, but she felt a little disgusted looking at Shi Jing¡¯s face. ¡°Xiao Man, I¡¯ll go to the library to study before going home after school. Do you want to come with me?¡± Su Tang said to Shi Man. Ever since she saved Su Tang again in Nightless City, the latter seemed to have automatically thought that she had become friends with Shi Man and started to take the initiative to invite Shi Man to do some things together. Although Shi Man rejected her most of the time, she was never angry. Shi Man did not know where she got the illusion that she was very good to her. However, sometimes, when she saw that Su Tang was bullied and in trouble, she would walk around the school with her a number of times. After a while, everyone in the school knew that Su Tang and Shi Man were ¡°very close¡±, so they naturally did not dare to provoke Su Tang. Shi Man was happy to be at ease. After all, most of the time, it would affect her if others came to find trouble with Su Tang. ¡°No, I¡¯m going home for dinner.¡± As expected, Shi Man rejected Su Tang again. However, she was not lying this time. There was a small banquet at the Shi family today to congratulate Shi Jing and Shi Man on their successful enrollment. Shi Zhong and Shen Xian especially reminded them to go home on time. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go myself.¡± Su Tang was already used to Shi Man¡¯s rejection. She continued, ¡°These are today¡¯s homework and notes. I¡¯ve arranged them for you.¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t say much. She picked up the bag that Su Tang had packed for her and left. ¡°Xiao Man!¡± Shi Ke waved in Shi Man¡¯s direction at the school gate. It was her eldest brother¡¯s turn to pick her up today. Ever since they had discussed putting in place a rotation, she had not gone to school alone. It was not that she had not thought of rejecting them, but her brothers had decided that she was amenable to coaxing and did not want to attract too much attention. Therefore, under their continuous attacks, Shi Man finally compromised. When she returned home, the food had already been prepared. Shi Zhong and Shi He were still busy with work and had not returned. Shi Jing would be a little late because she took the school bus. Shi Man was in a daze on the balcony, looking at the scenery outside the window. Then something strange caught her attention. Chapter 40 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was a monitor. It was in a tree outside the window. One wouldn¡¯t notice it unless he looked closely. Shi Man jumped from the windowsill to the tree branch opposite. She pulled out the surveillance camera and checked carefully to confirm that it was not something from Immaculate. As Immaculate¡¯s items and firearms were smuggled in, there would be a very obvious foreign logo. Moreover, Immaculate had already been taken over by her, so there was no need to hide anything from her. But just to be sure, she contacted Sean. After receiving a negative answer, she took a photo of the monitor and sent it over, asking Sean to check on this thing for her. ¡°Boss, did the Shi family offend someone? Is there anyone more suspicious?¡± Sean asked. The Shi family had a huge business and would definitely affect the interests of others, causing their enemies to take revenge. Actually, it was not that Shi Man did not understand this logic. However, there were only a few brief descriptions of the Shi family¡¯s enemies in the novel. She did not know the entire story. In addition, she did not have memories of the original owner of the body, so she did not know much about the Shi family¡¯s past. ¡°There are too many. Let¡¯s check first.¡± That was all Shi Man could tell Sean. Sean didn¡¯t ask further. Instead, he got someone to investigate. Not long after, Sean sent a picture over. It was the manufacturer of the monitor, the Song family in G City. The Song family was also famous among the upper class in G City. In the beginning, they were just an ordinary business family who relied on the production of communication equipment. Later on, they got to their current position with the help of the Yi family. However, the fact that the surveillance cameras were produced by the Song family could not prove anything. At the very least, the Song family had no conflict of interest with the Shi family on the surface. There was even the possibility of them becoming relatives¡ªif Yi Zheng had not wanted to break off the engagement with Shi Man. Ding, ding, ding¡ªShi Man¡¯s phone rang again. She thought that Sean had sent another message, but when she opened her phone, she saw that it was an SOS message from Su Tang. ¡°Help, I¡¯m in the library!¡± These few words made Shi Man suspicious. She knew that this plot was in the original novel¡ªSu Tang, who was studying in the library, did not rest well because she was working part-time in the Nightless City. She was too tired and fell asleep in the library, causing her to be locked in. As she suffered from claustrophobia, she chose to send a message to Yi Zheng, and Yi Zheng quickly arrived to save her. According to the timeline in the book, Su Tang should still be working part-time in the Nightless City. However, due to the interference of Shi Man and the change in the situation, Su Tang had already resigned from the Nightless City in advance. In that case, why would she be trapped in the library today? Another photo was sent over. It was a ladies¡¯ shirt from Cassel Academy that had been thrown to the ground! Could it be that because of her interference, the subsequent incident of Su Tang being filmed and the library had coincided? She couldn¡¯t care less. The current relationship between Su Tang and Yi Zheng hadn¡¯t eased up like in the original novel. If she didn¡¯t go over¡­ Shi Man didn¡¯t dare to think further and quickly rushed towards Cassel Academy. When she arrived, it was already late. The school was empty and the library had long been locked. Shi Man entered the library through the skylight, but she did not see Su Tang. As she looked around, she was attacked from behind. Shi Man endured the pain and sprang away to distance herself from the person. Then, under the moonlight, she could vaguely see that it was a man, but she could not see his face and figure. She took out the dagger she had been carrying and went on the offensive to attack that person. However, she did not expect that person to be so skilled. After a few rounds, they were evenly matched. For some reason, Shi Man felt that something was wrong the more she fought. Her body was getting hotter, her mouth was dry, and her lower abdomen was slightly itchy, making her feel uncomfortable. She had been drugged! No, she had to finish this quickly. She didn¡¯t want to make too much noise, but seeing that the situation was not right, she finally took out her gun. The silver rose was very dazzling under the moonlight. Seeing her gun, the person said, ¡°Shi Man?¡± It was Yi Zheng¡¯s voice. ¡°Yi Zheng?¡± After Shi Man finished speaking, the person turned on the flashlight on his phone. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shi Man was also very surprised. ¡°I received a distress message from Su Tang.¡± ¡°Did you receive it?¡± Yi Zheng frowned and looked around with the flashlight. He saw a pile of clothes and Su Tang¡¯s phone. There was no one else. And the trace of incense in the corner¡­ It was obvious that it was the reason why they felt uncomfortable¡ªit was an aphrodisiac incense. While Yi Zheng was investigating, Shi Man did not stay idle. She checked the skylight. Indeed, it had been sealed from the outside. ¡°I set up surveillance on Su Tang¡¯s phone. She sent a message to her emergency contact in the library tonight¡­¡± Yi Zheng paused for a moment.¡± I didn¡¯t expect her emergency contact to be you. ¡± They opened the phone that Su Tang had left behind and saw that the emergency contact name was actually Savior. Shi Man was speechless. In other words, that person wanted to lure Yi Zheng over, but she took the bait¡­ ¡°Yes¡­¡± Shi Man let out an erotic gasp. This body did not have much resistance. With just this amount of aphrodisiac, she was already out of control before Yi Zheng could do anything. Chapter 41 - 41 Saving Su Tang 41 Saving Su Tang The ultimate goal of the mastermind was Yi Zheng. Shi Man was just implicated. She held her breath and focused, but she could not find the aura of a third person on this floor. ¡°Find Su Tang first.¡± Shi Man cursed in her heart. She resisted the desire that was about to devour her entire body and took a deep breath into the darkness. Behind her, Yi Zheng stared at the girl¡¯s delicate back without moving. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he suddenly opened his thin lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you know where Su Tang is?¡± Shi Man¡¯s limp body suddenly paused. She turned around and said impatiently, ¡°Young Master Yi, do you mean that I am responsible for this?¡± ¡°Other than you, I can¡¯t think of anyone else.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s dark eyes stared at her, not letting go of the expression on her face. Actually, he did not doubt Shi Man in his heart. He only said this to test if she had really given up on him. The effect of the aphrodisiac was taking effect. The reason why he was still so calm and he had not lost his mind was because of the strange illness he had contracted. Every time Yi Zheng¡¯s illness acted up, his entire body seemed to be bathed in magma. Every capillary was screaming in pain. To him, the burning sensation of the aphrodisiac could be easily suppressed without even frowning. Shi Man looked at Yi Zheng expressionlessly without any goodwill in her eyes. ¡°Young Master Yi, you¡¯re really forgetful. I¡¯ve already said it the last time. In the future, we¡¯ll go our separate ways. What reason do I have to drug you?¡± Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t help but frown when he heard the same answer from her again. A strange sense of frustration suddenly ran through his body. His face tightened as he walked out of the moonlight coldly and threw himself into the endless darkness. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Let me remind you out of kindness. The mastermind¡¯s goal this time shouldn¡¯t be just you. I¡¯m afraid he also wants to test your relationship with Su Tang.¡± Shi Man moved away from him unintentionally; there was a meter between the two of them. She reminded him not because she was kind, but because she wanted the man beside her to pay attention to Su Tang as soon as possible, lest he suspected that she had evil intentions. As long as he fell in love with the female protagonist, she could escape the ending of her family being ruined. Cassel Academy was indeed a top school in the hearts of the upper-class families. The library was built like a glorious palace. Not to mention the complicated layout, it would probably take half a day to tour this library based on its size. The two of them went from the first floor to the third floor without saying a word. During this period, Yi Zheng deliberately paid attention to the girl¡¯s aura beside him, but he realized that even though she was drugged, she did not show any signs of instability. Other than occasionally seeing her flushed face when she stepped into the moonlight, he almost forgot that she was drugged. He almost blurted out the words he wanted to ask her about her health, but he swallowed them back. Yi Zheng pursed his thin lips even more tightly, and the aura around him was intimidating. Shi Man sensed the change in the mentality of the person beside her and thought that he was gloomy because he could not find the female lead. She could not help but restrain herself. She also wanted to find Su Tang as soon as possible so that she could go home and remove the aphrodisiac from her body. Otherwise, she would probably skin Yi Zheng alive if she really couldn¡¯t control herself later. Time slipped through her fingers. It was already late at night outside. There was finally a trace of weak breathing in the silent library. Shi Man reacted extremely quickly and was the first to follow the aura to find Su Tang, who had been thrown into a corner. When Su Tang saw her, her desperate eyes lit up, and tears flowed unknowingly. ¡°Manman, I knew you would definitely save me.¡± In the darkness, a figure moved slightly. Su Tang looked up and saw the man who had appeared for some reason. For a moment, she forgot to cry and stared blankly at his cold face. ¡°Who did this?¡± Shi Man did not waste her breath. Her eyes swept across her entire body and she heaved a sigh of relief when she did not see any substantial harm. If Su Tang was inexplicably tainted here, then her plot with the male protagonist would probably not develop well. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I didn¡¯t see it clearly. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve implicated you.¡± Su Tang lowered her head like a child who had made a mistake and apologized with tears in her eyes. Shi Man did not expect to get any information from her. After helping her up from the ground, she pushed her into the arms of the man standing behind her. Chapter 42 - 42 Gentle Motherly Love 42 Gentle Motherly Love ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yi Zheng reached out to support Su Tang, but there was no pity in his eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t take care of your woman, are you going to throw her to me?¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him. At this time, her family must have discovered that she was missing. If she didn¡¯t go back soon, something big would probably happen. After dealing with Su Tang, Shi Man rushed home as fast as she could. As soon as she entered, she was stopped by her second brother. Shi Yu asked nervously, ¡°Manman, where did you go? I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere. I almost called the police.¡± ¡°I suddenly wanted to eat snacks, so I went out for a walk and bought some food.¡± Shi Man casually threw the snacks she bought from the convenience store into his arms. ¡°Brother, do you want to eat? Take whatever you like.¡± ¡°Manman!¡± Shen Xian wiped her tears and rushed downstairs. She hugged Shi Man¡¯s slightly hot body and finally relaxed. ¡°It¡¯s so late. Where did you go? Do you know how worried Mom is about you?¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine.¡± Shi Man used to go out at night to complete missions. No one had ever cared about her whereabouts. She would never expose her whereabouts to her colleagues in any organization. Otherwise, she could easily lose her life. Seeing that her daughter had returned safely, Shen Xian¡¯s pale face finally turned red. She held her hand and said, ¡°Why are you so hot? Did you catch a cold? I¡¯ll call Kate over to take a look at you.¡± ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no need.¡± Shi Man hugged her comfortingly and retreated a little. Her hot breath was almost out. ¡°I¡¯ll go back upstairs to take a shower first. Is Dad not back yet?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Shi Yu kept feeling that his sister was hiding something from them. As a lawyer, he had developed a sharp intuition. However, Shi Man was too calm, making him suspect that the abnormality was just his imagination. ¡°Fortunately, your father isn¡¯t here. Otherwise, he would have taught you a lesson again.¡± Shen Xian accompanied Shi Man back to her room with heartache before sighing and returning to the living room to wait for her. Shi Man filled the bathtub with cold water and sank her body completely into the water. The heat in her chest barely subsided and her thoughts became clear. The mastermind must not have expected her to appear tonight. Otherwise, that person would have long come out to attack Yi Zheng. It was impossible for him to not show up. She screened everyone she had met in the past few days in her mind, but she could not find a suitable reason for the attack. It was true that the Song family ran the communication technology company, but they had no reason to harm the Shi family. There were too few descriptions of the Shi family in the original book. Most of the plot revolved around the male and female leads, so she could not think of who the potential enemy was for a moment. However¡­ Shi Man¡¯s expression turned cold. Since that person had offended her several times and couldn¡¯t wait to attack the Shi family, he wouldn¡¯t stop so easily. As long as the people behind the attacks did not give up their goal, she would have a chance to nab them. After soaking in the cold water for half an hour, the burning sensation was completely removed from her blood. Outside the door, Shen Xian saw that Shi Man had not moved for so long and could not help but knock on her door worriedly. ¡°Manman, how are you? If you¡¯re not feeling well, tell Mom.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, there was still no movement inside. Shen Xian raised her hand worriedly and knocked on the door again. Before her fingers could touch the door, the door was suddenly opened from the inside. A cold breath hit her and she couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°Manman, you¡­¡± Shen Xian raised her hand to hold Shi Man¡¯s hand, but the latter avoided it easily. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I want to eat something.¡± Shi Man was only wearing thin pajamas. The cold air emitted from her body was enough to make one retreat three feet. Water was still dripping from her wet hair as if she had just been fished out of the river. Shen Xian stuffed her under the blanket silently, took off the rubber band on her hair, and picked up the hairdryer to dry her hair. Shi Man jumped up from the bed almost subconsciously. She had just gotten used to being touched by this family and was not used to being vulnerable to others. ¡°Lie down.¡± Shen Xian stuffed her back into the blanket domineeringly, but her voice was so gentle that it was impossible to refuse. ¡°My baby, you don¡¯t cherish yourself. How can Mommy be at ease?¡± Chapter 43 - 43 Stealing Questions 43 Stealing Questions After Shi Man lay obediently and was fiddled with by Shen Xian, the temperature of her body gradually returned, and the color returned to her face. Shen Xian was slightly relieved. Coincidentally, Butler Qi came to inform them that Shi Zhong had returned. Only then did she bring Shi Man downstairs. At the dining table, Shi Zhong could tell at a glance that Shen Xian¡¯s expression was unnatural. He asked with concern, ¡°Did something happen at home?¡± ¡°What can happen? I¡¯m just a little tired. I went to bed after dinner.¡± Shen Xian naturally let bygones be bygones and did not dare to mention it in front of Shi Zhong. Her heart ached for her daughter more than anyone else. She did not want her daughter to be scolded for no reason. Moreover, Shi Yu had already explained to her clearly that Shi Man had just gone out to buy something to eat. She had made a mountain out of a molehill just now. When Shi Zhong heard her say this, he looked at Shi Man worriedly. Seeing that she was eating normally, he could only clear the doubts in his heart and not pursue this matter. After the meal, Shi Mu mysteriously pulled Shi Man away before sneakily taking out a booklet from his bag and stuffing it into her hand. ¡°What is this?¡± Shi Man flipped it open suspiciously and realized that it was a complete set of exam questions. ¡°You stole¡­¡± Shi Mu shushed her in fear and looked around carefully. Then, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°I spent a lot of effort to get this. How is it? Brother is on your side, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Shi Man stuffed the thing back into Shi Mu¡¯s arms without thinking. ¡°Besides, why did you think of giving me this? Do you think I care about the exam results?¡± As Shi Mu hugged the questions aggrievedly, his ears were filled with the gossip he had heard in school today. He frowned angrily. ¡°I just wanted to help you slap those teachers¡¯ faces. How dare they speak ill of my sister behind her back!¡± Shi Man patted his shoulder in amusement and said calmly, ¡°Isn¡¯t there enough gossip about me? I don¡¯t even care. Why are you so angry!¡± How could Shi Mu not be angry? His precious sister, whom he doted on, had been criticized by outsiders for no reason because of a man. What was hateful was that although their school was funded by the aristocrats, every family had a clear rule that they could not easily attack the teachers. Otherwise, he would have long taught those despicable people a lesson! Seeing that Shi Mu was becoming more and more upset, Shi Man finally persuaded patiently, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just a small monthly exam. Can¡¯t I get good results by myself?¡± Shi Mu¡¯s angry expression completely turned into shock. He couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°My precious sister, are you planning to study hard before turning into a top student?! I support you!¡± ¡°In that case, destroy the test paper to prevent any trouble.¡± Shi Man glanced meaningfully at the figure hiding in the corner and sneered. She opened the door and entered the room. Shi Jing heard their conversation completely and could not help but feel happy. She had just transferred to Cassel Academy and was worried about her results. Unexpectedly, a hot pie fell from the sky and landed at her feet. Looking in the direction Shi Mu had left, Shi Jing¡¯s eyes were filled with determination. As long as she could get hold of those questions and achieve shocking results in the exam, she could apply to the teacher to transfer to Class S. At that time, Shi Zhong would definitely treat her differently and the students would naturally compare her favorably to Shi Man. Then, the family would realize that she was a hundred times smarter than that brainless fool! She was the person who should replace Shi Man and be doted on! After making up her mind, Shi Jing pretended to be sick the next day and woke up a little late. She waited for Shi Mu to leave his room before sneaking in. At this time, before the servants at home could clean the room, she easily found the abandoned exam questions in the trash can and quietly stuffed the notebook into her clothes. She listened carefully to the movements outside before sneaking back to her room. Shi Man sat in the car and calculated the time. She expected that Shi Jing would have succeeded at this time. An evil smile curled up on her lips. In the classroom, Shi Man immediately saw Su Tang smiling at her from her seat. She was secretly surprised by Su Tang¡¯s ability to recover quickly. She thought that after what happened yesterday, she would take leave and not come to school. Walking closer, Shi Man looked down at the textbook filled with annotations in front of her. She raised her hand and flipped to the cover. Seeing the name she had written down, she raised her eyebrows slightly and asked in confusion, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chapter 44 - 44 Cousin 44 Cousin ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t mean to touch your book.¡± Su Tang was caught red-handed and bit her lower lip helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was thinking that the monthly exam is coming soon. You just came to school and definitely don¡¯t know the focus of this exam, so I wanted to help you mark it.¡± Shi Man did not speak. Her eyes gestured for Su Tang to make way. Su Tang pursed her lips and stood up timidly to let her get to your seat. Then, she raised her hand and obediently placed the book on her table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have touched your things. Why don¡¯t I compensate you with a new book?¡± ¡°Have you marked my textbook?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows at her. Su Tang quietly looked up at her. Seeing that she didn¡¯t look angry, she nodded slowly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shi Man picked up the book and read it from the beginning. Su Tang¡¯s labeling was very detailed and clear. It was indeed very beneficial for her to revise before the exam. She was not an ungrateful person, so she naturally would not blame Su Tang. Hearing her say this, Su Tang was immediately overjoyed. She happily placed the other basic textbooks neatly at the corner of her desk and instructed worriedly, ¡°Tomorrow is the monthly exam. If you have anything you don¡¯t understand, you can ask me.¡± Shi Man nodded slightly, her eyes glued to the textbook. Seeing her so focused on revising, Su Tang finally felt relieved. Ever since she came into contact with Shi Man, she received her help several times. She had always wanted to find an opportunity to repay her. Unfortunately, Shi Man did not lack anything. The only thing she could do was this small matter. As soon as the bell rang, Shi Mu blocked Shi Man¡¯s classroom door excitedly. When the girls saw the president of the Student Union arrive, they immediately screamed and clenched their fists. The entire floor was in a frenzy. ¡°What are you making a fuss about? No noise in the classroom corridor.¡± Shi Mu scolded impatiently and frowned. However, not only did these girls not calm down, but they even started to compare themselves to each other excitedly. ¡°He looked at me just now! How can he be so handsome? I don¡¯t even have to eat lunch today because he¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°He was clearly looking at me! The chairman even smiled at me last time!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s clearly me!¡± The surrounding voices completely drowned out Shi Mu¡¯s cold words. After all, they were all female students. It was not good for him to be too harsh, but letting them block the corridor was really disrupting the order. Just as he was frowning and wondering how to chase them away, a delicate voice suddenly interrupted. ¡°Are you guys very free? You¡¯re so noisy.¡± Her classmates knew how ruthless Shi Man was. Seeing her walk out with an irritated expression, they immediately kept quiet and did not dare to argue anymore. When the students of the other classes saw that the person who spoke was Shi Man, their expressions changed from disdainful to dumbfounded after seeing the fearful reaction of the students of Class F. What was going on? Had Shi Man become a little tyrant in their class? Was this piece of trash capable of doing that? The corridor instantly fell silent. Shi Mu walked forward in a good mood and looked at Shi Man with curved eyes. ¡°Sister, I specially arranged for someone to airlift the king crabs and lobsters that have just been caught this morning. The canteen should be ready by now. Let¡¯s eat together?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man¡¯s cold eyes swept around indifferently. When the students of Class F met her gaze, they immediately straightened their backs and consciously made way for her. It was not until the two of them walked into the elevator that the tense bodies of the students finally relaxed and they heaved a sigh of relief. When the students from the other classes saw this, they looked at one another and smiled. They shook their heads in disdain. ¡°Why do you think everyone in Class F is trash? They¡¯re actually so afraid of that idiot. What a joke.¡± ¡°The people in their class are so bad at learning. Perhaps there¡¯s something wrong with their brains.¡± The student from Class S raised his head proudly and said, ¡°Our teacher said that we have to interact less with the people in their class in the future. Stupidity is contagious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. No wonder you¡¯re all so good at studying!¡± When the students from the other classes heard the people from Class S, they immediately came up to flatter them. Shi Jing stood at the back of the crowd and listened to the discussions of the people around her proudly. The more others slandered Shi Man, the more excited she was! ¡°Hey, newbie, your surname is also Shi. Don¡¯t tell me you have something to do with that Shi Man?¡± The Class D monitor patted her shoulder curiously. Shi Jing smiled kindly. ¡°I¡¯m her cousin.¡± Chapter 45 - 45 Trap 45 Trap Seeing that the students of Class D were about to show disdain, Shi Jing smiled and added, ¡°I have a good relationship with Brother Shi He. He likes to eat my cooking, but Sister Shi Man¡­ She¡¯s the apple of the Shi family¡¯s eye after all. We rarely talk. I even advised her not to go overboard with Yi Zheng. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t listen to me.¡± When they heard that she had a good relationship with Shi He, everyone immediately surrounded her with envious expressions. They all asked her about Shi He¡¯s appearance at home. Where was the disdain from before? Moreover, she had already clarified her relationship with Shi Man just now, showing how pitiful she was in the Shi family. This way, when the results were out, everyone would compare her to Shi Man. The plan went smoothly. Next, she waited to see Shi Man being stepped on by her! In the canteen, Shi Mu specially arranged for someone to book an entire floor and get the canteen staff to steam the newly arrived seafood. It was rare for him to have a beautiful lunch alone with his sister today. At this moment, Shi Mu was not in the mood to deal with the work in the morning. At the dining table, Shi Man picked up the crab meat that Shi Mu had peeled and placed it in her mouth. The fragrance of the fresh meat immediately spread in her mouth. In the past, she was busy carrying out missions every day and did not have the time to eat indulgent seafood. She did not expect this thing to be so delicious. She had really missed many delicacies in the past. Seeing that his sister liked it, Shi Mu felt that it was worth it to go through so much trouble for this lunch. As long as she liked it, he could arrange it like this every day. Anyway, his family had money. ¡°By the way, Brother.¡± Shi Man nibbled on the lobster in her hand and asked casually, ¡°Have you printed the paper for tomorrow¡¯s monthly exam?¡± Shi Mu thought about it seriously and said calmly, ¡°Not yet. It should be printed this afternoon. Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just asking.¡± Shi Man put down her chopsticks and wiped the oil off her hands. She took out her phone and casually operated it for a while before stuffing it back into her pocket. Shi Mu didn¡¯t know why his sister was asking about this. He thought that she was worried about her exam results, so he quickly coaxed her with heartache. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You just entered school. Even if you don¡¯t do well, no one will blame you. Brother will still reward you.¡± ¡°Reward for what?¡± Shi Man did not explain the trap she had set to him and only asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s a secret for the time being!¡± Shi Mu pretended to smile deeply and placed the shelled shrimp in her bowl. In the Year Head¡¯s office, Shi Jing raised her hand and knocked on the unlocked door, but no one answered. At this time, the teachers had probably gone to the canteen to eat. She pushed open the door in surprise and walked into the office. Seeing that there was no one inside except for the computer screen, she immediately found it unbelievable. Since no one was around, why did Director Zou suddenly send a message asking her to come to the office? She thought that the other party had something important to tell her. She looked around and did not see anyone. Just as Shi Jing was about to leave, her sharp eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of the computer screen on the desk. On the screen were the questions for the next day¡¯s monthly exam. Without thinking, she closed the office door and carefully compared it with the questions she had obtained. After confirming that they were exactly the same, she heaved a sigh of relief and left the office with a determined expression. On the phone screen, Shi Man looked at the video from the surveillance camera and smiled coldly. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Shi Mu asked with concern when he saw his sister in a daze. Shi Man looked up at the prawn that had been piled into a small mountain by Shi Mu. She immediately shook her head helplessly and smiled. ¡°Brother, I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± ¡°Eat more. Look at how thin you are.¡± Shi Mu frowned and continued to throw crab meat into her bowl. He did not eat much. Most of the seafood on the table entered Shi Man¡¯s stomach. She was really a little stuffed. In the past, she had never dared to eat so much. It would affect her movements. Once she relaxed, she might be assassinated. But now, the person in front of her was afraid that she would eat too little. She treated the warmth brought by this kinship as a treasure, so she picked up her chopsticks again and ate a few more mouthfuls. Seeing that his sister was really full, Shi Mu stood up in satisfaction and sent her back personally. Chapter 46 - 46 Cheating 46 Cheating After school at night, Shi Jing waited at the door of Shi Man¡¯s classroom early. Seeing her come out, she didn¡¯t talk to her much. After leaving everyone¡¯s sight, she asked casually, ¡°Manman, why have you been ignoring me recently? Are you still blaming me?¡± Shi Man sneered and did not answer her. She listened to her nagging expressionlessly. ¡°I really know my mistake. I feel very guilty. That¡¯s why I committed suicide last time to make it up to you. If you still blame me, I can only die to apologize!¡± She spoke sincerely with a sad expression. Anyone who saw her would think that Shi Jing had suffered in the Shi family. Shi Man¡¯s disgust for her deepened, but she did not do anything to her. She let others spread gossip about her and Shi Jing. At the school gate, it was her eldest brother, Shi Ke¡¯s turn to pick her up today. When he saw Shi Jing following behind his sister, he frowned slightly and personally opened the passenger door for his sister. Only then did he unhappily agree to Shi Jing getting into the car and going home together. The difference in their treatment was like heaven and earth. The surrounding students saw it clearly and felt that Shi Man was unruly and willful. She even made things difficult for her cousin! Shi Man took in their expressions coldly with a relaxed demeanor. Go ahead and scold her. The more they scolded her now, the more it would hurt in the future. This was Shi Jing taking the initiative to add the chips in her favor. How could she waste her good intentions? In the backseat, Shi Jing put away the guilt on her face and looked at Shi Man in the front seat jealously. She thought to herself that she would let Shi Man be smug for a few more days. After the exam results were out, everyone would know that she was much better than Shi Man! In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the monthly examination. There was a special examination hall for this examination. There was only one student sitting in each row to prevent cheating. After Shi Man received the test paper, she glanced at it and saw the extra letters behind a question. She narrowed her eyes dangerously and smiled meaningfully. The teacher from Class S, who was in charge of the invigilation, had been staring in Shi Man¡¯s direction. When she saw the smile on her face, she couldn¡¯t help but shiver. How strange. She was actually afraid of a piece of trash and was stunned by her smile! The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Hu Jing walked down the podium unwillingly and deliberately lingered beside her, wanting to see if she could really answer the question or if she was just pretending. Shi Man sensed Hu Jing¡¯s intentions and openly showed her the test paper. Every question here was too simple for her. Yesterday, during class, not only did she memorize all the highlights drawn by Su Tang, but she also memorized the rest that Su Tang had yet to explain. She had always had a photographic memory, so it was not difficult for her to learn such simple knowledge herself. Hu Jing passed by a few times but did not succeed. When she finally caught a break, she subconsciously slowed down and her gaze lingered on Shi Man¡¯s answering area for a long time. After reading the answer on her test paper, Hu Jing couldn¡¯t help but gasp. She looked at Shi Man in disbelief and her shocked gaze suddenly met Shi Man¡¯s playful eyes. In the end, she was the first to lose. Her back was covered in cold sweat as she almost fled back to the podium. When she returned to the invigilator¡¯s seat, Hu Jing was still panting guiltily. Shi Man¡¯s gaze was too cold just now, and even she, who had always prided herself, could not withstand it. She was clearly a scum who only knew how to chase after men and embarrass women, but she actually had such a terrifying aura! Moreover, the questions she had just done were all right. This meant that not only were her academic results not bad, but she was even more outstanding than the students she had personally taught! How was this possible? Unless¡­ A trace of disdain flashed across Hu Jing¡¯s eyes. Unless someone was helping Shi Man cheat! The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she had discovered the truth behind why Shi Man was no longer as timid as before. Since the Shi family dared to help their daughter cheat, they should not blame her for exposing Shi Man in public and completely cutting off the Shi family¡¯s idea of sending their daughter to Class S! Her class definitely could not tolerate such a poor student! After the exam ended, Hu Jing came down to collect the papers. When it was Shi Man¡¯s turn, she deliberately knocked on her table meaningfully and sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice that you cheated. Just wait and see.¡± ¡°Cheating?¡± Hu Jing¡¯s voice was neither loud nor soft, and the students in the examination hall could hear her. They immediately looked at Shi Man with disdain and mockery. Chapter 47 - 47 Release of the Rankings 47 Release of the Rankings ¡°Teacher Hu, do you have evidence?¡± Shi Man looked at her leisurely. Initially, she did not want to deal with these people who had nothing to do with the plot. However, Hu Jing insisted on barging in, so she could only accept it. ¡°I¡¯ll be invigilating the next round. I¡¯ll definitely catch you.¡± Hu Jing said ruthlessly, leaving Shi Man alone to suffer the criticism of the surrounding students. This discussion was a common occurrence for Shi Man. She pretended not to hear it and turned to look at the fallen leaves outside the window. Her fingers tapped the table rhythmically as if she was calculating something. In the next exam, Hu Jing stared fixedly at Shi Man, but she did not find any traces of her cheating. This made her panic. If she could not find evidence, Shi Man would really succeed! She bit her lower lip and walked down the podium to look at her paper again. As in the previous exam, her answers were almost all right. No! She must have forgotten something! Could it be¡­ Thinking of the only possibility, Hu Jing felt confident. She took out her phone and sent a message to Director Zou, requesting to check the surveillance cameras before the exam. Director Zou was busy with other things and refused to reply. Hu Jing could only stabilize her mind for the time being and sit back down to comfort herself. As long as Shi Man cheated, with her stupidity, she would definitely leave evidence. She did not believe that she could not find any evidence! After a day of exams, Second Brother Shi Yu came to pick his sister up from school today. Shi Mu had originally planned to rush over to take his sister away after the exam. Unfortunately, he was entangled in the Student Union¡¯s matters. Not only could he not pick his sister up, but he would also have to stay behind to work overtime. He could only watch as his sister got into Shi Yu¡¯s car and continued to busy himself with the work at hand. Shi Jing sat in the car and obediently occupied only a small portion of the backseat. Then, she blinked and pretended to be intimate. ¡°Manman, how did you do today?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Shi Man looked at Shi Jing¡¯s reflection in the rearview mirror and smiled. ¡°You must have answered very well, right?¡± Shi Jing pretended to be humble and said, ¡°I changed schools late and just did my best.¡± On the surface, she looked shy, but in fact, Shi Jing was overjoyed. Last night, she had memorized the questions in advance. Today, it was effortless for her to do the questions. This time, she would definitely be able to enter Class S easily and leave Shi Man in the dust! Shi Man sneered and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes to rest. Shi Yu thought that his sister did not do well in the exam today and was shocked. He hurriedly comforted her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if you don¡¯t do well, I will reward you. After all, we have seen your recent efforts.¡± Shi Man opened one eye slightly and looked at his gentle side profile. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Why are you the same as Fourth Brother? You have to reward me. Did you discuss it together?¡± Seeing with her own eyes how much the brothers of the Shi family doted on Shi Man, Shi Jing clenched her hands on her knees and gritted her teeth in jealousy. She only hoped that time would pass faster now. She could not wait to see the Shi family being dumbfounded and treating her differently! On the day the results were released, Shi Jing woke up early and ran to school happily. At the entrance of the teaching building, the surrounding students had already caused a congestion. The person who had finally squeezed to the front was shocked when he saw the name on the rankings. ¡°How is this possible? Did the teacher make a mistake?¡± ¡°What¡¯s impossible?¡± Shi Jing squeezed into the front row with curved eyes. As she wished, she saw herself ranked third in the cohort. She immediately felt that the sun had risen for her this morning, but she maintained an incredulous expression. ¡°How could this be? How could I have gotten third place?¡± ¡°Congratulations, Shi Jing.¡± Her classmates from Class D looked at her sourly. There were few sincere compliments, but this was enough for Shi Jing. She smiled and said a few humble words. She even expressed that she was willing to help her classmates improve in the future and pulled in a wave of good impressions. It was only when a discordant voice barged in that the smile on her face suddenly froze. ¡°No, why are you only concerned about Shi Jing? Didn¡¯t you see who ranked fourth in the cohort?¡± A bad feeling arose. Shi Jing suddenly looked up and realized that the person below her was Shi Man! Didn¡¯t she decide against looking at the questions? Her shocked expression froze on her face. Noticing the surprised gazes of the surrounding people, she suddenly came back to her senses and said in confusion, ¡°Sister hasn¡¯t been studying at home recently. I didn¡¯t expect her to score so well!¡± Chapter 48 - 48 Fanning the Flames 48 Fanning the Flames ¡°You guys don¡¯t know yet, right? I was in the same examination hall as her.¡± The boy sitting in the back row of Shi Man during the exam said mysteriously, ¡°At that time, Teacher Hu Jing said that Shi Man cheated during the exam!¡± ¡°Ah? Really? No wonder her results are so good!¡± The person who had praised Shi Jing just now had already treated her as the top student in her class. When he heard this heavy news, he immediately asked maliciously, ¡°Won¡¯t Shi Man be detained by the teacher?¡± ¡°I see.¡± The students of Class S looked at one another and mocked Shi Man before secretly retreating from the crowd to verify this matter with their teacher. In the office, Hu Jing was arguing with Director Zou. ¡°Dean, I told you about the application for surveillance footage previously. Have you forgotten? Now that Shi Man actually surpassed my students, she must have cheated! We can¡¯t tolerate such behavior of breaking the examination discipline!¡± ¡°Calm down first, Teacher Hu. I can understand your feelings.¡± Director Zou patiently advised, ¡°I¡¯ve already investigated the surveillance cameras. The person who cheated was not Shi Man.¡± ¡°Who else could it be? Director Zou, you can¡¯t protect her! And that Shi Jing is actually ranked at the top of the cohort. The two of them must have cheated together!¡± The more Hu Jing thought about it, the angrier she became. At this moment, the two children in the family were really worrisome. One by one, they braced themselves and insisted on squeezing into Class S. They didn¡¯t even buy a mirror to look at themselves. Were they worthy? ¡°Teacher Hu, you have to have evidence in everything.¡± Director Zou sighed and stood up to look at the students gathered in front of the rankings outside the window. He said calmly, ¡°Call Shi Man and Shi Jing over.¡± Hu Jing gritted her teeth and nodded. She snorted and left the office. At the entrance of the teaching building, the crowd was still discussing how Shi Man had been caught cheating by the teacher. Many students in the examination hall had heard Hu Jing¡¯s words that day and felt indignant that the school was protecting Shi Man. Shi Jing looked coldly at the crowd gathered to deal with Shi Man. From the corner of her eye, she saw a figure. The cold smile on her face quickly turned into pity. ¡°Please forgive my sister. She must have taken things too hard for a moment. Why don¡¯t we give her a chance and not let the school expel her?¡± ¡°Impossible! We have to ask the school to expel Shi Man today. Cassel Academy can¡¯t tolerate such an embarrassing student!¡± The crowd was furious. Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, Shi Jing exclaimed and pointed in the direction of the teaching staircase. ¡°Look, isn¡¯t that Teacher Hu Jing? Could she be here to take Shi Man away?¡± When the students heard that Hu Jing was here, they immediately swarmed up and surrounded her, asking how the school would deal with Shi Man. The students¡¯ emotions had already been completely stoked. They wished they could pull Shi Man out and whip her a few times to vent their hatred. They did not like people like Shi Man entering Cassel Academy, not to mention that she had now done such a thing. Hu Jing only felt that there were countless flies buzzing in her ears. She scolded angrily, ¡°Shut up! Do you still have any regard for discipline? Isn¡¯t it time for self-study? Hurry up and go back to studying!¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± Shi Jing couldn¡¯t wait for her classmates to witness Shi Man embarrassing herself in public. Naturally, she didn¡¯t want her classmates to disperse because of her teacher¡¯s scolding. ¡°Are you here to look for Shi Man? Don¡¯t blame the students for delaying their studies. They¡¯re so excited because they value academic results. Shi Man¡¯s cheating concerns everyone. Teacher, please deal with this matter publicly.¡± Although Shi Jing did not have direct evidence to prove that Shi Man had cheated, she felt that it must be abnormal for Shi Man to have such results. Moreover, didn¡¯t Hu Jing say that Shi Man had cheated in the examination hall? Shi Jing thought that this matter was almost certain. She only wanted Shi Man to embarrass herself in public and have a bad reputation. In the end, she would have no choice but to drop out of Cassel Academy. This way, she would be the only daughter of the Shi family who could study here! Hu Jing took a step closer and sized Shi Jing up with a critical expression. In her eyes, Shi Jing was no different from Shi Man. However, from her words just now, she seemed to want to punish Shi Man immediately. This was really interesting. ¡°That¡¯s right, Teacher. Let us follow you and take a look. We can¡¯t let Shi Man off easily.¡± Song Zhi had always hated Shi Man for humiliating her in front of Fang Han in the mall last time. This time, Shi Man gave her something to use against her. How could she not grasp it well? In her eyes, she could put aside the fact that Shi Jing had clinched third place for the time being. After all, what she had just said was completely considered from the perspective of her classmates. However, Shi Man was different. She was still unwilling to show her face even now. Even the entire Class F was not present. If that wasn¡¯t guilt, what else could it be? Chapter 49 - 49 The Eve of the Storm 49 The Eve of the Storm Hu Jing glanced at them indifferently and suddenly asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Geng Hui?¡± ¡°Teacher Hu,¡± Song Zhi reminded her softly in her ear, ¡°Teacher Geng hasn¡¯t shown his face yet. Everyone in their class is not around. Could Geng Hui have helped Shi Man cheat? Otherwise, how could she have successfully cheated with her stupidity?¡± Hu Jing¡¯s expression darkened. She knew that she had mocked Geng Hui a lot over the years, but if he really hated her and helped Shi Man do such a thing, then he should not blame her for chasing Geng Hui and Shi Man out of school! ¡°Go to their class and call Geng Hui and Shi Man to Director Zou¡¯s office.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Song Zhi nodded solemnly and agreed. Her clenched fists trembled slightly from excitement. It was finally time for revenge. She wanted Shi Man to never be able to raise her head! In Class F¡¯s classroom, Geng Hui stood on the podium enthusiastically and praised Shi Man¡¯s improvement this time. He did not know that the outside world had completely fallen out. Fang Han waited for a long time and finally received a message from Song Zhi. She immediately raised her hand and said, ¡°Teacher, I have something to say!¡± Geng Hui adjusted his glasses and asked, ¡°What do you want to say? Stand up and say it.¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± Fang Han pointed at Shi Man¡¯s back in the front row arrogantly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have praised Shi Man just now. She clearly cheated in this exam to get fourth place in the cohort!¡± ¡°Fang Han! You can¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± Geng Hui still had a good impression of Shi Man. After all, ever since she came to the class, the class had become much better, allowing him to experience the joy and pride of being a teacher. He subconsciously defended Shi Man and waved his hand for Fang Han to sit down. He said earnestly, ¡°Students, you have to accept other people¡¯s progress humbly and urge yourself to continue working hard instead of criticizing your classmates without evidence.¡± Fang Han sat down indignantly and glared at Shi Man hatefully. ¡°She cheated! Mr. Geng, if you don¡¯t believe me, just wait and see!¡± Su Tang turned to look at the expressionless Shi Man worriedly. ¡°I believe you didn¡¯t cheat, but I think Fang Han has a backup plan. You have to make plans early.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded lightly. She had always had such a cold personality. Su Tang pursed her lips indifferently, and her docile heart could not help but feel a trace of anger and guilt. If not for her, Shi Man would not have offended them. Moreover, the reason why she believed that Shi Man did not cheat was not because of her blind confidence in her benefactor, but because she had really seen Shi Man¡¯s ability. With her capability, it was easy for her to finish reading all the subjects in a day, but this did not seem to prove that she had not cheated. Su Tang could not help but feel anxious for her. After a while, Song Zhi knocked on the class door. After greeting Geng Hui, she looked at Shi Man with a smug expression. ¡°Come out. Director Zou wants you to go to the office with Mr. Geng.¡± Fang Han leaned back in her chair and looked like she was watching a good show. She crossed her arms and waited for Shi Man to make a fool of herself. Geng Hui knew that this trip would probably be disadvantageous to Shi Man and hurriedly asked, ¡°Did Director Zou say why?¡± Song Zhi raised her head proudly and looked at Shi Man disdainfully. She said calmly, ¡°Shi Man cheated in the exam, so Director Zou wants to look for her!¡± As soon as she said this, there was an uproar in the classroom. The students started whispering. They had actually known about this long ago. After all, the commotion at the school gate was not small, but because of Shi Man¡¯s ruthlessness, they did not dare to say anything in front of her. At this moment, when they heard Song Zhi say with absolute certainty that Shi Man had cheated, the students immediately felt the pleasure of having their enemy destroyed! Actually, they had been enduring Shi Man for a long time! Ever since Shi Man joined the class, it had been too boring. They did not even dare to say a few words and could only pass notes humbly. However, now that Shi Man had been caught cheating by the dean, she might be chased out of Cassel Academy soon. At that time, they could do whatever they wanted in class again! The students rubbed their fists and waited for the teacher to announce Shi Man¡¯s sentence. They wished they could fly to the director¡¯s office and witness her being chased away! Shi Man listened to the discussions of the surrounding people. She still stood up expressionlessly and gestured for Su Tang to make way. Song Zhi deliberately blocked her body at the classroom door to embarrass her. Unexpectedly, Shi Man did not even look at her and knocked her shoulder away as she walked out of the classroom. Song Zhi failed to harm anyone and was almost knocked down by her. She was humiliated in front of others and immediately gritted her teeth in hatred. At the entrance of the school building, Shi Jing looked smugly at Song Zhi¡¯s back view, wishing she could fly to the entrance of Class F. She felt that she was really too smart. However, before she could be satisfied, Hu Jing rolled her eyes at her in disgust and said coldly, ¡°Follow me to Director Zou¡¯s office.¡± Chapter 50 - 50 Insult 50 Insult Shi Jing followed behind Hu Jing in confusion. Two groups of people bumped into each other at the staircase of Director Zou¡¯s office. Hu Jing gave Song Zhi a look. Song Zhi nodded slightly and walked to Hu Jing¡¯s side, feeling that she should keep a distance from Shi Man. She knew that Hu Jing had always been prejudiced against Class F, which was at the bottom of the cohort. Hu Jing did not like her students to be involved with them, so Song Zhi had always hidden the fact that she and Fang Han were best friends from her. In school, Song Zhi had always been careful to avoid being seen with Fang Han. Hu Jing was satisfied with her tact. She looked up at Geng Hui, who was walking at the back, with disdain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Geng. It wasn¡¯t easy for one of your classmates to achieve good results this time, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be happy for nothing.¡± ¡°I believe the students in my class will never do such a thing!¡± He glanced at Shi Man with conviction in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If they can¡¯t produce evidence, I¡¯ll protect you. This is my duty as a form teacher.¡± Shi Man nodded slightly and did not speak, but she was still a little touched. In her previous life, when she had never been trusted unconditionally, she could only press people under her feet and force them to trust her. However, this feeling of being able to be trusted without doing anything was really not bad. Shi Man smiled slightly in a good mood. Although it was only an extremely small expression, it was already extremely rare for her. Behind her, messy footsteps came. Su Tang ran in front, panting. Behind her were the students of the entire cohort. Of course, everyone present knew very well that other than Su Tang and Geng Hui, everyone else was here to laugh at Shi Man. Su Tang held the cold wall and panted. ¡°Manman, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Shi Man looked up at Geng Hui and asked him for his opinion. The latter subconsciously looked at Hu Jing¡¯s expression. Seeing that she had no intention of objecting, he nodded and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go quickly. Don¡¯t let Director Zou wait too long.¡± In the director¡¯s office, Director Zou looked at the surveillance footage many times. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyebrows tiredly. Hu Jing knocked on the door and walked in with the vast number of students. ¡°Director, I brought them all here. The other students volunteered to follow. I thought that this matter concerned everyone¡¯s results, so I agreed.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Director Zou opened her eyes and glanced at everyone with a serious expression. Finally, her gaze landed accurately on the girl who had just transferred over. ¡°Shi Jing, do you want to say it yourself or should I say it for you?¡± Shi Jing was still gloating. She did not expect to be called out by the director first. She was stunned on the spot. ¡°Director Zou, what do you want me to say?¡± Hu Jing snorted and mocked, ¡°I knew it. Neither of you girls is good. No wonder your results are top. So you¡¯re in cahoots with Shi Man!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Shi Jing immediately pointed at Shi Man in panic. ¡°Did you push all the blame on me just now!¡± She lost her composure and screamed. She took two steps toward Director Zou but was frightened by her cold gaze. ¡°Director, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. I really didn¡¯t! I achieved my current results because of my own hard work.¡± ¡°I remember that Shi Jing¡¯s results were just enough to enter Class D when she entered school, right? How did she improve so quickly in such a short period of time?¡± Song Zhi stepped on her at the right time. In her opinion, Shi Jing was as brainless as Shi Man. She did not mind chasing these two eyesores out of school. ¡°I was too nervous during the entrance examination, so I didn¡¯t perform well!¡± Shi Jing hurriedly defended herself. At this moment, her heart was beating wildly, and her face was purple-red from embarrassment. However, when she saw Shi Man¡¯s unchanged expression, she instantly felt like her lungs were about to explode. Why was she the one everyone was targeting and mocking now? Could Shi Man¡¯s cheating be easily let go just because she was the precious daughter of the Shi family? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention Shi Man? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? Her improvement is clearly much greater than mine!¡± Shi Jing couldn¡¯t care less about maintaining the impression of peace between her and Shi Man in front of her classmates. She wanted to say all kinds of things to slander Shi Man. ¡°Although Shi Jing doesn¡¯t admit that she cheated, she¡¯s not wrong.¡± Hu Jing shifted her gaze to Shi Man calmly. ¡°Please explain how you cheated in front of everyone. Did you get the test paper in advance?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Shi Man. Everyone thought that they would see the same ugly expression on her face as Shi Jing, but they were destined to be disappointed. Shi Man slowly raised her eyes, still looking indifferent. Her cold eyes landed on Director Zou. ¡°I couldn¡¯t figure out why Shi Jing could improve so much. After all, with her stupidity, could she rely on herself? That¡¯s simply a fantasy!¡± Chapter 51 - 51 Monitor 51 Monitor ¡°You!¡± Shi Jing was so angry that she panted. However, she was frightened by Shi Man¡¯s unhurried gaze and shut her mouth. ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Teacher Hu Jing.¡± Shi Man looked away calmly. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, but there was no smile in her eyes. ¡°So she was peeking at the exam questions.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Shi Jing panicked. It was only now that she suddenly realized that she had no substantial evidence of Shi Man cheating. However, when Shi Man saw the results, she might have already guessed that she had stolen the questions that Shi Mu had thrown away. Fortunately, she had torn the evidence apart and thrown it away. This was the only thing she was glad about now. Thinking of this, she suddenly felt a little more confident. So what if Shi Man knew that she had stolen it? It was impossible to find any evidence from her now. In that case, she might as well add fuel to the fire! ¡°Shi Man, I know you¡¯ve always disliked me and want to chase away the women around you. You have to treat others as your love rivals for Yi Zheng, but I¡¯ve really always treated you as my most important sister!¡± Shi Jing¡¯s pained expression made the students present unable to help but be a little moved. When they heard Shi Jing¡¯s accusation that Shi Man did not hesitate to turn against her sister for a man, they felt even more disdain for Shi Man. She was a piece of trash whose mind was filled with men. It was not surprising that she would do such a thing. Su Tang¡¯s face flushed red. Her voice, which was always lowered, finally became louder. ¡°I believe Shi Man isn¡¯t that kind of person! You¡¯ve all misunderstood her!¡± ¡°Su Tang, who are you? Why are you still talking to us like this?¡± The students of Class S more or less knew the relationship between Su Tang and Yi Zheng. In their eyes, Su Tang was also a scheming b*tch who relied on men to get to where she was. Otherwise, with her low status, what right did she have to be classmates with them? Geng Hui had not said anything, but when he heard this, he could not help but frown. ¡°Su Tang and Shi Man are both my students. I won¡¯t allow you to slander them again and again. If you can¡¯t produce evidence, I¡¯ll bring my students back to class.¡± ¡°Director Zou.¡± Hu Jing frowned at the leader, who had not spoken other than when she called out the names. She mustered her courage and asked, ¡°What do you think we should do with these two students? I suggest we expel them.¡± Director Zou watched this farce coldly. Her eyes slowly moved from Shi Jing¡¯s panicked face to Shi Man. In the end, she sighed wearily. ¡°Take a look at this first.¡± On the computer screen was the footage of Shi Jing secretly entering the director¡¯s office and secretly looking at the computer screen. Hu Jing immediately revealed a look of joy and pointed at Shi Jing impatiently. ¡°So you¡¯ve already obtained the evidence. That¡¯s great. Hurry up and chase them out!¡± Shi Jing did not expect this video to be used as evidence by the teacher. She quickly defended herself. ¡°Director Zou, have you forgotten? You called me to the office that day. Moreover, I only looked at the computer screen and did not look at any questions!¡± ¡°When did I send you a message?¡± Director Zou frowned and looked at her in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you guys noticed something amiss with this test paper, but there¡¯s an additional row of irrelevant letters behind one of the questions. I checked the test paper just before you came. There definitely won¡¯t be such a problem. Moreover, the last time the folder was saved is exactly the same time as when you touched my computer.¡± Director Zou looked at her stunned expression and slowly stood up to walk to her. ¡°I guess you accidentally touched the keyboard after looking at the questions, so you left those letters behind. Do you have anything else to add?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. I really didn¡¯t see the questions in advance!¡± Shi Jing was so nervous that she almost cried. She hurriedly picked up her phone to look for the message, but it had disappeared without a trace. Now that the evidence was conclusive, everyone thought that she had stolen the questions, but¡­ why could Shi Man get out of this unscathed? She was indignant! Shi Jing suddenly glared at the indifferent Shi Man and said angrily, ¡°She forced me to do this. If I didn¡¯t help her steal the questions, she would have chased me out of the Shi family. I¡¯ve been living a subservient life in the Shi family. I have to listen to her. However, since things have come to this, I can only tell the truth!¡± Song Zhi was waiting for the moment when Shi Jing bit back. She immediately looked at Shi Man accusingly. ¡°She¡¯s your sister after all. How can you be so intolerant? To think you actually believe that my brother will like a vicious woman like you. Dream on!¡± Director Zou also looked at Shi Man with a dark expression. ¡°Is Shi Jing telling the truth?¡± ¡°Is there a need to ask?¡± Hu Jing snorted and rolled her eyes. ¡°If she didn¡¯t get the questions, how could she be ranked fourth in the cohort? Director, this incident shows that they are too evil. They actually stole the questions from your office. We have to teach them a lesson.¡± Chapter 52 - 52 Counterattack 52 Counterattack ¡°Sister!¡± Just as the bell rang, Shi Mu rushed to the director¡¯s office. He pushed away the crowd outside the door and squeezed his way to Shi Man¡¯s side. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that she was safe. ¡°Director Zou,¡­ ¡± Shi Mu was about to say something when Shi Man grabbed his arm and stopped him. ¡°Director Zou, if I can prove that I have the ability to get into the top rankings, can it mean that I didn¡¯t collude with Shi Jing and didn¡¯t look at the questions in advance?¡± When she said this, not to mention the others present, even Shi Mu, her brother, felt that it was impossible. Shi Man had never liked to read or study since she was young. Her results had always been at the bottom, but her family doted on her. Thinking that she did not need to work hard in the future, they did not force her to learn those things she did not like. The entire family only hoped that she would be happy. But now, his sister seemed to have become a different person. Not only did she not cry and throw herself into his arms to complain and beg for his protection, but she also stopped him from telling the truth and planned to solve the problem herself. Shi Mu could not accept this change for a moment and stood rooted to the ground. Hu Jing treated Shi Man¡¯s words as a provocation and immediately said angrily, ¡°If you really have the ability to surpass my students, then I¡¯ll admit that you have the ability.¡± ¡°You still have to apologize to me.¡± Shi Man¡¯s black eyes were calm as if she did not think that she had said something unbelievable. She raised her eyelids lazily and glanced at Song Zhi behind her. ¡°And you, you have to apologize to me too.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Song Zhi agreed immediately. She did not believe that Shi Man could really do it! She had long felt humiliated that her exam results were below that of Shi Man¡¯s. She even took the initiative to propose a competition with Shi Man in front of all the students. ¡°If your results are higher than mine, I¡¯ll naturally apologize to you, but if you can¡¯t do it at all, drop out of school. Don¡¯t tarnish the reputation of Cassel Academy here!¡± ¡°Manman.¡± Su Tang couldn¡¯t help but tug Shi Man¡¯s arm. ¡°Why don¡¯t we think of another way?¡± Although she was confident in Shi Man, the reason why Song Zhi could always be ranked at the top was definitely because of her strength. If Shi Man was unlucky this time and could not surpass her, wouldn¡¯t she lose her future for nothing? ¡°No need. This method is very good.¡± Shi Man looked up at Director Zou. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you to produce an exam paper on the spot.¡± The teachers clearly did not expect things to develop to this extent, but this was indeed a good idea. Director Zou nodded in agreement and looked at Shi Jing with uncertain eyes. ¡°Come and take the exam with them.¡± ¡°I, I,¡­¡± Shi Jing¡¯s lips were trembling so much that she could not speak. She did not have the confidence to take the test again. She couldn¡¯t help but glare at Shi Man venomously, hating her for still showing off at a time like this. Director Zou was familiar with the learning progress of this grade. She quickly produced an exam paper and handed it to the three of them, telling the other students to retreat to the corridor and not to disturb the exam. Song Zhi looked at the question in her hand and started answering confidently. To her, exams had long become a common occurrence. This was simply an easy thing for her. Other than the last big question being a little difficult, she could do the other questions easily. On the other hand, Shi Jing¡¯s results were only average. At this moment, she was holding a pen and thinking hard about a few difficult questions. She was conflicted for a long time and did not know how to answer. Song Zhi retracted her gaze smugly. After checking the test paper in her hand, she handed it to Director Zou and looked at Shi Man proudly. Only then did she realize that everyone¡¯s gaze was on Shi Man. Seeing how focused she was on answering the questions, she did not look like she was writing blindly. ¡°She¡¯s just pretending!¡± Song Zhi pursed her lips and muttered to herself. Only Hu Jing knew that Shi Man¡¯s behavior was consistent with how she took the exam that day. She buried her head in her paper and did not show any signs of cheating. She wanted to do the same and walk over to see if Shi Man had really answered the questions. However, because Director Zou was beside her, she could only grit her teeth and endure it. Fortunately, after a while, Shi Man put down her pen and skipped the steps of checking the test paper. After writing her name, she handed it to Director Zou to evaluate the paper. Seeing that the exam had ended, the students outside squeezed in restlessly. Su Tang and Shi Mu were in front, waiting nervously for the test results. This time, Hu Jing and Geng Hui evaluated the paper together. No one was allowed to play favorites. Director Zou watched quietly from the side and quickly saw a trace of panic on Hu Jing¡¯s face. ¡°Teacher Hu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Song Zhi also sensed that something was wrong with her. She hurriedly stood up and walked to her side, looking down at Shi Man¡¯s paper. Chapter 53 - 53 The Dust Settled 53 The Dust Settled Hu Jing¡¯s hands trembled. A moment later, she scored full marks in the blank area at the top of Shi Man¡¯s paper. On the other hand, Song Zhi¡¯s attempt had a mistake in the last big question. There was also a mistake in the previous question and she only got 95 points. Shi Jing¡¯s score was even worse. Her answers were a mess and she did not even pass. ¡°How did this happen?¡± Song Zhi could not accept such an outcome. She snatched Shi Man¡¯s test paper and looked at it repeatedly, but she could not find any problems. Seeing their different reactions, Su Tang knew that Shi Man was definitely going to win this time. Her heart finally settled. However, she was timid and did not dare to snatch the paper from Song Zhi. Otherwise, she really wanted to take a good look at Shi Man¡¯s answer sheet. She was sincerely happy for her. Shi Mu obviously did not have so many worries. He frowned and took the test paper from Song Zhi¡¯s hand worriedly. When he saw the scores on it, his eyes widened in shock. Some of the bolder female students went to Shi Mu¡¯s side. Initially, they only wanted to take the opportunity to get closer to Shi Mu and make him notice them. However, when their gaze inadvertently landed on the test paper, they could not look away. They even forgot about the handsome Shi Mu beside them and screamed in fear, ¡°How is that possible? Shi Man actually got full marks!¡± Everyone did not expect such an outcome in the end. They squeezed over curiously, wanting to see with their own eyes if that person had seen wrongly. ¡°Quiet!¡± Shi Mu retreated from the crowd in frustration. Holding the test paper in his hand, he raised his eyebrows at Hu Jing and Song Zhi in a good mood. ¡°Are you convinced? Let¡¯s see who still dares to say that my sister¡¯s academic results are bad in the future!¡± Among the people present, Shi Mu was the one who was happier than Shi Man herself. He had long disliked these people who talked about his sister behind her back, but because he was the president of the Student Union, he could not teach them a lesson openly. He did not expect his precious sister to be so hardworking. This gave all of them a resounding slap in the face! His sister was the best! He would see who dared to say anything bad about her in the future! Being criticized by a student in public, Hu Jing felt humiliated even though the student was the third young master of the Shi family and the president of the Student Union. She glared at Song Zhi, who was still arrogant just now, and vented her anger at her. If not for the fact that she thought highly of herself and insisted on competing, how could she, Hu Jing, the form teacher of Class S, be so embarrassed? If she had known earlier, she shouldn¡¯t have believed Song Zhi. If it were the number one student in their class, the outcome would definitely be completely different! It was all her fault! With this thought in mind, Hu Jing had a lot of resentment toward Song Zhi. Her tone was a little harsh. ¡°Go back! If you dare to embarrass yourself again in the future, scram to Class A!¡± ¡°Teacher Hu, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Song Zhi¡¯s eyes were red. She had always been one of the top students in the class. Usually, because she looked sweet and knew how to flatter, she was well-liked by the teachers. It was unprecedented for her to be reprimanded in public like this. She immediately cried aggrievedly. Seeing that she was crying, Hu Jing waved her hand in frustration and was about to leave. Unexpectedly, Shi Man slowly walked in front of her and blocked her way. Hu Jing looked up and asked impatiently, ¡°You¡¯ve already proven your innocence. What else do you want?¡± ¡°Apologize,¡± Shi Man said without hesitation. The surrounding students and teachers immediately gasped. They had been in school for so long, so who didn¡¯t know that Teacher Hu Jing had always been arrogant? She had always been the one to bully others, and she had never apologized to anyone. At this moment, Shi Man was really bold. When the students saw this scene, they could not help but admire her. Shi Man didn¡¯t seem to be as incorrigible as the rumors said. At least she aced the test fair and square. She even obtained full marks with her own ability. No matter how incredulous others felt, this was an unchangeable fact. ¡°Not only you but you too.¡± Shi Man looked casually at Song Zhi, who was trying her best to hide behind Hu Jing and reduce her presence. She forced the two of them to a dead end in the most casual tone. Hu Jing gritted her teeth. She turned around and left, not wanting to stay and embarrass herself. Without Hu Jing blocking in front of her, Song Zhi was naturally forced to be exposed in front of everyone. She bit her lower lip tightly, her face turning green and white. The blood drained from her face, and her uneasy fingers stirred her clothes. After a while, seeing that no one was speaking up for her, she finally endured the humiliation and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Only then did Shi Man let her leave. Looking at Song Zhi¡¯s back as she wiped her tears and fled, she slowly retracted her gaze and looked at Shi Jing, who had long collapsed to the ground. She said slowly, ¡°Director Zou, I¡¯ll leave Shi Jing to you to deal with her impartially according to the school rules.¡± ¡°Yes, our Shi family will definitely not cover up for her!¡± Shi Mu naturally stood on his sister¡¯s side. Shi Jing harbored evil intentions and had framed his precious sister more than once. It was already his family¡¯s kindness that she could be kept alive until now! Chapter 54 - 54 Roping In 54 Roping In Director Zou nodded in understanding and asked them to go back to class first. She would announce the results later. After returning to the classroom, Fang Han did not dare to make a sound. She no longer had the aura she had before. Like an ostrich, she wished she could stuff her head into the hole in the table and was ashamed to face anyone. Thinking of her aggressive appearance previously, she felt her face hurt. Geng Hui was getting more and more satisfied with Shi Man. Not only was she the most outstanding student he had ever taught in his teaching career, but he also saw the calmness in her confrontation with someone just now. Such a student was definitely not the stupid idiot in the rumors. He firmly believed that Shi Man¡¯s strength was far beyond this. There would definitely be a wider platform for her in the future. Su Tang congratulated her quietly from her seat and even offered to help her take notes and highlight the key points in the future. Shi Man could not be bothered to do this. Since Su Tang took the initiative to take over, she did not refuse. The students of Class F had already started class normally, but Class S was in chaos. Song Zhi was still crying at the table, and Hu Jing had assigned a lot of homework with a dark expression. In the office, Shi Jing cast aside her pride. She knelt on the ground and begged with tears in her eyes, ¡°Director Zou, don¡¯t expel me. I was just possessed for a moment. I just want to obtain the Shi family¡¯s approval.¡± She cried until she was out of breath and her words were incoherent. ¡°You, you probably don¡¯t know yet, right? I¡¯m just a distant relative of the Shi family. I¡¯m just living under someone else¡¯s roof in the Shi family. Shi Man has always been domineering and bullied me with all kinds of excuses. Her brothers don¡¯t care about me either. I just think that if I can shock the world and improve a little, I can at least be a person in the Shi family openly and not live like a dog every day!¡± ¡°Director Zou, I beg you. Don¡¯t expel me, or my life will be ruined! I¡¯ll definitely study hard in the future and turn over a new leaf. Please give me a chance!¡± She cried pitifully, and Director Zou could not help but feel a little soft-hearted. In the end, although Shi Jing had violated the examination rules this time, fortunately, there were no serious consequences. After all, it was just a simple monthly examination. She just had to recalibrate her results. She thought for a moment and chose to reach out to help the child up from the ground. She handed her a tissue and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I will not expel you, but I¡¯ll have to give you a serious demerit. In addition, you have to write a 10,000-word reflection letter to me. If you make another mistake within a year, I won¡¯t be able to protect you. At that time, you have to leave the school.¡± ¡°I understand. Thank you, Director Zou!¡± Shi Jing bowed to her gratefully and walked out of the office while wiping her tears. She was too ashamed to return to class now. She could only sit alone in the corner of the field to kill time. The rankings had been amended and she was now in last place in the entire cohort. Looking at Shi Man, who was ranked third, Shi Jing secretly clenched her fists. Her face was filled with hatred. She had been careless this time and accidentally walked into that b*tch¡¯s trap. Shi Man would never be so lucky next time! During the lunch break, Shi Jing was about to call the teacher for sick leave and go home to rest when the sunlight in front of her was suddenly blocked by a figure. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shi Jing looked up and saw an unfriendly girl looking at her coldly with deep calculation in her eyes. ¡°I want to work with you.¡± The girl looked around and gestured for her to walk into the forest behind her. Then she turned around and said with sympathy, ¡°I know you want to take down Shi Man. Coincidentally, I do too, so let¡¯s work together.¡± ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Shi Jing looked at the other party warily. Her experience just now was probably going to spread throughout the school. She really did not expect anyone to be willing to make a request for cooperation at this time. ¡°I believe you know who I am, right? Therefore, you should know that I hate Shi Man as much as you do. I hate her so much that I can¡¯t wait for her to disappear in front of me immediately. This is the reason why I chose to cooperate with you. This is also helping you, right?¡± Fang Han raised her eyebrows and looked at her with determination. She had never thought that Shi Jing would refuse. Shi Jing did not intend to refuse. She did not know why Shi Man had suddenly become so difficult to deal with. In the past, she would have chased Shi Man out of Cassel Academy long ago and would not have ended up like this! ¡°I can promise you.¡± Shi Jing nodded. The two of them plotted in the forest for a long time until the bell rang in the afternoon. Then, they returned to the classroom. After school, Shi Mu was the first to rush to the class door to pick up his precious sister. He couldn¡¯t hide the smile on his face. ¡°Manman, I just told the family what happened in the morning. They heard that you got third place in the cohort and said that they wanted to hold a celebratory feast for you!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man was not interested in these banquets. What she cared about was, ¡°Are there king crabs and lobsters?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Shi Mu held his sister¡¯s soft hand happily and smiled. ¡°I could tell that you liked it last time. When I head back, I¡¯ll get someone to send another batch over. I guarantee that you¡¯ll be satisfied!¡± Chapter 55 - 55 Something Happened 55 Something Happened At night, when the entire Shi family was celebrating Shi Man¡¯s achievement, only Shi Jing hid in her room and refused to come out. Before school ended, Shi Jing cried and begged the two of them not to tell her family about what happened today. She cried miserably and hinted that she knew that Shi Mu had stolen the exam questions. Shi Mu was guilty. If his family found out about this, Shi Zhong and his brothers would definitely beat him up. He could only keep his mouth shut. Shi Man did not intend to say anything. It was not yet time to chase Shi Jing away. She abided by the same principle. Instead of letting Shi Jing secretly cause trouble for her in a place where she could not see, it was better to keep her under her nose and watch her personally. The dining table tonight was filled with all kinds of seafood. When Shi Ke heard that it was arranged by Shi Mu, he grabbed his collar and brought him to the side to warn him. ¡°Don¡¯t let your sister eat so much seafood in one meal in the future. It¡¯s not good for her health.¡± ¡°I understand, Brother.¡± Shi Mu released his collar from his hands and nodded submissively. Then, he pushed him to sit at the table. ¡°Brother, try it too. These have just been caught. They¡¯re especially fresh.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Ke ate a piece of crab meat with restraint. Shi Yu personally picked up a piece of fish and removed the small bones on it before putting it into Shi Man¡¯s bowl. ¡°Manman, eat more if you like it.¡± His training as a professional lawyer made him especially meticulous in his life. When he received the news that Shi Mu was holding a celebration for his sister, his first reaction was suspicion. In addition to his sister¡¯s sudden improvement, there was also Shi Mu¡¯s overly excited reaction. He used his connections at the law firm to investigate the school¡¯s surveillance cameras. He knew everything that had happened at school today. However, he still chose to shut up and didn¡¯t say anything. He continued to observe quietly in the dark. ¡°Our baby is getting more and more outstanding! Shizhong, do you still dare to say that your daughter doesn¡¯t know anything?¡± Shen Xian raised her eyebrows, her bright eyes flashing with mischief. Shi Zhong coughed dryly and took a sip of wine to hide his embarrassment. He said with a red face, ¡°When did I say that about Manman?¡± ¡°Dad, Sister will be even more outstanding in the future. I plan to let Sister take over my position in the Student Union,¡± Shi Mu said confidently, but he looked at Shi Man with anticipation. ¡°Manman, are you willing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes and enjoyed the fish in her mouth, letting the delicious taste spread in her mouth. She suddenly felt that she did not have to be concerned about anything. The days of chilling and having someone bring her good food and drinks were really not bad. It was much better than her previous life of licking blood on the tip of a knife. ¡°You can do whatever you want. If you want to enter the entertainment industry, I can bring you along.¡± Shi He flicked his dark brown hair and was as proud as a peacock showing off its feathers. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t have the intention to enter the entertainment industry for the time being.¡± Shi Man took a sip of the wine with low alcoholic content to ease her boredom. She glanced at Shi He, who had not eaten anything from the beginning to the end, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll make you a private supper tonight.¡± Shi He was used to Shi Jing¡¯s cooking and did not have any appetite when he saw the seafood. However, he had been thinking about his sister¡¯s cooking for a long time, not to mention that his sister had specially made it for him. Did this mean that his position in his sister¡¯s heart was unique?! ¡°Okay.¡± Shi He nodded heavily. Shi Man looked up and glanced out of the window. She stood up and took the handkerchief from the servant to wipe her hands. ¡°Is Manman full already?¡± Shi Mu frowned and stood up. This time, she did not eat as much as she did in school. Was she tired of eating? It seemed like Big Brother was right. He had to find something good for her to eat next time. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back to my room to rest. You guys eat slowly.¡± Shi Man nodded at them and returned to her room expressionlessly. After locking the door, she changed into her night clothes which made it easier for her to move. She then took out her gun and dagger from the box and brought them with her. She raised her hand to open the window and jumped out of the Shi family¡¯s house from the tree by the balcony. In the alley, one of the mercenaries knelt in front of Shi Man with tears and snot all over his face. ¡°Boss, quickly save Brother Sean! He¡¯s been taken away!¡± Shi Man¡¯s eyes turned cold. She grabbed the man¡¯s collar and pulled him up from the ground. She said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk as we walk.¡± The last time they met in Nightless City, Immaculate¡¯s mercenaries in City G had all returned to City M to complete missions. Shi Man only found out now that they had returned to City G and had even exposed their whereabouts. When they contacted each other, they were forcefully taken away by a group of people. Chapter 56 - 56 Meeting 56 Meeting ¡°Tell me what happened. Don¡¯t miss a single detail.¡± Shi Man looked serious. The organizations in the novel which might have done this kept flashing through her mind without stopping for a second. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s like this. Yesterday, we received a mission with an extremely high bounty. It was to find rare medicinal herbs for the leader of an organization. Brother Sean said that that thing is in the territory of G City and it¡¯s not difficult to obtain it. We thought that we could come and see you on the way, so we rushed back overnight. Unexpectedly, as soon as we arrived in G City, a group of people rushed up like crazy to capture him. After taking Brother Sean away, they only left a note saying that you should go over personally to ask for him. Otherwise, they¡¯ll kill him.¡± ¡°Boss.¡± The mercenary pulled a long face and wiped his tears guiltily. ¡°If they hadn¡¯t asked you to go personally, we wouldn¡¯t have dared to alarm you no matter what.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shi Man frowned speechlessly and said angrily, ¡°Why are you crying? Since they want me to go over, Sean is at least safe now. Where¡¯s the note?¡± ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Shi Man lowered her head and glanced at it before nodding in understanding. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re really here for me.¡± She already knew who the other party was, but she didn¡¯t know why he had to go through so much trouble to meet her. Could it be that he already suspected something? Shi Man narrowed her eyes slightly. The car sped through the night for half an hour before stopping near the abandoned factory written on the note. ¡°Get out of the car.¡± Shi Man unbuckled her seatbelt and gently placed her hand on the silver pistol at her waist. her sharp ears did not miss any movement around her, including the almost inaudible breathing in the factory. ¡°Boss¡­¡± The mercenary was about to say something when Shi Man raised her hand and interrupted him. ¡°Be careful. There are five people inside.¡± Hearing this precise number, the mercenary widened his eyes in disbelief. He increasingly felt that Boss Sean¡¯s judgment was unique. Their current boss looked young and inexperienced, and as beautiful as a porcelain doll, but in fact, she was stronger than the internationally renowned mercenaries. To be able to determine the number of enemies based on hearing alone was not something that could be learned overnight. It was simply more skillful than those experienced agents. ¡°Put on the mask.¡± Shi Man covered her face. After confirming that she did not reveal any flaws, she raised her hand and pushed open the factory door. The rusty iron door slowly opened with a creaking sound. The darkness in front of her extended into the unseen depths. Only when the weak moonlight shone in could a few figures inside be vaguely seen. ¡°Dodge.¡± Shi Man raised her hand and pushed the mercenary away. The two of them swayed and quickly disappeared from the door. Bullets that were like a storm brushed past their clothes and shot out of the door. ¡°Boss! Leave!¡± Sean used all his strength to spit out the blood-stained rag in his mouth and shouted at the door at the top of his lungs. When he fought with these people just now, he had already experienced their techniques. That was not something that ordinary mercenaries could compare to. When Shi Man brought only one person over, it was no different from courting death. ¡°Nosy.¡± In the depths of the darkness, a man wearing a mask looked down coldly at Sean, who was like an ant on the ground. He raised his leg and repeatedly crushed Sean¡¯s weak fingers. Sean¡¯s face was twisted in pain, and he could not say a word. ¡°Boss Sean!¡± When the mercenary heard his cry of pain, he immediately rushed into the factory without caring about anything else. Shi Man shot him coldly in the ear. The bullet stuck to his ear and nailed into the concrete wall behind him, stopping him from courting death. ¡°You¡¯ll receive him outside. Don¡¯t act rashly without my orders.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The mercenary was so frightened by that shot that he broke out in cold sweat. He immediately calmed down and sighed in his heart. He had been too rash and almost lost his life for nothing. Shi Man loaded the gun and held it in her hand. She carefully identified the positions of the people inside. While the other party was shooting, she stood at the door and fired decisively. The man sneered and curled his lips. He slid the chair to the other side and nimbly avoided the bullet. Then, he clapped his hands to stop his men. ¡°Immaculate? Good name. I just wanted to see who it was who gave the Azure Dragon Gang such a refined name. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°By offense, do you mean kidnapping my people and severely injuring him?¡± Shi Man walked into the darkness under the moonlight. Her crisp voice sounded ethereal in the empty factory building, carrying an indescribable pressure. ¡°It¡¯s the people below who are insensible and misunderstood. I just wanted to see you.¡± The man waved his hand to make the people beside him retreat. He walked up to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Immaculate¡¯s new boss to be a little girl.¡± Shi Man ignored the ridicule in his words and snorted coldly. Her gaze landed on Sean as she aimed the silver gun in her hand at his subordinates. ¡°Let my men go. Otherwise, I¡¯ll accept the lives around you on your behalf.¡± Chapter 57 - 57 Deal 57 Deal The man smiled coldly and took a step back. He raised his hand and gestured for his subordinates to untie Sean. ¡°Brother Sean, how are you?¡± The mercenary ran in from behind the door and supported Sean, whose arms and legs were numb. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Sean covered the wound on his finger bone with trembling hands and slowly moved to Shi Man¡¯s side. ¡°Boss, we can¡¯t stay here for long.¡± ¡°If you have something to say, say it quickly. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± Shi Man knew the man¡¯s identity, but this part of the plot could not be mentioned in the book. She needed to know the man¡¯s true motive. Recalling the mission that Immaculate had received to gather rare medicinal herbs on the way here, she could vaguely guess the other party¡¯s intentions, but she did not know why he insisted on engaging her. As expected, after hearing her words, the man relaxed and sat back in his chair. He said slowly, ¡°I want to ask you to help me with something. I want the Ice Fragment Grass. Coincidentally, only your Azure Dragon Gang knows where this thing is.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s more than that.¡± Shi Man sneered and lowered her arm that was holding the silver spear. She said calmly, ¡°Since you can kidnap Sean openly, you don¡¯t have to lure me out. Just let them do it for you.¡± The man¡¯s eyes were slightly cold as his gaze slowly landed on her smooth hand. He forced a mocking smile. ¡°How about we make a deal? Give me the piece of land where the Ice Fragment Grass grows and I¡¯ll give you 50% of the newly obtained armament.¡± ¡°Boss, you can¡¯t agree!¡± Sean was afraid that Shi Man did not know the value of that piece of land and would easily promise it to others. He quickly explained, ¡°There is far more than one treasure on that piece of land. We can¡¯t let others take advantage of it for nothing.¡± Of course, Shi Man did not intend to sell her territory so cheaply. She sneered and said, ¡°You want that thing to treat an illness? I see that the corners of your lips are pale. You must have been poisoned. If I can cure the poison, give me all the ordnance in this factory and give me five boxes of ordnance every month.¡± ¡°You?¡± The mercenary in the darkness on the right raised his pistol and pointed it at Shi Man, trying to force her to agree to his boss¡¯s request. Unexpectedly, Shi Man reacted extremely quickly and disappeared from her previous position in the blink of an eye. By the time the person realized it, he had already been kicked in the stomach by Shi Man. He was in so much pain that he lay on the ground and could not stand up. ¡°You! How dare you!¡± Before the mercenary could finish speaking, he spat out a mouthful of blood and grabbed her pants weakly. Shi Man snorted coldly. When she saw the wound on Sean¡¯s hand, a cold glint flashed across her eyes. She raised her leg and mercilessly crushed his finger. She only moved her foot away impatiently when she heard the sound of bones breaking on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s an eye for an eye.¡± Shi Man looked up at the man who was still sitting steadily in the darkness, not worried that he would be angered by her. Although this detail was only briefly mentioned in the original book, Shi Man still remembered the man¡¯s fatal weakness. He had been infected with an extremely rare heat poison since he was young. Every time his illness acted up, the blood in his entire body was like magma that flowed throughout his entire body. And the only thing in the book that could save him was the rumored Ice Fragment Grass that had never appeared in the world. He was just lucky that she happened to know how to treat this rare disease. Of course, her price would not be cheap. ¡°Interesting, I promise you.¡± The man waved his hand and dismissed her. He crossed his legs and smiled playfully at the woman whose aura was not inferior to his. ¡°How are you going to treat me?¡± ¡°Wait for me here alone tomorrow night.¡± Shi Man turned around and left with Sean and the mercenary. When they returned to their base, Shi Man lifted Sean¡¯s clothes to check his injuries. Seeing that she was looking at him seriously, Sean could only swallow his saliva and wait for her to take a closer look before hurriedly putting on his clothes. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Boss. I just had a fight with them and suffered a small injury.¡± ¡°Okay, bring the herbs over tomorrow. I¡¯ll teach you how to brew the herbs and prepare a set of silver needles.¡± After confirming that he was really fine, Shi Man stood up and instructed. ¡°Boss, are you really going to detoxify him?¡± Sean¡¯s jaw dropped in disbelief. ¡°Are you a miracle doctor?¡± ¡°I just know a little.¡± Shi Man did not want to explain. After explaining the rest, she asked the mercenary who had picked her up to drive her back. In the abandoned factory, the man slowly walked into the moonlight. He raised his hand and took off his mask, revealing a pale face. He looked in the direction Shi Man had left and muttered softly, ¡°How many more secrets do you have that I¡¯ve never discovered, my fianc¨¦e?¡± It was silent in the Shi family¡¯s manor. Only the faint chirping of cicadas could be heard. Shi Man skillfully entered the house and noticed the footsteps of a person pacing outside the door. She changed into her pajamas, hid her gun and dagger, and opened the door with a sleepy expression. Shi He was feeling extremely hungry, but no one answered after knocking on the door for a long time. He thought that his sister was asleep. Just as he was thinking about whether he should wake her up, the door opened from the inside. As if he had seen his savior, he suddenly pounced over and grabbed Shi Man¡¯s arm. ¡°Good sister, make me supper.¡± Chapter 58 - 58 Conspiracy at Night 58 Conspiracy at Night Shi Man could tell from his expression that his dependence on the medicine was acting up again. She brushed his hand away unaccustomedly and brought him into the kitchen. She took out the remaining seafood from the fridge and peeled the crab meat and prawn meat. After busying herself for a while, she made a bowl of fragrant and sweet seafood porridge. Shi He had not eaten anything for the entire night. At this moment, the refreshing fragrance completely whet his appetite. He could not help but pounce forward to pick up the porridge bowl and eat heartily without caring about his image. Shi Man sat quietly at the side and watched him eat. Although Shi Jing did not add a lot of the drug every time, he still had a dependency that was difficult to quit because he had taken it for a long time. In order to avoid big problems in the future, she still had to make time for him to eat more of her cooking these few days. The fragrance of the kitchen soon attracted Shi Mu, who was sleeping at night. His sense of smell was especially sensitive to the fragrance of food. When he smelled it, he realized that Shi He was secretly eating supper. After knowing that it was made by Shi Man, he immediately gritted his teeth and wished he could snatch the bowl of porridge away and bring it back to savor. His sister had never cooked for him before. At this moment, Shi He had used some unknown method to trick his sister into personally cooking in the middle of the night. He was really jealous. Shi Man watched them bicker with curved eyes. She got up and scooped another bowl of porridge from the pot and placed it on the table. ¡°There¡¯s more in the pot. Take your time to eat. I¡¯ll go back and sleep first.¡± ¡°Sister.¡± Shi Mu was initially holding a bowl of fragrant porridge with a satisfied expression on his face. However, when his sister passed by him, a trace of doubt appeared on his face. ¡°You went out just now.¡± Shi Man stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him calmly. ¡°No, why do you ask?¡± ¡°Maybe I was mistaken. It¡¯s fine. Go back to sleep. I¡¯ll send you to school tomorrow morning.¡± He blinked, and his handsome facial features looked even more lively. If it were an ordinary girl, she would have been infatuated with his youthful smile. However, Shi Man was clearly not an ordinary girl. Not only did she not think that his facial features were lively, but she also thought that his facial features were cramping. Without saying a word, she turned around and returned to her room to take a shower. Just now, she had been handling seafood in the kitchen and did not pay attention to the smell on her body from the outside. However, now that there was no additional scent around, she could easily smell the rust from the factory. Unexpectedly, after only staying inside for a short while, even her hair was dyed with a smell. Today, she thought that the man would not believe her easily, but when she simply proposed a verbal agreement, the man did not stop her. She did not know if it was because he really trusted her from the bottom of his heart, or because he was too confident in his strength, so much so that he did not think that she could escape from him. Shi Man, who had read the plot in the book, knew very well that the male protagonist, Yi Zheng, was not a fool who would trust others so easily. He did this because he felt that victory was in his grasp. During the simple exchange in the library, she realized that Yi Zheng¡¯s strength was actually on par with hers. This gave her a sense of urgency. The male protagonist could still fight well under influence of the heat poison. If she cured him tomorrow night, it would be very difficult to deal with him in the future. There was only one way. Shi Man clenched the black pearl ring in her hand as a plan surfaced in her mind. At the corner of the stairs, Shi Jing silently looked at the photo she had secretly taken of Shi Man on her phone. She sneered and turned to return to her room. She posted the photo on a secret website. Soon, it attracted all sorts of flattery from men. Using Shi Man¡¯s photo as the avatar, she chatted explicitly with these men and even agreed to meet them in the future. After laying the groundwork, Shi Jing quietly erased all the records of this website on her phone and closed her eyes with a sinister smile. No matter how many schemes and plots there were at night, the next morning would still arrive on time. Shi Man finished the last bite of bread. When she picked up her backpack and walked out of the house, Shi Mu hurriedly ran down the stairs. When he saw his sister driving away again, leaving his face full of dust, Shi Mu hated himself so much that he gritted his teeth. If not for the fact that he had eaten too much and could not sleep at night because he had snatched the seafood porridge from Shi He last night, he would not have woken up late this morning and missed the opportunity to send his sister to school again! Shi Mu glared angrily and looked around for the culprit. However, that guy did not wake up early without benefits. He must be sleeping comfortably under the blanket at this time! The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Shi Mu was no longer in the mood to eat breakfast. He picked up his backpack and walked out with a cold expression. Behind him, Shi Jing called his name timidly. Seeing that he had only stopped in his tracks and had no intention of turning around to look at her, Shi Jing bit her lower lip awkwardly. Her eyes were red and swollen as she said weakly, ¡°Fourth Brother, can you take me to school along the way? I¡¯m going to be late soon.¡± Chapter 59 - 59 Personally Sent to School 59 Personally Sent to School ¡°It¡¯s not on the way.¡± Shi Mu shifted his gaze away coldly and looked at the door. ¡°Ask Butler Qi to send a car to you.¡± ¡°Fourth Young Master,¡± Butler Qi said apologetically. ¡°The driver in charge of sending Miss Shi Jing to school suddenly called this morning to ask for leave. Now, the driver at home has been sent out. Only¡­¡± Butler Qi did not dare to finish his sentence, but everyone present knew what he meant. Shi Mu gritted his teeth and roared, ¡°Since he has applied for leave, he doesn¡¯t have to come anymore! Find another person who doesn¡¯t apply for leave!¡± These people would make things difficult for him! Initially, Shi Mu was furious that he could not send his sister to school today. Now that he had completely vented his anger, the servants in the living room held their breaths, afraid that they would provoke him. ¡°Fourth Brother, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve caused you trouble.¡± Shi Jing pretended to be aggrieved and lowered her head, causing the servants who did not know the truth to be moved. Only Shi Mu glared at her fiercely. He wished he could bore a hole in her head through his glare. He wanted to see what she was up to. ¡°Fourth Young Master, about Miss Jing going to school¡­¡± Butler Qi braced himself and lowered his eyes to ask him what he meant. Shi Mu snorted and walked towards the door. ¡°This is the only time. There won¡¯t be a next time.¡± A look of joy appeared on Shi Jing¡¯s face. She smiled sweetly and jogged after him. She tactfully sat in the backseat and tried her best to distance herself from the angry man beside her. Shi Mu thought that she would shamelessly stick to him and play some tricks. Unexpectedly, she turned her head to look out of the window without making any unnecessary movements. This made him feel much better. As long as she did not speak or move, he could completely treat her as air. The car soon arrived at the entrance of the school. It was the peak period for school. The students who were passing by the entrance could not help but stop when they saw Shi Mu¡¯s car. They just wanted to see Shi Mu¡¯s beautiful face. ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so lucky this morning! I can¡¯t believe I met Senior Shi Mu the moment I arrived at school!¡± ¡°Fortunately, I woke up late today. I thought I was going to be late. I didn¡¯t expect it to be my fate with President Shi!¡± The Shi family¡¯s driver was already used to the reactions of these students. He walked out of the driver¡¯s seat calmly and raised his hand to open the car door behind him. Shi Mu walked out of the car expressionlessly. He shifted his gaze slightly to the right and saw a certain woman who insisted on getting a free ride from him open the car door and get out at the same time. When the crowd saw the other person walking out of the car, they froze on the spot as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on them. They watched as Shi Jing walked up to Shi Mu with an apologetic smile and whispered something to him. Then, her face turned slightly red. She turned around and ran into the teaching building shyly. Then, their Senior Shi Mu followed her into the school without saying a word. What was going on? It was not until the two of them had walked far away that the people at the gate realized what they had just seen! Didn¡¯t they hear yesterday that Shi Jing and Shi Man had a huge fight? Shi Jing didn¡¯t even return to class after that! They thought that Shi Jing would be completely rejected and would transfer schools not long after, but what was going on this morning?! It turned out that Senior Shi Mu had personally sent her to school and even said something to her at the school gate. Shi Jing blushed and her heart raced. Could it be that they¡­ had that kind of relationship? ¡°Manman.¡± Su Tang went to Geng Hui¡¯s office to collect her graded homework. When she returned, she saw Shi Man sitting in her seat and fiddling with her phone. ¡°I heard that your brother personally sent Shi Jing to school today?¡± Shi Man¡¯s hand paused for a moment before she asked calmly, ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know.¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t want to say anything more, Su Tang tactfully shut her mouth. After distributing her homework, she sat back down and couldn¡¯t help but say worriedly, ¡°You didn¡¯t do your homework yesterday. The teacher will check it later.¡± Yesterday, Shi Man had gone to settle the matter caused by the male lead, Yi Zheng, and had completely forgotten the homework assigned by the teacher. She looked up at Su Tang and suddenly smiled nastily. ¡°Then can¡¯t you change your homework to my name?¡± Su Tang was stunned for a moment, then nodded almost without hesitation. ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man had already helped her too much and even saved her life a few times. Su Tang felt that this was something she should do. Shi Man did not expect to receive such an answer. The mocking smile on her face disappeared. The corners of her lips twitched in boredom. She put down her phone and took out her homework from last night. ¡°I don¡¯t need you.¡± Su Tang snickered and placed the notes she had memorized yesterday on the corner of her desk. ¡°It¡¯s all sorted out. You can take a look at it after you finish your homework.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man felt that the person sitting beside her was not the female lead in the original book, but her personal nanny. Not only was she good at everything, but she was also usually long-winded. However, this feeling was not bad. Although her long-windedness occasionally seemed a little annoying, it was at least much better than the pheasant behind her. Ever since Fang Han sat there in the morning, her gaze had never left Shi Man¡¯s back. Chapter 60 - 60 Birthday 60 Birthday These few times, they hit a wall with Shi Man. Fang Han and Song Zhi were a little embarrassed. Recently, the two of them rarely even spoke in private. Although Fang Han¡¯s family was rich, she was still far inferior to Song Zhi, who could build a relationship with Yi Zheng. It was not easy for her to become Song Zhi¡¯s best friend in name. She could not fall out with Song Zhi because of Shi Man at this time. Now, she urgently needed a chance to deal with Shi Man so that she could claim credit from Song Zhi and reconcile their relationship. ¡°Students, let me tell you a piece of good news.¡± Holding the class register, Geng Hui walked up to the podium with a smile on his face. The students below continued to fiddle with their phones without any interest. Only a few people who knew the inside story looked up eagerly at the podium. Geng Hui gently flipped open the name list and placed it on the lecture table. He smiled excitedly and said, ¡°Today is Fang Han¡¯s birthday! Let¡¯s all wish her a happy birthday!¡± Ever since Geng Hui became the form teacher of Class F, he would take the initiative to tell his class every time it was a student¡¯s birthday. He would work hard to unite the class and create a warm and big family atmosphere. However, very few of the students below would buy it. This was unless it was the birthday of a student who was already very popular in the class, in which case the students below would excitedly wish their classmate a happy birthday. In the past, Fang Han was recognized as a beauty in the class and had a good relationship with Song Zhi from Class S, so her birthday was a lively affair. Although she had repeatedly embarrassed herself in front of Shi Man this year, the students in the class were still very willing to celebrate her birthday due to her generosity. As expected, when Fang Han heard Geng Hui say that today was her birthday, she immediately raised her little face and straightened her back proudly. ¡°This year, I¡¯ll still invite the entire class to play together. Mr. Geng is coming too. You didn¡¯t come last year.¡± Geng Hui smiled and shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t go with you. If I go, you will definitely feel uncomfortable. Have fun yourselves, but you must be careful!¡± The students below were all looking forward to it. Last year, Fang Han had invited them to the second-largest bar in G City, Venos. She had let many students who had never seen the world have a good time. They did not know where she would choose this year. Fang Han knew that Geng Hui would not go at all, so she deliberately said that to be polite. She retracted her gaze and gently looked at Shi Man in front of her. Then, she took out her phone and sent a message in the group chat. ¡°Students, does anyone want Shi Man to attend my birthday banquet?¡± The lively group was originally discussing where to go to play tonight. When they saw her post, they instantly quietened down. After a while, someone replied weakly, ¡°Does Sister Han want to invite her? We¡¯ll listen to your arrangements. After all, it¡¯s your birthday.¡± The boys in the group took the opportunity to jeer, ¡°It¡¯s better not to. What can we do with her around? But Su Tang has to come!¡± Su Tang was listening to the class seriously when her phone suddenly vibrated. She frowned and took out her phone to take a look. Only then did she realize that someone in the group chat mentioned her. When she saw the last message, she resisted and raised her head to look innocently in the direction of the person who spoke. Then, she lowered her head and typed again, ¡°I won¡¯t go. I still have something on tonight.¡± ¡°What can happen to you? Are you showing disrespect to my Sister Han?¡± The boy had been coveting Su Tang for a long time, but he had never had the chance to ask her out. This was the perfect opportunity. He did not believe that Su Tang would take the risk of offending Fang Han and refuse to attend her birthday party. As expected, when he said this in the group, the tips of Su Tang¡¯s ears turned completely red. The gaze behind her was too aggressive. She could feel the person¡¯s threat without turning around. She could only grit her teeth and reply obediently, ¡°Alright then.¡± After receiving her answer, that person mercifully stopped pestering her and continued to discuss how to play tonight with others. Su Tang pursed her lips and secretly looked at Shi Man, who was also looking down at her phone. She asked softly, ¡°Manman, the group is talking about Fang Han¡¯s birthday tonight¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Man refused without thinking. She raised her hand and placed the homework she had just completed on her desk. ¡°If the teacher comes to collect the homework later, help me turn it in.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Tang put away her workbook and hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you want to be added to the group chat? Usually, if there¡¯s anything, we¡¯ll discuss it in the group.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Shi Man was comparing the map. She did not listen to a word Su Tang said and only answered instinctively. Her response was analyzed by Su Tang, who thought about it repeatedly. In the end, she confirmed that Shi Man had no intention of explicitly rejecting her, so she carefully invited her to join the class group. Then, she shut her mouth and did not dare to disturb Shi Man with something she clearly did not care about. Shi Man confirmed the location of the black market in G City for the entire morning. She was going to treat Yi Zheng at night. She still needed something that she had to get her hands on personally. Even Sean and the others could not tell her easily. Chapter 61 - 61 Dark Web 61 Dark Web Shi Man did not have time to watch the boring discussion in the group. After applying for leave with Geng Hui in the afternoon, she walked out of the school. In order not to attract attention, she deliberately did not drive. She followed the ordnance reaction on her phone that could only be detected with special technology and walked towards the black market alone. During the lunch break, Fang Han passed by Geng Hui¡¯s office and happened to hear that Shi Man was going to take leave. She stood upstairs and watched as Shi Man walked out of school alone. She immediately sent the news to Shi Jing. She had been worried that she would not have the chance to make a move. She did not expect Shi Man to be so stupid as to give her the opportunity. When Shi Jing received the message, she immediately understood what she meant. She secretly took out her phone and opened the dark web. She posted a message as Shi Man and waited quietly for the results. Her deskmate, who was reading, saw the strange smile on her face and asked worriedly, ¡°Jingjing, what¡¯s wrong? Are you still not feeling well?¡± This morning, many people in the school had witnessed Shi Mu sending Shi Jing to school personally. Those who had initially looked down on her immediately put on a fawning smile. Even her deskmate, who had always been arrogant, began to care about her. This was the effect Shi Jing wanted. Everyone knew that she had criticized Shi Man in public yesterday. If she continued to be alone, her persona as Sister Shi Man¡¯s loving sister, which she had painstakingly built up, would be lost. That was why she had planned the scene in the morning. So what if Shi Man ignored her? As long as Shi Mu sent her to school once, even if it was only once, it would be enough for her to regain some dignity and continue to establish an innocent persona in front of her classmates. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little shocked to hear some news.¡± Shi Man¡¯s excuse for not coming back to continue class yesterday was that she was not feeling well. Anyone with a discerning eye would see through her lie, but no one would expose her. Although she had offended Shi Man, Shi Mu still valued her and came to send her to school personally. How could others be so ignorant as to mention what happened yesterday to make her unhappy? At this moment, she only needed to pave the way for what was going to happen next. When the matter fermented, it would completely blow up in everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°What is it?¡± As expected, her deskmate leaned over curiously and tried to get close to her. ¡°Tell me? Is it related to that Shi Man?¡± Now, the public enemy of the entire grade was Shi Man. Originally, if she had stayed in Class F obediently and waited for death, others would at most mock her. However, now, this publicly acknowledged trash had actually shocked everyone and clinched third place in the grade. She had ruthlessly slapped each of them in the face, upsetting those who looked down on her. Among them was Shi Jing¡¯s deskmate. She had always been very hardworking in her studies, but she did not improve much in every exam. This was already a very infuriating thing. Now that a dark horse had appeared out of nowhere and was far ahead of her, she could not help but feel jealous. Even if Shi Man scored full marks in public, she suspected that the Shi family was behind all of this. She did not want to admit that others could easily surpass her. Otherwise, it would seem as if all her efforts were a huge joke. Seeing that she had taken the bait, Shi Jing immediately lowered her voice and said mysteriously, ¡°I can¡¯t be sure, so I can¡¯t tell you yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Tell me. I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Her deskmate deliberately blocked their conversation with a book and continued to egg her on. ¡°Tell me, is it related to Shi Man?¡± Shi Jing nodded gently as if she was in a difficult position. She sighed and said, ¡°I saw it by chance just now. Take a look for yourself.¡± She turned the screen of her phone to show her deskmate. It was the latest Little Trail Entertainment news. It revealed a message from the dark web. ¡°I belong to whoever finds me first tonight.¡± Her deskmate widened her eyes and pointed at the profile picture of the account that posted the post. ¡°Is this really Shi Man? She¡¯s actually so¡­¡± She was too embarrassed to say the dirty words, but the disgust in her eyes was not concealed at all. Everyone knew that Shi Man liked Yi Zheng, but who would have thought that Shi Man, who was shameless on the surface and chased after Yi Zheng all day, would actually post such a message on the dark web that specialized in dirty things? And judging by her flippant tone and proficiency, this was clearly not the first time. Shi Jing quickly gestured for her to keep quiet. She put away her phone and continued reading as if nothing had happened. Her deskmate didn¡¯t dare to say anything in front of her, but she couldn¡¯t hold back her fingers. She couldn¡¯t wait to send this message to the few small groups she had joined. At first, some people did not believe it. Later, when they went online to find the Little Trail Entertainment account that exposed the screenshot, they found out that the person was really Shi Man herself! The news that Shi Man had secretly seduced a man on the dark web spread like wildfire, attracting overwhelming criticism online. Even Shi He, who was participating in the script reading, was alarmed. Chapter 62 - 62 Black Market 62 Black Market When Shi He saw the message, he immediately stopped reading and ran to the private lounge to call Shi Man repeatedly to confirm her safety. Shi Man¡¯s phone was running a special technology. This was developed by her in her previous life. The only flaw was that it could temporarily block signals. She still did not know about the scandal that had been exposed online. She frowned as she stared at the location of the light spots on the screen moving quickly. Just as she was about to approach the black market, a few rough breathing sounds suddenly entered her ears. Shi Man quickly put away her phone and looked up in the direction of the voices. She saw a few men with tattooed arms standing in front of her. ¡°We finally found you. Come with us?¡± The man in the lead was bald and had a red silk scarf stuffed into his shirt pocket. He looked out of place. Shi Man took a step back to avoid his strong stench. She said expressionlessly, ¡°A good dog doesn¡¯t block the way.¡± ¡°You little bitch, how dare you insult me!¡± The man with yellow hair and teeth stains could be seen as he spoke. He immediately pointed at Shi Man and scolded her angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t be so rough on a little girl.¡± The bald man rubbed his hands wretchedly and sized Shi Man up. A trace of lechery flashed across his eyes. ¡°We have to be patient with beauties. Girl, didn¡¯t we agree that you¡¯ll be with whoever finds you first tonight? Why are you changing your mind when you see me?¡± Shi Man frowned slightly and looked at the three people in front of her as if they were retarded. ¡°I don¡¯t know you. You¡¯ve found the wrong person.¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± The bald man turned around and glanced behind him. ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you out of kindness. Don¡¯t go any further. That¡¯s not a place for a delicate little girl. It¡¯s better to have a good night with your brothers!¡± Shi Man snorted and bent down to take out a silver dagger from her boot. Before the three of them could react, she flashed to the bald man¡¯s side and kicked the other two who were stunned to the corner of the wall. The dagger was firmly placed in front of the bald man¡¯s neck. ¡°If you want him dead, go ahead.¡± The cold voice fell into their ears, causing them to tremble in fear. The bald man shrunk his neck in fear and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Let¡¯s talk things out, sister. We have no ill intentions.¡± ¡°Cut the crap.¡± Shi Man could not be bothered to waste time with them. She cut the dagger into his flesh. Seeing the blood flowing down his neck and into his clothes, she retracted her gaze in satisfaction and said sinisterly, ¡°Get lost with your men now. If you dare to appear in front of me again, I¡¯ll immediately take your wretched lives.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± The bald man swallowed his saliva and agreed with a dull gaze. She withdrew the dagger and rubbed the blood off his shirt in disgust. Then she kicked the bald man¡¯s fat butt and turned into the dark alley that led to the black market. The bald man was already scared out of his wits. With a sudden kick from her, his body fell to the ground uncontrollably. When her back completely disappeared into the dark alley, the other two people reacted and hurriedly went forward to help Baldy up. They said angrily, ¡°Big Brother, this woman actually dared to trick us! She said that she would go with whoever found her first, but she actually went back on her word! Let¡¯s go back and find some people first. We¡¯ll teach her a lesson next time!¡± ¡°Do I need you to say that?¡± The bald man was embarrassed in front of his subordinates. He raised his hand and slapped each of them fiercely. ¡°Trash, you can¡¯t even deal with a woman! Get lost! Find a few more brothers and lay an ambush around here every day. I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t catch her!¡± ¡°Yes, Big Brother!¡± The blondie was not angry after being beaten up. He helped the bald man out of the dark alley with a fawning expression. Shi Man followed the path until she entered a dark alley. Only then did she confirm that she had come to the wrong place. Although this place could be called a black market, it was still far from the place she had seen in her previous life. Clearly, it was not the real underground black market in this city. Fortunately, that thing was not rare. There might be one here. She turned off the black technology and a number of notifications came up on her phone. Seeing that there were many calls from Shi He, she frowned slightly and called back. Shi He¡¯s suppressed anger came from the other end of the call. ¡°Sister, where are you now? The school said that you took leave this afternoon. Where did you go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m out shopping,¡± Shi Man told the truth, not planning to lie. Shi He did not heave a sigh of relief when he heard his sister¡¯s words. Instead, he asked nervously, ¡°Where are you shopping? What do you want to buy? Who else is with you?¡± The three consecutive questions finally made Shi Man notice that something was amiss. She stopped in her tracks and her gaze landed on a herb in the stall. Her lips curled into a smile as she gestured to the stall owner. ¡°Third Brother, what¡¯s wrong? I came out to buy something myself. Did something happen?¡± The man at the stall was a smart person. When he saw that she was on the phone, he tactfully did not say anything. He used hand gestures to communicate with her the entire time. She paid and took the goods neatly. After it ended, Shi Man heard Shi He¡¯s voice on the phone again. ¡°Something happened. Look at the message I sent you.¡± Chapter 63 - 63 Teasing 63 Teasing Only then did Shi Man realize that she had been exposed on the dark web. No wonder that man had said that just now. She frowned and said calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t send it.¡± ¡°Of course, I know!¡± Of course, Shi He believed Shi Man. The moment he saw the news, he immediately used his influence to find the entertainment tabloid reporter and asked him to delete the news and reveal the mastermind. ¡°You have to be more careful these days. If anything happens, contact any one of your brothers. Don¡¯t stay outside alone. If you don¡¯t want to go to school, stay home.¡± Shi He reminded her repeatedly before hanging up. Then, he looked at his assistant coldly and said, ¡°Did they say who did it?¡± The assistant said nervously, ¡°No, he said that he doesn¡¯t know anything. He found out about it himself when he entered the dark web.¡± Shi He felt that this matter was not that simple, so he took out his phone and called his second brother. Shi Yu had just finished dealing with a big case and the law firm was in a festive mood. Unexpectedly, such a piece of news suddenly came out. No matter how good his temper was, his face could not help but darken. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to investigate this matter, but the reason why the dark web is thus named is that it¡¯s extremely confidential. It¡¯s very difficult to find the mastermind.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we even find any information about that account?¡± Shi He did not believe that there was really an impenetrable wall in this world that could protect the person behind it without revealing any flaws! ¡°I can only try my best. During this period of time, we have to take turns to ensure our sister¡¯s safety.¡± After hanging up the phone, Shi Yu asked his subordinates to investigate this matter. As expected, they found nothing. The dark web was too tight. The client¡¯s information was encrypted layer by layer. Moreover, the registration of the account did not require particularly detailed personal information. Even if they found any clues, it would be difficult to find the real mastermind. However, they could not let this matter go just like that. Whoever wanted to taint their sister¡¯s innocence would be enemies with the entire Shi family! However, when it came to Shi Man herself, she did not think that it was difficult to investigate. There were only a few people who wanted to target her. As long as she followed this person¡¯s ultimate goal, it was not difficult to find out who that person was. What she was really interested in now was where the largest black market in this city was. In Venus Bar¡¯s VIP room, Fang Han looked at the rumors about Shi Man on the Internet in satisfaction. She sat in front of Su Tang with a wine glass and snatched her phone. ¡°Who are you calling?¡± ¡°Give it back to me! I have something important to talk to Shi Man about!¡± Su Tang¡¯s face was flushed red. She had already read the dirty words online just now and was about to contact Shi Man to tell her not to read the news online for the time being when Fang Han snatched her phone away. ¡°Hey, students, did you hear that? She¡¯s looking for Shi Man!¡± Fang Han laughed and threw her phone to the boy who walked over. She said maliciously, ¡°Shi Man is busy in some man¡¯s bed now. How can she have the time to talk to you?¡± In the private room, the students all knew about what happened online. When they heard this, they laughed loudly and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Su Tang, I think you should quickly draw a line with her and play with us. Be careful, Shi Man will think that you¡¯re snatching her man and commit suicide!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Su Tang was so anxious that her eyes turned red. She bit her lower lip and stood up, wanting to snatch the phone. The boy who walked over, Chen Wei, had a buzz cut. His small eyes narrowed until only a crack was left. He looked very wretched. He deliberately put the phone in his pants pocket and raised his hands to his sides. He smiled evilly. ¡°You want it? Then take it yourself!¡± ¡°Aiyo, Brother Wei, why are you so bad?¡± A few boys winked and came over. Their lecherous eyes lingered on Su Tang¡¯s fair legs. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing anything? Don¡¯t you want your phone?¡± ¡°You guys are too much.¡± Su Tang was bullied to the point of tears. Her hands gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, and she looked as pitiful as a kitten that had been forced into a corner. ¡°Look at how rough you guys are. You¡¯re scaring our Tangtang to tears.¡± Fang Han pretended to be a good person and walked over to hug Su Tang¡¯s shoulder. She stuffed the wine glass in her hand into her palm. ¡°Take it. If you drink with me, I¡¯ll help you get your phone back. How about that?¡± The boys knew Fang Han¡¯s intentions and surrounded Su Tang. ¡°How is it? Do you want to drink or touch my Brother Wei¡¯s pocket?¡± ¡°You guys are really bad.¡± Fang Han picked up the tall red wine on the table and raised her chin at Su Tang. ¡°Drink it. You don¡¯t really want to touch it, do you?¡± Su Tang was worried about Shi Man and wanted to get her phone back as soon as possible. Although she had never drunk alcohol and did not know how much she could drink, this was the only way to contact Shi Man. Frowning, she picked up her glass and downed it in one gulp. The high concentration of alcohol flowed from her esophagus into her stomach with burning pain. It was so uncomfortable that her entire face was scrunched up like a bun. However, Fang Han clearly did not intend to let her off easily. She took the red wine bottle and refilled her glass. Chapter 64 - 64 Bet 64 Bet ¡°I¡­ I really can¡¯t drink anymore.¡± Su Tang¡¯s lungs were choking and she was coughing uncomfortably. She coughed dryly and almost vomited the wine she had just drunk. Her nose was filled with the stimulating smell of alcohol, and her eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Su Tang, don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m helping you.¡± Fang Han smiled and hugged her shoulder, gesturing for her to look up in the direction of Chen Wei. ¡°Are you going to do as he says?¡± ¡°After I drink this glass, help me get my phone back,¡± Su Tang said with a frown as she held her stinging stomach. ¡°You have to finish this bottle.¡± Fang Han raised the bottom of her glass. ¡°Drink.¡± Su Tang¡¯s hands trembled as she gripped her wine glass tightly. Her vision had already started to blur, but the strong desire to take back her phone grew stronger. She held the glass and downed it in one gulp again. She immediately staggered into the bathroom and vomited. Laughter could be heard from outside. Su Tang¡¯s stomach was burning. It was only when the door of the private room was kicked open from the outside that the laughter stopped. In her daze, Su Tang thought that she was in class. The chaotic voices around her made her unable to hear the teacher¡¯s lecture clearly until that person arrived at the class. As long as she sat there quietly, the arrogant students did not dare to make a sound. Su Tang leaned against the sink uncomfortably and turned to look at the person frowning at the door. The joy in her heart was suddenly ignited by that person¡¯s cold eyes. She held onto the wall and jogged out of the bathroom. She smiled foolishly at the person. ¡°Shi Man, I knew it was you.¡± Fang Han frowned unhappily and glared at the obviously drunk Su Tang. When she looked up at Shi Man, her aura inexplicably decreased by half. ¡°Who let you in? You¡¯re not welcome at my birthday party! Get out!¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m already here, aren¡¯t you going to treat me to a good time?¡± Shi Man raised her hand and pulled the drunk Su Tang behind her impatiently. She looked at the half-empty wine bottle in Fang Han¡¯s hand and smiled sinisterly. ¡°Romani-Conti. Good wine. How much did you let Su Tang drink?¡± Her gaze landed on a secret door in the private room. Shi Man turned off the black technology software on her phone and sat in the middle of the sofa, looking at Fang Han calmly. ¡°Why? Do you want to avenge her?¡± Fang Han sat opposite her and called the waiter over to serve a few more bottles of wine. She said coldly, ¡°If you can drink all these wines, I promise I won¡¯t find trouble with you.¡± Red wine with 15 percent alcohol was not a good drink. Was Fang Han trying to make her drink until she was unconscious so that she could rub and flatten her? Shi Man casually pointed at the dice cup on the other table and crooked her finger. Su Tang immediately took it over and handed it to her. ¡°Good girl,¡± Shi Man praised casually and pulled Su Tang to sit beside her. ¡°Phone¡­¡± Su Tang was so drunk that she had lost her rationality. She held Shi Man¡¯s arm affectionately and pouted with a flushed face.¡±The phone is with them.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shi Man pulled her arm out of her arms and looked at Fang Han expressionlessly. ¡°Shall we play dice? The loser will kneel down and drink.¡± ¡°Shi Man, don¡¯t go overboard! We¡¯re just playing with Su Tang!¡± Seeing her calm expression, Fang Han immediately revealed her fear and did not dare to speak as loudly as before. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and smiled at her. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid, slap yourself. Apologize to me again and I¡¯ll consider letting you go.¡± ¡°Shi Man! Don¡¯t come and mess things up! You¡¯re not welcome here!¡± Su Tang¡¯s phone was in Chen Wei¡¯s pocket. He would definitely be targeted by Shi Man later. Instead of taking Fang Han¡¯s place to suffer, he might as well speak up and help Fang Han chase Shi Man away. Otherwise, he would be the next unlucky one! Being disturbed by an unrelated person, Shi Man¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. She raised her leg and kicked the bar beside her. The bar, which weighed dozens of kilograms, instantly turned into light foam under her feet. The sound of glass shattering took a long time to stop. Although the students of Class F were usually arrogant and domineering because they were rich, they were all paper tigers who looked good but were useless. They had never seen such a scene before. They were instantly frightened by Shi Man¡¯s terrifying aura and did not even dare to breathe loudly. Almost instantly, Fang Han¡¯s legs went weak and she almost slipped off the sofa in embarrassment. After barely stabilizing herself, she took a deep breath and said with a trembling voice, ¡°So be it. It¡¯s still uncertain who will win!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you dare to play.¡± Shi Man shook the dice in her hand nimbly. Her ears were sensitive enough to distinguish the number facing up. Then, she lowered her arm and placed the dice cup back on the table heavily. ¡°You first.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Fang Han swallowed her saliva. There were already shameful beads of sweat on her forehead. She widened her eyes and nervously opened the lid. After seeing her good score, she screamed and stood up. Chapter 65 - 65 Accept Defeat 65 Accept Defeat ¡°Two sixes and three fives. Your luck is too good!¡± Chen Wei widened his eyes and shouted loudly. He was so excited that it was as if she had not clinched a small dice throw, but a 50 billion grand prize. Fang Han¡¯s confidence also increased a little. She put on a posture of holding her head high and puffed out her chest again. She sneered smugly, ¡°It¡¯s your turn. I can¡¯t wait to see someone kneel down and toast me!¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Even Shi Man, who had always been expressionless, could not help but smile at Fang Han¡¯s stupidity. She was not in a hurry to open the lid. Instead, she crossed her legs and looked at her calmly. ¡°How about we bet on something bigger in the next round?¡± ¡°What are we betting on?¡± Fang Han thought that she had already won, so she naturally would not reject her suggestion. Satisfied, Shi Man gently placed her hand on the lid. The moment she lifted the lid, her cold words pierced everyone¡¯s eardrums. ¡°I¡¯ll bet a slap on the next round.¡± ¡°So be it¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the five sixes in the dice cup were completely exposed to everyone. The private room was silent for a full thirty seconds before Chen Wei was the first to react. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by someone, and his voice was extremely hoarse. ¡°Sister Han, you, you seem to have lost.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Fang Han suddenly turned her head and roared at Chen Wei. Her long hair was flung in front of her eyes, making her look like a terrifying female ghost. ¡°I didn¡¯t lose! You must have cheated! You did something to the dice, didn¡¯t you!¡± She threw herself at the table in a frenzy. The moment before her fingers touched the dice, she was hit by the cold glass. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to bet, you have to admit defeat. We still have another round.¡± Shi Man¡¯s light words sounded like a demon¡¯s whisper in Fang Han¡¯s ears. Fang Han could not help but shiver. She finally realized that this piece of trash she used to look down on could easily make her scalp tingle in fear. ¡°Alright.¡± Fang Han pressed the tip of her tongue against her teeth and squeezed out this word fiercely. Then, she raised her hand and filled her wine glass. She closed her eyes and knelt on the ground. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll drink.¡± After drinking it all, Fang Han stood up angrily and smashed the glass. She stared at Shi Man as if she wanted to cut her into pieces. ¡°Again!¡± ¡°Sister Han.¡± Chen Wei could not stand it anymore and wanted to stop her, but Shi Man¡¯s aura was too strong. He did not dare to speak easily and could only persuade her softly. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Fang Han was bullied badly and only wanted revenge. She did not believe that Shi Man would be so lucky to win every time! ¡°Very good. This is interesting.¡± Shi Man was still shaking the dice cup neatly. Then, she calmly admired Fan Han¡¯s nervous trembling. ¡°It¡¯s agreed that the person who loses this round will be slapped hard.¡± Fang Han glared at Shi Man fiercely. Seeing her nod without changing her expression, her lips curled into a sinister smile. She suddenly opened the dice cup, and her pupils constricted the moment she touched the dice. ¡°Six, five, five, six, four, I¡¯m definitely going to win! Unless you cheat!¡± Fang Han stared at the dice cup in Shi Man¡¯s hand. Her desire to take revenge on her had already overwhelmed her rationality. Shi Man sneered and opened the dice cup without hesitation. In fact, Fang Han¡¯s luck was really good, but unfortunately, she had a strong opponent! ¡°Open your eyes and see who won!¡± In the dice cup, the five dice seemed to have come to an agreement. Their sixes were placed together as if they were mocking Fang Han for overestimating herself. ¡°Impossible! You must have cheated! You tampered with the dice!¡± Fang Han could not accept this result. She rushed forward to pick up the dice and examined them carefully, but she did not find any problems. Shi Man admired her flustered look with satisfaction. After watching a good show, her mood improved a lot. Her tone was not as cold as when she first entered. ¡°Why don¡¯t we change the dice cup and play another round?¡± ¡°Fine by me!¡± Fang Han agreed without thinking. Chen Wei was so anxious that he no longer cared about being afraid. He hurriedly grabbed Fang Han¡¯s arm and advised, ¡°Stop gambling. You can¡¯t beat her. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Who said I can¡¯t win!¡± Fang Han flung Chen Wei¡¯s hand away without thinking and shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely win her next round! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Seeing her like this, the surrounding students did not dare to stop her. They could only stare at Shi Man in fear and pray that this demon would leave quickly. Humans were all gamblers. After losing a round, they would always think that they would definitely win the next round. Then, they would chase after that constantly igniting hope to lose everything. What Shi Man wanted was to completely stimulate her gambling nature. It was very likely that she was behind the rumors on the dark web. Even if it was not her, today¡¯s commotion could be considered a warning to those women who had nothing better to do so that they would not court death. ¡°Let¡¯s switch the dice cups!¡± Fang Han snatched the cup and was about to shake the dice when Shi Man grabbed her wrist and stared at her with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s settle the score first. Do you want to do it yourself, or should I?¡± Chapter 66 - 66 Male Leads Script 66 Male Lead¡¯s Script ¡°You!¡± Fang Han was stunned on the spot. Her muddle-headed mind gradually cooled down. She was about to say something when Shi Man slapped her. Fang Han was caught off guard and fell backward. She lay on the ground in a sorry state. Her face was burning red and swollen. Compared to the pain on her face, the anger in her chest made her feel even worse. Fang Han panted heavily. Her round eyes were about to pop out. ¡°How dare you hit me!¡± ¡°You said it yourself. You want me to do it.¡± Shi Man waved her wrist casually and sat back in her seat. She raised her hand and made an inviting gesture. She said calmly, ¡°Continue. You decide what to bet on this round.¡± This slap helped Fang Han regain a lot of her rationality. At this moment, she began to regret her carelessness just now. However, she had been disgraced in front of so many students today. She had to regain her dignity. She forced herself to stand up and said unsteadily, ¡°If I win, I want you to go through everything you did to me just now.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Shi Man agreed readily. Then, she raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°What if I win?¡± ¡°If you win¡­ ¡± Fang Han could not even speak properly. She did not dare to imagine what would happen to her if she lost again. ¡°How about this?¡± Shi Man looked at her mercifully this time. ¡°Let¡¯s play first. I¡¯ll tell you when the time comes.¡± The two of them exchanged dice in this round. Fang Han held her breath and focused. After opening the lid with trembling hands, she closed her eyes in resignation. ¡°Two, four, five, one, two.¡± Fang Han did not even need to look to know that she was going to lose this round. A sense of grievance suddenly surged up, forcing her eyes to turn red as she sobbed. ¡°Sister Han, why don¡¯t we forget it?¡± Chen Wei quickly instructed a few classmates to help support the limp Fang Han. He took out Su Tang¡¯s phone from his pants pocket and placed it on the table. ¡°Shi Man, we¡¯re all classmates. Don¡¯t go overboard. Let¡¯s stop here.¡± Fang Han wiped her tears and glared at the calm Shi Man angrily. ¡°What do you want? Tell me!¡± Shi Man pondered for a moment. She looked at the drunk Su Tang beside her and felt a headache. She even had the illusion that she had always been holding the male lead¡¯s script. Otherwise, why would the opportunity to save the damsel in distress always fall on her? ¡°Get the bill and get lost. Simple as that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Fang Han opened her mouth in disbelief. When she met Shi Man¡¯s impatient eyes, her heart skipped a beat. She scrambled out of the private room, afraid that Shi Man would regret it if she was a second slower. After chasing away the extra people, the room was so quiet that only Su Tang¡¯s soft snoring could be heard. She put her down on the sofa, and after confirming that she would not roll down, she held her phone tightly and walked into the secret door of the private room. If the black market she went to just now was just a small market, then the black market in front of her could be described as an underground city. Shi Man was certain that she had come to the right place this time. After knowing the true location of the black market, Shi Man carefully hid her figure and observed for a moment before returning to the private room. It was getting late. Her brothers at home would probably bombard her with calls in a while. Moreover, she had such a problem at hand. She could only find another chance to shop next time. After helping Su Tang out of Venus, Shi Man hired a car to send her back to the Yi family. However, just as she reached the door, she was blocked by Yi Zheng¡¯s car. Tang Zhe raised his hand and knocked on the window. The driver nervously rolled down the window and asked politely, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for the lady behind you.¡± Tang Zhe smiled and bent down to lean into the car window. He said respectfully, ¡°My master invites you over to talk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not free.¡± Shi Man opened the door on the other side and pushed the drunk Su Tang out decisively. Then, she said to the driver expressionlessly, ¡°Drive.¡± ¡°Miss Shi, my master wants to see you.¡± Tang Zhe raised his hand and placed it on the roof of the car. His oppressive aura was a little like Yi Zheng¡¯s. If it were anyone else, they would probably not be able to withstand his pressure at this moment. Unfortunately, the person facing him was not an ordinary person. Shi Man did not even look at him. She said coldly, ¡°Drive. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± The driver also wanted to escape from this place as soon as possible. He stepped on the accelerator and reversed the car while trembling. After turning into another alley, he suddenly sped up and left. ¡°She didn¡¯t come.¡± Yi Zheng sat in the car and looked at Su Tang coldly. ¡°Investigate what she did today and who she was with.¡± ¡°Miss Su Tang?¡± Tang Zhe followed his gaze suspiciously and looked at Su Tang, who was being supported by the butler. He suddenly felt a chill on his neck and quickly changed his words. ¡°Miss Shi Man, I¡¯ll do it now.¡± In the Shi family¡¯s manor, Shi Zhong looked up at the time on the clock. The anger in his heart burned so much that he wished he could capture Shi Man personally and teach her a lesson! Chapter 67 - 67 Blame 67 Blame Although they had tried their best to suppress the matter on the Internet today and the posts on the Internet had been completely deleted, they were still treated as gossip by the ignorant masses. The Shi family was the richest family in G City. They had never been so embarrassed! He had been completely embarrassed by that unfilial daughter! ¡°I think there¡¯s something fishy about this matter. Let¡¯s ask Manman first before we talk about anything else.¡± Shi Ke was Shi Zhong¡¯s most valued son. He knew that his father would more or less listen to him when he spoke. Shi Zhong snorted and pointed at his sons sitting at the side. He could not help but scold, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault for spoiling her and raising such bad habits!¡± ¡°Are you scolding me too?¡± Shen Xian used this as an excuse and turned around angrily, refusing to look at him. Shi Zhong¡¯s aura softened. He hugged her shoulder helplessly and coaxed her softly, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. How can I bear to scold you?¡± ¡°I dote on Manman usually, but she¡¯s our only daughter. You keep pulling a long face in front of her all day. If I don¡¯t dote on her, are you trying to force our daughter to death?¡± Shen Xian couldn¡¯t help but cry as she spoke. I complained pitifully. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Shi Zhong was most afraid of Shen Xian. Hence, he immediately brought a tissue to wipe her tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. Can you stop crying?¡± ¡°When Manman comes back later, don¡¯t be fierce to her!¡± Shen Xian took the tissue herself and pouted pitifully as she asked Shi Zhong to promise. How could Shi Zhong dare to make her sad again? He immediately raised his hand and swore, ¡°I promise, but I still have to teach her a lesson. Otherwise, if she really causes a huge disaster in the future, it¡¯ll be too late for us to regret it!¡± ¡°When is Manman coming back?¡± After coaxing Shen Xian, Shi Zhong sighed and asked his sons behind him. ¡°She¡¯s almost here. Manman just sent a message. She just came back from her classmate¡¯s birthday party.¡± Shi He had been sending Shi Man messages from time to time the entire afternoon to confirm her safety. That was why he knew so much. ¡°Manman is willing to attend her classmate¡¯s birthday party?¡± Shen Xian smiled through her tears in surprise. She also knew her daughter¡¯s problem. In the past, she had always been arrogant and refused to be friends with others. Therefore, when she heard that she was actually willing to go out with her classmates today, other than being surprised, she was also a little relieved. Who wouldn¡¯t need friends in life? As long as she could be happy, Shen Xian had nothing to be dissatisfied with. The Shi family did not lack money. Even if Shi Man did not achieve anything in the end, the family could still support her. As they were talking, there was a commotion at the entrance of the manor. Shi Mu hurriedly ran out to welcome his sister. He held her hand nervously and whispered, ¡°Dad was angry. It wasn¡¯t easy for Mom to persuade him. Don¡¯t talk back to him when you go in. If anything happens, I¡¯ll help you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Was it about the dark web?¡± Shi Man stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. ¡°Do you believe it?¡± ¡°How can I believe that?!¡± Shi Mu widened his eyes in anger. ¡°Don¡¯t let me find out who did it, or I¡¯ll rip his head off!¡± Shi Man could not help but chuckle. Seeing that she could still smile at this time, the butler could not help but remind her worriedly, ¡°Miss, Master is in a fit of anger.¡± When Shi Man stopped smiling, he raised his hand and pushed open the door. He stood respectfully at the side and said, ¡°Master, Miss Shi is back.¡± ¡°Unfilial daughter!¡± ¡°Cough, cough.¡± Shi Zhong had just cursed when he was interrupted by Shen Xian. He could only swallow the anger in his throat. After a while, he said awkwardly, ¡°You¡¯re back. How do you explain what happened online?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Shi Man sat opposite him expressionlessly and drank the hot tea that Butler Qi had just poured to warm her body. Shi Zhong had waited anxiously for the entire night to hear her explain herself. He did not expect her to end it with just one sentence. He immediately glared at her angrily. ¡°What evidence do you have to prove that you didn¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°Then what evidence do you have to prove that I sent it?¡± Shi Man asked matter-of-factly. Her frivolous tone completely angered Shi Zhong. Ignoring Shen Xian¡¯s obstruction, Shi Zhong slammed the table angrily. ¡°What kind of attitude is this?! Do you know that you¡¯ve embarrassed me today?¡± ¡°Dad.¡± Shi Man looked up at him calmly. Her aura was not inferior to Shi Zhong¡¯s in the business world. ¡°After this incident, are you only concerned about whether you¡¯re embarrassed and not whether I¡¯ll be hurt?¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t say that about Sister. She¡¯s the victim.¡± Shi Mu shielded Shi Man behind him, his heart aching. Shi Ke also echoed in disagreement, ¡°The dark web really doesn¡¯t need any information to register. Anyone who can find a photo of Manman can assume her identity. The most important thing is to find the person behind it first.¡± Chapter 68 - 68 The Culprit 68 The Culprit ¡°That¡¯s right, Dad. Sister must be the most upset.¡± Shi He walked over and hugged Shi Man¡¯s shoulder, speaking up for her with heartache. ¡°Found it!¡± Shi Yu had been working with the technical team at the law firm for almost the entire afternoon to break through the dark web. He had finally found the real address where the post was posted. ¡°Where is it?¡± Shi Ke¡¯s face was dark as he asked in a cold tone. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Shi Yu looked at the location displayed on the computer screen. After confirming it repeatedly, he said in shock, ¡°It¡¯s at our house!¡± ¡°Unfilial daughter! How dare you say that it¡¯s not you!¡± When Shi Zhong heard the result, his hope was completely extinguished. He pointed at Shi Man and cursed. Shen Xian hurriedly walked over to protect her daughter and said pitifully, ¡°Does it have to be my baby who did it in our family?! Why don¡¯t you believe Manman?! If you can¡¯t stand my baby, I¡¯ll just take my daughter and run away from home!¡± ¡°Honey, do you have to protect her?!¡± Shi Zhong sat back on the sofa helplessly and sighed. He glared at Shi Man and made his final judgment. ¡°Go back to your room and reflect on yourself! Don¡¯t go to school for the next few days!¡± ¡°Dad! Wait!¡± Shi Yu frowned and interrupted his father. It was rare for him to be so unstable, but this matter concerned his sister, so he could not help but be angry. After getting his subordinates to confirm the address, he turned the screen to everyone and said, ¡°Although the location is at our house, it wasn¡¯t sent using Manman¡¯s phone. I¡¯ll try to connect to the mobile end of the registered account now. I¡¯ll be able to find the culprit soon.¡± Shi Yu stared at the screen solemnly. After entering a string of codes, he finally clicked on the enter key. Suddenly, the ear-piercing ringtone of a phone rang in the Shi family¡¯s villa. ¡°Let me see who harmed my sister!¡± Shi Mu followed the ringtone and found Shi Jing, who was hiding at the corner of the stairs. He dragged her downstairs and threw her on the carpet in the living room. He said angrily, ¡°So it¡¯s you!¡± ¡°How could this be?!¡± Shi Jing threw away her phone anxiously as if she had thrown a hot potato. She covered her head and cried in disbelief. ¡°Why did my handphone ring? I don¡¯t know what the dark web is!¡± Shi Jing crawled to Shi Zhong¡¯s legs on her knees and grabbed his pants pitifully. ¡°Uncle, it really wasn¡¯t me. How could I have harmed Manman? I went to Cassel Academy to protect her. Someone must have framed me and wanted to sow discord between us!¡± Shen Xian had already started to detest Shi Jing the last time. Seeing that she was desperately grabbing her husband¡¯s pants and refusing to let go, she immediately pushed her away angrily and said, ¡°How dare you quibble! Other than you, who else has tried to harm Manman time and time again!¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t!¡± Shi Jing cried pitifully. If someone didn¡¯t know the truth, they might really believe her. However, no one knew Shi Jing¡¯s true colors better than Shi Mu. He thought that she would be quieter after that incident, but he did not expect her to become worse. He really did not dare to imagine that if his sister was really harmed by her post, he would probably go crazy now! ¡°Nonsense!¡± He rushed forward angrily and grabbed Shi Jing¡¯s collar. He said fiercely, ¡°Do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t do it? Then explain to everyone why you only scored zero in this exam!¡± Shi Zhong¡¯s originally shaken heart completely sank when he heard this. He looked at Shi Jing coldly and said word by word, ¡°You scored zero? Why?¡± ¡°Uncle, I¡­ I just wanted your approval so badly that I couldn¡¯t think straight. I¡­ cheated in the exam, but I promise that I will work hard next time. This will never happen again!¡± Shi Jing broke free from Shi Mu¡¯s restraint and rushed forward to hug Shi Zhong¡¯s arm. ¡°Shameless!¡± Shi He knew what his mother hated the most. He stepped forward and forcefully pushed Shi Jing¡¯s hand away, forcing her into a corner. Shi Ke had been watching this farce coldly. Now that he saw that his father was willing to trust Shi Man, he slowly explained his guess. ¡°You¡¯ve been in our family for so long, and rich people like us have never lacked food, clothing, and schooling. Although you¡¯re only a distant relative, Dad and Mom still treat you well like you are their own niece. But now, you say that you want our approval. Let me ask you, what kind of approval do you need from us?¡± This question struck Shi Jing¡¯s heart. What she wanted was far more than being a distant relative of the Shi family. What she wanted was to be the true eldest daughter of the Shi family! When she was young, she often heard from her family that the richest man in the Shi family lived in G City. The most powerful man in the entire family was Shi Zhong, and he had four handsome sons but only one daughter. At that time, Shi Jing often fantasized about how good it would be if she was their only daughter. However, all of this belonged to Shi Man. How could she be willing?! Chapter 69 - 69 Chased Out of the Family 69 Chased Out of the Family ¡°I just want to become true family with you and obtain your approval.¡± Shi Jing finally suppressed all her resentment. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with misery. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have cheated in the exam, but I really want to stay in Cassel Academy and study hard. I didn¡¯t harm Manman. Uncle, you have to believe me! I don¡¯t know what the dark web is at all.¡± Shen Xian knew how much her husband valued blood ties. Even though Shi Jing¡¯s family was not close to them, her words inevitably softened his heart. She said before he made up his mind, ¡°Even if you insist that you didn¡¯t do this, the final location of this message is on your phone after all. Your existence has already endangered Manman¡¯s safety. We can¡¯t keep you.¡± ¡°Aunt! I¡¯ve been in the Shi family for so many years and have always sincerely treated you as family!¡± Seeing that it was useless to cry and beg Shen Xian, Shi Jing ran over and pounced in front of Shi He. She grabbed his sleeve and said pitifully, ¡°Third Brother, you like the food I make for you the most. If I¡¯m chased away, who will cook for you in the future!¡± A fleeting hesitation flashed across Shi He¡¯s face, but in the end, his taste buds lost to his love for his sister. Her mother was right. Her existence was already a threat to her sister¡¯s safety, so she could not be near the family again. After figuring it out, Shi He¡¯s expression suddenly turned cold. He suddenly shook off her hand and refused to give her a look. ¡°Leave. Our Shi family has already done our best for you. Go back to your home.¡± ¡°Third Brother! You can¡¯t treat me like this!¡± Shi Jing had never thought that she would be exposed so quickly. When Fang Han told her about the plan about the dark web, she clearly said that she would not be found by anyone. Otherwise, even if she was given a hundred guts, she would not dare to blow things up. Sadly, she could only insist that this matter had nothing to do with her. Otherwise, there would really be no chance for her to return to the Shi family. Butler Qi followed the order and sent someone to her room. After packing her things, he threw them out. Shi Jing was like an abandoned wild dog overnight. In the long night, there was no place for her to rest. After dealing with Shi Jing, who kept annoying her with her schemes, Shi Man¡¯s mood clearly improved. But when she looked at Shi Zhong, there was a sense of distance. After transmigrating to this world, she experienced a rare kinship that was thicker than water. She also wanted to cherish this relationship. However, the original host¡¯s father was indeed a little foolish. Under the conclusive evidence just now, he could actually feel compassion for Shi Jing. Since she was not the most important to him, she naturally would not put him in an important position. She turned to look at her brothers and said calmly, ¡°Since the matter has been clarified, I¡¯ll go back and rest first. Have dinner without me.¡± ¡°Manman.¡± Shen Xian glared at her husband, who was silent, and then looked at Shi Man guiltily. ¡°Your father¡¯s tone was too harsh just now. Don¡¯t take it to heart. Mom will always support my baby.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Sister, we will always believe you.¡± Shi Mu was afraid that his sister would be sad, so he quickly came up to express his loyalty. The brothers nodded, their eyes filled with worry. Shi Man smiled at them and nodded slightly. ¡°I know. I¡¯m really tired. I¡¯ll sleep first. Good night, Mom, and my brothers.¡± Shen Xian watched her daughter go upstairs gently. Only when Shi Man¡¯s back disappeared did she look at the man at the side with an unfriendly expression. She couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault for not trusting your daughter. Now, she¡¯s unwilling to talk to you.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Shi Zhong was speechless. He did not expect the truth to come out so quickly. He could not react for a moment and could not humble himself to apologize to his daughter. He could only wave his hand in frustration. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and rest too. Go to sleep early.¡± Shen Xian rolled her eyes at his back. As soon as she felt relieved, she felt a little hungry. She asked the chef to make a few more good dishes and finished dinner with her sons before returning to her room to sleep. As the night deepened, Shi Man changed her clothes and took out her weapons. She sat quietly by the bed and waited. Not long after, there was movement on the tree outside the balcony again. Shi Man sighed, pushed open the window, and jumped out of the room to meet Sean, who was waiting outside. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve brought you everything you wanted.¡± Sean showed her the herbs and silver needles. After Shi Man glanced at them, she handed him a prescription she had prepared. ¡°Boil the medicine according to this prescription.¡± ¡°Then this silver needle¡­¡± Sean put away the prescription and personally opened the car door for Shi Man to sit in the backseat. When he saw her cold gaze, he suddenly realized that he was in the way. He tactfully walked back to the driver¡¯s seat and drove. Shi Man opened the cloth bag containing the silver needles and smeared the freshly ground herbs evenly on the needle tip. After hiding the green on it, she put away the silver needles again. Chapter 70 - 70 Treatment 70 Treatment The black car blended into the night and stopped in front of the abandoned factory. Tang Zhe was already waiting outside the factory with a mask on. When he saw them, he raised his hand and pulled open the iron door. ¡°Master is inside.¡± Sean looked at Shi Man worriedly and stood by the car with his gun, ready to fight at any time. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll be outside. Call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Shi Man curled her lips into a cold smile. Even the mask couldn¡¯t hide her cold gaze. ¡°If anything happens, you can kill this little brother at the door.¡± The girl¡¯s voice sounded delicate in his ear, but Tang Zhe still subconsciously shivered. Who would have thought that the ignorant girl, who always chased after his master during the day, would be so terrifying after putting on a mask? ¡°Please come in.¡± Tang Zhe did not dare to say anything. He bent down slightly and invited Shi Man in respectfully before closing the iron door. In the factory, Yi Zheng heard the girl¡¯s light footsteps and opened his eyes lazily. His voice was actually muddy and tired. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring anything. How do you plan to detoxify me?¡± ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t bring anything?¡± Shi Man sat on the chair opposite and spread the cloth bag containing the silver needles on the only table. ¡°Take it off.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s lazy eyes turned cold. He frowned and asked suspiciously, ¡°What did you say just now?¡± ¡°Acupuncture. You¡¯ve never done it before, but you should have seen it, right? How can I do acupuncture if you don¡¯t take off your clothes?¡± Shi Man leaned back in her chair and sized him up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, in the eyes of a doctor, patients are not differentiated as men or women.¡± Yi Zheng was originally just a little shy, but after hearing her words, his face immediately turned red. Fortunately, he was wearing a mask so that she wouldn¡¯t laugh at him. Since he had to take it off, there was no need for him to be coy. He unbuttoned his shirt quickly, revealing his bare tanned chest. As Shi Man had said, there was no difference between men and women in her eyes. No matter how good his figure was, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at him. After he removed his clothes, she raised her hand and began to perform acupuncture. Every needle hit the acupuncture point without any hesitation. ¡°Done.¡± Shi Man looked at the man who had been fixed up like a hedgehog in satisfaction. After waiting for half an hour, she raised her hand to retract the needles. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Yi Zheng put on his clothes skeptically. During the acupuncture process just now, his chest only felt a little cold and he did not feel much. However, it was not until she put away the needle that the hot flame in his body suddenly charged up like a scorching fire dragon that had just woken up. The heat swallowed him up, making his internal organs feel uncomfortable. ¡°It will hurt for half an hour, the time and frequency of your relapse will improve in the future. Tomorrow, my subordinate will come here to send you the medicine that has been brewed. Drink it every morning and night. When you have finished the medicine, we will supply it on time as agreed. I¡¯ll get Sean to concoct the medicine again.¡± When Shi Man stood up and was about to leave, she did not look at the man lying on the table behind her. ¡°Wait.¡± Yi Zheng endured the pain and closed his eyes. He forced himself to straighten his body and said, ¡°How long will it take to treat my illness?¡± ¡°My medicine can relieve your relapse, but it will take a long time to treat you. I can¡¯t tell how long it will take. It depends on your recovery. I¡¯ll ask Sean to inform you in advance if I need to give you acupuncture next time.¡± Shi Man did not want to talk to him anymore. After saying something ambiguous, she pushed open the metal door and returned to the car. Behind him, Yi Zheng wanted to stop her, but the pain made him unable to say a word. He could only clench his fists and let the bean-sized sweat on his forehead flow into his eyes. ¡°Boss, why do I feel that you don¡¯t look good?¡± Sean drove and looked at the girl who had taken off her mask in the backseat of the car through the rearview mirror. ¡°Nothing.¡± Shi Man looked at the retreating scenery outside the window expressionlessly. The silver needles she used to treat Yi Zheng were not poison. They only made his symptoms worse when they acted up. The heat poison would heal slower and would not cause any other damage to his body. From Yi Zheng¡¯s point of view, he might even feel that his poison had really been relieved. Other than Shi Man, no one could figure out that she had done something to it. For the sake of the Shi family, she had to leave a backup plan. Even if she had already rewritten a lot of the plot in the book, it was still difficult to guarantee that the future plot development would not converge to the same ending. She had to make plans early. As long as Yi Zheng became more and more dependent on her treatment methods because of the heat poison, he would not touch her easily. At the critical moment, her identity as the Immaculate Boss might be able to save the Shi family. Moreover, there was an enemy hiding in the dark. It was already halfway through the night. Shi Man returned to her room nimbly. After carefully checking that there were no more suspicious cameras around the manor, she changed her clothes and prepared to sleep. After a busy day, Shi Man finally had time to rest. Feeling her physical fatigue, she couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. In the past, when she was carrying out missions all night, she had never felt tired. She did not expect her body to become delicate after coming to this world for a period of time. Chapter 71 - 71 Practical Training 71 Practical Training In order to help the students maintain physical fitness, Cassel Academy would organize practical training for the students in remote military districts at this time every year. This was also the most troublesome time for countless students. The rich children had been pampered since they were young and had never suffered at all. However, they had to be sent to the army at this time and be isolated from the world for a week before they could regain their freedom. Shi Man did not care about this at all. She had long wanted to find an opportunity to recover her physical fitness. She did not expect a heaven-sent opportunity to hit her. Compared to the worried faces of the other students, she looked especially calm. After Fang Han¡¯s unforgettable birthday banquet yesterday, she walked around Shi Man when she saw her. She did not even dare to look at her. It was also rare for Chen Wei to be well-behaved. Not all the students in Class F had the guts to go against Shi Man. After all, no matter how many rumors the outside world claimed that she was an idiot, they had to be mindful of the Shi family¡¯s strength. In the past, they had only colluded with Fang Han and the others and stepped on a few small characters. Now that even Fang Han had admitted defeat in front of Shi Man, the others naturally would not stand out again, afraid that they would be targeted by Shi Man. They did not know how a rumored piece of trash could change so much. They could only say that rumors could not be trusted. They could only blame themselves for being too stupid in the past. Now, they could not bring themselves to build a good relationship with Shi Man. Thinking of this, the students of Class F could not help but envy Su Tang. Now, she was the only one in the class who could talk to Shi Man. If it were anyone else, Shi Man would ignore them. If she was in a bad mood, she would even ask them to scram. The practical training started in the afternoon. Many students had already prepared all kinds of medicine, snacks, and clothes. Only Shi Man sat in the classroom without any preparation. Seeing that she was empty-handed, Su Tang knew that she must not have read the messages in the group yesterday. She chuckled and handed the backpack she had prepared in advance to Shi Man. ¡°There are some underwear, snacks, and water inside. Take them and use them first.¡± Shi Man looked over in confusion. Her gaze landed on another backpack of the same color behind her. She said calmly, ¡°Did you specially prepare it for me?¡± Su Tang blushed and nodded. Then, she suddenly thought of something and hurriedly waved her hand shyly. ¡°The clothes are all new. Don¡¯t mind them.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Shi Man took the backpack and weighed it in her hand. She said slowly, ¡°How much is it? I¡¯ll pay you.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Su Tang quickly shook her head and refused. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me too many times. This is something I should do. I can¡¯t take your money.¡± ¡°But I remember that you don¡¯t have a lot of pocket money.¡± Shi Man casually took out a card and stuffed it into her hand. Seeing that she was about to refuse, she frowned impatiently. ¡°Take it. In the future, when I ask you to run errands and buy things, use this card.¡± Su Tang was stunned for a moment before nodding hesitantly. ¡°Alright, look for me anytime if you need anything.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man hung her backpack beside the table and picked up her phone to swipe the screen again. Sensing that the person beside her did not look away for a moment, her relaxed brows furrowed again. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Su Tang rubbed her hands awkwardly. Her lower lip was bitten until it lost its color before she was willing to let go.¡± Can¡­ can I stay in the same dormitory as you? ¡± The dormitory provided by the practical training was only for two people. Last year, Su Tang suffered a lot with one of Fang Han¡¯s sidekicks. Although Fang Han would not find trouble with her this year, she still wanted to stay with Shi Man. ¡°As you please.¡± Shi Man did not care about this. Instead of being arranged to live with a troublemaker, it was better to have Su Tang. At least she was thoughtful and obedient. Hearing that Shi Man did not reject her in disgust, a smile appeared on Su Tang¡¯s face. She carefully promised her, ¡°I don¡¯t snore or grind my teeth when I sleep at night. I can get up in the morning when you wake up. I won¡¯t make a sound to wake you up. I can also¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Shi Man held her forehead speechlessly. Su Tang was good at everything, but sometimes, she was a little too long-winded. She looked up at Su Tang impatiently. ¡°You¡¯re my roommate, not my slave. You don¡¯t have to do whatever I want.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Su Tang agreed softly. She lowered her head obediently like a child listening to a parent¡¯s scolding, but her face was filled with joy. In the afternoon, the training vehicle was driven to the field on time. Shi Mu watched his precious sister get into the bus reluctantly before turning around to get into the car behind the training vehicle. He instructed the driver, ¡°Drive. I can¡¯t let Manman suffer alone!¡± Apart from the grade that was about to graduate, all the other teachers and students were asked to participate in this practical training. Shi Mu was not in the ranks of this practical training. However, he took advantage of his status as the president of the Student Union and used his privileges to take the lead. He specially obtained the principal¡¯s approval to allow the Student Union to participate in the training as a supervising entity. Chapter 72 - 72 Falling 72 Falling The location of the practical training was the same every year. It was an army recruit camp in G City¡¯s military district. However, the students would not be required to undergo high-intensity training. They would only do some simple training in the periphery. When Shi Man and the others arrived, they happened to encounter rainy weather. According to the rules, as long as it was not a rainstorm that would impact their activities, they had to listen to orders and continue training on the training ground. The students of Class F received their training clothes resentfully and followed the instructor¡¯s order to form a line to distribute the dormitory. Su Tang made it a point to stand with Shi Man so that the two of them would not be separated by the instructor. After changing into her training clothes, she was about to go downstairs to participate in the training. Su Tang jogged behind Shi Man and said, ¡°It¡¯s raining outside. It should be cold at night. Do you need a hand warmer? I have it here. You can use it.¡± ¡°Use it yourself.¡± Shi Man liked the drizzling weather outside the most. At this time, the training would not be too hot. Instead, it was so cool that every pore on her body felt comfortable. Su Tang put away the hand warmer in embarrassment and did not take it out to use. The longer she interacted with her, the more Su Tang felt that she was far inferior to Shi Man. She did not want Shi Man to think that she was a delicate and useless friend. She would subconsciously learn from Shi Man¡¯s sharpness. As time passed, her soft personality would occasionally become sharp. As the instructor blew the whistle, the hellish training life officially began. The instructor of Class F was the most amiable in the entire training ground. His personality was very similar to that of Geng Hui. He stood in front of the class square and introduced himself with a smile. ¡°My name is Zhang Cheng. You can call me Instructor Zhang. We will train together for the next week. If you have any questions, you can tell me. I hope you can follow the rules of the collective training and let us experience an unforgettable collective training together.¡± Even though the students of Class F were in agony, they still agreed seriously. Due to the fact that they were usually students who lacked exercise, the instructor did not arrange for difficult training immediately. Instead, he let them run a thousand meters to warm up. However, this was already an impossible obstacle for students who usually only knew how to eat, drink, and play. Some of the girls raised their hands to report that they were not feeling well and asked for additional concession not to participate in this long-distance training. Instructor Zhang understood the difficulties of the female students. He smiled and nodded. ¡°Female classmates who are on your period, try your best to run. If you really can¡¯t run, come to my side to rest. Male students, if there are no special circumstances, gather at my place after the class monitor leads the team to finish running a thousand meters. No one is allowed to be lazy. Otherwise, the entire team will be punished to run another thousand meters!¡± Su Tang blushed when she was suddenly called out by Instructor Zhang. Then, she felt a huge pressure fall on her head. Although she was not a lazy person, and her part-time job made her fitter than ordinary girls, a thousand meters was still too difficult for her. She could barely finish the simple 800 meters at the sports meet, let alone run the entire distance with a boy¡¯s speed. She was about to say something, but when she saw the instructor¡¯s serious face, she swallowed her words and turned around to run without saying a word. The square for Cassel¡¯s training was arranged in an empty space on the periphery. It was surrounded by bushes. From time to time, one or two frogs would squat by the roadside and stare at the students undergoing training. Su Tang felt exhausted before she could even reach the halfway mark. Her lower left abdomen was so uncomfortable that it hurt. However, as the class monitor, she had to complete the order given by the instructor. She gritted her teeth and ran. Boys ran faster than girls. Even if she tried her best to keep up with the speed of the main group, she would quickly fall far behind as long as she slowed down a little. ¡°Manman, if you¡¯re tired, go rest.¡± Su Tang was panting from exhaustion, but she did not forget to care about Shi Man. As soon as she finished speaking, Su Tang¡¯s shoulder was patted. She turned her head and saw Shi Man beside her with a normal expression. She couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re the one who should rest, right?¡± Shi Man smiled mockingly and raised her eyebrows to signal her to look at the students beside the instructor. ¡°Some have already given up. Why are you still insisting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the class monitor.¡± Su Tang¡¯s heart was beating so fast that it was difficult to breathe, but Shi Man was still persevering. How could she give up halfway? ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Man could not understand her sense of mission. She had already advised her, but Su Tang did not listen, so there was no need for her to care. Shi Man followed behind the main group easily. She sniffed the fresh air in the forest and narrowed her eyes in enjoyment. Compared to the rich life in the city, she was indeed more adapted to this demonic training that felt like a return to her natural environment. Seeing that the thousand-meter mission was about to be completed, Shi Man was regretting that she could not continue when a muffled sound suddenly came from behind, followed by the cries of the students nearby. She had a bad feeling. She turned around and saw Su Tang lying on the ground in a sorry state. Mud splashed on her face, and she looked like an abandoned cat in the rain. Chapter 73 - 73 Punishment 73 Punishment When the boys in the class who were still running heard the sound, they quickly ran to Su Tang¡¯s side and gathered around to mock her. ¡°If you can¡¯t run, why are you trying to be strong? It¡¯s good to stay at the side and slack off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Can you still stand? Don¡¯t tell me you still want us to carry you back?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Chen Wei subconsciously glanced at Shi Man, who was walking over, and nudged the person beside him. ¡°Stop talking and shut up.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The person¡¯s words were stuck in his throat. He suddenly met a pair of cold eyes and instantly became mute, not daring to say another word. A tactful boy had already reached out to help Su Tang up, but Shi Man beat him to it and pulled her from the ground onto his back. ¡°You want to carry me back?¡± Su Tang wiped the dirt off her face in disbelief. Looking at her dirty clothes, she hurriedly exclaimed, ¡°Put me down quickly. I¡¯m dirty.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. The instructor is here.¡± Shi Man carried her out of the boys¡¯ encirclement with a cold expression. After handing her over to Instructor Zhang, she glanced unhappily at the boys who had surrounded her to laugh at her. ¡°Instructor, they still have the strength to mock their classmate. I think it¡¯s necessary to let them run another thousand meters.¡± Instructor Zhang was not blind. He had been watching them and saw the situation of the boys just now. He said in deep thought, ¡°This student is right. All the boys in Class F will run another thousand meters.¡± In the instructor¡¯s opinion, these people¡¯s reactions were not even comparable to a female classmate with a weak body. When their classmate fell, they did not quickly help her up. Instead, they chose to stand by and do nothing. He immediately listed this as the first important problem that needed adjustment. Chen Wei and the others were angry but did not dare to say anything. They glared at Shi Man and kicked away the obstructing stones at their feet in disdain. They turned around and continued running without saying a word. After Shi Man stuffed Su Tang to the instructor, she turned around and joined the group of students. This time, not only was the instructor shocked, but even the boys who had been implicated by her words and had to run an additional thousand meters were stunned. They looked at her back in a daze and gritted their teeth to follow her rhythm. There were so many boys here. They couldn¡¯t lose to a woman in front of everyone. Chen Wei and the boy beside him curled their lips and reached out. After living for so long, their remaining competitiveness was miraculously stimulated. They did not believe that a woman like Shi Man could outrun them! When she couldn¡¯t run anymore later, she shouldn¡¯t blame them for mocking her! With this thought in mind, the boys from Class F ran 500 meters behind Shi Man before deeply regretting their rashness just now. How could they have forgotten that Shi Man was someone who could kick and destroy a bar counter that was over dozens of kilograms? She was not on the same level as them! On the field, almost everyone in the running team stopped and started the next training. Only they were still running in the rain and could not complain easily because the person leading them was Shi Man. The group of people could only grit their teeth and continue running. Seeing that the boys were gradually running out of stamina and the few people at the end had already begun to fall behind, Chen Wei, who was covered in sweat, panted heavily and shouted, ¡°Shi Man! You win! Don¡¯t let me seize the opportunity!¡± ¡°Brother Wei.¡± The boy, who was also panting, couldn¡¯t help but praise him breathlessly. ¡°You¡¯re still the best. You still have the strength to talk at this time.¡± ¡°Damn, why is Shi Man so good at running! Is she pretending?¡± Du Ming gritted his teeth and took a few steps forward. He ran to Shi Man¡¯s side and turned his head to look at her. Only then did he realize that Shi Man¡¯s face was not even red. Her breathing was even and at ease as if she had walked 1,500 meters instead of running. ¡°Sister, can we stop and rest for a while?¡± Du Ming rarely felt so embarrassed, but if Shi Man did not stop, there would still be 500 meters to go. Then he would probably lose his legs tonight. ¡°Who¡¯s your sister?¡± Shi Man glanced at him unhappily and turned around to curl her lips. ¡°If you can¡¯t run, go rest with the girls.¡± ¡°You f*cking¡­¡± Du Ming was so angry that his lungs hurt. He stopped in place and bent over to catch his breath for a while before continuing to run again. After the 2,000-meter run, other than a few boys who often exercised, the rest of the boys were so tired that they collapsed on the ground. At this moment, they couldn¡¯t care less about the mud on the ground. They sat on it and didn¡¯t want to get up again. Su Tang limped over and handed Shi Man water and tissues. She wanted to wipe the sweat off her face, but she realized that she was not sweating at all. ¡°You¡¯re so powerful. I just realized that you¡¯re actually so good at running.¡± Su Tang admired Shi Man from the bottom of her heart. Her gentle words attracted the attention of the surrounding boys. No matter how much they looked down on Su Tang¡¯s identity, they could not deny that Su Tang was a rare beauty who was pretty and cute. In the entire school, there were not many people who were prettier than her. Chapter 74 - 74 Polite and Law 74 Polite and Law-Abiding Men had a natural desire to conquer beautiful women, hoping that the gazes of the beautiful women would stay on them. But now, Su Tang clearly only had Shi Man in her eyes. The other boys were all clowns compared to her. This made Du Ming and Chen Wei jealous. Du Ming was an impulsive person. As soon as he caught his breath, he ran to the instructor and showed off. ¡°Start training, Instructor Zhang. The other classes have long moved on to the next step.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± When Chen Wei heard his words, he was so angry that he got up from the ground. ¡°Are you crazy? Young Master Du, at least let us rest for a while.¡± Instructor Zhang was happy to see such an enthusiastic boy. He immediately clapped his hands and organized the students to stand up and line up. Training for students was not as strict as training for real soldiers. They were mainly here for physical training. It was different from ordinary school military training. This time, the instructors had long prepared rock climbing, human walls, and other stimulating items to hone the students¡¯ resilience. Due to the fact that the rain was getting heavier today, Instructor Zhang only brought them to the empty space temporarily. After practicing a set of military boxing, he let them disperse and return to the dormitory to rest. The conditions in the army were not as good as those in the school. Students of both genders lived in the same old building. They had to obtain permission to shower. Everyone lined up to wash up at the cement pool outside the dormitory building. Shi Man returned to the dormitory and took out the toiletries that Su Tang had prepared for her. Just as she was about to go out, she saw the girl sitting in the chair and grimacing in pain. She suddenly regretted taking someone else¡¯s things for nothing, making her unable to move and leaving her alone. ¡°Can you walk?¡± Shi Man turned around in frustration. She took out toiletries from Su Tang¡¯s bag and stuffed them into her hand. Then, she turned around and squatted in front of her. ¡°Come up.¡± Su Tang wanted to squirm, but because Shi Man¡¯s expression was too scary, she finally lay on her back in fear. She lowered her head guiltily and apologized softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for implicating you.¡± ¡°If you wanted to live in the same dormitory as me, did you not anticipate this long ago?¡± Shi Man opened the door and steadily carried the girl behind her. She smiled and teased her. ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I stayed in the same dormitory as you because I wanted to take care of you.¡± Su Tang¡¯s voice became softer and softer, and she lost all her confidence. Looking at the current situation, it was obvious who was taking care of whom. Instantly ashamed, she closed her mouth and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You like to apologize?¡± In just a few words, Su Tang had already apologized to her twice. Could it be that the female protagonist in the book lived like this? Shi Man did not understand, but she still frowned and carried her down the stairs. Soon, they arrived outside the dormitory. At this moment, there was already a long line in front of every pool. Su Tang hurriedly wanted to get off her, but Shi Man held her legs firmly. ¡°If you move, I¡¯ll throw you down.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m very heavy. It¡¯s very tiring to carry me like this.¡± Su Tang begged carefully, ¡°You should put me down. I can stand.¡± Feeling her trembling calves, Shi Man snorted coldly. Her gaze swept across the first row of people brushing their teeth and she saw a familiar figure. Shi Man walked up to that person and stared at him expressionlessly. ¡°You, what are you doing?¡± Chen Wei gritted his teeth and asked with foam in his mouth. ¡°Move.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her breath on him. Her cold eyes stared at Chen Wei until his hair stood on end. He was so frightened that he hurriedly grabbed his toiletries and retreated to the side. It had to be said that Shi Man deliberately released her aura. When she stared at someone, it was really scary. Even Chen Wei, who had always thought that no one dared to provoke him, subconsciously chose to avoid her. After chasing away the irksome man, Shi Man gently put Su Tang down and said calmly, ¡°Wash.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Tang subconsciously looked at Chen Wei, whose face was red. She picked up her things and quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face. Then, she obediently moved aside. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± Shi Man frowned in dissatisfaction and carried her back to the bench at the entrance of the dormitory to sit down. She prepared to stand at the end of the line. Before she left, she decided to explain it to her clearly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a bully? I¡¯m very law-abiding.¡± When Chen Wei, who was standing at the side, heard this, he was so angry that he almost vomited blood. Just now, when she used her eyes to force him to give up his position, wasn¡¯t she just a bully who bullied the weak?! She actually had the cheek to say that she followed the rules! The classmates who happened to be in front of Shi Man and had seen the scene with their own eyes had muttered, ¡°Heavens, Shi Man is too scary. Someone save him!¡± Far away in the surveillance room, Shi Mu, who was crossing his legs, proudly captured this scene and sent it to the family chat group. ¡°Look! Manman has really grown up. Not only does she know how to help her classmates, but she¡¯s also very polite!¡± Chapter 75 - 75 Unusual Female Lead 75 Unusual Female Lead On the way back to the dormitory with Su Tang on her back, Shi Man passed by the first dormitory facing the staircase and heard a commotion from inside. Behind her, Su Tang gently patted Shi Man¡¯s shoulder and whispered beside her, ¡°It¡¯s Shi Jing.¡± Shi Man frowned and sent her back to the dormitory without stopping. She took off her coat and started to change. Su Tang looked away and asked carefully, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a look?¡± ¡°Why should I go?¡± Shi Man picked up the wet towel and wiped her body briefly before opening her backpack and taking out the pajamas Su Tang had prepared. The soft and smooth pure white pajamas were pulled out from the bottom by Shi Man. She couldn¡¯t help but rub it in her hand, and her eyebrows twitched unconsciously. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Su Tang probed. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I have another pink one here.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. She put on the comfortable pajamas before turning around to pour a cup of hot water. Although there was no place to wash up in this dormitory building, there was still a hot water room that could provide the students with drinking water. ¡°Shi Jing treated you like that last time. It¡¯s only right that you don¡¯t go to see her.¡± Su Tang was a little shy to change in front of others, but she had fallen to the ground today and her clothes should have been changed and washed long ago. She could only find something to talk about with Shi Man to ease her embarrassment. ¡°I thought you would say that she¡¯s my sister after all and ask me to help her.¡± Shi Man curled her lips and glanced at her mockingly. Her gaze met Su Tang¡¯s fair and smooth skin and she looked away indifferently, as her gaze landed on her toes. ¡°I won¡¯t say that.¡± Su Tang had changed and was fumbling with buttons, her face a faint pink. ¡°She¡¯s not good to you. You¡¯re not obligated to help her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite unusual as the female lead.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows in surprise. Su Tang did not understand her words. She looked up and asked in a daze, ¡°What female lead?¡± Shi Man changed the topic expressionlessly. ¡°Nothing. Your leg should be treated. Do you need help?¡± ¡°No need. I can do it myself.¡± Although it was very inconvenient for Su Tang to go up and down the stairs with her injured knee, she could still walk slowly in the dormitory. She didn¡¯t want to trouble Shi Man over a small matter. Since she had said so, Shi Man did not ask anymore and took out her phone to look at it for a while. The rain outside became heavier and heavier, only stopping in the morning. Because of Su Tang¡¯s leg injury, she did not need to participate in many of the training sessions. She only found a place to sit and watch the other students train. Due to Shi Man¡¯s outstanding performance yesterday, she was appointed by Instructor Zhang as the acting class monitor of Class F to assist him in training students. Training their physical fitness was a gradual process, but because this activity was only for a week, the instructors focused on training their leg muscles and limb coordination in the first five days to prepare for the highlight of the last two days. After five days of baptism, the students of Cassel Academy visibly lost weight. During these few days of training, not only did they eat simple and light food, but the intensity of the activities also made the students who already did not have much of an appetite even more unwilling to move their chopsticks. Even walking became a problem now, and their movements up and down the stairs became slow. Only a few students with strong adaptability could still walk quickly and be in high spirits. One of them was Shi Man. She quickly scooped the food and found an empty seat to sit down. Even if it was just light stir-fried vegetables, the dish seemed to have become a delicacy in front of her. She ate without even frowning. Su Tang, who was beside her, had almost recovered from her leg injury. She had participated in training normally today. Compared to the other girls who complained about being tired, Su Tang could already be considered a heroine. She followed Shi Man to participate in high-intensity training and did not ASA complain that she was tired. She gritted her teeth and insisted on following her. ¡°Manman, I don¡¯t like eggs. I¡¯ll give this to you.¡± Su Tang was worried that Shi Man would not be full due to her intense exercise. She had to share some of the untouched dishes with Shi Man every time. This had already become a tacit understanding between the two of them. Not only did Shi Man have to follow Class F for normal training, but she also had to be sent by the instructor to participate in other additional training. Every time she returned, it would be dark outside. Su Tang was very worried about her health. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shi Man took the egg and finished it in small bites. Then, she put down her chopsticks and stretched. ¡°It¡¯s comfortable. Eat slowly. I still have to go to the instructor¡¯s office.¡± ¡°Alright, we just finished eating. Walk slower,¡± Su Tang instructed softly. Then, she lowered her head and continued eating quietly. Fang Han stared at her for a long time. Finally, when Shi Man left the canteen, she sat in her seat with the plate and said coldly, ¡°Are you on good terms with Shi Man? Then do you know what she¡¯s busy with every day when she¡¯s not training?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Su Tang shook her head warily. Fang Han didn¡¯t have a good relationship with her. Now that she suddenly asked her about Shi Man, she must be plotting something. Chapter 76 - 76 Taking Photos 76 Taking Photos Su Tang could tell that Shi Man enjoyed this practical training. She did not want anyone to disturb Shi Man. Fang Han sneered when she heard this. She suddenly raised her hand and grabbed Su Tang¡¯s collar. She said fiercely, ¡°Come out with me for a while.¡± Su Tang was hauled out of the canteen like a chick. Fang Han only let go when she reached a quiet corner. She took out a tissue in disgust and said slowly, ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do anything to you just because Shi Man protects you sometimes? Don¡¯t forget that you were just an obedient dog under me in the past.¡± Fang Han¡¯s words were very unpleasant. She knew that she could not afford to offend Shi Man now, but seeing that Su Tang was living so comfortably by Shi Man¡¯s side while she had to tuck her tail between her legs, their identities were suddenly reversed. She could not take this lying down. If it were not for the fact that she could not offend Shi Man, would she still be stepped on by a lowly person like Su Tang? Fang Han raised her hand to grab Su Tang¡¯s hair and grabbed a piece of soft flesh at her waist. She leaned close to her ear and muttered fiercely, ¡°I won¡¯t let you off, let alone Shi Man. Since she¡¯s so busy now, I¡¯ll play with you first.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Su Tang bit her lower lip and pushed her hand away. Just as she caught a break, a girl suddenly walked over from the corner and took off Su Tang¡¯s clothes without any explanation. Fang Han quickly covered Su Tang¡¯s mouth before she could shout for help. She cooperated with the person to take a few private photos of her before curling her lips in satisfaction and saying sarcastically, ¡°Do something for us. Otherwise, I¡¯ll send your photo to thirsty old men. You can forget about living a good life in the future.¡± ¡°Shi Jing.¡± Su Tang panted as she covered her body. The corners of her eyes were forced to turn red. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Isn¡¯t Shi Man very well-liked by Instructor Zhang now?¡± Fang Han squatted down with a smile and lifted her chin. ¡°I have a bracelet here. Just quietly stuff it into her pocket. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything else.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t do this.¡± Su Tang bit her lower lip, her wet eyes filled with determination. This was a plan that Fang Han and Shi Jing had painstakingly discussed. They could not let all their efforts go to waste with Su Tang. Seeing that more and more students were walking out of the canteen after dinner, Shi Jing gave Fang Han a look. The two of them gagged her and took off her clothes. They took more than ten different nude photos before letting her go in satisfaction. The flash shone on Su Tang¡¯s face, and Fang Han¡¯s smile became even more sinister. ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll spread these photos all over the school now! Let¡¯s see how you can go to school!¡± Su Tang was already sobbing in her struggle. Tears fell to the ground one by one, but she still refused to agree. Fang Han pinched her face angrily and lowered her voice. ¡°Think about your uncle and aunt. Are you going to waste the school opportunity they fought for you? Are you worthy of them?¡± Su Tang stood rooted to the ground in a daze. The blood on her lips faded, and her entire body trembled. ¡°Uncle¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve long investigated you. Before your uncle died, he entrusted you to Yi Zheng so that you could come to Cassel Academy to study. But now, you want to waste his feelings for an unimportant woman. Don¡¯t forget that Shi Man hasn¡¯t broken off her engagement with Yi Zheng. She¡¯ll deal with you sooner or later.¡± Shi Jing squatted down and leaned close to her ear. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°She won¡¯t let you off. Now, your chance is right in front of you. Cooperate with us and chase Shi Man away. After this is done, we will delete the photos. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences.¡± Su Tang subconsciously trembled, her mind filled with her uncle¡¯s expectant gaze before he died. She lowered her head. The loose hair on both sides covered her eyes, making it impossible to see her emotions. After a long silence, just before Shi Jing and Fang Han completely lost their patience, Su Tang finally nodded slowly. She raised her hand to take the bracelet and put it in her pocket. She said calmly, ¡°I will do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Shi Jing gave Fang Han a smug look. The two of them walked out of the corner one after another, waiting to watch the show tomorrow. The news of Shi Jing being chased out of the Shi family had yet to spread. In the past few days, she had completely established the persona of a gentle big sister in front of her classmates. She used Shi Mu to send her to school and roped in many classmates. She had only used some tricks to test her status in the class previously. Indeed, many students were already willing to stand on her side. Since she already had support, there was no reason for her to continue letting Shi Man be smug. Shi Jing had learned her lesson from the last time. She used the incident regarding the Dark Web as leverage to force Fang Han to attack. She was only in charge of cooperating with Fang Han. Even if the truth was exposed, no one would be able to trace it to her. Everything was ready. As long as Su Tang succeeded, they could immediately consign Shi Man to eternal damnation. Chapter 77 - 77 Treating You to Meat Buns 77 Treating You to Meat Buns Today¡¯s training ended very early. The instructors asked the students to eat early and go back to rest to prepare for the rock climbing competition tomorrow which was a highlight of the training. Shi Man¡¯s additional training in the past few days was with the official army. The instructors and trainees valued her ability very much. Many officers had already thrown her an olive branch, wanting to keep such a talent in the army. However, Shi Man refused without thinking. She did not want to repeat the same mistake in her previous life. It was interesting to have a different life. Moreover, she participated in training only out of personal interest, not for her future. There was no mission tonight. Shi Man was about to return to the dormitory after dinner when she was stopped by the sneaky Shi Mu. His heart ached when he saw what his sister was eating these few days. He specially came to deliver food to her and stuffed the meat buns he had painstakingly bought into her hand. He said mysteriously, ¡°Don¡¯t be discovered. I secretly brought these in.¡± Shi Man returned the buns to him in amusement. ¡°Brother, you should keep them for yourself. I just ate. I¡¯m not hungry now.¡± ¡°How can that do? Look at how thin you¡¯ve been these past few days. Brother¡¯s heart is aching.¡± Shi Mu stuffed the bun into her hand without any explanation and pursed his lips as he swallowed. ¡°Eat quickly. If Mom finds out that I didn¡¯t take good care of you, she¡¯ll skin me alive when I head back!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s split them equally.¡± Shi Man knew that he had come to this bitter place for her. These few days, he had always been hanging around in front of her when he had nothing to do, but because of the strict discipline, he never had the opportunity o say a word to her. As her brother, he felt sorry for her from the bottom of his heart. Shi Man would not reject him. She took out two buns and placed them in his hand. She smiled and said, ¡°Brother, eat too. Don¡¯t worry, I can take care of myself.¡± Shi Mu was so touched that tears streamed down his face. His sister was really an angel. Yi Zheng really had no taste. His sister was so beautiful and good, but he didn¡¯t like her! At the mention of that person, Shi Mu felt resentful. He couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Sister, Yi Zheng is here too. If you meet him, you have to stay far away. Don¡¯t get involved in bad luck and affect your mood.¡± ¡°He¡¯s actually here?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows in surprise, but she was not interested in knowing why he suddenly came to this place. She nodded with a smile, stuffed the buns into her pocket, and returned to the dormitory. As soon as she pushed open the dormitory door, Shi Man acutely heard a sob. However, when she frowned and looked over, she could not find any traces of crying on Su Tang¡¯s face. She closed the door skeptically and shook the empty warm water bottle. She poured the last cup of hot water and sat opposite Su Tang. She said in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Su Tang had closed the distance between her and Shi Man these past few days. Sometimes, Shi Man was willing to talk to her when she was not busy. Thinking of how she had finally become friends with Shi Man but was forced to betray her, Su Tang couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly in her heart. Perhaps they had specially looked for her because they could tell that Shi Man was close to her. After all, no one else could do that now. With just a glance, Shi Man could tell that Su Tang was hiding something from her. This female protagonist was innocent and kind and could not hide her thoughts. No wonder the male protagonist, Yi Zheng, chose to be with her. No man would have the heart to reject such an innocent and kind girl for too long. ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t want to say it.¡± Shi Man took out a bun and threw it to her. She took off her coat and hung it on the wall. She picked up the thermos bottle and turned to go out to get water. Su Tang silently clenched the meat bun in her hand and slowly got up from the bed. She touched the warm bracelet in her pocket and gritted her teeth. Her heart was pounding as she walked to the wall. She raised her hand and touched Shi Man¡¯s jacket. Even from a distance, Su Tang could still smell Shi Man¡¯s unique scent on the jacket. The smell was extremely faint, but it always wafted in her nose, like the fragrance of fragrant grass. After smelling it for a long time, it would make one feel as if they were in paradise. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Su Tang lowered her eyes, hating herself for being useless. Tears silently rolled down the corners of her eyes. When Shi Man returned, Su Tang was already sitting by the bed with her usual expression. She held the hot meat bun and ate it in small bites. Seeing her return, Su Tang immediately smiled. ¡°Where did you get the meat bun? This isn¡¯t what the canteen is serving tonight!¡± ¡°My brother gave it to me.¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t have much need for meat, but she saw that Su Tang liked it, so she threw it to her. ¡°Senior Shi Mu?¡± Su Tang suddenly regretted eating someone else¡¯s bun. She didn¡¯t know if she should swallow the fragrant beef. ¡°This is your brother¡¯s gift. I won¡¯t eat it. There¡¯s one left that I haven¡¯t touched. Eat it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Shi Man walked to the window impatiently and glanced at the long line in front of the sink downstairs. She frowned fiercely and said casually, ¡°Yi Zheng is here. Do you know?¡± Chapter 78 - 78 Rock Climbing Competition 78 Rock Climbing Competition ¡°Huh?¡± Su Tang clearly did not expect to suddenly hear this name from her. She shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± There was suddenly silence in the dormitory. Su Tang pursed her thin lips and stared fixedly at Shi Man¡¯s side profile, wanting to see her emotions. However, even if she stared at her face, she did not notice any difference in how Shi Man regarded Yi Zheng. Su Tang asked worriedly, ¡°Do you really not like him anymore?¡± She still remembered what Shi Jing had said today. In her heart, she believed Shi Man, but there was always a thought lingering in her mind, making her so frustrated that she only wanted to hear Shi Man¡¯s answer with her own ears. Shi Man raised her eyebrows and looked at her playfully as if she was facing a great enemy. She said in amusement, ¡°Why? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll snatch him from you?¡± ¡°Manman, Yi Zheng really took care of me because of my uncle.¡± Su Tang didn¡¯t want her to misunderstand. Hearing that she was still misinterpreting her relationship with Yi Zheng, she quickly explained anxiously, ¡°There¡¯s really nothing between him and me, and we¡¯re not very close.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Even if there was nothing now, there would always be something in the future. Yi Zheng must have suddenly come to practical training to develop the plot with the female protagonist. Shi Man waved her hand perfunctorily and lay back on the bed to look at her phone, her thoughts slowly drifting away. She remembered that the male protagonist should have had a lot of contact with the female protagonist at this point. The two of them were supposed to be in the ambiguous stage, but now, it seemed that the female protagonist was closer to her and did not seem to have much interaction with the male protagonist. Shi Man pursed her lips disapprovingly. Anyway, her mission was only to protect the Shi family. It had nothing to do with her when the female protagonist and male protagonist started walking the emotional path. She was here to experience a different life, not to be a matchmaker. Su Tang could tell that Shi Man was being perfunctory, but she could only bite off the meat bun in her hand helplessly and vent her anger and helplessness on the innocent bun. The faint fragrance of meat spread in the small dormitory. Su Tang quietly looked up at Shi Man, but she was caught off guard and met her playful eyes. She immediately said nervously, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Shi Man did not answer. She put away her playful smile, put on her coat, and went out with her toiletries. Just now, she actually felt that Su Tang looked especially cute eating the bun as if she was venting her anger. Could it be that she had unintentionally taken the wrong script and had the male lead¡¯s plot transferred to her? Shi Man shook her head hard and waved away the messy thoughts in her mind. She regained her composure and washed up expressionlessly before returning to her room to sleep. The next morning, after the school leaders organized an early morning lecture, the official rock climbing competition began. This competition was a speed competition. The results of the competition were ranked according to the time of completion. In order to take care of the students of Cassel Academy, the rock climbing speed path had a height of ten meters and a tilt of five degrees. Everyone only had one chance to climb. In the end, the team would give the champion of this competition a certificate. Before the competition began, there was a small interlude. Song Zhi from Class S looked for the instructor anxiously and said that she had lost an important bracelet. However, the competition was imminent and she did not have the time to help her find the bracelet. She could only report this matter to the Student Union, which was in charge of supervising the patrol. When Shi Mu received the news, he reluctantly sent his Student Union members to help look for the bracelet. This small interlude did not affect the official competition at all. As Shi Man¡¯s name was at the back of the list, it was not her turn to go on stage until the end. After putting on the protection equipment, Shi Man gently moved her limbs. As the command was given, she climbed up agilely. Even the professionally trained instructor was stunned by her speed. Up until now, many students had lost midway because of insufficient arm strength or lack of technique. There were very few students who could reach the peak, let alone with such a deft movement technique. For a moment, Shi Man immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Even Yi Zheng, who was sitting steadily on the rostrum, could not help but look over. Shi Mu was on tenterhooks about his sister¡¯s dangerous competition when he suddenly saw the man¡¯s gaze from the corner of his eye. He immediately mocked him as if he was facing a great enemy. ¡°My sister has long disliked you. For the sake of our families not falling out in the future, I advise you not to pester her.¡± ¡°Did I say I wanted to pester her?¡± Yi Zheng sneered. His expression suddenly darkened as he looked at the girl on the rock climbing wall. Shi Mu was right about one thing. It was precisely because he did not want the two families to fall out that he rejected this girl coldly from the beginning. However, recently, he accidentally discovered too many secrets about Shi Man. There were so many that the Shi family might not know Shi Man as well as he did. The more he understood, the more shocked he was. She was just a little girl who had yet to graduate, but she could wield control of Immaculate and had hundreds of mercenaries under her. What was even more mysterious was that she actually knew how to treat his heat poison. Chapter 79 - 79 Caught 79 Caught Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t guess when she learned these things, including her precise spearmanship and the ingenious movement technique she used to fight him in the library. His intuition told him that Shi Man¡¯s secrets were probably far more than this. This made him want to approach her; he was curious about how many more secrets she was hiding. In the arena, the screams caused by Shi Man were endless. In a few breaths, she successfully climbed to the peak. The time displayed on the timer broke the army record, making Instructor Zhang take Shi Man seriously again. The person competing with Shi Man was Su Tang. She did not have enough strength in her arms and was so afraid that she did not dare to move. The breeze blew gently and swayed her body slightly, scaring her so much that she immediately screamed and fell. Shi Man frowned and reacted extremely quickly. She slid down the rope and climbed the rock, steadily bringing Su Tang into her arms. The fresh fragrance of the fragrant grass entered Su Tang¡¯s nose. The moment she landed, a crisp sound sounded under their feet. Shi Man let go of her body and looked down. It was an exquisite and expensive-looking bracelet. ¡°Wow! Shi Man is so cool! I¡¯m about to fall in love with her!¡± Someone came back to their senses and screamed. Immediately after, the instructor came back to his senses and walked up to check if the two of them were injured. Shi Man ignored the noisy surroundings and bent down to pick up the bracelet on the ground. Su Tang subconsciously stopped her hand. When she saw Shi Jing¡¯s threatening gaze from the corner of her eye, she retracted her hand. The instructor looked at the bracelet and couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Student Shi Man, if you can join the army for training, our country will have another capable general with great potential.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Student Shi Man.¡± Instructor Zhang couldn¡¯t help but walk up and sigh sincerely. ¡°There aren¡¯t many girls like you who can endure hardships, but I didn¡¯t expect you to like such a cute bracelet. I thought you would be more interested in guns.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t mine. Compared to these useless things, I like firearms more,¡± Shi Man replied calmly. Just now, there were only two of them. She naturally thought that this thing would belong to Su Tang. When the surrounding students heard the instructor praise her, they did not degrade Shi Man this time. Her performance over the past few days was seen by everyone, including her care and consideration for Su Tang. The news that she had personally carried Su Tang upstairs to wash up that day had completely spread. A small portion of the girls had already started to have a good impression of her and no longer rejected her like before. Other than the few people who had always disliked Shi Man saying a few ugly words, the others did not express any dissatisfaction with Shi Man¡¯s limelight. Fang Han looked angrily at the few people in the class who were looking at Shi Man in admiration. Suddenly, she deliberately exclaimed exaggeratedly to attract the attention of everyone present. Being the focus of everyone again, Fang Han wanted to raise her head arrogantly and mock Shi Man, but she still needed to complete the last step of the meticulous plan she had set up with Shi Jing. She deliberately covered her mouth and stared at the bracelet in Shi Man¡¯s hand in shock. She said exaggeratedly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Song Zhi¡¯s bracelet? I saw her wear it!¡± Song Zhi was suddenly called out and looked at Fang Han in confusion before turning to Shi Man. When she saw the bracelet in her hand, she immediately widened her eyes and said angrily, ¡°So you stole it! Instructor! That¡¯s the bracelet I said I lost just now!¡± Instructor Zhang did not believe that Shi Man would do such a thing. He took the bracelet and handed it to Song Zhi for her to confirm again. Song Zhi nodded affirmatively and said, ¡°That¡¯s it. I can¡¯t be wrong. This is a birthday gift from Cousin Yi Zheng. I¡¯ve been wearing it. Many students have seen it.¡± Hearing her say this, Instructor Zhang looked away at the students beside her. Seeing them nod solemnly, he immediately looked at Shi Man in confusion. ¡°Did you pick it up from somewhere?¡± The instructor¡¯s expression darkened. He originally thought very highly of Shi Man¡¯s personal ability. She would definitely win the rock climbing championship this time. However, if Shi Man picked up something and kept it for herself, it would be a huge taboo in the army. That good impression would completely disappear. The moment the students who had changed their opinion of Shi Man heard Song Zhi say the words Yi Zheng, they widened their eyes in realization. They suddenly thought of the Shi Man¡¯s rumored infatuation with Yi Zheng. Could it be that she was stubborn and wanted to take it for herself after hearing that it was given to Song Zhi by Yi Zheng? Facing the disdainful gazes around her, Shi Man was already completely used to their lack of brains. She looked at Instructor Zhang with her usual expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t pick up this thing. I thought¡­¡± Shi Man glanced at Su Tang indifferently and lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them. ¡°Forget it. It has nothing to do with me anyway.¡± ¡°You think you can just forget it?¡± Song Zhi had finally caught hold of Shi Man¡¯s weakness. How could she waste this heaven-sent opportunity? She pointed at Shi Man and said angrily, ¡°Instructor, she stole my bracelet and broke it. A diamond on it fell off. She has to compensate me!¡± Chapter 80 - 80 Narcissistic Siblings 80 Narcissistic Siblings Song Zhi had always treasured this bracelet, but when she was washing up last night, she realized that the bracelet had disappeared for some reason. She searched downstairs alone for a long time but could not find it. She told the instructor today because she wanted him to deploy more people to help her find the bracelet. She did not expect it to be stolen by that b*tch Shi Man! If Shi Man had not been careless and accidentally dropped this bracelet, she would not have been able to find it after the practical training ended! Shi Man raised her eyebrows and glanced at Su Tang, who had her head lowered. She said calmly, ¡°I told you, I didn¡¯t steal it. I didn¡¯t pick up this bracelet. Don¡¯t you understand human language?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still trying to reason after stealing!¡± Song Zhi was so anxious that her eyes turned red. She grabbed Su Tang¡¯s arm in exasperation and asked, ¡°Do you think this thing fell from Shi Man just now?¡± Su Tang looked up at Shi Man helplessly with her wet eyes. She pursed her thin lips and refused to speak. Shi Jing hurriedly gave Fang Han a look. The latter understood and surrounded her with her lackeys. She looked at Su Tang threateningly. ¡°Say something. Only you and Shi Man were together just now. No one knows better than you.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Su Tang gritted her teeth, her pale lips trembling slightly. She stubbornly lowered her head and refused to answer. Seeing her like this, Song Zhi thought that she was going to protect Shi Man. She immediately suggested to the instructor unhappily, ¡°If Shi Man can¡¯t explain why this bracelet appeared under her feet, does that mean that she stole my bracelet and is refusing to tell the truth?¡± ¡°Instructor Zhang, you might not know.¡± Fang Han deliberately pushed Su Tang away and walked to Zhang Cheng¡¯s side. She rolled her eyes at Shi Man in disdain. ¡°In the past, Shi Man liked Yi Zheng very much and wanted to marry him. Song Zhi¡¯s bracelet was given to her by Yi Zheng. Shi Man must be jealous of Song Zhi, so she took her things for herself.¡± ¡°Is there such a thing?¡± Instructor Zhang still refused to believe that he had misjudged. Shi Man was indeed the most talented student he had seen since he became an instructor. He walked up to Shi Man amiably and explained softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can say whatever you want. It¡¯s just a bracelet. It¡¯s not a big mistake.¡± ¡°Just a bracelet? My bracelet is worth millions!¡± Song Zhi held the broken bracelet in her palm aggrievedly, wishing she could cut Shi Man into pieces. When Instructor Zhang heard the value of this bracelet, his expression changed. ¡°So expensive? Is it made of gold? Student Shi Man, you should explain it to this student. After all, it fell from your body.¡± ¡°I told you, I didn¡¯t steal it or pick it up. As for how it got under my feet, I¡¯m not sure.¡± Shi Man looked at the disdainful people around her mockingly and finally looked at Su Tang meaningfully. At that time, there were only the two of them under the rock climbing wall. Unless that thing had grown long legs and found its way here, Su Tang had deliberately done this. She knew this very well, but she did not intend to expose it. After interacting with Su Tang for so long, Shi Man could see what kind of person she was. That was why she had been calmly letting others discuss her and could not be bothered to defend herself. The commotion here had long attracted the attention of the rostrum. Shi Mu ran over anxiously. He first looked up and down to see if Shi Man was injured because of the rock climbing before greeting Instructor Zhang politely. ¡°Instructor, I don¡¯t think my sister would do such a thing. Someone must have done it deliberately.¡± Song Zhi knew what Shi Mu looked like when he protected his sister. Just as she was about to pout and retort a little, she saw a familiar figure from the corner of her eye and immediately shouted in surprise, ¡°Cousin, why are you here!¡± Song Zhi walked to Yi Zheng¡¯s side happily, but she did not dare to get too close. Seeing that he had been staring at Shi Man, she immediately added fuel to the fire. ¡°Cousin, Shi Man stole my bracelet and broke it. You gave it to me. Shi Man is too despicable. It¡¯s fine if she usually comes to disturb you, but now she even wants to covet my things.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Yi Zheng curled his thin lips coldly and looked at Shi Man frivolously. His voice was low and magnetic. ¡°You covet what I gave someone else? Huh?¡± Even the instructors present subconsciously held their breaths. Only Shi Man looked at him expressionlessly, and what she said shocked everyone. ¡°Are you as narcissistic as your sister?¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s expression darkened visibly, and the students couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Wasn¡¯t it rumored that Shi Man would chase after Yi Zheng like a mad dog seeing a meat bone? Why did she seem to despise Yi Zheng now? Not to mention how shocking Shi Man¡¯s attitude towards Yi Zheng was, even Shi Man¡¯s recent performance had nothing to do with the trash in the rumors. What else could be believed in the rumors? Chapter 81 - 81 Handling 81 Handling ¡°What did you say?¡± Yi Zheng took a step closer with a cold expression. The surrounding students subconsciously retreated a distance and looked at the confrontation between the two of them in a daze. Shi Man was a new student at Cassel Academy. Although many people were familiar with her name, very few people had actually seen her, let alone the legendary classic scene of a woman chasing after a man. They did not expect to see such an exciting scene at the end of this painful practical training. The surrounding people immediately did not dare to breathe loudly and quietly acted as background. Shi Man narrowed her eyes and stared at his approaching footsteps. Suddenly, she frowned and said in disgust, ¡°I¡¯ve already explained many times. Are you deaf? If you think I stole it, call the police.¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows and laughed in anger. Where did this woman get the guts to act like a scoundrel in front of him? Did she think that she could muddle through just because she was a scoundrel? He did not think that the current Shi Man would steal a useless bracelet, but he inexplicably wanted to make things difficult for her. He wanted to see if she would have the same stupid expression as before when facing him now. ¡°If you can¡¯t prove yourself, then this time¡­¡± Before Yi Zheng could finish, Su Tang, who had been hiding behind Shi Man, suddenly raised her face and stood up. She said firmly, ¡°I picked it up.¡± As soon as she said this, the gazes that were looking back and forth between the two of them landed on her. Fang Han gritted her teeth and stared at Su Tang¡¯s back. She did not expect her to choose to betray her at this time. ¡°Where did you pick it up?¡± ¡°I picked it up from under the dormitory building.¡± Su Tang insisted that this thing had fallen from her body. She looked up at Song Zhi and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Whether you believe me or not, this matter really has nothing to do with Shi Man.¡± Her disdainful gaze turned into a sharp blade that pierced into her heart with the whispers of the surrounding people. She bit her lower lip to stop herself from crying easily. When she gave up on stuffing the bracelet into Shi Man¡¯s pocket yesterday, she had already thought of the consequences. The reason why she only stood up to clarify now was that she wanted to wait for Yi Zheng to appear and not let the two of them have a misunderstanding because of her. Fang Han and Shi Jing¡¯s goal was nothing more than to make a fuss about Shi Man chasing Yi Zheng in the past. She just had to admit it. No matter what the consequences were, she was willing to bear them. She was already very satisfied to be able to come to Cassel Academy to study. Even if she could not continue in the future, she had nothing to regret, having gotten to know Shi Man at the academy. Perhaps everything was predestined. As Su Tang lowered her head, tears welled up in her eyes. The tip of her nose was red, but she refused to cry. It was not until her wrist was grabbed by someone and a force pulled her away from the spot that she looked up in shock. The tears that she was about to not be able to hold back immediately poured out when they met those obviously mocking eyes. ¡°I thought you could hold it in for a long time.¡± Shi Man pulled Su Tang behind her and blocked her from the vision of the rest of the people. There was an evil smile on her lips. ¡°Tell me who made you cry yesterday. I¡¯ll help you deal with all the threats.¡± ¡°You¡­ you know?¡± Su Tang rubbed her eyes in disbelief and grabbed Shi Man¡¯s arm uneasily. ¡°Hey? What are you doing? Do you think just anyone can stand up and take the blame?¡± Song Zhi frowned in confusion and pouted as she stood beside Yi Zheng coquettishly. ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s not waste time with them. We might as well arrest them.¡± Yi Zheng glanced at her coldly and shifted his gaze to Shi Man. He asked expressionlessly, ¡°Deal with it?¡± Fang Han looked at Shi Jing in panic, but the latter had long disappeared from the crowd. It was obvious that Shi Jing had seen that the situation was not right and abandoned her to escape alone. She hurriedly looked at Su Tang again, afraid that she would really expose her. She nervously raised her right hand which was holding the phone tightly, wondering if she should spread the photos before Su Tang said her name. ¡°Found it.¡± Shi Man glanced indifferently in someone¡¯s direction and moved slightly. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, she was so fast that she turned into an afterimage. Then, they heard a plop. Fang Han sat on the ground in fear. Her right hand looked like it was still holding something, but her phone was already in Shi Man¡¯s hand. No one present, including the instructor, saw Shi Man¡¯s movements clearly. Only Yi Zheng kept staring at her crisp movement technique. The girl was no longer wearing clothes in bad taste. She was now draped in a heroic-looking camouflage uniform. She made people fear her just by standing in the crowd made. He shifted his gaze indifferently to her face. From a distance, he could still clearly see the undisguised disgust in the girl¡¯s eyes. As if she had found something she had expected, her eyebrows raised slightly, and her lazy watery eyes instantly became sharp with undisguised killing intent. If Yi Zheng didn¡¯t know Shi Man¡¯s past, he would definitely think that she was a killer with a well-concealed identity. Chapter 82 - 82 Apologize 82 Apologize ¡°Is this what made you give up on your studies?¡± The calmer Shi Man acted, the more guilty Su Tang felt. She looked away and nodded weakly, her tears falling like pearls. ¡°I can¡¯t let myself ruin you.¡± It would be a lie to say that Shi Man was not moved. Shi Man was used to seeing idiots backstabbing their friends just to save their lives. This was the first time she had seen a foolish person like Su Tang. She would rather sacrifice her future to protect a classmate who had nothing to do with her. Clutching the phone, she walked up to Fang Han and looked down at her panic. ¡°Who asked you to do this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I found these photos online.¡± Fang Han denied it and crawled up to snatch the phone, but she was no match for Shi Man. She easily avoided Fang Han¡¯s hand and turned to look at Instructor Zhang. ¡°We can trace the time at which the photos on this phone were taken. They can be used as evidence, but I can¡¯t show them to you. Get a female instructor here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Zhang Cheng was dizzy from this farce. He was actually stunned by Shi Man¡¯s aura and forgot that he was the instructor who led the students. Instead, he treated her words as an order and found one of the few female instructors in the army without a word. On the way here, the female instructor had already heard Zhang Cheng tell her about what had happened. She immediately thought of school violence. So much effort had been made to pull her in as a witness, so it must be that the photos could not be made public. She knew what to do. She walked up to Shi Man and introduced herself seriously. ¡°My name is Yu Ying. I¡¯ve been an instructor in the army for five years. You can trust me.¡± Shi Man turned her head to look at Su Tang. After receiving her confirmation, she handed the phone to Yu Ying. At first glance, Yu Ying was so angry that she almost threw the phone when she saw the girl in the photo being pressed to the ground and stripped of her clothes. She barely held back her anger and panted as she looked at the surrounding students. ¡°Whose phone is this? Who took these messy photos!¡± ¡°Instructor Yu, you don¡¯t have to worry about the rest.¡± Shi Man took back her phone and looked straight at Yi Zheng. ¡°After watching the commotion for so long, I don¡¯t need to explain the ins and outs again, right?¡± Yi Zheng retracted his gaze indifferently. The smile on his lips deepened, and even his eyes were filled with dense joy. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Since we¡¯ve caught them red-handed, we¡¯ll hand them over to the president of the Student Union to bring back to school to deal with.¡± Seeing that the two of them were about to convict her, Fang Han immediately roared indignantly, ¡°Why did you take my phone? Aren¡¯t you going to pursue the matter of Shi Man stealing the bracelet?¡± Song Zhi did not understand what Shi Man meant. Seeing that her good friend was suddenly involved, she was a little anxious. ¡°Cousin, what¡¯s going on? What photo? And what does this have to do with Fang Han?¡± At this point, anyone with a discerning eye could actually tell who was right and who was wrong, but there would always be someone like Song Zhi who wanted to grab hold of Shi Man and not let her go. She had to distinguish the matter clearly before she was willing to stop. Yi Zheng had not looked at Song Zhi from the beginning to the end. When he heard her question, he could not be bothered to look at her. His cold eyes landed on Su Tang and he said calmly, ¡°Explain.¡± Su Tang nodded and obediently recounted what had happened yesterday. Just as she was about to mention Shi Jing, she was suddenly interrupted by Fang Han. ¡°Enough! I did it, okay?! I picked up the bracelet. I knew that it belonged to Song Zhi at that time, so I thought of this. I did it alone.¡± Su Tang opened her mouth speechlessly. When she saw Shi Man¡¯s cold expression, she slowly shut her mouth and did not say anything else. For Fang Han to take all the responsibility at this moment, Shi Jing might have had something on her. Moreover, from the beginning to the end, Shi Jing could only be considered an accomplice. Even if she said it, she would probably have a way to quibble. In the end, Shi Jing was Shi Man¡¯s sister. She should not talk too much at this time and involve another person. It was not until she heard with her own ears that Fang Han had done so much that Song Zhi suddenly understood. After glaring at her resentfully, she waved her hand in annoyance. ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t pursue the matter of the bracelet. Let¡¯s end this matter here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not up to Miss Song Zhi now.¡± After Shi Mu heard Su Tang¡¯s words, he instructed the members of the Student Union to bring Fang Han back to the office. Then, he looked at Yi Zheng and said angrily, ¡°There should be an explanation for your cousin criticizing my sister in public, right?¡± Everyone originally thought that Yi Zheng would protect Song Zhi, but they did not expect him to leave the rock climbing venue as if it had nothing to do with him with a cold sentence. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± Song Zhi thought that victory was in her hands this time and that Shi Man would be in the wrong for once. Unexpectedly, she became the target of public criticism again. Her eyes immediately turned red from grievance. In front of the entire grade, she said ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± aggrievedly, and covered her face as she ran back to the dormitory. Chapter 83 - 83 Uninvited Guest 83 Uninvited Guest The farce finally ended and the rock climbing competition came to a close. Shi Man was naturally the undisputed champion. Holding the useless certificate, she and Su Tang walked into the canteen to eat. After personally witnessing Shi Man¡¯s attitude towards Yi Zheng, almost no students in Cassel Academy dared to provoke her anymore. Putting aside the fact that she had once chased after a man, what they knew of Shi Man¡¯s family background, appearance, and ruthless deeds in Class F was enough for them to completely recognize reality. Shi Man was someone none of them could afford to offend. Even Song Zhi, who had always considered herself Yi Zheng¡¯s cousin, had to apologize to her in public. It could be seen what the consequences would be if this matter fell on them. Shi Man stood at the end of the line with a tray with a cold expression. The students in front immediately avoided her and Su Tang. The students of Class F seemed to be avoiding the plague. They wished they could get as far away from her as possible so that she wouldn¡¯t remember the times when they rolled their eyes at her and seek trouble with them. Chen Wei used to follow Fang Han. Now that he saw Shi Man, he was like a mouse seeing a cat. Thinking that he was still going against her during the past few days of training, he immediately braced himself and leaned in front of her. ¡°Sister Man, what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll get you food. Just sit here and wait.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shi Man¡¯s lips twitched with a fake smile. She turned around and looked down at Su Tang. ¡°Are you willing to let him get you food?¡± Su Tang glanced at Chen Wei, who was always bullying her. She pouted and shook her head reluctantly. Shi Man immediately looked at Chen Wei in disgust. ¡°Get lost.¡± Chen Wei was stunned for a moment. He looked at Su Tang and hurriedly ran away with his plate, as he refreshed his impression of Su Tang. It seemed that if he wanted to build a good relationship with Shi Man in the future, he had to please Su Tang first. Shi Man and Su Tang had just sat down after scooping the food when the uninvited guest strode over and sat in the empty seat opposite. Shi Man ignored him and couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look up. It was Su Tang who timidly called him ¡°Brother Yi¡±, preventing his face from turning as dark as the bottom of a pot. ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to ask you where you learned your skills.¡± Yi Zheng didn¡¯t waste his breath on her and went straight to the point. Shi Man slowly took a sip of soup before looking up and asking curiously, ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Yi Zheng smiled instead of being angry. Seeing her put the egg in Su Tang¡¯s bowl into her mouth, he frowned and said unhappily, ¡°The two of you are very close.¡± Shi Man chewed the egg in her mouth speechlessly, wishing she could pry open the male protagonist¡¯s brain and see what was inside! Why had she gained favorability with the female protagonist for no reason? Wasn¡¯t it because he was too incompetent as the male protagonist? He always disappeared at the critical moment, making her to save his woman again and again. Now, she had only eaten an egg from Su Tang, but he was still being sarcastic! How ridiculous. Shi Man rolled her eyes and swallowed the egg. She deliberately mocked, ¡°Not bad. Not as close as the two of you.¡± ¡°Manman, Brother Yi and I are really not what you think.¡± Su Tang was about to explain when Shi Man picked up a steamed bun and stuffed it into her mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain. I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± Yi Zheng stopped smiling and stared at her coldly and distantly. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to hear it, I have to say that the engagement between the two of us hasn¡¯t been annulled. Before that, I won¡¯t engage in anything I shouldn¡¯t do with any woman. This is my duty.¡± Shi Man did not want to get involved in the relationship between the male and female leads. It was not easy for the two of them to appear at the same time. They should take the opportunity to develop their relationship. Why did they run to her and were in a hurry to cut ties between each other? ¡°As you please.¡± Shi Man ate the food in a few bites before putting down her chopsticks and looking at him seriously. ¡°If this marriage contract that was wrong from the beginning has already caused such a huge obstacle to your search for happiness, I think we should cancel it as soon as possible.¡± The families of both parties did not say anything about this matter and it was delayed until now. Moreover, the male lead had personally come to her to hint at her. She could take advantage of the situation. It would be best if she could finalize the date of the annulment now so that they could relax. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression darkened. He looked at the face opposite him, which was no longer filled with a fawning smile. Now, she only knew how to treat him with a distant and repulsed expression. She kept saying that she wanted to cut ties with him. But the more she acted like this, the more he wanted to investigate her feelings for him. Moreover, she was filled with mysteries now. If he could not figure out her secret, he would not cancel the marriage so easily. ¡°I don¡¯t have time now. We¡¯ll talk about this later.¡± Yi Zheng left the canteen with a straight face as if he didn¡¯t want to discuss it anymore. Chapter 84 - 84 Unity 84 Unity The last day of practical training was the human wall segment. This event was not a competition, but a test to see if the students could work together. Legend had it that in wartime, in order to survive, the men on this side of the city wall spontaneously stood in a row under the wall, letting the trapped old people, women, and children step on their shoulders so that they could get to the other side of the city wall. Using their flesh and blood to forge a ladder to survival, they saved tens of thousands of innocent lives. The army¡¯s chief instructor stood on the four-meter-tall city wall and looked down at the students lined up below. His voice was thick and powerful. ¡°Students, I know you were born in peacetime and don¡¯t understand the cruelty of war very well, but now that you¡¯ve come to the practical base, it¡¯s my duty as an officer to fill your knowledge gaps about the war.¡± He raised his hand and pointed at the ground under his feet, shouting heroically, ¡°Where you are standing now, there has been the blood of countless seniors. If the war starts immediately, and getting to the other side of the city wall is the only possibility for you to survive, will you choose to wait for death or not give up any hope and save others with your flesh and blood!¡± ¡°I know that many people might only want to save their own lives. Then I have to tell you very cruelly that the only way to get to the other side of the city wall is to step on your companions¡¯ shoulders and use their chance of survival to exchange for yours.¡± It was rare for the instructor to give a wake-up call to the students who usually only cared about burying their heads in their books and chasing after the rankings. They were used to living a pampered life and would never think for others or suffer easily. But now, when they looked at the familiar faces of the people around them, they could suddenly put themselves in the other party¡¯s shoes and think about living or sacrificing. The chief instructor looked at their thoughtful expressions in satisfaction. He changed the topic and impassionedly mobilized their morale. ¡°But I believe that the students of Cassel Academy will not give up on any student until the last moment. Now, I¡¯ll give you this only wall that can lead to survival. I hope that in the end, every student can successfully climb over the wall!¡± As soon as the instructor finished speaking, inspiring music suddenly resounded throughout the venue. The sound of artillery fire suddenly sounded from behind. The timid students were so frightened that they screamed. They seemed to have been thrown into the real battlefield the moment the music sounded. ¡°Students, don¡¯t be afraid!¡± Someone¡¯s loud voice made the panicked students in the venue quiet down. After a short silence, the boys of Cassel Academy looked at one another. Unexpectedly, they spontaneously rushed to the foot of the city wall and were willing to be the wall at the bottom. The sound of the guns gradually became hurried behind them. Dust gradually rose, and thick fog filled the entire venue. Su Tang grabbed Shi Man¡¯s sleeve nervously and looked up at her in fear. ¡°What should we do, Manman? Are we really going up?¡± ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Shi Man held her hand and rushed to the edge of the city wall with her, carrying her to the shoulder of the wall. Su Tang¡¯s body trembled in fear. Her fingers clung to the cold and damp wall. The boy who rushed to the city wall grabbed her hand and pushed her up. Shi Man glanced at Chen Wei in front of her and smiled without mockery for the first time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll pull you up later.¡± ¡°Hurry up and go up, Sister Man! You¡¯re welcome. Please step on me as much as you want!¡± Chen Wei had just endured the weight of a person. At this moment, his shoulder hurt badly, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. Shi Man adjusted her strength and did not place all her weight on him alone. She nimbly climbed up the city wall and turned around to follow Su Tang and the others to pick up the student who had climbed up the city wall. The students at the bottom endured a few stomps and could not help but look ferocious as they gritted their teeth. The cold sweat on their foreheads flowed into their stuffy clothes, but no one was willing to say anything. Shi Man frowned and could tell that they were in a bad state. She stood on the city wall and said loudly, ¡°Give me your hands and I¡¯ll pull you up!¡± ¡°Shi Man! What are you trying to do? How strong can a woman like you be?!¡± The boy below was stimulated and gritted his teeth to send another girl up. ¡°How can you talk to my Sister Man like that? Damn it, if you don¡¯t switch, I won¡¯t switch either!¡± Chen Wei rolled up his sleeves and grabbed a thin female classmate. He bent down and said, ¡°Come on! What are you waiting for? I¡¯m a man. I won¡¯t die!¡± The female classmate was already afraid of the current atmosphere. Her eyes turned red when she was caught off guard by his roar. She crawled onto his body with her hands and feet, and her legs almost slipped several times. Chapter 85 - 85 Saving People 85 Saving People The sound of artillery fire was endless, and dust covered every pure and white face. Sparks began to spread from the surroundings of the venue to the center, and smoke suddenly rushed into everyone¡¯s noses. ¡°Is there a need to be so serious?! Do you want to burn us to death?!¡± A student¡¯s eyes were bloodshot from the smoke. He grabbed the arm of the human wall in front of him and forcefully pushed her up. ¡°If you can¡¯t, get lost. It¡¯s my turn!¡± One after another, the students reacted. This was no longer a simple practical training. The dust and fog in the air were getting thicker. If this dragged on for too long, they might really be in danger. The girl, who was still in a daze behind the human wall, was suddenly grabbed by the arm and pushed onto the shoulder of the person in front of her. ¡°Why are you in a daze? Do you want to die?!¡± On the city wall, Su Tang and another boy pulled a student up. The thick smoke choked her lungs and she couldn¡¯t help but bend down and cough. ¡°Move away first. Leave this to me.¡± Shi Man pushed her out without thinking. According to the chief instructor, as long as they got to the other side of the city wall, they could survive. As long as Su Tang went down to the other side of the city wall, she would be safe. ¡°Manman.¡± Su Tang held her hand firmly, her soft eyes filled with unfamiliar ruthlessness. ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± ¡°Can anyone help me? Please!¡± Outside the city wall, another student climbed up, but because there were not enough people on the wall, he was left on the spot. Chen Wei, who was supporting him, felt that his shoulder blades were about to be crushed by him, but he still persisted and swallowed. He gritted his teeth and didn¡¯t even have the strength to care about the sweat flowing into his eyes. ¡°Damn, Sister Man, hurry up. I can¡¯t hold on anymore.¡± Shi Man did not have the time to persuade Su Tang to leave. She could only let Su Tang stay with her. The two of them pulled the student hanging on the city wall up. Chen Wei finally lost his burden and fell to the ground, no longer having the strength to stand up. ¡°Chen Wei!¡± Du Ming stood behind him hesitantly and clenched his fists. ¡°I¡¯ll send you up. You can¡¯t hold on anymore.¡± Chen Wei got up and wiped the sweat off his face. He nodded heavily. ¡°Alright!¡± Time passed minute by minute. More and more students gathered on the other side of the city wall. Those who were strong would take the initiative to replace the students on the city wall. Those who were weak stared fixedly at the commotion above, hoping that this practical training would end quickly. There was no need for anyone to give commands in the venue. The students could finally climb the city wall in an orderly manner. The human wall changed wave after wave. The students in charge of receiving them on the wall mechanically held pairs of hands and brought them to the other students above. Suddenly, there was an explosion at the edge of the venue. Shi Man frowned and looked over. Through the thick smoke, she acutely saw that a circle of small bombs on the outer edge was being detonated one by one. The students standing nearby were affected by the tremor and fell forward uncontrollably. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Come over quickly!¡± Chen Wei urged anxiously on the city wall. He wished he could jump down and throw those people onto the city wall. Shi Jing and a few students were so frightened that their bodies were trembling. They hurriedly got up from the ground and pushed through the crowd to rush towards the human wall crazily, squeezing into the orderly queue in front. ¡°Let me go up. I don¡¯t want to be here anymore. I¡¯ve had enough!¡± Shi Jing stepped on the thigh used to support her body in a panic and looked up at the wall pleadingly. She was caught off guard and met Shi Man¡¯s cold eyes. As if someone had splashed a basin of cold water on her head, she retracted her foot in shock and gritted her teeth to pull the girl back. ¡°I¡¯ll take the back. You guys go first!¡± Her rationality finally overcame her panic. Shi Jing closed her eyes and silently retreated to the back of the team. Now that all the students in the school were watching, she could not embarrass herself. This interlude was quickly forgotten. The students in front were still in order as if they were real soldiers who had been trained thousands of times. There were fewer and fewer students left under the wall. Finally, it was Shi Jing¡¯s turn. She looked at the exhausted classmate in front of her and stood on his shoulder without any delay. She raised her hand and reached out to Shi Man. A pair of cold hands suddenly pulled her back. Shi Jing couldn¡¯t help but look up and see Shi Man pulling her up with a serious expression. Her eyes were cold as if she had just pulled a corpse up. Shi Jing patted the dust off her body and rolled her eyes. ¡°Saving me really disgusts you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Shi Man continued to reach out to scoop up the next person. She took the time to reply, ¡°It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t deserve to die.¡± Shi Jing was stunned. She suddenly curled her lips and sneered, as if this was the only way to suppress the throbbing in her heart. ¡°I won¡¯t thank you. I won¡¯t let you off in the future.¡± Shi Man glanced at her indifferently and said casually, ¡°If you want to die, go ahead.¡± The smoke of the battlefield made everyone¡¯s eyes red. In her daze, Shi Jing actually saw a completely unfamiliar ruthless girl through Shi Man. Chapter 86 - 86 Bringing You Home 86 Bringing You Home Soon, there was only one person left below the city wall, but this became everyone¡¯s problem. The city wall was too high and it was impossible to pull him up without anyone else supporting him below. ¡°Sister Man.¡± Chen Wei thought about it seriously and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t I borrow a rope from the instructor!¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shi Man looked at Su Tang and Chen Wei and said calmly, ¡°You just have to hold onto me tightly later.¡± ¡°Manman, what are you doing?¡± Su Tang grabbed her hand worriedly and realized that a wound had appeared on her usually fair and tender palm. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding. There¡¯s too much dust here. Be careful of infection. I¡¯ll take you to the infirmary to deal with it.¡± Su Tang didn¡¯t dare touch her hand again. Instead, she took her arm and tried to pull her down the city wall. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a small injury.¡± Shi Man looked at the edge of the venue. Seeing that the miniature bomb that had been set up in advance was about to explode at the foot of the city wall, she jumped onto the edge of the city wall and hooked her knee tightly onto the wall, hanging upside down. On the rostrum, Shi Mu couldn¡¯t help but stand up in fear. The city wall was more than four meters tall. If Shi Man accidentally fell, adopting such a posture was no different from taking the initiative to die. ¡°Stop! Stop quickly!¡± He rushed to the commander-in-chief crazily, trying to use the Shi family¡¯s power to end this training in advance. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Yi Zheng looked at the girl hanging upside down on the wall with certainty. He knew Shi Man¡¯s strength better than anyone, but for some reason, his heart was still in his throat. However, this nervousness had long been hidden by his coldness. ¡°If anything happens to my sister because of this training, I won¡¯t let any of you off!¡± Shi Mu glared at Yi Zheng fiercely, his fists clenched by his sides. On the city wall, everyone held their breaths because of Shi Man¡¯s actions. ¡°Manman!¡± Su Tang was the first to react. She pounced on her in shock and hugged her waist, so frightened that tears flowed out. ¡°Sister Man! Let me help you!¡± After Chen Wei pounced over to help her stabilize her legs, Shi Man reached out and grabbed the hands of the last person under the wall. The veins on her arms bulged, and a powerful force erupted from her waist. Finally, with everyone¡¯s combined efforts, she successfully helped the last student cross the city wall. Seeing that his training goal had been achieved, the chief instructor immediately ordered the removal of all the simulated combat equipment and the bombs. The dust gradually dissipated, revealing the blue sky. The sunlight shone on everyone for a long time, letting these students, who had been pampered since they were born, realize for the first time how rare and beautiful peace was. The chief instructor clapped his hands and stood on the rostrum in relief. He praised, ¡°As expected of students of Cassel Academy. You used the shortest time since the launch of the organization¡¯s practical training to complete this mission efficiently. Every one of you will become the pride of the future motherland!¡± Joy filled every face after surviving a calamity. This practical training made people see many things clearly. The most outstanding student was Shi Man. Her final decisiveness on the city wall was deeply engraved in everyone¡¯s minds. Later on, when the students mentioned Shi Man, they would always think of her bravery and courage that day. No one would associate her with the title of trash anymore. Instead, they would worship her from the bottom of their hearts. The practical training ended successfully with everyone working together. Before packing up and returning to school, Shi Mu ran to the dormitory to look for her in fear. He held her hand and saw the wound on it. His heart ached so much that his eyes turned red. ¡°Sister, if I had known this would happen, I would have brought you home yesterday.¡± ¡°Why are you bringing me home?¡± Shi Man put away her backpack and looked at him in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting. If only I could have simulated combat training.¡± Thinking of the advanced guns in their hands during military training, Shi Man felt envious. Unfortunately, she could not touch such good weapons casually. If she wanted it, she could only try her luck in the black market or extort them from Yi Zheng. Thinking of that man, Shi Man asked casually, ¡°Where¡¯s Yi Zheng? Has he left?¡± ¡°You care about him?¡± Shi Mu frowned as if she was talking about the Shi family¡¯s irreconcilable enemy. He disliked Yi Zheng a hundred times now, and was afraid that his sister would still be reluctant to part with him. He really could not understand how such a cold-blooded man was worthy of his precious sister¡¯s love. He was not worthy of their Shi family¡¯s treasure at all! Su Tang paused in her packing and stiffened her body as she pricked up her ears to listen to her answer. Shi Man did not expect her casual words to make the two of them react so strongly. She smiled awkwardly and carried her bag. ¡°Why should I care about him? Didn¡¯t the two of you have a conflict on the rostrum just now?¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Shi Mu immediately turned his grief and indignation into relief and gratitude. He pounced on Shi Man and hugged her shoulder tightly. He said pitifully, ¡°So you didn¡¯t forget to pay attention to me at such a dangerous time. I didn¡¯t dote on you in vain. When we go back, I¡¯ll treat you to king crab!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shi Man smiled. When she saw Su Tang smiling quietly, she suddenly said, ¡°Are you coming to my house?¡± Chapter 87 - 87 Friend 87 Friend ¡°Huh?¡± Su Tang looked up at her in a daze. Seeing the surprise in her eyes, Shi Man¡¯s lips curled into shallow dimples. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m very willing.¡± ¡°Manman, aren¡¯t you very¡­¡± Shi Mu swallowed his words. When she defended Su Tang that day, he could tell that Shi Man would no longer target Su Tang because of Yi Zheng. Was this another confirmation that his sister really did not have a good impression of Yi Zheng? At the thought that his sister was no longer sad and jealous of other women, Shi Mu was in a good mood. He smiled brightly and said, ¡°This is the first time Manman has invited her friend to our house to play. If our family finds out, they will definitely be very happy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Su Tang lowered her head shyly, a blush flashing across her face. The word ¡°friend¡± fell into her heart, making her savor it repeatedly in joy. ¡°Take my car later. Don¡¯t squeeze into the bus. Let¡¯s go home for dinner. I¡¯ll call and order seafood now.¡± Shi Mu was a man of action. He was not willing to wait at all. He took his phone and left the dormitory to arrange dinner. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shi Man looked calm, but her heart was already in turmoil. She had yet to recover from the invitation she blurted out. She did not like to be too close to others. Friends were undoubtedly a moving weakness for her, but her current life was different from before. Perhaps she could try to accept someone into her life. Her thoughtful gaze did not leave Su Tang for a moment, making Su Tang blush and nod shyly. ¡°Alright, thank you for making me your good friend.¡± ¡°Is there a need to thank me?¡± Shi Man asked seriously. She thought that being good friends was the closest relationship between two people who were not related by blood, but she did not know that one had to thank another for being a good friend. Su Tang was stunned by her question, then shook her head in amusement. ¡°No need. I¡¯m too polite.¡± Shi Man smiled and walked out of the dormitory with Su Tang. For the first time, she knew how wonderful it was to have a good friend she could trust. The two of them sat side by side in the backseat of Shi Mu¡¯s car. Along the way, Shi Mu asked about Su Tang¡¯s situation in detail. After confirming that she really would not pose any threat to his sister, he let down his guard and warmly accepted her. At the entrance of the practical base and in front of the bus, Shi Jing clenched her fists angrily and watched as Shi Man and the other two got into the car and left. If not for Fang Han¡¯s lousy idea that caused her to be chased out of the Shi family, the person who could leave with Shi Mu openly would have been her, and not Su Tang, who had no status. ¡°Jingjing, why do I seem to see Shi Mu and Shi Man leave together? Aren¡¯t you going with them?¡± Shi Jing¡¯s deskmate looked curious, but she actually leaned towards Shi Jing and asked loudly. Shi Jing glanced at her without changing her expression and said calmly, ¡°I still have something on tonight. A driver will send me back later.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She deliberately dragged out the word meaningfully and rolled her eyes at Shi Jing in disdain. She turned around and walked into the bus. There was quite a commotion here. Many students heard their conversation and looked at Shi Jing strangely. The reason they accepted Shi Jing was all because of her relationship with Shi Mu. However, if her status in the Shi family was insignificant, there was no need for them to coax her and play with her. Of course, Shi Jing knew what they were thinking. She had to do her utmost to maintain her expression of indifference. She raised her head proudly and walked into the bus to find an empty seat to sit down. Sitting beside her was a little girl with a baby face. The young lady¡¯s name was Bai Yao. Due to her delicate appearance, she had always been quite popular in class. Many boys would more or less favor her. She lifted the hair at her temples and turned to look at the frustrated Shi Jing with a faint smile. ¡°Sister Jingjing, you¡¯ll become old and ugly if you keep frowning. My mother said so.¡± The Bai family was considered an elite family in G City. Their strength was average. Although they were not the richest family like the Shi family, they were still a family that did not lack money to spend. The daughter they raised was fair and tender, and she looked like an innocent little princess. The little princess spoke to her seriously, making it difficult for Shi Jing to vent her anger on her. She could only swallow her anger and say perfunctorily, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really obedient. Fortunately, you learned to be smarter this time.¡± Bai Yao leaned closer to Shi Jing and said slowly in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Otherwise, Fang Han wouldn¡¯t be the only one who got into trouble.¡± Shi Jing widened her eyes in shock and looked at her. She saw Bai Yao smiling innocently. She retreated a little and tilted her head to look at her. ¡°Am I right, Sister Shi Jing?¡± Chapter 88 - 88 Video 88 Video At the Shi family, Shen Xian hugged Shi Man lovingly and stroked the top of her head gently. ¡°My poor baby, you suffered in that place. If I had known, I would have let you enter school after the practical training.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to train?¡± Shi Zhong didn¡¯t want his wife to be sad, so he quickly hugged her from behind and comforted her softly. ¡°You can¡¯t wait for our baby to suffer more, right?¡± Shen Xian glared at him and punched his chest. ¡°This is the last baby I gave birth to. If you don¡¯t dote on her, I¡¯ll ignore you again.¡± ¡°I was wrong, Honey.¡± Shi Zhong did not dare to go against her. He quickly hugged her and coaxed her until she smiled. Shi Mu coughed awkwardly. When his parents were done, he took a step aside and revealed Su Tang, who was hiding behind him. ¡°Dad, Mom, Manman even brought her classmate back to play this time.¡± ¡°Manman has a good friend!¡± Shen Xian immediately forgot about that unhappiness and looked at the door excitedly. However, her gaze suddenly stopped when she saw Su Tang¡¯s face. Shen Xian frowned and examined Su Tang seriously. If she remembered correctly, wasn¡¯t this girl the one who was placed in the Yi family? Was she actually brought back by Manman herself? Didn¡¯t Manman hate her the most in the past and think of ways to target her? Glancing at Shi Man¡¯s wooden face, Shen Xian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Her intuition told her that this might be a trap set by her daughter. Did Manman want to bring her home to torture her? She looked at Shi Zhong and coughed lightly. She probed carefully, ¡°Manman, you know who she is, right?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Shi Man looked at her mother strangely, not understanding why she asked such a question. Shen Xian¡¯s heart skipped a beat again. She continued to probe, ¡°Manman, Mom supports all your decisions, but since we¡¯re going to cancel the engagement with the Yi family, do we have to bring her home¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like me bringing my friend back?¡± Shi Man looked at Shen Xian thoughtfully. Could it be that she was taking into account Su Tang and Yi Zheng¡¯s identities and was unwilling to let her come to the house? ¡°Friend?¡± Shen Xian was shocked by this form of address. This was the first time she had heard this status from her daughter. She immediately glared at Su Tang in surprise. ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ve already become friends?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded matter-of-factly. Looking at her shocked expression, she suddenly realized something and shook her head helplessly with a smile. ¡°My friendship with Su Tang has nothing to do with Yi Zheng.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Shen Xian heaved a sigh of relief. She smiled kindly and took Su Tang¡¯s hand to sit on the sofa. ¡°How did you become friends with Manman?¡± ¡°Auntie, we¡¯re in the same class. I¡¯m Manman¡¯s deskmate.¡± Su Tang introduced herself politely to Shen Xian. This was the first time she had come to the Shi family. She was very happy to be brought home by Shi Man as her best friend. ¡°I see.¡± Shen Xian held her hand kindly and asked her many questions about Shi Man in school. Speaking of this practical training, Su Tang even told her about Shi Man taking care of her. Shen Xian¡¯s eyelids twitched when she heard this. No matter what, she could not link the helpful girl she mentioned to her daughter. Seeing that Shen Xian did not believe what she heard, Shi Mu took out his phone and pulled up the video he took of the human wall challenge. He showed her Shi Man¡¯s performance from the beginning to the end and the magnificent feat at the end. This time, not only was Shen Xian shocked, but even Shi Zhong stared at his daughter in disbelief. He never expected his daughter, who was always unruly and domineering and caused trouble every day, to do such a righteous thing at the critical moment. To be fair, even if it was Shi Zhong himself, he might not have had the courage to do something like hanging from the city wall under such urgent circumstances. It turned out that his daughter had really grown up. Shi Zhong smiled in relief. His eyes turned red uncontrollably, and his arm that was hugging Shen Xian trembled slightly. Shen Xian hugged Shi Man happily and refused to let go. Her daughter was becoming more and more outstanding. As a mother, she was undoubtedly relieved although her heart ached. If possible, she would rather Shi Man be unruly and willful for the rest of her life. Anyway, she would always have her daughter¡¯s back. ¡°Manman is indeed very powerful. If not for her this time, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure the practical training.¡± Su Tang was telling the truth. The content of the practical training the previous time was actually similar to military training. As long as she endured it, she would be able to survive. However, this time, in terms of strength and content, it was at a higher level. If not for Shi Man, she might really hide under the blanket and cry every day. Shen Xian happily hugged her phone and watched Shi Man¡¯s video repeatedly. She even proudly sent a copy of the video to Yi Zheng¡¯s parents to let them see how blind their son was. Chapter 89 - 89 Visit 89 Visit When the other three brothers entered the living room, they saw their beautiful mother sitting on the sofa holding her phone and smiling foolishly. Beside her were their sister and an unfamiliar girl. ¡°Su Tang?¡± Shi Yu saw who it was and his expression suddenly darkened. Shi Mu quickly walked over and explained on Shi Man¡¯s behalf. Only then did the few of them heave a sigh of relief. They sat around Shi Man and asked about her well-being. Shi Ke sized Shi Man up and suddenly frowned. He picked up her hand and stared at the wound on her palm. He asked with heartache, ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°Aiya, Manman, why didn¡¯t you say that you were injured?¡± Shen Xian immediately called a servant to treat Shi Man¡¯s wound. Shi Mu punched the sofa in self-reproach. Just now, he had been too enthralled watching his sister¡¯s exciting performance. He had actually carelessly forgotten that his sister was injured. What an incompetent brother he was. Shi Yu picked up his phone and looked at the recording. When he saw the last scene, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Silly sister, it¡¯s too dangerous for you to do this. You¡¯re not allowed to do this in the future.¡± ¡°Sister, you¡¯re really too cool!¡± Shi He hugged Shi Man¡¯s shoulder and praised her from the bottom of his heart. ¡°If this action was in a movie, I can guarantee that you would definitely be praised as a goddess! Sister, why don¡¯t you enter the entertainment industry with me to act!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so good about the entertainment industry? Sister, why don¡¯t you take over the position of the president of my Student Union first?¡± Shi Mu pushed Shi He away and promoted himself actively. Seeing the two of them promote themselves to Shi Man the way vendors sold cabbages, Su Tang looked at Shi Man enviously and was really happy for her. In her heart, Shi Man deserved the best. ¡°Stop looking at me like that. I¡¯ll get very annoyed.¡± Shi Man pretended to be troubled and held her forehead. Although her brothers doted on her, they were too noisy. When the four of them spoke together, there was simply no peace when they were jealous of one another. Su Tang couldn¡¯t help but laugh and say sincerely, ¡°I finally know why Manman is so outstanding. Your family is really good.¡± Su Tang had lost her biological parents at a young age. She had been raised by her uncle¡¯s family. Her aunt was kind and treated her very well, but her life was very tight. The family often had to work tirelessly every day to make a living. In order to be able to afford her favorite beef and seafood during the new year, her uncle would even work three jobs a day and only sleep three to four hours a day. He supported a large family with his meager salary. Her heart ached for her uncle and aunt¡¯s hard work. She had never dared to hope that she could go to university one day, but she did not expect such an opportunity to have been given to her with the lives of all her loved ones in exchange. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Shi Man pushed her gently. Su Tang came back to her senses and realized that the Shi family was already sitting around the dining table happily and joking. Only Shi Man looked down at her with a smile and her outstretched hand by her side. Unexpectedly, she took the hand and stood up with a smile. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m sorry. I was distracted.¡± ¡°You like to apologize.¡± Shi Man turned around and stared at her seriously. ¡°Have you let me down in so many areas?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Su Tang blushed and smiled. She pursed her lips and stammered, ¡°Then I won¡¯t say it again. You also don¡¯t have to thank me for the things I do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for the best. It¡¯s simple and convenient to communicate.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and pulled her to the table to sit down. Afraid that she would be embarrassed to eat, she put on gloves and personally took the fattest piece of crab meat and placed it on her plate. ¡°Try it. I think it¡¯s quite fresh.¡± Su Tang put on her gloves, picked up the crab meat, and ate it in small bites. Her fair face was dyed pink by the warm atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s indeed delicious. I¡¯ve never eaten such a big crab.¡± ¡°Then you can come often in the future.¡± Shi Mu peeled the crab meat for the two of them enthusiastically. To him, as long as his sister was happy, he was willing to accommodate what she loved and treat her best friend generously. Su Tang smiled and thanked him softly. Not to be outdone, Shi He also fought to peel crab meat for Shi Man. Seeing the two of them compete childishly, the others shook their heads helplessly and let these two clowns do whatever they wanted. After the meal, the family was sitting on the sofa chatting to digest their food when Butler Qi suddenly walked in with a strange expression and interrupted the relaxed and warm atmosphere. ¡°Master, Madam, Yi Zheng is here. The car is already parked outside. Should we let him in?¡± ¡°What is he doing here!¡± Shi Mu felt angry when he heard his name. He stood up impulsively and pointed in the direction of the door. ¡°Close the door and let him go home. I¡¯m annoyed when I see him.¡± ¡°Shi Mu, shut up.¡± Shi Zhong berated his son coldly. He looked up at Butler Qi and said, ¡°Invite him in.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Shi Mu was dissatisfied and wanted to accuse Yi Zheng of being indifferent to Shi Man on the rostrum, but Shi Yu raised his hand to stop him. ¡°He¡¯s from the Yi family. It¡¯s not good to not let him in. Besides¡­¡± He raised his chin slightly and pointed at the girl beside Shi Man. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s here to bring her back.¡± Chapter 90 - 90 Gift 90 Gift Yi Zheng was wearing a black suit and a black coat. After entering, he took off his coat and handed it to Butler Qi for safekeeping. Then, he nodded politely at Shen Xian and Shi Zhong. ¡°Uncle Shi, Aunt Shen, I took the liberty to visit and brought a small gift. I hope you like it.¡± He turned his head and glanced at his assistant. Tang Zhe immediately took a step forward and handed over an elegantly decorated black box that was lined with gold. ¡°CEO Shi, Mrs. Shen, this is an emerald ornament that my master especially got someone to find. Please take a look.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to take a look. Yi Zheng is very considerate.¡± Shen Xian waved her hand and asked Butler Qi to accept the things. She lazily picked up the teacup and took a sip before saying calmly, ¡°Sit.¡± What Shen Xian meant was what Shi Zhong meant. Yi Zheng lowered his eyes and sat opposite her respectfully. His gaze swept across Shi Man, who was drinking tea expressionlessly. He suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Manman¡¯s performance today is very outstanding. She¡¯s very different from before.¡± ¡°Our Manman has always been very outstanding, but some people are too blind and delayed my Manman for no reason.¡± Shi Mu simply didn¡¯t like him and couldn¡¯t help but scold him. Yi Zheng pursed his lips and stopped talking. Shi Yu coughed lightly and glared at Shi Mu. He smiled and said, ¡°Are you here to bring Miss Su Tang back?¡± ¡°Not entirely.¡± Yi Zheng did not take Shi Mu¡¯s words to heart. He still maintained a faint smile on his lips. ¡°I came this time because I haven¡¯t visited Uncle Shi and Aunt Shen in a long time. I should come and visit.¡± ¡°Yi Zheng, we¡¯ve watched you grow up and know your personality. However, you have to know that Shi Man is our Shi family¡¯s treasure. We can¡¯t let anyone bully her easily.¡± Shen Xian looked calm, but her words were filled with warning. Yi Zheng understood and nodded. ¡°Aunt Shen, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t mistreat Manman.¡± Shen Xian thought that he would say something about the annulment, but she did not expect him to agree. She looked at Shi Zhong in confusion. ¡°Hiss.¡± Shi Mu¡¯s hair stood on end from Yi Zheng¡¯s words tonight. He couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°Stop, stop, stop. Yi Zheng, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve suddenly changed. Didn¡¯t you address my sister using her full name in the past?¡± Shi Yu also found it strange. He had the best relationship with Yi Zheng and had never seen Yi Zheng call a girl by her nickname so intimately. Could it be that he didn¡¯t want to cancel the engagement with Manman? If he was sincere, Shi Yu would naturally be happy to see it happen. However, if he had other motives, Shi Yu would not let him treat his precious sister as a chess piece. ¡°Yi Zheng, the person my sister is going to marry in the future must sincerely love her. Do you understand?¡± Yi Zheng glanced at Shi Man, who looked like she had nothing to do with him, and smiled deeply. ¡°I understand.¡± Shi Man held her forehead speechlessly. She put down her teacup and glared at him. ¡°It¡¯s too late. Like I said, I want to¡­¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s getting late. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Yi Zheng stood up and bid farewell to Shi Zhong and Shen Xian before Shi Man could finish. He took the coat from Butler Qi and placed it in the crook of his arm. He looked at Shi Man meaningfully and left with Su Tang. When the car arrived outside the Yi family¡¯s door, Tang Zhe glanced at his master through the rearview mirror and frowned slightly. ¡°Miss Su, please go in first.¡± Su Tang did not dare to ask about Yi Zheng and nodded obediently. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go in first. Brother Yi, rest early.¡± Yi Zheng was unmoved and sat indifferently in the back seat. It was not until she got out of the car and opened the door, allowing a cold wind to blow in, that his body trembled imperceptibly. ¡°Master, your poison is acting up again.¡± Although there was nothing abnormal about Yi Zheng from his performance, Tang Zhe could still deduce his physical condition from the details. He asked worriedly, ¡°Why don¡¯t I inform Immaculate now and get them to prepare to give you acupuncture?¡± ¡°Arrange it for tomorrow night.¡± Shi Man had just returned home from practical training today and should rest well for the night. He endured another burning pain in his body and felt a little better. Tang Zhe quickly got out of the car and opened the door. He took the coat and draped it over his shoulder. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll heat up today¡¯s medicine for you. You can sleep after drinking it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng walked through the door without changing his expression. He suddenly thought of something and stopped in his tracks. ¡°Have you done a stocktake of the firearms brought back from the army?¡± ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Tang Zhe nodded and reported the statistics. He frowned and asked, ¡°Master, how do you plan to deal with it?¡± Yi Zheng suddenly thought of the silver carved pistol he had seen on the surveillance camera that day and the girl¡¯s valiant figure. He raised his hand and fiddled with the golden jade ring on his thumb. He said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll give them all to Immaculate.¡± ¡°Master?¡± Tang Zhe did not expect Yi Zheng to be willing to part with this batch of precious firearms. Although they had promised to hand over a fixed number of firearms to Immaculate on time every month, it did not have to be this batch. Yi Zheng had gone through a lot of trouble to get this. So it was for Shi Man? Chapter 91 - 91 Test 91 Test The next day was a rest day. Shi Man had nothing to do, so she left the Shi family and came to the stronghold where she had first encountered Sean and the others to see what they were doing. Before she could walk into the factory, she was shocked by the ear-piercing screams inside. She kicked open the door angrily and looked coldly at the men making noise inside. When Sean saw her, he hurriedly went up to her with his lackeys. ¡°Boss, I was about to get someone to invite you. See what treasure that person sent us?¡± ¡°What made you so excited?¡± Shi Man glared at them unhappily before casually looking at the boxes in the middle of the factory. They must be the batch of ordnance they had agreed on previously. What was there to be excited about? She had seen those things before. Although they were of high quality, they were not rare items. If she wanted them, she could also¡­ obtain them¡­ ¡°This is?¡± Shi Man picked up a standard sniper rifle in surprise and skillfully removed the magazine to play with it in her hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the army¡¯s special armament? Did they send these over?¡± ¡°Yes, they completed the handover with us this morning. They still want you to treat their boss again tonight.¡± Sean was overjoyed. Once again, he felt that the decision to acknowledge Shi Man as their boss was very wise. If not for Shi Man, they would not have had the chance to touch this batch of firearms in their lives. ¡°Then prepare yourself. Wear a mask and follow me tonight. Don¡¯t let anyone get on my trail.¡± Shi Man felt that this matter was too strange. The batch of firearms she wanted was far more basic than these. There was no need for Yi Zheng to especially give her this gift. One who was solicitous out of the blue was definitely up to no good. She was worried that Yi Zheng wanted to take this opportunity to make her lower her guard and uncover her true identity. She did not want to cause trouble for herself. She could not wait to cut ties with Yi Zheng. ¡°I know, Boss. If they dare to harm you, I¡¯ll be the first to stand up and fight them to the death.¡± Sean smiled foolishly with his bald head. He had always been like this. He was loyal and bold. Otherwise, Shi Man would not have kept them until now. ¡°That¡¯s right, Boss. Don¡¯t worry, we will definitely protect you well.¡± The other mercenaries expressed their determination. Now that they had this batch of firearms, would they have to worry about not being able to unify M City? If their strength could expand further, the brothers would live a good life in the future and never lick blood at the tip of a knife again. ¡°With just you?¡± Shi Man threw a wet blanket on them. ¡°Even if you attack me together, I won¡¯t take you seriously. How dare you say you want to protect me?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re indeed far inferior to Boss.¡± Sean scratched his head in embarrassment. Although Boss was not an ordinary person, it was not glorious to say that a few men had lost to a weak-looking little girl. Seeing that they had put away their smug expressions and looked a little ashamed, Shi Man sat back at the head of the table and said calmly, ¡°So in order for you to do your respective jobs in the future, I want to train your skills from now on. With Sean as the leader, you have to undergo physical training every day according to the plan. I have a set of punitive measures for those who don¡¯t pass. If you want to try, feel free to slack off.¡± ¡°Boss, are you going to teach us your skills personally?¡± Sean looked at his brothers in surprise and turned to Shi Man. He would do anything to please her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you don¡¯t hesitate to teach us, we will definitely learn from you and not embarrass you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Shi Man took out a plan sheet from her bag and handed it to Sean. ¡°Your daily training content is written in detail. I¡¯ll come and check from time to time.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Sean put away the plan like a treasure. It had to be known that Shi Man could easily subdue them at a young age. Her skills were at a level that ordinary people could not reach in their entire lives. If they could really learn a little from her, it would be very beneficial to them. ¡°I¡¯ll do a simple test for you today.¡± Shi Man leaned against the armrest of the chair and raised her chin to signal Sean and the others to choose a gun. She pointed at the target on the wall and said calmly, ¡°Within ten shots, whoever has the highest hit rate will win.¡± ¡°Great! I can finally use the ordnance that only those army officers are qualified to use!¡± Sean excitedly picked up a pistol, loaded it, flicked the bolt, and fired at the target. The bullet hit the bullseye. The lackeys cheered in reverence and picked out their pistols. But the guns didn¡¯t seem to obey them when they were in their hands. It was always difficult to aim. Only one or two of the ten shots hit the bullseye. The rest hit the outer ring. Compared to Sean, who had hit the target seven times, the technical difference was too great. Chapter 92 - 92 Black Market Shopping 92 Black Market Shopping ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t have the ability to control these guns yet.¡± Shi Man stood up slowly and casually picked up a lighter pistol. There was almost no need to aim. She tapped the panel machine and the bullet drew a straight line in the air, accurately hitting the bullseye. ¡°These are all good guns, but they¡¯re not suitable for you to use now.¡± Shi Man put down the gun and saw the stunned people. ¡°Are you shocked just like that? As long as you practice well, you can do it.¡± ¡°Boss! I want to learn from you!¡± Sean admired her so much that he wished he get bring his subordinates to kneel and acknowledge Shi Man as their master. Shi Man waved her hand helplessly and said, ¡°Put these things away first and run 3,000 meters around the warehouse to warm up. I¡¯ll bring Sean to the black market first to buy some ordnance suitable for practice at your current stage.¡± ¡°Is Boss going to the black market? But I don¡¯t know where the black market in G City is hidden.¡± Sean smiled shyly. It was a shame to say this. Although they were a mercenary group that had missions around the country, their foundation was still in M City. To the local forces in the other cities, they were like fugitives, so until now, they did not know where the black markets in the other provinces were hidden. ¡°I know.¡± Shi Man picked up the mask she had brought and handed it to Sean. ¡°Just come with me.¡± ¡°Boss, you even know this!¡± Sean couldn¡¯t help but let his thoughts run wild. On the surface, Shi Man looked like a young lady who had yet to graduate, but the Shi family had secretly nurtured her like a leader of the underworld. It had to be said that the Shi family¡¯s true motive was shockingly terrifying. He couldn¡¯t be blamed for thinking too much. Everyone knew the Shi family¡¯s status as the richest family in G City. On the surface, the Shi family¡¯s business could be moved to the sunshine industry mentioned in front of others. However, now that Shi Man had been nurtured into a top killer by them, he couldn¡¯t help but suspect that the Shi family was interested in the gray industry. Shi Man raised her hand and put on her mask. She snapped her fingers in front of his stunned eyes. ¡°What are you plotting against me?¡± Sean instantly came back to his senses. He looked up and saw the faint smile on her face. He immediately shivered in fear and hurriedly shook his head. ¡°How would I dare to scheme against you? Don¡¯t think that we¡¯re doing shameful things, but we brothers are the most loyal. We agreed to acknowledge you as our boss, so you¡¯ll be our boss for the rest of our lives.¡± Shi Man looked at his nervous explanation in amusement and waved her hand casually. ¡°I¡¯m just saying and you got nervous. Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Sean did not dare to think too much about the Shi family. He instructed the others to train and sat in the car with the car keys. Following Shi Man¡¯s instructions, the two of them quickly parked the car outside Venus. After walking into the private room from last time, Shi Man skillfully opened the secret door and brought Sean into the dark passageway. ¡°Boss, how did you find this place?¡± Sean never expected that one of the entrances to the black market was in a private room of a bar. ¡°I have my means.¡± Shi Man smiled. Through the ghostly mask, one would feel that her smile had a deeper meaning. The black market was the shadiest commercial street in the city. In addition to the prohibited armaments, some would even sell human lives. Many mercenaries would choose to meet here to look for business. Most of the employers who could come here were either rich or noble. Everyone strolling in the black market would follow an unwritten rule and wear a mask to protect their true identity. Everyone walking on the streets was serious and cautious, careful of everyone passing by. This was the first time a girl as carefree as Shi Man was spotted in the black market. The vendor who was selling guns raised his hand to stop her. He smiled apologetically and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re familiar. This should be your first time here, right? The guns I have here are most suitable for a young lady like you. Take a look and choose whichever you like.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and looked at the enthusiastic boss in surprise as if he had invited her to pick out the gold and silver jewelry that a young lady liked to wear. Sweeping her gaze across the goods in the stall, Shi Man smiled disdainfully. ¡°Boss, the goods here are not up to standard. If you¡¯re not sincere and just want to fool me because I¡¯m young, I¡¯ll have to go to another shop to take a look.¡± ¡°Aiyo, young lady, you have good eyesight.¡± The boss¡¯s eyes lit up in surprise. He put away his cheeky expression and respectfully made his way into the shop. ¡°Esteemed guest, please come in.¡± Shi Man and Sean walked into the shop. The outer area was filled with ordinary sniper rifles. Only when they walked further in could they see items that were barely acceptable. She picked a pistol carved with golden dragons and roses and looked at it carefully. Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from the door. ¡°Boss! You promised to keep this gun for me. How can you show it to others!¡± The person who came was a young man in his twenties. He had short black curly hair and wore a purple ghost mask. His peach blossom eyes looked over reproachfully, making him look like a fox that had wandered into the mortal world. Chapter 93 - 93 Curiosity 93 Curiosity ¡°Aiyo, why are you here again? I already said that my shop doesn¡¯t entertain bargains. This gun costs 500,000. Not a single cent less.¡± The boss waved his hand to chase him away. A trace of anger appeared in that person¡¯s beautiful eyes. He gritted his teeth and glared at Shi Man. He raised his hand and slapped a bank card on the counter. ¡°Swipe the card. I must have it!¡± ¡°You saved enough money so quickly?¡± The boss swiped the card in disbelief and returned the bank card to him helplessly. ¡°Young Master, stop fooling around with me. There¡¯s not enough money on your card!¡± ¡°How is that possible? I clearly saved enough.¡± He took back the card and took out his phone to check his balance. When he saw a few thousand dollars missing, he was furious. ¡°That little b*tch swiped my card again!¡± The boss¡¯s patience was exhausted. He didn¡¯t want to delay his business because of him anymore. He hurriedly pushed him out of the shop. ¡°If you really like guns, buy some cheap ones. They¡¯re enough for you. Look at the goods outside. They¡¯re all cheaper than that.¡± ¡°I want that!¡± The man stormed past the boss and shouted, ¡°Little girl, can you buy something else? Keep this for me.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and sized up the other anomaly in the black market. She held the gun in her hand and cocked it. The black muzzle was aimed at the man¡¯s head, and the golden dragons were vivid in her hand. ¡°How about I give it to you if you take a shot from me?¡± ¡°Aiyo, that won¡¯t do. Stop fooling around. You can¡¯t aim this at people.¡± The boss was so frightened that his face turned pale. He immediately went forward to snatch the gun from Shi Man¡¯s hand. Sean frowned and stopped his arm. He grabbed him and pressed him against the door. He said viciously, ¡°Don¡¯t interfere in my master¡¯s matters.¡± The man was pointed at by a gun and instantly lost his playfulness. His lips trembled nervously, but he still swallowed and begged, ¡°Let¡¯s talk calmly. Why don¡¯t we change our conditions?¡± Shi Man slowly retracted her pistol and aimed at the target on the side. Then, she placed the pistol on the tray at the side and asked with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s indeed a good gun. Tell me, what are your conditions?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m quite good-looking.¡± Seeing her put down the pistol, the man immediately became bolder and went to her side to promote himself. ¡°Why don¡¯t I play with you after we get out of here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and was unmoved. However, she had a question that needed to be verified. She suddenly asked without changing her expression, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The man thought that she was interested and quickly stuffed his business card into her hand. ¡°Jiang Sheng, how is it? Do you want to go out for a cup of coffee and chat?¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Shi Man sneered and slapped the business card into his hand again. She stood arrogantly on the steps and looked down at him. ¡°There¡¯s no need. We¡¯ll meet again in the future.¡± She said something without meaning it. She didn¡¯t care if he understood or not. She walked back into the shop and picked a batch of guns and other weapons suitable for training her men in Immaculate. She filled a huge box. The boss counted with a smile. It was a total of 5.33 million dollars. Shi Man did not even pause. She reached into her bag, took out her bank card, and handed it over. She swiped her card, paid the bill, and left. Shi Man never looked at Jiang Sheng again. It was not until they left the black market that Sean asked suspiciously, ¡°Don¡¯t you like that pistol? I thought you wouldn¡¯t give it to others.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a pistol.¡± Shi Man did not say much. She asked Sean to bring the things back to the base while she took a taxi back to the Shi family. At night, Shi Man went to look for Yi Zheng as usual. She took out the silver needles that had been applied to other herbs and decisively inserted them into his acupuncture points. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know that you were here to treat me, I would have thought that you were here to kill me.¡± Yi Zheng chatted with her indifferently. Now, he was more and more interested in Shi Man¡¯s secret. When he saw her, a certain part of his heart would still beat excitedly. ¡°I really want to stab you to death and take your power for myself.¡± As Shi Man glared at him expressionlessly, the killing intent in her eyes was undisguised. Yi Zheng smiled in amusement. Suddenly, he was not satisfied with looking at her through the mask. He reached out behind her head to undo the straps of the mask. However, Shi Man increased the pressure on her hand before he could touch her. She slapped his arm away with her other hand and sneered. ¡°You¡¯re so curious. Be careful that you won¡¯t be able to detoxify the heat poison for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ruthless.¡± Yi Zheng endured the pain in his chest and retracted his hand in embarrassment. She had been merciless just now. If it were anyone else, they would have long wailed and begged for mercy. However, Yi Zheng had been tortured by the heat poison all year round and had better endurance than others. However, he could not help but grunt. His low and magnetic voice seemed very ambiguous in the empty factory. ¡°It takes one to know one.¡± Shi Man sat aside expressionlessly, in case he suddenly wanted to take off her mask again. Chapter 94 - 94 Tsundere Personality 94 Tsundere Personality ¡°Done.¡± After half an hour, Shi Man put away the silver needles. Before she left, she suddenly mentioned that he had given her a few boxes of firearms. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to keep your promise. As long as you don¡¯t ask about anything else, I¡¯ll treat your illness.¡± Yi Zheng buttoned his shirt. He looked up and asked, ¡°Do you like them?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As if she did not expect him to ask this, Shi Man was unnaturally stunned for a moment before returning to normal. ¡°Do you care if I like them or not?¡± ¡°I care.¡± Yi Zheng sat upright and looked at her calmly. ¡°This might affect the time I recover, right?¡± Shi Man¡¯s eyebrows twitched. For some reason, she felt that he knew that she had secretly done something. She hesitated for a moment and felt that there was no possibility, so she said indifferently, ¡°It seems that you know the reason why you have to give a gift to the attending doctor. The items are very good. I¡¯ll accept them. Goodbye.¡± Shi Man left the factory and asked Sean to drive around the city until he was sure that no one was following them before returning to the Shi family. The next day, Shi Man parked the car steadily at the school gate. Just as she stepped into the school, a figure suddenly darted out from the corner. ¡°Sister Man, I didn¡¯t see you this weekend. I simply can¡¯t eat or sleep.¡± Chen Wei¡¯s acting skills were exaggerated as he expressed his loyalty at the school gate. Then, he took out a bouquet of flowers from behind and held it in front of her. ¡°This is for you. I hope you won¡¯t take offense and take me in as your follower!¡± Shi Man rolled her eyes and walked around this embarrassing thing expressionlessly toward the teaching building. Chen Wei hurriedly followed and told her how much he missed her this weekend. Even when she returned to her seat, he still insisted on sitting down at Su Tang¡¯s seat. Shi Man raised her leg and kicked him to the ground. She scolded coldly from above, ¡°Get lost. If you continue talking nonsense, I¡¯ll sew your mouth shut.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Chen Wei returned to his seat with a cheeky smile, but his eyes were fixed in Shi Man¡¯s direction. Why did he only realize now that Shi Man was actually the best-looking girl in their class¡­ No, in the entire school. Not only was she heroic and handsome, but she was also very loyal to her friends. If he could follow her, wouldn¡¯t he be able to do whatever he wanted in school in the future? Shi Man flipped open the notes Su Tang had written down for her and calmed down to look at the key points, but she could not ignore the irksome gazes behind her. Actually, after coming to school today, she realized that the atmosphere in the school was different, especially the gazes of the students in the class. They actually landed on her. Fang Han did not come to school today. According to Shi Mu¡¯s style, he would not let her off easily. She did not care what punishment Fang Han would receive, but she was a little surprised that Su Tang did not appeared until the end of the morning self-study period. The class bell finally rang. Su Tang rushed into the classroom and sat beside Shi Man with a cold aura. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Shi Man turned her head and stared at her suspiciously. ¡°I was helping the teacher deal with the reception mission.¡± Su Tang sighed and rubbed her cold and red hands. She smiled and said, ¡°Guess who¡¯s coming to our school?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t care much about other people¡¯s matters and continued to flip through the notes in her hand without interest. Su Tang leaned over and whispered in her ear, ¡°It¡¯s your third brother. Movie King Shi He is coming, so Teacher Geng asked me to help with some work arrangements.¡± ¡°My brother?¡± Shi Man frowned as she thought of Shi He, who never woke up early. She couldn¡¯t imagine why he suddenly came to school. ¡°I guess he¡¯s here to see you.¡± Su Tang blinked enviously. ¡°The work has been roughly arranged. He should be here in a while.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Shi Man casually took out the buns and porridge that the servant had packed in the morning and handed them to her. ¡°Eat the leftovers from the morning.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Tang hesitantly opened the thermos lid. The refreshing umami smell immediately filled the classroom, arousing the taste buds of countless people. ¡°Wow, seafood porridge!¡± Su Tang picked up the spoon happily and ate it in small spoonfuls, completely ignoring Shi Man¡¯s words. She did not believe that Shi Man would really bring leftovers to school for her to eat. She did not expect Manman to still have such a tsundere personality. Coupled with her usual expressionless and cold style, she really looked a little¡­ cute! Shi Man smiled and flipped through her notes until the end. Although she had never made very good friends, she still understood the logic of good friends exchanging gifts and goodwill. Since Su Tang had to take additional notes for her every day, why couldn¡¯t she just bring some breakfast to feed her? The school bell had been ringing for a long time before Geng Hui arrived with a solemn expression. Standing on the podium, he hesitated for a long time before saying unwillingly, ¡°Let me tell everyone a piece of news. A celebrity is coming to visit the class. There will be a video halfway. In the end, it will be edited into a promotional video for Cassel Academy. Everyone, keep quiet and pay attention to the class order.¡± Chapter 95 - 95 Teaching Tour 95 Teaching Tour When the students of Class F heard that a celebrity was coming and that he was coming to their class with the worst results, they were so shocked that they slapped the table and stood up. ¡°Which celebrity is it? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it? Could it be my idol!¡± ¡°How strange. Why didn¡¯t he go to Class S for the teaching promotional video? Why did he come to our class?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides, I haven¡¯t heard of any celebrities holding an event in G City recently, right?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± A voice interrupted carefully. That person leaned on the table and pointed in Shi Man¡¯s direction. ¡°Have you forgotten who¡¯s in our class? Do you still have to guess which celebrity is coming?!¡± The whispering discussion fell silent for a moment before intense screams suddenly erupted. The students who were discussing excitedly just now immediately became even more excited. Everyone knew that Shi Man¡¯s third brother was the famous Best Actor, Shi He! Was Shi He actually coming? Seeing that the class was getting noisier and noisier, Geng Hui sighed melancholically. He patted the table weakly, wanting the students to calm down, but the effect was minimal. No one would listen to him. When he heard that Shi He was coming, Geng Hui had already expected the situation in the class. It was a pity that he had not enjoyed the quiet class for long, but now, it was going to be even more chaotic than before. ¡°Tsk, so noisy.¡± Shi Man turned around impatiently and looked around coldly. The noisy classroom instantly became silent, as if everyone had all become mute. No one dared to say a word. Su Tang looked at Shi Man in admiration. She stared at the clock and reminded her, ¡°Mr. Geng, the visitor should have arrived.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a deafening scream from the classroom next door. Countless heads pressed against the window and looked down curiously. The dark brown business car drove into Cassel Academy on time. The car door pulled open, and Ning Hui went around to the other side to open the door for Shi He, who had insisted on coming to see his sister in class. His shiny black leather shoes reached out of the car and stepped onto the gray road. Immediately after, pure white trousers were revealed. Shi He was wearing sunglasses; as he stood up, he buttoned up his blue suit. Surrounded by many staff and school leaders, he walked into the teaching building. At this moment, the students upstairs were so excited that they were about to go crazy. After chasing celebrities for so long, this was the first time they were lucky enough to see one in person! Shi He walked down the long corridor. Every time he passed a door, many students would stick their heads out the door to greet him. He waved politely and only stopped when he reached the door of Class F at the end of the corridor. ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Shi He. I decided to attend your class at the last minute today. You won¡¯t mind me coming uninvited, right?¡± Shi He took off his sunglasses and blinked his phoenix eyes to release his charm. The mole at the corner of his eye was even more eye-catching. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s really Shi He! Shi He is talking to me. I¡¯m so happy!¡± The students of Class F were so excited that they were about to lose their minds. They did not expect Best Actor Shi He to be so gentle in private. He did not have the airs of a big star at all. They couldn¡¯t help but surround him. The bolder ones took off their blazers and revealed the pure white shirt inside, wanting him to sign his name on it. Geng Hui coughed lightly. He wanted his students to hurry back to their seats, but it was useless. He could only look at Shi Man for help. Geng Hui knew very well that only Shi Man could control these students who treated class discipline as nothing. Shi Man was also very annoyed by their chatter. From time to time, she had to endure one or two ear-piercing screams. She raised her hand and knocked on the table. Her tone was calm and cold. ¡°Third Brother, come in and sit down.¡± The other students paused and realized that his biological sister was still sitting in the classroom. Then, they saw Shi He, who was constantly shooting glances at them, suddenly become serious. He stepped into the classroom seriously and sat in the last row of seats specially prepared for him, sitting upright and waiting for class. Ning Hui secretly gave Shi Man a grateful look and led the staff to quietly put down the equipment and start recording. The other students hurriedly returned to their seats, wishing they could have an extra pair of eyes at the back of their heads so that they could look at Shi He¡¯s divine face at all times. Only the students sitting in the last row were the happiest. They were the closest to Shi He and could smell the faint perfume on his body from time to time. They were so intoxicated that their faces turned red for the entire class. Geng Hui was also very happy in this class. Ever since he taught in Cassel Academy, he had never seen his students straighten their backs and raise their faces, listening to his class seriously like sunflowers. It was not until today that he realized that there was an unfamiliar sense of happiness in being watched by the students. Geng Hui, who was originally quite worried about Shi He¡¯s sudden arrival, instantly changed his attitude. He even began to expect Shi He to come often. This way, his class¡¯s academic results might even improve greatly! Shi Man held her chin and listened to Geng Hui¡¯s class with indifference. Every time she glanced at the back row, she would meet Shi He¡¯s eyes. Chapter 96 - 96 Reward Segment 96 Reward Segment It turned out that his sister was so serious in class. No wonder she could improve so quickly and clinch third place in the cohort. Shi He was proud and complacent, and the corners of his eyes were dyed with smugness. In order to increase the fun and interaction in the classroom, the production team had arranged a small livening segment this time. Mr. Geng Hui would ask questions about what he had just taught. The students who answered would receive a postcard with Shi He¡¯s signature and a box of candy. In order to get his autograph, the students of Class F raised their hands desperately, fighting for Geng Hui to click on their names. Geng Hui took into account the class¡¯s honor and did not want them to answer randomly just to get an autograph. When the video was broadcast, others would say that the students of Class F were ignorant and incompetent. Therefore, he only planned to choose from a few students who were relatively good at studying. Thinking of this, his gaze involuntarily landed on Shi Man. When the best in the class came to mind, it would always be linked to Shi Man, but looking at her indifferent expression, she didn¡¯t seem to want to be in the limelight. He swallowed and chose Su Tang¡¯s name. Su Tang stood up in a daze and walked to the podium to solve the questions on the blackboard. The camera was aimed at her from a flattering angle, highlighting the girl¡¯s gentle eyebrows. As promised, Shi He personally walked to the podium with the autographed photo and candy and handed them to her as if he was giving an award. He lowered his voice and said in a volume that was only audible to the two of them, ¡°Help me take care of Manman.¡± Su Tang took it and nodded solemnly when she heard his words. She smiled and thanked him before returning to her seat. The other students were so envious that their eyes turned red, but they could not openly raise objections in front of the camera. They could only wait for the next opportunity and hope that Geng Hui could take another look at them. Their desire to show their faces in front of Shi He was already greater than their rationality. They completely ignored their academic results. They felt that as long as they had the chance to be called up to answer questions, Shi He¡¯s reward would be readily available. Su Tang sat back in her seat and quietly stuffed the candy into Shi Man¡¯s table. She whispered, ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡± Shi Man smiled in amusement. ¡°Do I look like someone who likes candy?¡± She stuffed the candy back without explanation, making the students behind her want to stand up and say, ¡°Give it to me if you don¡¯t want it!¡± Geng Hui had never felt the students¡¯ enthusiasm for learning in this class. He was so touched that he almost cried, wishing that the bell would never ring. Unfortunately, time was the fairest thing. It would never stop for anyone. The bell rang amid Geng Hui¡¯s reluctance. When he said the last sentence, ¡°Class dismissed,¡± the students below could not help but rush forward and surround Shi He, hoping that his gaze would stay on them for a second longer. Shi He smiled gently and patiently answered a few questions as he walked to Shi Man¡¯s side nonchalantly. Su Tang tactfully made way. After Shi He thanked her, he sat in her seat and became deskmates with his sister. ¡°Manman, I specially came to see you. Are you happy?¡± Shi He lowered his voice and asked softly. Shi Man looked up at him expressionlessly. Seeing the smile on his face gradually disappear as time passed, she could only sigh helplessly and say calmly, ¡°I¡¯m happy. Third Brother took the time to visit me amidst his busy schedule. How can I not be happy?¡± The smile that was about to disappear was completely maximized. Shi He secretly admired his own intelligence. Only he could think of such a perfect idea and seize the opportunity to see Manman in class with his own eyes. ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy. I brought you a lot of snacks.¡± Shi He asked the staff to bring over the snack gift bag he had prepared and placed it on Shi Man¡¯s table. ¡°But you¡¯re not allowed to eat too much. You have to eat well, understand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded indifferently. Actually, she did not have much desire for snacks. However, this was Shi He¡¯s kind intention after all, and in front of the camera, she could only accept it with a smile and act like a weak sister who needed her brother to take care of her. The surrounding students had already gone crazy from jealousy when Shi He took the initiative to sit beside Shi Man. However, they did not dare to show any dissatisfaction with Shi Man openly now. Otherwise, what awaited them would be the same outcome as Fang Han. Ning Hui was very surprised that this lawless little princess could perform so innocently today. Before coming, he was worried that she would say something that had to be edited in front of the camera. It seemed that after Shi Man gave up on Yi Zheng, her lost intelligence finally returned to her mind. The short break was about to end, so Ning Hui had no choice but to remind him, ¡°It¡¯s time to return to your seats. The teacher will come in for class later.¡± Shi He wished he could be demoted and return to Cassel Academy to accompany his sister. However, under the urging of his agent, he could only sit reluctantly at the back. Chapter 97 - 97 Fighting for the Right to Lunch With Manman 97 Fighting for the Right to Lunch With Manman Unexpectedly, before the teacher could enter, an uninvited guest suddenly appeared outside the classroom. Shi Mu stood at the classroom door angrily and looked warily at the person beside Shi Man. Then, he looked around and when he saw Shi He, who was in the last row, he flew into a rage. ¡°Brother, come out with me!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shi He adjusted his suit cufflinks and walked over slowly. Before he could walk slowly to the door, Shi Mu raised his hand anxiously and pulled him out. He glared at him warily. ¡°Why are you suddenly at school? Are you having lunch with Manman?¡± Shi He was amused by his guarded expression. Meeting his angry gaze, he nodded proudly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m going to bring Manman out for lunch alone.¡± He emphasized the word ¡°alone¡±, which turned into a blatant provocation in Shi Mu¡¯s ears. ¡°No! I haven¡¯t eaten with Manman for a long time. She has to come with me at noon!¡± Shi Mu glared at him angrily and made a gesture to chase him away. Shi He quickly raised his hand and took a step back. He smiled leisurely and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t up to you. Manman belongs to me this afternoon. Go to the canteen to eat alone.¡± The two of them stood at the door childishly fighting for the chance to eat with their sister at noon. One gritted his teeth, while the other smiled casually. The students in the classroom could not help but be curious about what they were talking about. They could not help but discuss in a low voice, ¡°Are they arguing? Senior Shi Mu looks so angry.¡± ¡°I also think Senior Shi Mu is in an extremely bad mood. Look at him. He has only spoken a few words to Shi He, but he has scratched his head four times. Could it be a brotherly quarrel?¡± ¡°Senior Shi Mu is so handsome when he¡¯s angry! And Brother Shi He can actually smile so sweetly! Two handsome men appeared at the same time. I want to take a photo as a memento!¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Ning Hui coughed dryly and interrupted their conversation. He quickly stopped the girl from taking photos and said calmly, ¡°Student, please cooperate. Don¡¯t use your phone to record or take photos. Thank you.¡± The girl quickly put away her phone shyly and lowered her head, not daring to speak. It was not until Shi He walked into the classroom with a smile that she raised her head shyly and stared at him intently. Then, she saw her idol shouting angrily at Shi Mu outside the classroom in front of all the students, ¡°You can¡¯t win against me! I¡¯ll bring Manman out to eat at noon. Don¡¯t even think about snatching my sister from me!¡± The students who had guessed that the brothers had quarreled were completely stunned on the spot. To think that they were worried that the two of them would have a conflict which would affect the brotherly relationship between the handsome men. They did not expect them to argue outside the door for so long just to snatch the chance to have lunch with Shi Man! ¡°Heavens, Shi Man¡¯s life is too good. I also want to have two such handsome brothers.¡± The female classmate who had witnessed the entire process by the window pounded the table with tears in her eyes. The other students nodded in agreement. If they could have a handsome brother who doted on his sister, they were willing to be born a few years later. Who didn¡¯t want to be a little princess doted on by her brother? However, Shi Man, whom they treated like a princess, did not grow into a princess at all. It was not even an exaggeration to describe her as a demon. At this moment, the demon was sitting in her seat in frustration. She took out a bag of snacks and fed them to her deskmate. ¡°Take whatever you want to eat. I don¡¯t like snacks.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Tang smiled and nodded in agreement. She put the snacks into the drawer of the table and sat quietly waiting for the teacher to come in for class. This was one of the reasons why Shi Man was willing to accept Su Tang. She was always very tactful and knew when to speak and when to be quiet. Not only would Su Tang not hinder her, but she could even take meticulous care of her sometimes. Shi Man was increasingly satisfied with Su Tang, so much so that she had to bring her along for lunch break. Shi Mu was careful this time and waited for Shi He at the classroom door early. Hence, the plan that Shi He had been looking forward to eating alone with his sis for the entire morning became a four-person meal. In the hotel¡¯s private room, four faces with different expressions looked at one another. Shi He glared at his brother, who had caused him trouble since he was young. He held the menu in Shi Man¡¯s hand and smiled gently. ¡°Sister, order whatever you want.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± Shi Man threw the menu into Su Tang¡¯s hand. ¡°You do it. Anyway, someone will pay the bill. Order a few more dishes.¡± Shi He couldn¡¯t help but touch his nose. He felt that the meaning of his existence was a payment tool that didn¡¯t need emotions. He looked at Shi Man¡¯s expression and said carefully, ¡°Sister, do you not like to eat here?¡± Shi Man was stunned for a moment before smiling. ¡°No, I can eat anything with my brothers.¡± Shi Man looked sweet. Such a sincere smile pierced through one¡¯s heart. Shi He¡¯s heart immediately softened. ¡°Sister, Brother will definitely come and eat with you often in the future.¡± Chapter 98 - 98 Assassination 98 Assassination Halfway through the meal, Su Tang suddenly felt discomfort in her stomach. She went out alone for a long time and did not return. Shi Man was a little worried and put down her chopsticks to go out to look for her. However, she bumped into Tang Zhe in the hotel stairwell. Tang Zhe smiled and raised his hand to invite her into a private room. Shi Man glanced at him coldly and silently pushed open the door of the private room. As expected, Su Tang and Yi Zheng were inside. ¡°Manman.¡± When Su Tang saw her, she immediately stood up and said apologetically, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to not go back. Brother Yi Zheng invited me in to wait for someone.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man looked coldly at the aloof man opposite her. She pulled out a chair and sat down. She raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°I¡¯m here. What do you want to say?¡± ¡°How did you know that I was waiting for you?¡± Yi Zheng raised his hand and personally poured her a glass of wine, his lips curling into an inexperienced smile. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll go back and eat.¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t want to waste time with him here. She hadn¡¯t finished her meal yet, but this person actually butted in to cause trouble. If she had known earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have come out just now and let him have some time alone with Su Tang. ¡°What do you like to eat? It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have it here.¡± Yi Zheng wanted to keep her, so he gestured for Tang Zhe to put the menu in front of her. ¡°Yi Zheng, it seems that you¡¯ve forgotten everything I said.¡± Shi Man looked at him calmly. In terms of aura, the two of them were actually evenly matched, but Shi Man knew the other party¡¯s strength clearly. If he attacked, it would indeed be difficult for her to escape with Su Tang. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten, but I don¡¯t want to break off the engagement.¡± Yi Zheng smiled devilishly and said openly in front of Su Tang and Tang Zhe, ¡°I want to try to understand you. Can I?¡± When Yi Zheng went to the Shi family personally that day, Su Tang had a faint premonition. She did not expect her premonition to be confirmed so quickly. Yi Zheng really changed his mind and started to be interested in Manman. She looked at Shi Man happily, but she saw that the other party seemed to have encountered something extremely troublesome. She frowned and looked at Yi Zheng as if he was the trouble. ¡°A good horse doesn¡¯t turn back. Haven¡¯t you heard of this saying? I don¡¯t like you anymore. I don¡¯t need you to understand me. Our relationship is already in the past.¡± Shi Man rejected Yi Zheng bluntly. In her opinion, Yi Zheng¡¯s sudden change must be up to no good. She could not give him any chance to hurt the Shi family. She could not wait for Yi Zheng to get lost and never appear in front of her again. ¡°Alright then.¡± Yi Zheng nodded slightly. Just as Tang Zhe thought that his master would say that he would give up and let Shi Man leave, he did not expect his next words to be even more shocking. ¡°Then it¡¯s my turn to pursue you. I want to understand you. If we can be in love, there¡¯s no need to cancel the engagement.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s words were usually concise. This was the first time he had said so much to a woman in one go. However, it was not surprising that the person he was facing was Shi Man. After all, from the perspective of outsiders, Shi Man said even less when facing Yi Zheng. Moreover, most of it was about breaking off the engagement with him. Tang Zhe tried his best to reduce his presence. He wished he could dig a hole in the ground with his toes and hide in it, lest his master poison him into deafness and muteness in order to prevent this conversation from leaking out. Su Tang also looked incredulous. For some reason, she suddenly wanted to know Shi Man¡¯s reaction and looked nervously at her. ¡°Whatever. Go ahead and try.¡± Shi Man did not believe that she would be tempted by him. She had never loved a man. She would never be with a murderer like Yi Zheng, who was ruthless in the original book and did not hesitate to kill her entire family. After saying this, Shi Man did not want to waste another second with him. She stood up and walked out of the private room. Su Tang naturally followed. Watching her leave, Yi Zheng¡¯s smiling eyes darkened, and his voice was so low that it made people shiver. ¡°Send a few people to escort her back to school. Nothing must happen.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tang Zhe accepted the order and went to make arrangements. Just this morning, Yi Zheng, who collected information in the dark, unexpectedly received a mission to assist in an assassination in the black market. The target was his fianc¨¦e, Shi Man. He accepted the mission without batting an eyelid because he wanted to lure the snake out of its hole and catch the mastermind in one fell swoop. However, this way, it was inevitable that Shi Man would become bait, which was why this scene just now happened. He had come to look for her only to bring her with him in case anything happened to her. However, he did not expect Shi Man to hate him to this extent. A part of his heart seemed to be blocked by a huge rock. Yi Zheng slowly turned the ring on his thumb and his deep eyes landed calmly on the wine glass opposite him. Shi Man, who appeared in front of him, was sometimes wearing a mask and sometimes saying expressionlessly that she no longer liked him. Even Yi Zheng, who always had strong self-control, had to admit that Shi Man was like a wild rose with thorns to him. She was so beautiful that he could not restrain himself. Chapter 99 - 99 Shoot 99 Shoot In the private room, Shi He and Shi Mu competed with each other and fought to put food into Shi Man¡¯s bowl. Seeing that it had already piled up into a small mountain, Shi He slammed his chopsticks down and said angrily, ¡°Who asked you to follow me? I want to treat my sister to a meal alone!¡± ¡°Sister invited me!¡± Shi Mu smiled smugly. He rolled up his sleeves and pretended to go out to look for his sister to support him. When Shi Man returned to the private room, she saw that her two brothers were still secretly competing. They squeezed at the door and refused to give in. ¡°Baby Sister, I was looking for you.¡± When Shi He saw Shi Man, he immediately stood up and distanced himself from Shi Mu in disgust. He smiled and held her hand, bringing her to the table to sit down. Su Tang looked at the small mountain in disbelief and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The Shi family really doted on Shi Man. She was very envious but not jealous. She was just happy for her from the bottom of her heart. The meal ended with the two of them arguing with each other. When they came, in order to avoid being followed by fans, they took a detour. Halfway through, they changed cars to shake off the following media. Now, this car was parked in the back alley by the hotel staff. They could only take the elevator down to the basement level and turn out of the hotel from the back door to pick up the car. Shi Mu and Shi He had drunk just now, so Shi Man took the initiative to get into the driver¡¯s seat. Su Tang got into the front passenger seat. Shi He frowned worriedly. ¡°Why don¡¯t I get Ning Hui to drive over? Sister can just sit in the back with us.¡± ¡°No need. Class is about to start. There¡¯s no time to wait for Ning Hui.¡± Shi Man fastened her seatbelt without explanation. Shi He and Shi Mu looked at each other and could only get into the car on tenterhooks. This was the first time they were sitting in their sister¡¯s car. In disbelief, they could not help but feel a little nervous. They were worried that their sister¡¯s driving skills would be bad and an accident would happen. When their sister was injured, the two of them would become the sinners of the entire family. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Through the rearview mirror, Shi Man could see that the two of them were nervous. She smiled and pressed the hand brake, stepped on the accelerator, and sped out of the back alley. ¡°Slow down, slow down! My baby, you scared me to death!¡± Shi He held the armrest and widened his eyes to the maximum. He looked out of the window nervously and helped her look out for the cars in front and behind. Shi Man smiled casually and glanced at Su Tang, who was sitting steadily in the front passenger seat. She suddenly asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Su Tang shook her head in embarrassment. ¡°I believe in your strength.¡± Although she did not know how good Shi Man¡¯s skills were, she inexplicably trusted Shi Man. She felt that anything could be easily resolved in Shi Man¡¯s hands. Shi Man smiled. Before she could speak, her light-colored eyes suddenly turned cold. She looked coldly at a bright spot reflecting a cold light in the rearview mirror. ¡°Looks like someone can¡¯t hold back anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± Su Tang did not understand what she meant. She looked up in a daze and saw Shi Man¡¯s tense profile. There was a mocking smile on her lips and a crazy look in her eyes. ¡°Hold on tight,¡± Shi Man growled. She held the steering wheel with one hand and used the other to press the control lever on the accelerator under her feet to raise the car to the highest speed. The car almost overtook the car on the right. The driver behind her, who did not know the truth, honked crazily. The honk resounded through the entire street. ¡°Sister, what are you doing!¡± Shi He grabbed the armrest nervously and advised anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t drive so fast. Slow down! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only dangerous if we don¡¯t drive faster.¡± Shi Man stared darkly at the car that was flashing with silver light. ¡°Someone is following us. The gun is about to hit our heads.¡± ¡°What did you say? A gun?¡± Shi He pulled down the window in disbelief and stuck his head out to look behind. Shi Man immediately turned the steering wheel and changed her position to a safe place. The bullet brushed past the car. As long as Shi Man was a step slower, the bullet would undoubtedly enter Shi He¡¯s head. ¡°Close the car window and stay in,¡± Shi Man ordered coldly. However, she couldn¡¯t help but think of Yi Zheng, who had suddenly appeared in the afternoon. She felt that this matter must have something to do with him. ¡°Sister, what should we do now? These people really have guns! Is this still a lawful society?!¡± Shi He was trembling in fear. He had just been on the verge of death. If not for Shi Man¡¯s fast reaction, his body would have been cold. Shi Mu was still calm, but his hands were trembling. He pressed the button for a long time but could not make the call. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You just have to sit tight and not cause trouble.¡± Shi Man stared at the car¡¯s actions and took the time to deal with her frightened brothers. The honking of cars outside grew louder. Many cars driving on the road noticed the gunshots and were so frightened that they couldn¡¯t care less about obeying the traffic rules. They began to rampage on the road, afraid that they would become the next target. Another bullet hit the back of the car. The ejected bullet hit the windshield of the car behind. Shi Man frowned and took the time to throw the phone to Su Tang, asking her to call Immaculate. Chapter 100 - 100 Get information! The First Step of Exposure! 100 Get information! The First Step of Exposure! He Wang¡¯s sparkling peach blossom eyes curved, making his entire face look very gentle. ¡°My surname is He. I¡¯m Doctor Wen¡¯s colleague who gave you a psychological consultation just now.¡± ¡°Are you a psychiatrist too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He Wang smiled. When Chi Xia heard that the other party was a psychiatrist, her good impression of him quickly disappeared. She snatched the pen back from He Wang¡¯s hand and said with a cold expression, ¡°My mentality is very stable. I don¡¯t have the pressure to study, and my self-awareness isn¡¯t limited. My family relationship is harmonious and beautiful. I don¡¯t need to do a psychological evaluation. Now I¡¯m going back to class.¡± The psychological evaluation arranged by the school could not be completed in a day. After all, every student¡¯s psychological evaluation time was different. Some psychological situations were tricky, and mental consultants would spend more time. Moreover, the teacher would not tell everyone in advance. Only one student at a time is taken to the school counseling room. When Chi Xia came with the teacher, she did not know that it was a mental evaluation arranged by the school. However, when the teacher was around, she was very obedient and cooperative. Once the teacher left, she was not so cooperative. She firmly expressed that she would not do a mental review. At this moment, Chi Xia stood up and was about to leave. He Wang did not stop her from leaving. He suddenly said, ¡°That pen¡­¡± Chi Xia stopped in her tracks and turned to look at He Wang. When He Wang smiled, his beautiful peach blossom eyes gradually became charming. ¡°What brand is that pen? It looks like it¡¯s easy to spin. I want to buy one too.¡± Chi Xia looked at that beautiful face and hesitated. ¡°Do you know how to spin a pen?¡± He Wang smiled. ¡°Yes. And I know how to spin a pen fancily. Do you want to admire it?¡± Chi Xia¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. He Wang took the initiative to step forward and take the pen from Chi Xia¡¯s hand. He said politely, ¡°I¡¯ll borrow it.¡± Then, in front of Chi Xia, he casually made a gesture. The pen seemed to suddenly have a soul as it spun back and forth between He Wang¡¯s fingers. At first, it was just a simple entry-level spinning method, which was the kind of spinning method that Chi Xia knew. But as he spun, it became a fancy spinning pen. Every finger of his was very agile, and the pen danced in reverse on his fingertips. Every time Chi Xia thought that the pen would fall, the pen remained firmly in his hand. Chi Xia was dumbfounded. The last time she was so stunned was by Pei You¡¯an. However, Pei You¡¯an had not come to school recently. The teacher said that he was sick and took leave to go home to rest. He Wang deliberately acted cool in front of Chi Xia. Chi Xia subconsciously wanted to dodge, but He Wang grabbed the tip of his pen, his hand still hanging in midair. He Wang smiled. ¡°Are you frightened?¡± Chi Xia¡¯s heart raced. ¡°Yes, a little.¡± The smile on He Wang¡¯s lips faded and he looked sincere. ¡°Sorry.¡± Chi Xia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± After a pause, she pointed at the pen in He Wang¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll give you this pen.¡± He Wang smiled, his peach blossom eyes becoming even more seductive. ¡°Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony. Thank you. If you want to learn how to spin a pen, I can teach you.¡± ¡ªWen Ye, who was standing silently outside the door: A sin! ¡°Are you really willing to teach me?¡± Chi Xia was skeptical. He Wang said, ¡°You gave me a pen. I¡¯ll teach you in return.¡± Chi Xia¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Then teach me.¡± He Wang smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± He Wang taught her seriously, and Chi Xia learned seriously. The two of them gradually established a preliminary trust relationship. When she was almost done learning, Chi Xia was obviously in a good mood. She casually found a topic and asked, ¡°Is that Doctor Wen your colleague?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He Wang pulled a chair over gentlemanly. ¡°Please sit.¡± Chi Xia sat down. At the age of sixteen or seventeen, she spoke without restraint. ¡°But that Doctor Wen looks much older than you.¡± He Wang maintained the smile on his lips and sat down opposite Chi Xia. He replied calmly, ¡°He might look older than he is.¡± Outside the door, Wen Ye: ¡°¡­¡± You¡¯re the one who looks older! Your whole family looks older! Damn show-off! Chi Xia expressed her understanding and asked, ¡°Does every student have to undergo a psychological assessment?¡± He Wang raised his eyebrows. ¡°Now, the Ministry of Education is very concerned about the mental health of every student. They conduct mental health screening not only for every student, but also for teachers and parents.¡± These words were very official. Chi Xia did not like to hear this. At this moment, He Wang suddenly said, ¡°Actually, I think this is quite troublesome.¡± Chi Xia perked up. ¡°Troublesome?¡± He Wang smiled and said deliberately, ¡°Actually, people who are really unhealthy will take the initiative to look for a psychiatrist. The school¡¯s arrangement is unnecessary.¡± Chi Xia found a resonance at once. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I think.¡± He Wang followed the topic and asked, ¡°How do you feel about your mental state?¡± Chi Xia said, ¡°My grades are not bad, and my mother is very relaxed about me. The teachers are also very concerned about my results. There¡¯s almost no pressure on my body and mind.¡± He Wang clapped his hands. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing.¡± Chi Xia smiled faintly. ¡°Right? I also think I¡¯m very healthy physically and mentally. I don¡¯t need a psychological evaluation.¡± The smile on He Wang¡¯s face became gentler. ¡°It¡¯s good to be free of pressure. Then, do you have any other worries?¡± Chi Xia was not guarded against He Wang at all. ¡°No, I have no worries at all.¡± He Wang asked, ¡°Do you usually look forward to your home leave?¡± Chi Xia said without thinking, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. In the past, every time I went back, my mother would prepare a large table of dishes. Now that I have a sister-in-law, she will prepare a large table of dishes for me every time I go back.¡± He Wang raised his eyebrows. ¡°Your sister-in-law is very good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I think my brother disciplined her well.¡± Once Chi Xia trusted the other party, she spoke without thinking. He Wang raised his eyebrows. ¡°Discipline?¡± Chi Xia raised her hand to support her chin. ¡°My sister-in-law used to be a high and mighty person. No one could woo her, but my brother wooed her and even disciplined her. I think my brother is very powerful.¡± He Wang: ¡°¡­¡± Chi Xia looked yearning. ¡°I just hope that I can be as good as my brother. When I become an adult and fall in love, I¡¯ll be the one in control.¡± He Wang pressed the tip of his tongue against his cheek. ¡°So, you admire your brother a lot?¡± Chi Xia nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. My brother is very powerful, so I admire him very much. There¡¯s nothing he can¡¯t control, so I have to learn from him.¡± He Wang¡¯s forehead twitched slightly. It was really like the saying: The son is as bad as the mother. They couldn¡¯t chat for long. He Wang casually cut to the chase. ¡°Can you share with me how your brother controlled your sister-in-law and made her follow him wholeheartedly?¡± Chapter 101 - 101 Optimal Choice 101 Optimal Choice ¡°Prince Charming, what do you usually like to do?¡± Fang Han¡¯s deskmate was a loyal fan of Shi He. She would watch almost all the news about him a few times. Now that she could finally see him in person, her heart raced excitedly and her face turned red. ¡°I usually spend my free time with my family, especially Manman. She¡¯s our baby.¡± Shi He intentionally revealed how much he valued Shi Man so that the students of Class F would not bully his baby. How could he have known that on the first day Shi Man came to Class F, she had reorganized the class? Fang Han, who had gone against her, could not even come to school again. How could they dare to provoke this big shot again? Hearing that her idol¡¯s life revolved around Shi Man, Fang Han¡¯s deskmate was so jealous that her lips were about to break, but she could only smile and agree. ¡°My idol is so good to his sister. We¡¯re really envious of Shi Man.¡± Shi He had been in the entertainment industry for so long that he had long mastered the art of reading people. He could see through others¡¯ disguises at a glance, let alone their thoughts. In his eyes, they were completely transparent. He knew that this person had probably caused trouble for his precious sister often, so his smile became deeper. ¡°Manman is my only sister. Of course, I have to treat her well. If anyone dares to bully my sister, our Shi family will never let her off even if we go bankrupt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only right.¡± Fang Han¡¯s deskmate said a few perfunctory words and silently retreated. She did not dare to get too close, afraid that her idol would dislike her after knowing what she had done. After school, Shi Man wanted to drive her car back, but Shi He refused to let go of her hand. Worried that she would be in danger, she could only take the car arranged by Ning Hui. Before closing the car door, a pair of large hands suddenly blocked it. Shi Man looked up incredulously and saw Shi Mu panting as he held the car door. There was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll go back with you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re afraid of death, right?¡± Shi He mocked mercilessly. As Shi Mu had been raised by Shi He when he was young; even though Shi Mu had grown up, Shi He still could not change his habit of bullying him. Shi Mu wouldn¡¯t argue with him. He shamelessly got into the car and sat beside Shi Man with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of death. If those crazy people attack again, I can help my sister block the bullets.¡± Shi He snorted and did not say anything else. He raised his head and gestured for Ning Hui to drive. The group successfully arrived at the Shi family¡¯s manor. When she got out of the car, Shi Man was walking at the back. She suddenly stopped in her tracks and called out to Shi Mu. When he turned to look at her in surprise, she lowered her eyes and asked, ¡°Brother, is what you said in the car true?¡± ¡°What did I say?¡± Shi Mu had been arguing with Shi He along the way. At this moment, he heard his sister ask a pointed question and suddenly remembered what she was referring to. He smiled brightly and said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Brother will always stand in front of you to protect you.¡± Shi Man walked up to him without saying a word and raised her hand to smooth the creases on his collar. Her eyes were firm and calm. ¡°If something really happens, you have to protect yourself first and disregard me.¡± ¡°How can that do?¡± Shi Mu was instantly anxious and quickly argued with her. ¡°How can I leave you behind and escape alone? Instead of being a coward, I might as well die.¡± ¡°I can protect myself. You have to believe me.¡± Shi Man looked at him seriously, her bright eyes rippling. After living for two lifetimes, Shi Man finally understood what it meant to cherish. She cared a lot about this precious kinship and was unwilling to let them take risks for her. She was not the original body of the useless person who would only cause trouble for her family. She could protect herself and not become anyone¡¯s burden. ¡°Sister, I believe you, but you have to believe that no matter what danger you encounter, you will always be my best choice.¡± Shi Mu also looked down at her seriously. His intuition told him that his sister was not exaggerating. Based on his sister¡¯s calm performance today, he could clearly feel the change in her. However, as her brother, he had long doted on Shi Man. Even though he knew that she had the ability to protect herself, he did not want her to have the slightest possibility of putting herself in danger. Shi Man¡¯s cold and indifferent heart was completely defeated by the determination in his eyes. She blinked mischievously and teased, ¡°Brother, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so handsome when you¡¯re serious.¡± ¡°Of course. Your brother is the school hunk now.¡± Shi Mu immediately regained his cheeky expression. He walked beside her and nudged her shoulder proudly. ¡°Sister, answer me honestly. Am I much more handsome than them?¡± Shi Man held back her amusement and smiled at him without saying anything. She turned around and walked into the manor. Chapter 102 - 102 Companion 102 Companion In the private room of the Nightless City Bar, Shi Jing was wearing a light-colored halter dress and thick makeup. She leaned in the arms of a man in his fifties with a humiliated expression. ¡°Ah Hua, the girl you found this time is not bad. I¡¯m very satisfied.¡± The man stroked Shi Jing¡¯s face lecherously and leaned closer to steal a kiss, but Shi Jing dodged reflexively. Being rejected by a hostess in front of everyone, the man felt embarrassed and immediately raised his hand to slap her angrily. He said fiercely, ¡°Why are you pretending to be innocent? B*tch, you¡¯re already here to do this. Do you still think you¡¯re a good girl!¡± ¡°President Zhang, don¡¯t be angry.¡± The man called Ah Hua quickly walked over and poured him a glass of wine with a smile. As he stopped the hand that was about to hit Shi Jing again, he gestured for her to apologize to President Zhang. Shi Jing was slapped suddenly, and her face immediately swelled up. Tears streamed down her face. She held President Zhang¡¯s hand pitifully and repressed her disgust. She said coquettishly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Zhang. I¡¯m just not ready. This is my first time doing this.¡± When President Zhang heard the words ¡°first time¡±, he immediately rubbed his hands excitedly. He raised his hand and pulled her into his arms. He rubbed her ear lecherously and deliberately lowered his voice to imitate the current male god¡¯s bubble voice. He whispered in her ear, ¡°If you had said that you were a virgin, I would have doted on you.¡± A stench assaulted her ears, but Shi Jing could only hold back her strong nausea and push his fat chest ingratiatingly. ¡°President Zhang hurt me just now. You have to buy more wine tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy it! I¡¯ll definitely buy it!¡± President Zhang felt proud. Savoring her soft body and warm fragrance in his arms, he immediately waved his hand excitedly and called for a bottle of above-average red wine in Nightless City. Just the commission from this bottle of wine was worth the salary she could earn in a month by selling in ordinary bars. Shi Jing poured him wine happily. When she lowered her head, a trace of ruthlessness flashed across her eyes. Ever since she lost the Shi family¡¯s support, she did not have the ability to survive on her own. She was used to being extravagant. If she suddenly had to live a life of poverty, she really couldn¡¯t continue living. She could only think of ways to earn money herself. She did not have any other abilities. Only her face was likable, so she could only do such a fast-paying job to support her life. After sending President Zhang off, Shi Jing went to the changing room in disgust and took off her dress which was soaked in the greasy smell of the man. She put on her branded clothes and walked out of Nightless City with a cold expression. After returning to the small rented house, Shi Jing couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and called Fang Han, wanting her to help her think of a way to improve her life. After all, she and Fang Han were in the same boat. Fang Han had just been scolded by her family. At this moment, her eyes were red as she nestled under the blanket and cried as she looked at the messages sent by her classmates on her phone. When she received Shi Jing¡¯s call, she immediately picked it up angrily and scolded resentfully, ¡°You still have the cheek to call me! If you hadn¡¯t left that day, would I have been suspended from school?! You caused me to have nothing now! It¡¯s all because of you!¡± Shi Jing was stunned for a moment, and a thrill of revenge suddenly rose in her heart. ¡°Fang Han, don¡¯t forget that I fell into this state because of you. While I¡¯ve been chased out of the Shi family like an unwanted dog, you can still be the little princess of your Fang family. How dare you criticize me?¡± Fang Han bit her lower lip and barely stopped herself from crying. She could only blame herself for being too careless back then and letting Shi Jing catch her. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She asked in a slightly sobbing voice, ¡°Why did you call me?¡± ¡°I can finally talk to you properly.¡± Shi Jing took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth. She said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m here to negotiate with you. As long as you help me find a place to live, I can delete that chat record and continue to take over from you to deal with Shi Man.¡± ¡°Shi Jing, in your dreams!¡± Fang Han couldn¡¯t help but get up from the blanket to roar into the phone, ¡°This is extortion! Do you believe that I¡¯ll find someone to kill you now!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Jing sat in the darkness and smiled sinisterly. The cigarette butt in her hand emitted a weak fire. ¡°But before I die, I will definitely send that chat record to the Shi family. At that time, they will all know that you sent me the dark web. I think your Fang family is no different from an ant in the eyes of the Shi family, right?¡± ¡°You win!¡± Fang Han bit her lower lip tightly until her mouth was filled with the smell of blood. ¡°I have a house in the neighborhood near the school. You can move in, but you¡¯re not allowed to threaten me with the chat records again. Otherwise, I¡¯ll fight you to the death.¡± ¡°Sure, I mean what I say.¡± Shi Jing hung up the phone in satisfaction. She stubbed out her cigarette and took out her phone to dial Ah Hua¡¯s phone number. Her voice was sweet. ¡°Brother Hua, I agree to what you said today. I¡¯ll attend the cocktail party tomorrow night.¡± Chapter 103 - 103 Visit 103 Visit In the study of the Yi family¡¯s villa, Tang Zhe held his breath and stood at the side. He reported the results of the interrogation to Yi Zheng. ¡°Master, that person hasn¡¯t relented. It seems that he doesn¡¯t intend to say anything. What should we do next?¡± Yi Zheng tapped his fingers on the table and narrowed his eyes as he stared at the interrogation video in front of him. In the video, the man tied to the rack had been beaten until his skin and flesh were lacerated, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to reveal any information about his companions. His cold eyes suddenly moved away from the screen and landed on Tang Zhe. ¡°What did you find out?¡± Tang Zhe hurriedly perked up and replied, ¡°This group of people shouldn¡¯t be a mercenary group formed in G City. Otherwise, our people wouldn¡¯t have been unable to even hear this bit of news after roaming the black market for so long. Therefore, I guess that the mastermind either doesn¡¯t have any underground forces or is too good at hiding himself. After all, killing the Shi family is not a small matter. It¡¯s normal for him not to choose to use his own forces.¡± ¡°But he chose a bunch of trash.¡± Yi Zheng hit the nail on the head. He raised his eyelids lazily and looked at Tang Zhe with a bored gaze. ¡°How¡¯s the investigation on the Shi family?¡± At the mention of this, Tang Zhe couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat. The Shi family was the richest family, and there were countless families who wanted to attack them. Almost everyone wanted to replace them, but because of various factors, no one dared to make a move. However, Tang Zhe did not dare to answer directly. He could only change to a slightly tactful tone and say, ¡°The Shi family has always been magnanimous and benevolent to outsiders. They have never had any deep grudges against anyone. In this case, jealousy would be the reason for anyone who wants them dead.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t uncover anything, it¡¯s due to your incompetence.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s eyes flickered in the dark. He acutely sensed an aura that was both familiar and unfamiliar enter his territory. He immediately put away his mocking smile and lay dormant in the darkness, waiting for his prey to fall into his trap. ¡°Miss Shi, my master is very busy now and doesn¡¯t have time to see you. You should go back quickly.¡± The Yi family¡¯s butler, Uncle Liu, had a bitter expression on his face. His arms were frozen in midair. He wanted to stop her, but he didn¡¯t dare to reach out. He stood there awkwardly and smiled bitterly. ¡°Miss Shi, don¡¯t make things difficult for me. The last time I let you in privately, Master almost fired me when he returned.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t get fired?¡± Shi Man stared at him with a faint smile. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks benevolently and gestured in the direction of the study. She said calmly, ¡°Then call him out and say that I¡¯m looking for him.¡± ¡°Miss Shi, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but Master has long instructed that he definitely won¡¯t see you if you come. You should go home quickly so that your family won¡¯t worry.¡± Uncle Liu tried his best to persuade her. In the past, every time Shi Man came to look for Yi Zheng on a whim, he would spend a lot of effort to persuade her to leave obediently. He thought that after so long, Shi Man had long given up on Yi Zheng. He did not expect this Buddha to barge in without saying a word today. He could not even stop her aggressively since Yi Zheng would discover that and he would inevitably be told off by Tang Zhe again. Shi Man sat on the sofa casually and crossed her legs to pour herself a glass of water. She looked at him calmly. ¡°Just tell him. Whether he comes to see me or not is his business.¡± ¡°Miss Shi, you¡­¡± Uncle Liu wanted to say that she was stubborn, but just as he was about to say it, he remembered Shi Man¡¯s unruliness and willfulness. If he went overboard, she would definitely be even more unwilling to let go later and make things worse. Uncle Liu could not understand her thoughts. She clearly had the most extraordinary family background and her looks and figure were one in a thousand. However, she specially chose this difficult bone to swallow and did many things that did not match her status to embarrass the family. Shi Man finished the cup of tea, but Uncle Liu was not done advising her. She suddenly felt frustrated. She put down the teacup and stood up to barge into the study. Uncle Liu hurriedly stopped her in panic. Before he could say anything, the study door was suddenly opened from the inside. Tang Zhe smiled and nodded at her. ¡°Miss Shi, please come in. My master wants to see you.¡± Uncle Liu retracted his hand and stared in disbelief as Shi Man walked into the study. It was not until the door was closed with a bang that he came back to his senses and looked at Tang Zhe, who was getting closer and closer. ¡°In the future, if Miss Shi comes, you don¡¯t have to stop her anymore. Just let her in.¡± Tang Zhe whispered Yi Zheng¡¯s words before stretching lazily and walking out of the villa to enjoy a rest. In the study, Yi Zheng stood up and walked out from behind the desk. He led her to the sofa on the other side and personally poured her a cup of hot tea. Then, he looked up and stared at her. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°I came to see if you¡¯re doing a cover-up.¡± Shi Man pointed out her intentions bluntly and smiled. ¡°If the Yi family can¡¯t do it, I can interrogate them personally.¡± Chapter 104 - 104 Casting a Net 104 Casting a Net ¡°Do you think you¡¯re better than me?¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows and looked at her, his eyes filled with smiles. He did not know what demon he had encountered recently, but he felt that every time he saw Shi Man, she would be different from before. She was like a swamp, tempting him to go deeper and deeper. ¡°At least better than you.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly and did not waste any more time with him. The heat in the cup misted her eyes. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, those people are simply unknown small characters. You won¡¯t be able to get anything out of them through your interrogation. Of course, if you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll find that they¡¯re just a group of middlemen who rely on mediation to earn the difference in price. They can¡¯t even be considered real mercenaries.¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows in interest and pretended to be all ears. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m willing to hear the details.¡± ¡°The car chase was implemented lousily.¡± Yi Zheng was stunned for a moment before he quickly regained his composure. He instantly understood what she meant. Most of the businesses that circulated on the black market were only taken up by outlaws. They were not afraid of going to jail. Almost everyone had a few lives on their backs, but almost no one was willing to shoot and chase after a car in public like today. Because that looked very stupid. Moreover, their vehicle was an ordinary van without any bulletproof measures. They looked like a group of amateurs with no means and experience. Yi Zheng was interested and stared at her with a burning gaze. ¡°According to you, they¡¯re a group of middlemen who rely on pulling strings to earn the difference in price. Why would they shoot today?¡± ¡°How would you know that those who shot and drove were from the same group?¡± Shi Man looked out of the door. Through the thick door, she could still clearly sense the aura outside. ¡°Perhaps we can ask Tang Zhe about this? Didn¡¯t your people get involved and seduced the opponent?¡± Seduce? Yi Zheng¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly as he shook his head in amusement. ¡°That¡¯s the wrong word. I¡¯m beating them at their own game, not seducing them.¡± ¡°Admit it?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows without surprise. She lowered her crossed legs and looked at him indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to take the opportunity to get to the mastermind. Why don¡¯t I teach you a trick? Let them go and wait for them to come and find me again.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of danger?¡± Yi Zheng shook his head and refused without thinking. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate this matter. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to investigate at all.¡± Shi Man pointed out a clear path for him. ¡°If they can¡¯t do it, they definitely won¡¯t be able to get the balance. For this money, they will definitely contact another force and cooperate to kill the Shi family. I¡¯m the simplest target for assassination in their eyes. When the time comes, they will use up all the money in their hands and can only suck the blood of their employer. Why not?¡± What Shi Man did not say was that as long as Yi Zheng let them go, Sean would immediately bring people to monitor their whereabouts and wait for an opportunity to interact with them. After deceiving them and gaining their trust, he would accept the mission to assassinate Shi Man. Then, he could wait for the other party to give him money without worry. This was simply easy money. Yi Zheng knew what she was thinking, and his smile gradually reached his eyes. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve already made up your mind. Then I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± He obediently took out his phone and called Tang Zhe. After giving a few instructions softly, he hung up the phone and asked casually, ¡°Should I sigh that you know too much about me and the Yi family, or should I be shocked that you know too much about the black market?¡± Shi Man achieved her goal and stood up without hesitation. She glanced at Yi Zheng with her sparkling eyes. ¡°Then guess for yourself.¡± Opening the door, Shi Man bumped into Uncle Liu, who was eavesdropping outside. She stared at him without joy or anger. After a while, she looked away calmly and walked away without looking back under Uncle Liu¡¯s increasingly shocked gaze. In the study, Yi Zheng gestured for Uncle Liu to walk in front of him with an unfathomable look in his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s very different from before, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Uncle Liu nodded in disbelief and looked out the window at Shi Man¡¯s back as she got into the car. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Miss Shi has reached out too far. I¡¯m afraid it will be disadvantageous to the Yi family in the future. Master, you have to make plans early.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let her do whatever she wants.¡± Yi Zheng stood up and returned to the table. He looked at the Immaculate List in his hand. ¡°Has the tracker been placed?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve already planted them on those people. Master, don¡¯t worry.¡± Uncle Liu was not often around Yi Zheng and was not as powerful as Tang Zhe. On the surface, he was just a small butler in the Yi family who handled family matters. No one knew that he was actually one of the leaders in the black market business under Yi Zheng. His status was not inferior to that of Tang Zhe. Yi Zheng nodded in satisfaction. A large net was arranged methodically under his plan. He was just waiting for the final prey to be caught. Chapter 105 - 105 Hidden Dragon and Phoenix 105 Hidden Dragon and Phoenix Outside the Yi family¡¯s villa, Song Zhi watched Shi Man drive away with her own eyes. She stopped a servant in a hurry in disbelief and asked coldly, ¡°Why is she here again? How long has she been here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure.¡± The servant quietly avoided her hand and bowed as she took a step back to busy herself. Song Zhi frowned slightly and looked up to see Uncle Liu walking out of the villa. She asked in confusion, ¡°Why is Shi Man here?¡± ¡°Miss, my master is handling official business and doesn¡¯t have time to see you.¡± Uncle Liu welcomed her with a smile. He conveyed Yi Zheng¡¯s imperial edict, but he was clearly rejecting her. Song Zhi was stunned and looked aggrieved. ¡°Uncle Liu, did Shi Man come just now and make Cousin unhappy?¡± She handed over the gift she had bought and said weakly, ¡°This is a tie I specially chose when I was shopping just now. I think this will definitely suit him very well. If Cousin is not free, can you help me pass it to him?¡± ¡°Master said that he won¡¯t accept anything from you.¡± Uncle Liu didn¡¯t have the same level of patience he had with Shi Man when facing Song Zhi. Speaking of the ladies who were pestering his master, including Su Tang, he actually liked Shi Man from the bottom of his heart. The Yi family and the Shi family were very close. He had watched Shi Man grow up and knew that her nature was not bad. It was just that her methods of wooing men were a little bad. In addition, Yi Zheng did not like to be close to women, so the two of them had not made any progress until now. However, from his observations today, he felt that Yi Zheng¡¯s attitude towards Shi Man had become much gentler today. It could even be said that he was giving her special treatment. All these years, other than him and Tang Zhe, it was impossible for others to be allowed into Master¡¯s study. Other than Madam, Shi Man was the only woman who had seen Yi Zheng¡¯s study. Song Zhi could not pass on her gift and was rebuffed at the Yi family. She could only vent her anger on Shi Man. After leaving the door, she called Fang Han. ¡°Hanhan, I actually saw that little b*tch Shi Man looking for my cousin again. It¡¯s all because of her that my cousin is in a bad mood and didn¡¯t come out to see me. You¡¯re idle at home now. Hurry up and think of a way to help me get rid of her!¡± Song Zhi cried and stomped her feet angrily. She leaned against the back of the car and pouted aggrievedly. Fang Han had just been scolded by her family and lay on the bed in a daze to answer Song Zhi¡¯s call. She did not expect her good friend to mention Shi Man without comforting her. Fang Han was instantly angry. ¡°If I had a way, would I still be lying at home and not be able to go to school?¡± Song Zhi was stunned by her roar. In the past, Fang Han had pandered to her in view of her relationship with Yi Zheng. She had always followed her wishes and had never questioned her like this. Song Zhi¡¯s eyes instantly turned red from grievance. ¡°Hanhan, are you blaming me? I really didn¡¯t know your plan back then. I also told Cousin not to pursue that matter, but Cousin didn¡¯t listen to me. If you had let me know earlier, I would have definitely cooperated with you.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Fang Han rubbed the space between her eyebrows in frustration. She knew that her attitude was not good just now, but she was only complaining casually and did not plan to really cut ties with Song Zhi. She softened her tone and coaxed, ¡°It was my bad attitude just now. I¡¯m sorry. That matter really can¡¯t be blamed on you. However, I already have a plan to deal with Shi Man. This time, we don¡¯t have to do it ourselves. Someone will help us settle it.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Song Zhi held back her excited heart and asked curiously. Fang Han took a deep breath and slowly revealed a name. ¡°Shi Jing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s her? Is she reliable?¡± Song Zhi knew that this person had encouraged Shi Man to do many embarrassing things in the past. However, Shi Jing lost too badly in the last exam. Until now, her score of zero was still hanging on the rankings under the teaching building. ¡°She said that she knows someone and might have a way.¡± Fang Han was not sure what Shi Jing wanted to do, so she could only brush Song Zhi off vaguely. ¡°From what she said, she should want to start with your cousin. You said that Shi Man went to look for your cousin?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Song Zhi was indeed attracted by her words. She quickly forgot her good friend¡¯s cold words to her just now and asked carefully, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she wants to seduce my cousin?¡± Fang Han sneered and immediately denied it without thinking. ¡°Of course not. However, since Shi Man still likes your brother, we have a way to counterattack. I knew that Shi Man wouldn¡¯t give up the chance to marry your brother just like that! I don¡¯t know why she suddenly became so smart and learned to play hard to get!¡± Song Zhi thought about it carefully and understood what she meant. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Shi Jing knows someone who can help us deal with Shi Man and make all her efforts go to waste?¡± Fang Han nodded indifferently. Thinking that she could not return to school yet, she hurriedly added, ¡°Let¡¯s not do anything about this. When Shi Jing¡¯s plan succeeds, we just have to sit back and reap the benefits.¡± Chapter 106 - 106 Acting 106 Acting The next day at school, Shi Man received Sean¡¯s message in the car. ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve successfully obtained their trust. I¡¯ll bring them along for this mission. You can decide on the location.¡± Shi Man moved her legs indifferently. The silver gun at her waist was cold to the touch. ¡°Just choose a place with no one around. Remember to act realistically. If they find out and cut off my source of income, I¡¯ll cut off one of your kidneys to make up the shortfall.¡± Sean couldn¡¯t help but shiver. He instantly gazed into the air in front of him with respect. ¡°I understand, Boss. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t mess it up for you!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man hung up the phone and parked the car steadily by the roadside. Ignoring the shocked gazes of the students outside, she walked into the school elegantly and calmly. In today¡¯s class, the students had long lost their enthusiasm for studying. All of them lowered their heads and did their own things under the table, making Geng Hui, who was on the podium, sigh uncomfortably. Looking at the pair studying seriously at Shi Man and Su Tang¡¯s table, he felt a little better. He cleared his throat and started the lecture. After school, Su Tang hurriedly followed Shi Man and asked tentatively, ¡°Did you go to the Yi family yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded and raised her eyebrows in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Could it be that she was jealous because she went to see Yi Zheng again? Unexpectedly, Su Tang only shook her head slightly. Her tone was actually filled with joy. ¡°Last time at the Shi family, I could tell that Brother Yi treated you very differently from others. If he can really fall in love with you, your engagement will be legitimate.¡± Shi Man was a little annoyed when she heard her talk about them falling in love. She frowned and glared at her impatiently. ¡°If we become legitimate, what will happen to you?¡± Su Tang was stunned for a moment. Her face suddenly turned red under her fixed gaze. She stammered and lowered her head to whisper, ¡°I¡­ of course I¡¯m wishing the two of you well. What can I do?¡± When she spoke, her eyes kept moving left and right unconsciously, as if she had encountered a difficult problem and needed to consider it carefully before answering. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not interested.¡± Shi Man swung her backpack over her back and held the lollipop in her mouth. Her voice was blurry. ¡°If you want to marry, get married yourself. I don¡¯t want to be tied down by marriage.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± While Su Tang was in a daze, Shi Man had already walked away quickly. She didn¡¯t know which sentence touched Shi Man¡¯s nerve, but she could only lower her shoulders in dejection and walk to the self-study room to continue revising her homework. Last night, she stayed too late in the self-study room, so she missed Shi Man. Su Tang thought that she had to speed up her revision in the future so she might be able to meet Shi Man again in the Yi family one day. At the school gate, Shi Man had just opened the car door when she felt a surprised gaze coming from behind. She sneered and threw her backpack onto the front passenger seat. She started the car and put it in gear. As the accelerator hummed, her lips curled into a cold smile as she drove quickly towards the alley away from the crowd. The car behind her chased after her relentlessly. Only when it followed her further and further away did the scar-faced man, who was holding the steering wheel tightly, ask suspiciously, ¡°Did she discover us? This doesn¡¯t seem to be the way to the Shi family.¡± ¡°This is a shortcut.¡± Sean sat in the passenger seat and casually said, ¡°Take care to maintain the distance between the cars. You¡¯ll be easily discovered if you¡¯re too close.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± The scar-faced man glanced at the special pistol Sean took out from the corner of his eye and could not help but be a little shocked. ¡°Where did you get this? Can you show it to me?¡± ¡°What are you looking at? Focus on driving. We¡¯ll take action at the next intersection.¡± Sean stepped on the cigarette butt and coldly loaded the gun. He frowned and opened the window, firing accurately at the back tire of the car in front. Shi Man glanced at the head that was revealed behind her on the right and curled her lips coldly. She turned a corner and cleverly let the bullet enter the cement wall. The car continued to drive in the alley unscathed. ¡°Damn, why did you turn slower just now!¡± Sean shied away from the responsibility without blushing and criticized the other party¡¯s leader mercilessly. In the back row, the scar-faced man¡¯s lackey, Shou Hou, couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth and slap his thigh. He said regretfully, ¡°If that shot just now had hit its target, this woman¡¯s car would definitely have stopped. Boss, you turned a little slower just now. Next time, you have to keep up with the speed. This woman¡¯s driving skills are very impressive!¡± ¡°I know! Shut up!¡± The scar-faced man couldn¡¯t take it anymore and roared, ¡°If you continue to talk, you¡¯ll be the one driving next time!¡± Shou Hou quickly shut his mouth, hoping that his boss would cooperate well with Sean next time and not embarrass himself. Just as the car was about to leave the alley, the car in front suddenly stopped at the corner. Sean and the scar-faced man looked at each other and got out of the car with their pistols. They carefully leaned against the wall and eavesdropped on the commotion behind the corner. Shi Man waited for a while and loaded the gun casually, but she was not in a hurry to attack. After a long silence, the scar-faced man was the first not to be able to hold back. He took out his pistol and shot around the corner. Chapter 107 - 107 Engagement Token 107 Engagement Token The bullet nailed into the wall crookedly. Shi Man reacted quickly and raised her hand to fire, aiming at the scar-faced man¡¯s forehead. If Sean had not reacted quickly, he might have been killed on the spot. The scar-faced man broke out in cold sweat in fear. He leaned against the wall and panted violently. At the same time, he frowned gratefully at Sean. ¡°What should we do now? She has already discovered us.¡± ¡°Retreat first. We¡¯ll find an opportunity tomorrow,¡± Sean ordered coldly. He got into the car and ran away with the two of them. Shou Hou patted his chest in fear. ¡°That was really dangerous just now. Fortunately, Brother Sean reacted quickly. Otherwise, our boss would have been gone!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s dragging you down.¡± The scar-faced man actually looked a little aggrieved. He was also very grateful for his life-saving grace. He asked carefully, ¡°Why don¡¯t we change our target tomorrow? The employer seems to have said that we can assassinate anyone in this family.¡± ¡°No.¡± Sean frowned and refused without thinking. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that Shi Man is the most useless daughter of the Shi family? If we can¡¯t even deal with her, how can we attack others!¡± The scar-faced man thought about it carefully and nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right. Moreover, the Shi family actually let their daughter learn gunmanship. They might be putting their hopes on her. If we can kill her, the reward will definitely not be small.¡± ¡°I heard that she has a very good friend in school called Su Tang. Why don¡¯t we kidnap her? Let¡¯s force her to surrender and see if she can still be arrogant!¡± Shou Hou rolled his eyes and suggested. Sean turned his head and glared at him angrily. A puff of hot air came out of his nose and hit his face. ¡°You want to kidnap her? That¡¯s another price!¡± Shou Hou took a deep breath and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Brother Sean, you¡¯ve already taken 50% of our employment fee this time. If you take another, it won¡¯t be worth it.¡± ¡°Then listen to my orders and don¡¯t cause trouble for me. I can complete the mission sooner.¡± Sean turned around and continued driving. ¡°Alright.¡± The scar-faced man thought that Sean would not harm him since his life was saved by the other party. He gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement. However, after agreeing, he asked worriedly, ¡°Do you need to charge another fee next time?¡± ¡°It depends, but you can ask your employer.¡± Sean¡¯s lips curled into an evil smile as he continued to encourage them. ¡°You now have something on the other party being the mastermind. It¡¯s too much of a loss to earn this little fee. Why don¡¯t you listen to me and ask your employer for more? We¡¯ll still split it equally. If you don¡¯t take the opportunity to get rich now, will you encounter such a sucker in the future?¡± After careful consideration, the scar-faced man felt that it made sense. He nodded and said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re still the most experienced. Teach us more in the future. We¡¯ll earn money together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Sean¡¯s tone was light as he smiled. ¡°Assassinating the richest man in G City is not a simple mission. I¡¯m doing it for your own good. Your price is too cheap. We¡¯re doing a bloody business. We can¡¯t lose out.¡± Sean felt that he was like the leader of a multi-level marketing organization now. He was stunned by the two idiots. He thought to himself that Boss Shi Man was smart. As long as their teamwork was perfect and they did not expose themselves, wouldn¡¯t these idiots still eagerly bring the money over for them to spend? Moreover, Boss had said that half of the money received would be given to Sean and the others to squander. If Sean did not extort a large sum of money, he would be letting Shi Man down! The car drove steadily to the Shi family¡¯s house. Shi Man got out of the car. Before she could walk into the villa, she saw Shi He rushing over and showing her a photo of Yi Zheng and a woman. ¡°My friend at the cocktail party took it! Yi Zheng kept saying that he wouldn¡¯t find another woman before breaking off the engagement, but now, he¡¯s actually so close to a white lotus in public! Indeed, a man¡¯s mouth is the most untrustworthy!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a man too.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and smiled indifferently. She carried her backpack and walked into the manor. Shi He followed closely behind and said anxiously, ¡°Sister, why don¡¯t you return the engagement token to his family!¡± ¡°A token?¡± Shi Man was about to ignore his nagging about Yi Zheng when she stopped and looked at him blankly. ¡°What token? Where is it?¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t know either. You put it away like a treasure in the past. Sister, did you forget where you put it?¡± This was a big problem. That was the Yi family¡¯s heirloom which was only passed down to the daughter-in-law. Yi Zheng¡¯s mother had personally given it to Shi Man. After receiving it, she carefully hid it. No one knew where she had placed it. ¡°I¡¯ll look for it.¡± Shi Man stepped into the room coldly. Her eyes hurriedly swept across every corner of the bedroom, deducing where the Host would hide it with her jumpy personality. Chapter 108 - 108 Banquet 108 Banquet In Longxin Hotel, Yi Zheng held a wine glass in one hand and unbuttoned his suit with his other hand. He glanced coldly at Song Chen, who had casually placed his arm on him. Song Chen tactfully took his hand away and smiled apologetically as he smoothed the creases on his shoulder. He carefully probed, ¡°My sister went to look for you last night, but you didn¡¯t see her?¡± ¡°Not free.¡± Yi Zheng looked around coldly. His expression improved when he didn¡¯t see Song Zhi hiding behind a corner and peeking at him. Song Chen scratched his head awkwardly and couldn¡¯t help but speak up for his sister. ¡°She¡¯s just too clingy to you. She¡¯s even clingier with you than she is with her biological brother. Don¡¯t be calculative with her on my account, right?¡± Yi Zheng turned to look at him mockingly and looked down at him from above. ¡°Why should I do it on your account?¡± Song Chen choked a little, but he didn¡¯t care. He casually picked up the wine glass from the waiter¡¯s tray and clinked glasses with him. He smiled brightly and said, ¡°President Yi, you¡¯re right. You should not need to do anything for me. Then I¡¯ll punish myself with three glasses as an apology on behalf of my sister. How about that?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yi Zheng curled his lips coldly. He watched as Song Chen drank three large glasses of vodka in a row. Only then was he willing to open his thin lips to mock, ¡°In the future, if the Song family falls into your hands, it¡¯s useless no matter how much I help you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ll be sad.¡± Song Chen put down his wine glass. His vision was a little blurry, but he still forced himself to hold the back of the chair for support and smiled foolishly. ¡°If you can become my brother-in-law, won¡¯t our Song family be able to rest easy?¡± Although he said that, Song Chen did not expect his sister, Song Zhi, to win Yi Zheng¡¯s favor at all. He only hoped that she would not make a big deal out of it. When Song Chen was young, he accidentally saved Yi Zheng¡¯s life. The Yi family knew how to be grateful and took the initiative to help the Song family grow. Yi Zheng was slightly less cold to Song Chen than to others. As time passed, Song Chen actually dared to say things to him occasionally. Yi Zheng rubbed his eyebrows in frustration and instructed Tang Zhe to throw this drunkard out of the hotel. Only then did he continue to socialize with the heads of the various families who came to flatter him. Shi Jing took the opportunity and pretended to accidentally bump into the girl in a white dress who was hiding behind her father. Bai Yao was about to pounce on Yi Zheng, but before she could touch him, she was caught by a pair of arms. Tang Zhe adjusted his glasses expressionlessly and quickly retracted his hand to retreat behind Yi Zheng. He said solemnly, ¡°Miss Bai, please be careful. Last time, a blind lady accidentally touched the corner of my master¡¯s clothes and her hands were crippled by my master. She¡¯s still recuperating in the hospital.¡± Tang Zhe¡¯s tone was easygoing as if he was just casually chatting with someone. However, what he said was not ordinary at all. Bai Yao was so frightened that she could not help but shrink her shoulders. She casually lifted the stray hair on her temples, revealing her fair collarbone. Her voice was melodious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Yi. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose just now. I was accidentally hit by someone, so I almost fell. Thank you for your assistant¡¯s timely support. I hope you¡¯re magnanimous and won¡¯t give up your business with Father.¡± As she spoke, Bai Yao lowered her head obediently and kept releasing her various charms. From Yi Zheng¡¯s angle, he could only see half of her face. He frowned slightly and raised her chin. After seeing that she was not that person, he let go of her in disgust and picked up the handkerchief from Tang Zhe to wipe his hands. ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll cut off your hands too.¡± The hot touch on her chin subsided immediately. Before she could react, Yi Zheng had already walked away with a glass of wine, leaving her with a tall and charming back view. Father Bai looked at his daughter¡¯s pretentious appearance coldly and knew her thoughts. He nodded in agreement. ¡°My Yaoyao is still the best. Yi Zheng will never touch any woman. You¡¯re his first!¡± ¡°Father, I will definitely get Yi Zheng. This way, our Bai family can trample the Shi family under our feet and your business will not be restricted by Shi Zhong.¡± Bai Yao¡¯s gaze revealed a hint of determination. From the corner of her eye, she saw the onlookers hurriedly putting away their phones and lowered her head shyly. From an outsider¡¯s point of view, they would think that she was being scolded by Father Bai because of her rudeness just now. There was no smugness on her face. This shocked the surrounding families who were lucky enough to capture this scene. Could it be that Yi Zheng had changed his temper and started to want women? At the cocktail party, everyone was thinking about how to let their daughter take the initiative. Who didn¡¯t want to sit in the position of Madam Yi? Even the daughter raised by a family with a status like the Shi family pounced on Yi Zheng, let alone small families like theirs. In the car outside the cocktail party, Yi Zheng listened to the information sent back by the tracker coldly and sneered. ¡°Release the news to Shi Man.¡± He suddenly wanted to see how Shi Man, who had changed too much, would counterattack after knowing the whereabouts of the mastermind. Chapter 109 - 109 The Mastermind 109 The Mastermind Shi Man searched the room for a long time and finally confirmed that the jade bracelet on the table might be the legendary love token. Thinking about it, with the original host¡¯s flamboyant personality, how could she put something that symbolized her connection with Yi Zheng in a dark corner? She must see it with her own eyes every day to be happy. Picking up the bracelet, Shi Man held it in her palm and studied it for a moment before carrying it downstairs without interest. Shi Man was about to hand it to Butler Qi to return to the Yi family when she heard the butler remind her in a low voice, ¡°Miss, Madam Yi is here.¡± ¡°That saves you the trouble of sending someone to run errands.¡± Shi Man casually held the bracelet in her hand again. Butler Qi smiled bitterly and bowed. ¡°Are you going to give the Yi family another gift?¡± ¡°What gift?¡± Shi Man frowned and glared at him unhappily. ¡°This is their engagement token. I can return it in person.¡± Hearing this, Butler Qi was stunned for a moment. When he reacted, his face instantly turned pale. He quickly chased after Shi Man and stopped her. ¡°Miss, have you really thought it through? If you return this thing to her, you really won¡¯t have any room to maneuver.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve thought about it.¡± Shi Man looked at him strangely. ¡°Why? Is there anything in his family that I regret?¡± That was not the case. In terms of family background, the Shi family was not inferior to the Yi family. In terms of looks, his Miss was beautiful. Naturally, she was not inferior to the Yi family in any way. It was just that his Miss had been following behind Yi Zheng for a long time. Even he had the illusion that he was superior. Actually, the Shi family did not need to please anyone at all. Instead, they had to be fawned over by countless people. After brushing Butler Qi off, Shi Man walked around him to the living room and saw two women chatting happily on the sofa. One of them waved at her happily and smiled. ¡°Manman, come and meet your Auntie Lu.¡± On the sofa, Lu Xiang turned around curiously and looked at Shi Man, who had changed drastically. A trace of surprise flashed across her face. She smiled and pulled her to sit beside her. ¡°Manman is really getting more and more beautiful. My son is lucky.¡± She saw the thing in Shi Man¡¯s hand at a glance, but she did not intend to expose it at all. She thought that she must have missed Yi Zheng again and wanted to take it out to appreciate it while thinking of him. Unexpectedly, Shi Man put the thing into her hand and said expressionlessly, ¡°What good fortune? Our families will still be friends in the future. Yi Zheng and I won¡¯t interfere with each other.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Lu Xiang looked at Shen Xian hesitantly, as if she did not believe her ears. Feeling the cold jade bracelet in her hand, Lu Xiang realized that this little girl was breaking off the engagement! ¡°Sigh, Xiang¡¯er, you know that Yi Zheng doesn¡¯t care about my Manman at all. There¡¯s no benefit in dragging this marriage out. Why don¡¯t we just end it?¡± Shen Xian was naturally speaking up for her daughter. Moreover, she had this intention long ago. It was just that the two families were too close, so she had been too embarrassed to take the initiative to mention it. Now that Shi Man had taken the initiative to make this matter clear, she had to make her stand clear and support her daughter. At this point, what else could Lu Xiang not understand? She sighed and put away the bracelet. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s Yi Zheng who doesn¡¯t have good taste. Manman is such a beautiful child, but he was actually blind not to look at her. I really don¡¯t know what he¡¯s going to find in the future.¡± ¡°Yi Zheng is an outstanding child. Your daughter-in-law will definitely not be bad in the future.¡± Shen Xian was satisfied with Lu Xiang¡¯s reaction. They had been good friends for decades. It was really not worth it to fall out over this matter. Lu Xiang also knew this principle. Although the two families could not be in-laws, they could still interact. Anyway, she knew her own son very well. She really could not blame Shi Man for this. The two of them coaxed Shi Man a little more. Seeing that her expression was normal, they were relieved and changed the topic. A marriage was annulled while they were chatting and laughing. Shi Man walked out of the door easily. Before she could enjoy the scenery outside, a figure flashed in the corner and successfully attracted her attention. Sean only dared to show his face when he knew that his boss had come out. Seeing that she had noticed him, he walked out from behind the wall and met her in the alley on the other side. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve found out. That group of people¡¯s real target is actually your third brother. A few months ago, your brother reported that a small celebrity in the production team had touched drugs. The person behind this is that small celebrity¡¯s brother. It seems that he wants to avenge the small celebrity.¡± Sean¡¯s bald head reflected light in the night. It was funny, but the seriousness of his face made it impossible to smile. Shi Man nodded lightly and said, ¡°Have you found that person¡¯s address? I¡¯ll go there personally.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we take care of it?¡± Sean quickly suggested. After all, this was not difficult to do. He felt bad that his boss had personally taken action. Chapter 110 - 110 Revenge 110 Revenge ¡°No need. Give me the address.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes and suddenly thought of an excellent idea. After getting the address, she was not in a hurry to find that person. Instead, she went to the black market along the way and bought a big gift. She carried it in her hand and drove over in satisfaction. Shi Man¡¯s figure was like a ghost in the night. Her movements were so fast that no one could see her outline clearly. On the eighth floor of Linglong Hotel, the man was naked and hugging the delicate woman in his arms. His large hand wandered back and forth on her body until he was about to touch that mysterious area. Suddenly, a cold wind blew in through the open window. The woman shivered from the cold and shrank into his arms pitifully. She persuaded softly, ¡°Brother Liang, why don¡¯t you close the window? I¡¯m so cold.¡± ¡°Why are you cold? I guarantee that you¡¯ll sweat later,¡± Feng Liang teased nonchalantly. His large hand rubbed repeatedly without restraint, causing the woman in his arms to giggle coquetishly. He enjoyed doing such a thing on the windowsill. He could look down on the entire G City as if he was the king who ruled this city, and the Shi family was just an ant under his feet. That b*stard actually dared to harm his brother. He wanted the Shi family to go to hell to repent! ¡°Ah!¡± An ear-piercing scream pulled the man back from his imagination. Feng Liang grabbed the woman¡¯s hair in front of him unhappily and pushed her forward. He frowned and asked, ¡°What kind of scream is that? You¡¯re like a pig being slaughtered!¡± ¡°Brother Liang, Brother Liang.¡± The woman could not speak properly. Her body was stiff and she did not dare to move. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m not paying for this.¡± Feng Liang lost all interest and retreated a little to her side. He frowned and looked at the windowsill. Only then did he realize what had entered the room. He was so frightened that he opened his mouth and shouted. His legs went limp and he sat on the ground. ¡°Why is there a snake!¡± Feng Liang had never seen such a long and thick snake in his life. He quickly crawled to the phone and called the hotel reception. But the snake was clearly faster than him. It opened its eerie and cold eyes. Its tongue was thin and long. It stared covetously at the man¡¯s actions. It watched as the man¡¯s hand gripped the phone and it bit his wrist accurately. The intense pain immediately made Feng Liang¡¯s vision darken. The hand holding the phone fell to the ground unnaturally, and he fell to the ground unconscious. The woman was so frightened that she shouted repeatedly. Fortunately, the call at the front desk had already been made. After hearing the unusual commotion, the receptionist immediately sent staff to check on the situation. When Shi Man heard someone walking towards the room, she jumped off the windowsill and sank into the night again. After a famous celebrity took drugs, the news that his brother had been bitten by a snake in a hotel was instantly trending. It instantly became the topic of discussion for everyone on the streets. When they were in school, almost all the students were discussing this matter. Even Su Tang, who had never cared much about the entertainment industry, was deeply shocked by this message. ¡°Manman, there¡¯s actually a snake in a high-end hotel in G City!¡± Su Tang told Shi Man this news in horror, afraid that she would be killed by the snake one day when she needed to stay in a hotel. ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man held back her laughter and nodded lightly. She took out yesterday¡¯s notes from her hand and read them seriously. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Su Tang had never disturbed Shi Man when she was studying, but this time, she really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. That was a cold and poisonous snake! Could it be that Manman was actually so bold? ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± She was the one who put the snake in. What was she afraid of? Shi Man continued to look down at the notes in her hand indifferently. Su Tang nodded at her in admiration. ¡°Then I don¡¯t have to be afraid. It¡¯s just a snake!¡± When she said this, she still felt a little guilty, but she still tried her best to cheer herself on. Before the class bell officially rang, there was suddenly a commotion in the corridor. Su Tang put down her textbook and looked up. She suddenly met a pair of calm eyes, and her heart suddenly tightened as if it was pinched. She raised her hand and nudged Shi Man beside her. She whispered, ¡°Brother Yi is here. What should we do? Is he here to look for you?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Shi Man had no intention of looking up. She raised her hand and flipped to another page. The content of yesterday¡¯s lecture was too simple. She could remember it all in ten minutes. Su Tang had no idea. She stiffened and looked at Yi Zheng, wanting to ask him why he had suddenly appeared here, but she did not dare to really go forward and ask. ¡°Shi Man.¡± As expected, Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and spoke first. Then, he stood at the door with an even darker expression and waited for the woman to look at him. However, she pretended not to hear him and flipped through the pages. It was not until he came in and occupied Su Tang¡¯s seat that Shi Man turned to look at him unhappily. ¡°Have you considered Su Tang¡¯s feelings while sitting here? She has to study hard. What are you here for?¡± Chapter 111 - 111 Recovery 111 Recovery Yi Zheng placed the jade bracelet in front of her and said calmly, ¡°I came to return this.¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Man finally shook off this hot potato. How could she want it again? ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed to break off the engagement.¡± Yi Zheng was unmoved and placed the bracelet in front of her again. In his impression, Shi Man should treasure this item very much. Why did she look like she was avoiding it? He already wanted to understand her seriously and like her. Wasn¡¯t that enough? ¡°What right do you have to not agree?¡± Shi Man pushed the bracelet back coldly. ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t take it. If you insist on giving it out, give it to Su Tang.¡± This suited the original plot. Yi Zheng pursed his lips and his expression became even colder. He stood up without saying a word and glanced coldly at everyone in the class before taking the bracelet and walking out of the classroom. After sending this ice-like Buddha away, the classroom finally regained its warmth. Su Tang sat back in her seat and asked carefully, ¡°Did you really break off the engagement with Brother Yi? But I think Brother Yi really wants to marry you.¡± Shi Man glanced at her disapprovingly and said sarcastically, ¡°Your eyesight isn¡¯t good. Do you want to go to the hospital to take a look?¡± Su Tang immediately shut her mouth and did not dare to speak nonsense. After a long time, just as she thought that Shi Man would not talk about this again, Shi Man suddenly said, ¡°In the future, don¡¯t give your position or anything else to anyone easily. You should be the one making the call, understand?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Su Tang understood what Shi Man meant. She had always been weak. She had tried her best to tolerate many things in school because she always thought that she could only stay with the Yi family and not cause trouble for Brother Yi. In order to complete her studies, she could endure many things. However, this was the first time someone had told her that she didn¡¯t have to endure. She could completely defend everything that belonged to her. That was the right she deserved. Outside Cassel Academy, Yi Zheng sat back in the car with a cold aura. He fumbled with the warm bracelet in his hand. Tang Zhe knew what was going on with one look. After instructing the driver to drive, he deliberated and said, ¡°President Yi, Miss Shi¡¯s personality is very different from before. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t accept your bracelet easily.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Yi Zheng frowned and looked out of the window. Could it be that she really treated him as a stranger in her heart? Tang Zhe smiled bitterly and explained, ¡°Forgive me for asking, but have you really fallen for Miss Shi?¡± Yi Zheng had never thought about relationships. He felt that he probably didn¡¯t like Shi Man, but he always treated her a little more special than others. He couldn¡¯t explain it clearly, so he could only choose to refuse to answer this question. Tang Zhe did not expect him to reveal his heart. He only persuaded patiently, ¡°Now that the engagement between you and Miss Shi has been annulled by the elders on both sides, I¡¯m afraid you have to win Miss Shi¡¯s heart back first and make her marry you willingly if you really want to reestablish the engagement with her.¡± ¡°Willingly?¡± Yi Zheng carefully pondered over these words and gradually sensed a difference. It turned out that she was not willing now, so she did not want his bracelet. Did that mean that as long as she fell in love with him again, she would be willing to accept the engagement? Yi Zheng lowered his eyes and put the bracelet in his pocket. He instructed indifferently, ¡°Find another batch of firearms and send them to Immaculate.¡± Tang Zhe turned around to look at him in disbelief. He did not expect his president to come to this conclusion. He quickly stopped him reasonably. ¡°You can¡¯t do this. Although Miss Shi is different from ordinary girls, you can¡¯t give her these things to please her.¡± ¡°Then what should I give her?¡± Yi Zheng looked up at him impatiently. That girl clearly liked these things the most. Why couldn¡¯t he give them to her? Sensing his CEO¡¯s anger, Tang Zhe quickly said, ¡°I heard that Miss Shi especially likes seafood.¡± Yi Zheng nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Then get someone to airlift a few boxes to the Shi family. Also, find out what else she likes and send them to her in the future.¡± Tang Zhe gasped and nodded in resignation. Although it was a little scary for his president to take out a few large boxes of seafood, he had at least dispelled Yi Zheng¡¯s idea of using firearms to romance someone. It was finally not so ridiculous, and he could heave a sigh of relief. In the evening, Tang Zhe brought a few carts of seafood and handed it to Butler Qi fawningly. ¡°You have to keep them well. If Miss Shi finishes eating, feel free to tell me. President Yi will give more to you.¡± Butler Qi was so shocked that his mouth could fit an egg. How long would it take to finish this seafood? Could it be that President Yi specially sent so much seafood to thank his Miss for letting him off after knowing that he had finally obtained freedom from the annulment? Chapter 112 - 112 Support from Experienced Mother 112 Support from Experienced Mother Tang Zhe did not know what Butler Qi had misunderstood. After bringing the things over, he went back to report to his CEO in satisfaction. Yi Zheng was sitting on the sofa in the living room, talking to his mother. After Tang Zhe entered, he first greeted Lu Xiang before standing beside Yi Zheng and saying, ¡°Master, the items have been sent to the Shi family.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Xiang asked curiously. Her son had actually given the Shi family another gift. She remembered that he had just given them an expensive jade not long ago. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s a few boxes of seafood that were specially flown over. They¡¯re all Miss Shi¡¯s favorites.¡± Tang Zhe bowed and explained. Lu Xiang covered her mouth in shock and looked at her son. ¡°You especially gave these to Manman? Don¡¯t tell me you like Manman?¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Yi Zheng took out the bracelet from his coat and looked at it. ¡°I don¡¯t want to break off the engagement anymore. Leave this bracelet with me for the time being. When the time is right, I¡¯ll hand it back to Shi Man.¡± ¡°Sure! That¡¯s great!¡± Lu Xiang was still very happy to see the two children reconcile. Shi Man was a good child who knew her roots and she had always treated Shi Man as her future daughter-in-law. Tang Zhe also smiled and said, ¡°Madam, we can¡¯t rush this matter yet. We have to take it slow. Miss Shi doesn¡¯t like President Yi yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy!¡± Lu Xiang immediately recommended herself. ¡°I¡¯ll help you test it tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m experienced.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Yi Zheng refused without thinking. He did not want to rely on others for this. Even if he wanted to get her back, he had to do it himself. ¡°There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony with me.¡± Lu Xiang waved her hand reproachfully and glanced at her son. ¡°Leave this to me. I¡¯ll go to her school tomorrow and put in a good word for you!¡± Yi Zheng wanted to say something, but Lu Xiang was insistent and made it clear that she was right. He could not refute her. The next day, Lu Xiang indeed drove and parked at the entrance of Cassel Academy ostentatiously. She took off her sunglasses and was personally welcomed by the principal. ¡°Old Zhang, my daughter-in-law is in a class at your school. You have to take good care of her!¡± Lu Xiang¡¯s words stunned Principal Zhang. Then, he asked in disbelief, ¡°Are you talking about Shi Man?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Xiang nodded matter-of-factly and sat in the principal¡¯s office, drinking the hot tea poured by the secretary. Principal Zhang hurriedly sat opposite her and asked with a frown, ¡°I heard that the Yi family and the Shi family have already broken off the engagement.¡± In other words, Shi Man had nothing to do with the Yi family now. Why did the head of the Yi family personally come to the academy and especially explain Shi Man¡¯s identity to him? ¡°Who said that the engagement is broken off? My son said that he won¡¯t marry anyone but her!¡± Lu Xiang knew her son well. Although he didn¡¯t say it explicitly, Shi Man was the only girl he cared about. If he didn¡¯t marry her, who else could he marry? ¡°By the way, where¡¯s my daughter-in-law¡¯s report card? Show it to me.¡± Lu Xiang had not forgotten her purpose for coming here this time. She was here to help her clumsy son gain a good impression! After a while, the secretary brought the report card over. Lu Xiang naturally flipped to the end of the report card and started searching from the bottom. When the secretary saw this, she coughed awkwardly and carefully explained, ¡°Madam, Miss Shi¡¯s results are in third place.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was Lu Xiang¡¯s turn to be surprised. She had watched Shi Man grow up and knew her grades very well. That was why she started looking for her name at the end; it was not meant to despise Shi Man at all. Unexpectedly, Shi Man was so good at studying that she could even be ranked third in Cassel Academy! Lu Xiang flipped to the first page excitedly and saw Shi Man¡¯s name on it. She immediately couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°Aiyo, my daughter-in-law is so outstanding. Even I didn¡¯t expect it. No wonder Xiao Zheng suddenly likes her so much.¡± Lu Xiang was even more satisfied with Shi Man, but when she saw that she was in Class F at the end, she immediately frowned unhappily. ¡°Why is my baby still in such a poor class despite learning so well?¡± ¡°Mrs. Yi, you don¡¯t know.¡± Principal Zhang took the initiative to explain, ¡°Student Shi Man took the initiative to ask. She actually demonstrated her ability level during the entrance examination and could go straight to Class S. She only went to Class F because she asked.¡± ¡°She asked for it herself?¡± Lu Xiang was shocked for a moment before quickly recovering her composure. That was true. Her daughter-in-law was so outstanding. It was the same wherever she studied. Thinking of this, Lu Xiang felt honored. She wished she could see her immediately and reward her. ¡°Where¡¯s Class F? Bring me there quickly. I want to pick her up for lunch!¡± Lu Xiang was a person of action and was anxious. The secretary could not refuse, so she looked to the principal for help. The principal shook his head helplessly and smiled. ¡°Madam Yi, don¡¯t be anxious. It¡¯s still class time, but there¡¯s still half an hour before the lunch break. Just wait here.¡± Chapter 113 - 113 Mother 113 Mother-in-law¡¯s Acknowledgment After school, Lu Xiang was already waiting at the classroom door. The first student to come out looked at the beautiful woman standing in the corridor in surprise, but he was quickly pulled away by someone who recognized Lu Xiang. ¡°Hey, why are you pulling me? Who was that woman just now?¡± The classmate who did not know the truth was still a little angry when he was suddenly pulled away. He tidied his messy sleeves and glared at his friend beside him unhappily. ¡°You don¡¯t even know her! She¡¯s Yi Zheng¡¯s mother!¡± As soon as she said this, the whispers around Lu Xiang weakened. The corridor was silent until Shi Man came out. Everyone¡¯s gaze was on her again. ¡°Auntie Lu?¡± Shi Man frowned at Lu Xiang, not knowing why she was suddenly here. ¡°Aiya, Manman, Auntie was waiting for you!¡± Lu Xiang smiled and held Shi Man¡¯s hand, about to lead her out. Su Tang timidly followed behind. ¡°Auntie Lu, why are you looking for me?¡± Shi Man went straight to the point. If not for the fact that the other party was her mother¡¯s good friend, she would not have been pulled away so easily. ¡°Auntie doesn¡¯t mean anything else. I just want to bring you to lunch. Don¡¯t feel burdened.¡± Lu Xiang knew that her son¡¯s attitude towards Shi Man was cold in the past. If she suddenly mentioned getting the two of them engaged again, she would definitely be ostracized. This matter could not be rushed. She could only take it one step at a time. Shi Man nodded and agreed. Then, she turned around and looked at Su Tang with a smile. ¡°Then go to the canteen to eat alone first. Tell my brother what you want to eat and ask him to order for you.¡± ¡°No need. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never eaten alone in the canteen.¡± Su Tang smiled and shook her head. She nodded at Lu Xiang before turning to leave. It was only then that Lu Xiang noticed Su Tang¡¯s existence. Now that her heart was filled with her future daughter-in-law, the other girls could not catch her eye at all. She drove Shi Man to a nearby hotel for a meal. After entering the private room, the waiter naturally placed the menu in front of her. Lu Xiang generously handed the menu to Shi Man. ¡°What do you like to eat? Order whatever you want. Auntie will pay.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shi Man did not stand on ceremony with her. After ordering a few dishes according to her preferences, she handed the menu to the waiter. Lu Xiang felt that this matter was almost certain. She immediately held Shi Man¡¯s hand excitedly and said, ¡°Good child, in the past, my son was insensible and actually caused you trouble. From now on, he will definitely not do it again.¡± Shi Man nodded politely. Indeed, it would not happen again. Now that the two of them were no longer engaged, they would be strangers in the future. How could he come and cause trouble for her? Lu Xiang had another meaning. She thought that Shi Man understood and immediately beamed. ¡°Then are you willing to give Yi Zheng another chance?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± When had she ever said that? Shi Man looked at Lu Xiang in confusion and explained patiently, ¡°No, I don¡¯t like him.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Lu Xiang knew that she had misunderstood what she meant. She immediately coughed awkwardly. Fortunately, she had also gone through similar experiences. She quickly regained her composure and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t come to look for you to talk about Yi Zheng. I just wanted to see if you were doing well in school. If you need anything, tell me at any time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing needed. I¡¯m fine in school.¡± Shi Man took a sip of red wine, her tone abnormally cold. Lu Xiang still changed the topic enthusiastically. ¡°Your results are ranked third at your age. You¡¯re really too outstanding. Auntie brought a small gift as a reward. I hope you like it.¡± She took out a set of jewelry from her bag, including a necklace, bracelet, earrings, and a few other things. It was a dazzling array and looked very tempting. However, Shi Man was not interested in these things. Since the other party and her mother were as close as sisters, she could not keep treating her coldly. She accepted the gift and said politely, ¡°Thank you, Auntie. I¡¯ll get someone to send you a gift next time.¡± Anyway, she was not short of money now. She would just double what she had accepted and return it. She would not owe anyone a favor. Lu Xiang did not know what she was thinking. She thought that she had already closed the distance between her and Shi Man and happily found a topic to chat about with her. The two of them chatted and laughed for the entire afternoon before Lu Xiang reluctantly sent her back to school and agreed to visit her next time. Lu Xiang was 100% satisfied with Shi Man now. She wished she could let her son marry her immediately before she could feel at ease. During the meal, she kept mentioning Yi Zheng¡¯s concern for Shi Man. She believed that Shi Man understood, but the latter did not show any change in expression in front of her, making her unable to figure out what Shi Man was thinking. However, this meal was still fruitful. At least she should have left a good impression on her future daughter-in-law. When Shi Man returned to the school, a sneaky white figure not far from the school gate quietly followed her. Chapter 114 - 114 Getting Close 114 Getting Close ¡°Are you coming out yourself, or should I go over and catch you myself?¡± Shi Man stopped in her tracks and turned her head slightly to look behind her. Bai Yao knew that she had been discovered, but she did not look embarrassed at all. She slowly walked out from behind the tree and walked towards her with a sweet smile. ¡°Sister Shi Man, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m just curious about how Sister Shi Man became prettier.¡± Shi Man looked up at her in confusion but her eyes were calm. It was strange. Su Tang would smile at her so sweetly and she felt that the other party was innocent and beautiful, but she was inexplicably uncomfortable when the girl in front of her smiled at her. Seeing that Shi Man did not answer her, Bai Yao was not upset. She walked to her side and consciously maintained a distance between them as she walked slowly. ¡°Sister Shi Man, Shi Jing is still in our class. Do you know that?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with me.¡± Shi Man did not expect Shi Jing to drop out of school and leave. With her personality, she must have insisted on staying in Cassel Academy and refused to leave. Bai Yao leaned closer intimately and carefully observed her expression. She did not see any disgust on her face before saying mysteriously, ¡°I know she did something very overboard to Sister. Do you want me to help Sister teach her a lesson?¡± From the corner of her eye, Shi Man saw the indignation on the girl¡¯s face, as if she shared a common enemy with her. She immediately sneered and said, ¡°No need.¡± Bai Yao pretended to be relaxed and stood up straight. She placed her hands behind her back and walked leisurely with a sweet smile on her face. ¡°Sister is so kind. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t let go of my enemy so easily.¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying doesn¡¯t match your innocent persona.¡± Shi Man glanced at her from the corner of her eye, her tone teasing. Bai Yao heard the change in her and immediately smiled. ¡°Pure doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll be at the mercy of others. I like to be straightforward. Sister, don¡¯t mind me.¡± Shi Man had endured the way she addressed her. At this moment, she finally couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°I¡¯m not your sister. You and I should be the same age. You don¡¯t have to be so humble.¡± Bai Yao did not expect the expression of the person who was still friendly to her to suddenly change. She stood rooted to the ground and forgot to react. When she looked up, she saw that Shi Man was already smiling at her. Her voice had returned to its usual coldness. ¡°I like to be straightforward too. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± Bai Yao suddenly had nothing to say. After a while, she realized that she had been tricked. She couldn¡¯t help but shake her head and laugh. She quickly ran to her side and continued to talk to her. Su Tang had been sitting in the classroom for a while, but Shi Man had not returned. She was about to call her worriedly. The last time she went out to eat, the gunfight on the way back frightened her. She knew that Shi Man was capable, but she could not help but be afraid for her. Just as she picked up the phone and was about to dial, Su Tang suddenly heard a hearty laugh outside the window. She couldn¡¯t help but look out and see a girl in a white dress beside Shi Man. The two of them seemed to chat happily as they walked into the teaching building. ¡°Hey, did you hear? Bai Yao from Class C seems to have become friends with Shi Man!¡± ¡°Huh? The two of them didn¡¯t have any interaction before. Who did you hear it from?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the two of them walk into the teaching building together just now? I even heard that Yi Zheng actually had physical contact with a girl for the first time in public at the last gala. This person was Bai Yao!¡± ¡°What shocking news is this? Can Bai Yao and Shi Man really get along peacefully? Aren¡¯t rivals in love especially jealous when they meet?¡± The windows and classroom were filled with discussions about their relationship. When Su Tang heard the rumors about Bai Yao and Yi Zheng, her heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously wanted to tell Shi Man about this, but when she saw that Bai Yao had personally sent Shi Man back to the classroom, this thought inexplicably dissipated. Shi Man did not say goodbye to Bai Yao. In her heart, Bai Yao was far from a friend. She was just a young girl with ulterior motives. Returning to her seat, she looked strangely at Su Tang, who was still in a daze by the window, and asked with a frown, ¡°What are you thinking about? Why didn¡¯t you give me yesterday¡¯s notes?¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot.¡± Su Tang hid the disappointment in her eyes and placed the notes from yesterday on her table before sitting down gloomily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Shi Man sensed her abnormality. This person was always enthusiastic in front of her. Why was she so listless after not seeing her for only one afternoon? Could it be that someone bullied her in the afternoon? ¡°Nothing.¡± Su Tang pretended to shake her head. The corners of her mouth curled up into an ugly smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°Alright, you¡¯ll say what you want to say anyway.¡± Shi Man opened the notebook and looked at it. She actually didn¡¯t seem to care why she was depressed. Su Tang bit her lower lip and pulled off a large portion of her watery nails. Then, she made up her mind and suddenly asked, ¡°Are you and Bai Yao¡­ good friends too?¡± Chapter 115 - 115 Invitation 115 Invitation ¡°What?¡± Shi Man looked up from her notes and frowned at her in confusion. She really didn¡¯t hear what she asked, but Su Tang didn¡¯t have the courage to ask again. She lowered her eyes and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Continue reading.¡± Shi Man closed her textbook and turned to look at her seriously. ¡°I don¡¯t like hiding matters, nor do I like stammering. We only chatted on the way to the school. If you have anything to ask, just say it.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Su Tang saw the anger in Shi Man¡¯s eyes and closed her eyes as if she could gather her strength again. After a while, she squeezed out a sentence from between her teeth.¡± Have you become good friends with Bai Yao? ¡± ¡°Bai Yao?¡± Shi Man still looked at her in confusion. When she saw the tears in her eyes, she suddenly reacted and smiled. ¡°No, I don¡¯t even know who Bai Yao is. I only guessed it when you mentioned it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Tang clearly did not react. She was stunned for a moment before the smile returned to her face. ¡°I thought you would ignore me after making new friends.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Shi Man sneered and enjoyed her relieved expression. She couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°You seem to care about what friends I make?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Su Tang was afraid that she would misunderstand and hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°You have the right to make friends. I¡¯m just worried¡­¡± ¡°What are you worried about?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and looked at her as if she wanted to force her to finish. As the female lead, she spoke too hesitantly. This couldn¡¯t do. She had to help Su Tang change her bad habit. Su Tang shook her head and smiled helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll gradually drift away from me if you have a new friend.¡± Actually, this was the first time Su Tang had made a sincere friend. Ever since she was young, her family had been in a difficult situation. She had never even seen what her peers had. When she interacted with others, there was always a generation gap, so she had never been able to have a good friend. Therefore, she especially cherished Shi Man. She was even worried that Shi Man would alienate her after having someone else and would look down on her friendship. Shi Man finally heard what she was thinking. She raised her hand and patted her head in a good mood. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°What are you thinking about? Your status is not something others can shake.¡± She was the most important female lead in this book! Why did she need to worry so much? Su Tang didn¡¯t know what she didn¡¯t say. She was so touched that tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Manman, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely put you first. No one can replace you.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal.¡± After comforting the female lead, Shi Man lowered her head and continued to look at the notes in her hand. Su Tang nodded solemnly and happily began to prepare the papers for the next class. She secretly added in her heart, ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± After school, Shi Man had just walked out of the school with Shi Mu when she saw a sneaky man from the corner of her eye. She coughed dryly and lied casually, ¡°Brother, wait for me here. I forgot something.¡± ¡°What is it? I¡¯ll help you get it!¡± Shi Mu recommended himself eagerly. Shi Man waved her hand and said firmly, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll get it myself. Wait for me here.¡± ¡°Alright, come back quickly.¡± Shi Mu watched his sister leave and did not notice anything unusual. Shi Man circled back to the entrance of the school building but did not enter. Instead, she brushed past someone. When the two of them collided, the person quickly disappeared into the crowd. No one noticed when he appeared and when he disappeared. Shi Man gripped the note in her hand tightly and opened it when she was away from the crowd. It was Feng Liang¡¯s verdict. After what happened that day, the hotel staff called the police. After the police finally dealt with the snake that appeared for no reason, they quickly discovered that Feng Liang was hiring prostitutes. They brought him back to the police station and locked him up for a few hours before the higher-ups asked them to let him go. Shi Man snorted and glanced at Feng Liang¡¯s current address at the end. She sneered and put away the note, thinking about how to give him another big gift. When she returned to the school gate, Shi Mu was indeed still waiting for her. Seeing her arrive, Shi Mu took the initiative to walk over and held her hand. He asked, ¡°Sister, Mrs. Yi has invited our entire family to the Yi family¡¯s house tonight. We can just drive over.¡± ¡°Can I not go?¡± Shi Man frowned slightly. Thinking of Lu Xiang, who always promoted her son in front of her, she felt a headache coming on. Shi Mu shook his head regretfully. If anyone wanted Shi Man to have contact with the Yi family, he would definitely not let them off. Unfortunately, their mother had already said that he had to bring Shi Man over. No matter how unwilling he was, he could only listen. ¡°Alright then.¡± Shi Man turned around and walked into the car. She quickly accepted the fact that she had no choice but to go to the Yi family. Chapter 116 - 116 Protecting His Sister 116 Protecting His Sister When the car reached the Yi family¡¯s house, Tang Zhe was already waiting at the door. When he saw them, he immediately went up to them and said with a bright smile, ¡°Miss Shi, Fourth Young Master Shi, Madam has been waiting in the living room for a long time.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shi Mu agreed reluctantly and followed behind Tang Zhe with his sister. After passing through the huge front hall garden, Shi Man saw Yi Zheng standing at the door expressionlessly from afar. He seemed to have been waiting for them to come. He looked at the time on his watch and walked over. He stood in front of the two of them and said, ¡°Was there a traffic jam? Why are you only here now?¡± Shi Man looked at him strangely and replied dryly, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t want to come, so I took my time to arrive.¡± Yi Zheng glanced at her in amusement. Not only did he not feel angry, but he also felt that she looked very lively. He could not help but take a few more glances. It seemed that his mother was right. As long as he changed his communication method, he could see a different Shi Man. Before inviting the Shi family, Lu Xiang chatted with Yi Zheng for the entire afternoon and taught him how to woo a girl. Yi Zheng pondered over his current mood. Although he did not admit that he was pursuing her, his methods looked very similar, so he patiently listened to his mother¡¯s nagging. Unexpectedly, his mother, who had always been unreliable, suddenly became reliable this time. He liked to see Shi Man like this. Compared to before, when she would only follow behind him foolishly, she clearly had the ability to make one feel helpless. However, he could not help but want to get close. When they walked into the living room, Lu Xiang and Shen Xian were sitting side by side on the sofa chatting, peeling red grapefruit in their hands. Seeing Shi Man, Lu Xiang was even happier than Shen Xian, her biological mother. She waved at her excitedly and insisted that she sit beside her before stopping. It didn¡¯t matter where Shi Man sat. After sitting on the sofa to Lu Xiang¡¯s left, she took the teacup from the servant and drank it in small sips. Shi Mu reacted extremely quickly. Seeing his sister sit down, he immediately passed Yi Zheng and rushed to his sister¡¯s side. After sitting down beside her, he did not forget to glare at Yi Zheng provocatively. Then, he picked up a cup of hot tea and drank it. Lu Xiang saw her son¡¯s pursed lips and was afraid that he would throw Shi Mu out in a fit of anger. She hurriedly tried to smooth things over. ¡°Xiao Zheng, come and sit opposite me. You can have a good chat with your Aunt Shen.¡± Yi Zheng nodded and sat down. This way, he sat on Shi Mu¡¯s left. Shi Mu, who was drinking tea, immediately paid attention to Yi Zheng¡¯s movements warily, afraid that he would do something to make his sister unhappy. The few of them sat together and chatted for a while before Shi Yu arrived. As soon as he entered the living room, he hurriedly picked up a teacup and offered it to Lu Xiang as a gesture of apology. ¡°Auntie Lu, the law firm has something on today and we delayed a little. Sorry to keep you waiting. I¡¯ll have a good drink with you later.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lu Xiang agreed with a smile. Among the boys in the Shi family, only Shi Yu and Yi Zheng had the best relationship. Lu Xiang was also closer to him than to the other children and treated him as another biological son. Seeing that Lu Xiang had no intention of blaming him and even accepted his tea, Shi Yu sat beside Yi Zheng in relief. After looking at him briefly, he looked at his sister. ¡°Manman, do you want to eat grapefruit? I¡¯ll peel it for you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shi Man nodded. She rarely ate such troublesome fruits, but since someone was willing to do it for her, she had no reason to refuse. ¡°Let me do it.¡± A pair of large hands suddenly reached out and took the grapefruit from Shi Yu¡¯s hand. Yi Zheng peeled the grapefruit expressionlessly and picked it clean before handing it to Shi Man. ¡°Aiyo, I was about to eat grapefruit too. Give me this piece.¡± Shi Mu reached out and took the grapefruit that Yi Zheng had peeled for himself. Then, he turned around and looked at Shi Man with a smile. ¡°Sister, be good. I¡¯ll peel one for you myself later.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but smile. She glanced at the gloomy Yi Zheng and nodded readily. ¡°Sure, the grapefruit Brother peeled would be more delicious.¡± Shi Mu was even more smug now. After glaring at Yi Zheng provocatively, he stuffed the grapefruit into his mouth and began to peel one for his sister. The few of them waited for Shi He to arrive before walking into the dining room to eat. Shi Mu quietly lagged behind and bumped Shi He¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t let Yi Zheng get close to Sister later. I realized that this guy has ulterior motives recently. We can¡¯t let him succeed.¡± Shi He looked at Yi Zheng¡¯s back and nodded in agreement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me. As long as I¡¯m here, he can forget about succeeding!¡± The two of them hit it off immediately. After looking at each other, they quickly took action. They walked on both sides of Shi Man and surrounded her tightly. Not to mention Yi Zheng, even Lu Xiang felt like there was a huge mountain between them. Chapter 117 - 117 Nickname 117 Nickname The atmosphere in the dining room was a little strange. Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads helplessly with smiles. At this moment, the two brothers, Shi He and Shi Mu, wanted to protect their sister. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression darkened. These two people had always been guarding against him like he was a thief. He had never been so openly despised. When Su Tang returned, she found out that Shi Man and the others had come to the Yi family and ran over to greet her happily. Shi Man¡¯s bowl was being filled up by her two brothers. At this moment, she looked helpless. From the corner of her eye, she saw Su Tang enter and immediately pushed Shi Mu next to her. She smiled and said, ¡°Brother, can you give up a seat for my classmate?¡± Shi Mu turned around and glanced at Su Tang, who was standing at the door. Then, he reluctantly stood up and sat at the end. He glared at Yi Zheng with a fierce gaze. Su Tang nodded at Shi Mu apologetically and sat beside Shi Man with a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would come. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have studied today.¡± She greeted Lu Xiang and Yi Zheng briefly before turning her head to talk to Shi Man intently. Shi Man frowned slightly and asked, ¡°You study until so late every day before going home?¡± At the mention of this, Su Tang blushed in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m not as smart as you. You learn everything so quickly. In order to get a scholarship at the end of this semester, I have to work hard.¡± Shi Man did not comment, but she could not help but worry in her heart. She said calmly, ¡°You can come home with me in the future. It¡¯s safer to study at my house than at school.¡± Su Tang had the physique of a female lead and was easily in danger. She did not want to receive her distress message in the middle of the night. Since the male lead would only be a decoration and not do anything, she had no choice but to plan for Su Tang. After all, Su Tang was her only good friend now. ¡°Will I disturb you too much?¡± Su Tang lowered her head shyly, not daring to agree easily, afraid that she would be disliked by others. This time, Shi Mu nodded generously. Although he was sitting at the end, it did not stop him from taking over the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s not a bother. Our family is very happy that Manman can make friends. Since Manman took the initiative to ask, you can come.¡± ¡°Auntie Lu, Brother Yi, can I go?¡± Although Su Tang had obtained the Shi family¡¯s approval, she still had to follow the rules and ask for their opinion. After all, she could go to school now because of the Yi family¡¯s financial support. She had to ask them for their opinion. Lu Xiang did not mind. Her daughter-in-law was kind and helpful, so she naturally could not interfere. Yi Zheng did not care about Su Tang¡¯s whereabouts at all. It had nothing to do with him where she wanted to study, but¡­ He looked up at Shi Man with an imperceptible smile in his eyes. ¡°After all, I¡¯m Su Tang¡¯s nominal guardian. I have to think about her safety. The distance between the Shi family and the Yi family is not short. Since Su Tang has to study late at home every night, my people will pick Su Tang up every day. I hope the Shi family won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Shi Man did not care about the Yi family¡¯s arrangements at all. In her opinion, there was no need to mobilize so many people. If Su Tang had taken her money back then, she would have been a millionaire long ago. She would not have to live under someone else¡¯s roof. After the few of them had a meal with their own thoughts, the Shi family wanted to take a car back. Before leaving, Lu Xiang held Shi Man¡¯s hand reluctantly and stuffed the supplements she had prepared into the hands of the Shi family¡¯s driver with tears in her eyes. ¡°These are all for Manman. You have to be careful not to cause any damage.¡± ¡°Ah Xiang, you¡¯re really considerate. Manman doesn¡¯t lack anything at home. Why would she trouble you to give her so many things?¡± Although Shen Xian and Lu Xiang had been good sisters for many years, she still fully supported Shi Man¡¯s decision. The Yi family had given her a gift so suddenly. It was impossible for Shen Xian to believe that they did not have other intentions. ¡°Whether you need it or not is up to your family,, but if I don¡¯t prepare it for Manman personally, I¡¯ll feel bad.¡± She held Shi Man¡¯s hand, as intimate as a mother and daughter pair that everyone would be envious of. ¡°If Manman needs anything in the future, you just have to tell me. I¡¯ll get someone to pluck the moon in the sky for you, as long as you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°Thank you, Auntie Lu.¡± Shi Man nodded politely. She glanced at Su Tang, who was following behind her, and smiled. ¡°Tangtang is my best friend now. I can only be at ease if she lives well in the Yi family.¡± ¡°Of course. A family like ours won¡¯t treat her badly.¡± Lu Xiang understood what she meant and sighed at this child¡¯s kindness. She could only blame her son for being blind in the past. He did not cherish such a good fianc¨¦e. He only tried to win her back when he was about to lose her. After sending the Shi family away, Su Tang was still in a daze. Just now, Shi Man¡¯s unintentional ¡°Tangtang¡± made her heart race. Other than her aunt and uncle, who had doted on her since she was young, no one had ever called her by her nickname so intimately. Chapter 118 - 118 Dream Fund 118 Dream Fund Shi Man was really good to her. Su Tang was grateful. At night, she secretly took out the blueprint she had once designed from the drawer and started to paint and modify Shi Man¡¯s appearance. The next day, Su Tang arrived early. She sat in the classroom and waited nervously for Shi Man to arrive. It was not until the classroom was filled with students that Shi Man arrived late. Su Tang bounced up from her chair almost immediately and made way for her in a daze, letting her sit back down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you so nervous?¡± Shi Man turned around and looked at her strangely. ¡°I have something I want to show you.¡± Su Tang took out the design that she had stayed up late to refine and placed it in front of her. ¡°Look at this. Do you like it? If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re not satisfied with, I can change it now.¡± Shi Man looked down and blinked in surprise. ¡°You know how to design clothes?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Seeing that she was interested, Su Tang introduced the fabric to her even more eagerly. She only stopped when her mouth was dry. She looked at her nervously and said, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± Shi Man praised sincerely. She picked up the pen and added a stroke to her waist before showing it to her. ¡°Is this okay?¡± Su Tang¡¯s design suited Shi Man¡¯s taste. She really wanted to see this set of clothes. ¡°We¡¯ll change it as you say.¡± Su Tang put away the design plan like a treasure and placed the notes from yesterday on her desk. She raised her arm and bumped into Shi Man¡¯s wrist in the air. Su Tang was stunned. She looked at the glass of water in her hand and asked in confusion, ¡°Is this for me?¡± ¡°Yes, I saw that you were thirsty from talking just now.¡± Shi Man placed the glass of water on her table and took the notes from her hand to read them seriously. Su Tang held the glass of water and pursed her lips to smile secretly. Shi Man was far more attentive than she had imagined. After school these few days, it was rare for Su Tang not to study. She locked herself in her room every day to make the clothes according to the blueprint. Shi Man was not idle either. She had already figured out Feng Liang¡¯s address, so she naturally would not let him be carefree. At night, while the Shi family was resting, she secretly sneaked into the black market to buy two small snakes and threw them onto Feng Liang¡¯s bed. She needed to go to class during the day, so she asked Sean to pay attention to the commotion over there. Soon, Su Tang took a complete set of clothes designed by her and gave them to Shi Man. She gazed at Shi Man fervently and wished she could see Shi Man put on this dress immediately. Shi Man picked up the clothes bag and went to the washroom. When she came out again, her casual suit had already turned into a black jacket and a gray work suit. She looked capable and smart. ¡°Manman, you¡¯re so suitable for this style.¡± Su Tang circled her in surprise. She quickly took out a piece of white paper and drew a few lines on it to take down inspiration, preparing Shi Man¡¯s next clothes. ¡°The clothes you made are very good,¡± she praised Su Tang sincerely. This set of clothes suited her style. It was suitable for action and there were features that could conceal weapons. It was simply tailor-made for her. Unexpectedly, Su Tang had already figured out her preferences in a short period of time. She did not know if Su Tang had a sharp sense or if she was extremely talented in fashion design. ¡°Thank you. Then I¡¯ll design other clothes for you next time, okay?¡± Su Tang blinked tentatively. Shi Man nodded in agreement without thinking. ¡°Of course. So you know this. Then why don¡¯t you learn design?¡± ¡°This path is too difficult. I want to earn money quickly and return it to the Yi family.¡± Su Tang lowered her head. She was different from the other students of Cassel Academy. The reason why she could go to school was because of the Yi family¡¯s kindness. She did not have much time to waste on hobbies. To her, the most important task was to earn money steadily. ¡°Where¡¯s the bank card I gave you?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and asked. Su Tang looked up in a daze. She remembered that Shi Man had indeed given her a bank card before the practical training. ¡°I put the card in the drawer in the room. If you want it, I¡¯ll bring it over to you tomorrow.¡± ¡°What do I need it for?¡± Shi Man sneered and said casually, ¡°Take the money on that card as me buying this set of clothes.¡± ¡°No, my clothes aren¡¯t that valuable.¡± Su Tang quickly shook her head and refused. Although she did not know how much money was on that card, Shi Man must have been generous. The balance on the card was more than enough to buy the clothes she made. She could not take advantage of Shi Man. ¡°Then treat it as the dream fund I gave you. In the future, if you need money to design clothes, take it from the card.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t be bothered to settle with her how much she needed to pay. She might as well give it all to her and let her control it. ¡°Manman!¡± Su Tang raised her hand and pounced on Shi Man. She hugged her neck and choked. ¡°Thank you for supporting my dream, but don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take it for nothing. I¡¯ll return it to you in the future.¡± Chapter 119 - 119 Clothing Design 119 Clothing Design ¡°Sure, big designer, but before you become famous, can you let go of me first?¡± Shi Man patted her back in amusement. Only then did Su Tang get off Shi Man with a red face. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Manman, I definitely won¡¯t let you down. I¡¯ll write you an IOU. In short, I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shi Man was not worried about this at all. If there was anyone in the entire book she trusted the most, it must be Su Tang. As the female lead of the novel, Su Tang had almost all the advantages of various types of female leads. Of all, honesty was indispensable. Investing money in Su Tang was simply a profitable business. Shi Man¡¯s words undoubtedly gave Su Tang the confidence to pursue her dream. She recalled that when she was young, her aunt had the ability to design clothes. Unfortunately, her family had fallen on hard times and she could only become a tailor for her livelihood. In order to support the family, her uncle had no choice but to work several jobs every day. Aunt could not bear to be a burden to her uncle, so she gradually buried her dream of fashion design deep in her heart and refused to mention it again. But now, she was luckier than her aunt. She had met a good friend who was willing to support her dream. Perhaps with Shi Man, she could really walk down this path. She wanted to gamble this time. In class, Su Tang calmed down and listened seriously. She memorized the notes for every class. After school, she returned to the Yi family to continue designing clothes for Shi Man. When they returned to the Shi family¡¯s house at night, Shi Mu shouted excitedly in the living room, ¡°Third Brother, look at Sister¡¯s clothes. Why do I recall that Sister wasn¡¯t wearing this when she went out this morning!¡± Shi He did not have a schedule today and returned to the Shi family early to wait for his sister to finish school. When he saw Shi Man return and saw the clothes she was wearing, his eyes lit up. ¡°When did you buy this outfit? It suits you very well!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it. Su Tang made it.¡± Shi Man put down her backpack and sat on the sofa. She took the hot tea from the servant and took a sip. ¡°Su Tang? Is she the young lady who came to our house last time?¡± Shi Mu sized Shi Man up in surprise and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Can you ask her to design a set for me too? I quite like this style.¡± ¡°Sure, but you have to pay.¡± Shi Man put down her teacup and pulled in a client for Su Tang. Shi Mu was not someone who lacked money. He immediately slapped his thigh and agreed. ¡°No problem. As long as the final product can satisfy me, I¡¯ll pay whatever she says!¡± ¡°I want it too, I want it too.¡± Shi He sat beside Shi Man. He was unwilling to fall behind and said, ¡°I happen to need a set of costumes for my filming, but I¡¯m not satisfied with the clothes provided by the sponsor. Can you let her design a set?¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll tell her. If you have any requests, just tell her.¡± Shi Man called Su Tang and invited her over to discuss the designs for her brothers. When Su Tang heard that the two brothers of the Shi family wanted to ask her to design clothes, she was immediately overjoyed and agreed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll come now. Wait for me.¡± Su Tang hung up the phone and packed her things. Just as she was about to leave, she bumped into Yi Zheng standing outside the door. ¡°Brother Yi.¡± Su Tang nodded at him in greeting. Yi Zheng frowned and agreed. As he watched her leave in a hurry, he suddenly asked, ¡°Are you going to the Shi family?¡± ¡°Yes, I have something to tell Manman.¡± Su Tang didn¡¯t dare to tell Yi Zheng about the design. For some reason, Yi Zheng was clearly not much older than her, but she always acted like a junior in front of him, so she naturally did not dare to tell him anything other than updates on her studies. If he denied her dream, the courage that Su Tang had just gathered would probably collapse. ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng did not ask her in detail what made her so happy. He did not care about the emotions of anyone else except Shi Man. He just pursed his lips and suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you there.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Tang was stunned for a moment before quickly waving her hand to reject him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble you, Brother Yi. I¡¯ll go over myself.¡± Yi Zheng still did not speak, but his eyes were filled with determination. Su Tang had no choice but to compromise and relax her shoulders. She nodded helplessly and agreed. ¡°Alright, thank you, Brother Yi.¡± Only then did Yi Zheng relax a little. He walked to the front and sat in the back seat of the car. He instructed the driver to drive them to the Shi family. The Shi family¡¯s manor was brightly lit. Shi Man and her brothers were gathered in the courtyard personally grilling meat with the stove. Shi Mu was the youngest boy in the family, so he was naturally appointed as the skewers chef. As he fanned away the choking smoke, he flipped the half-cooked meat skewers in his hand. ¡°Shi Mu! It¡¯s too slow! I¡¯m not full yet!¡± Shi He raised a skewer of beef with a smile and urged Shi Mu, the only laborer, to speed up. Chapter 120 - 120 Wife 120 Wife ¡°Eat slowly. Leave some for me!¡± Shi Mu grabbed another handful of seasoning and scattered it on the meat skewers in his hand. He picked the largest and best skewers and handed them to Shi Man. Then, he placed the rest on the table for his brothers to eat. As soon as Su Tang and Yi Zheng stepped into the manor, they smelled the rich fragrance of meat. Su Tang quickened her pace and walked in. She immediately saw Shi Man, who was holding a large handful of meat skewers. She was sitting in the middle of the group with a bottle of red wine at her feet. ¡°Manman.¡± She greeted the other brothers of the Shi family first and walked obediently to Shi Man. Shi Man moved to the side and the two of them sat on a chair. She stuffed the skewers in her hand into her hand. ¡°Eat quickly. They¡¯re very fragrant.¡± ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± Although the smell of alcohol was not strong, Su Tang could still smell the fresh fragrance of wine coming from her mouth when she spoke. ¡°Yes, do you want to drink it?¡± Shi Man handed her her wine glass, indicating that she could try it. Su Tang waved her hand and refused. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t know how to drink. You should drink less.¡± ¡°Why do I feel that Su Tang looks like Manman¡¯s wife?¡± Shi Mu¡¯s curious gaze darted back and forth between the two of them, and he really sensed something. Shi He immediately glared at Shi Mu unhappily. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Why are you so dirty?¡± ¡°How am I dirty?¡± Shi Mu was very unconvinced and decided not to let him eat any of the grilled meat skewers in the next round. Shi Yu was the first to notice Yi Zheng standing at the door. He put down his things and wiped his hands clean before coming over to welcome him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be here too. Come and sit.¡± Shi Mu and Shi He, who were still bickering, immediately stopped. They quietened down visibly with the same ferocious expression on their faces. The meat skewers in Shi Mu¡¯s hand creaked. It was obvious who it was they were targeting. Shi Yu smiled awkwardly. After getting Yi Zheng to sit in his seat, he instructed the servant to bring over a chair and casually handed him a skewer of beef. ¡°Fourth Brother grilled it. Try it.¡± ¡°Brother! I won¡¯t let him eat it!¡± Shi Mu¡¯s eyes were about to pop out. He stared fiercely at the skewer of beef, wishing he could pounce on it immediately to protect it. Yi Zheng chuckled and raised his hand to deliberately put the meat to the tip of his nose to sniff. Seeing Shi Mu and Shi He waiting for an opportunity to pounce on him like hungry wolves, he put down the meat skewer and smiled indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m not eating anymore. Your two brothers don¡¯t welcome me.¡± ¡°And me, I don¡¯t welcome you much either.¡± Shi Man put on a fake smile and undermined him mercilessly. Shi Mu immediately raised his head proudly. He didn¡¯t care if the beef skewers in his hand emitted a burnt smell. He only looked at Yi Zheng with disdain. ¡°Did you hear that? We don¡¯t welcome you!¡± ¡°I remember that the last time I allowed Su Tang to come to your house, I said that as Su Tang¡¯s guardian, in order to ensure her safety, the Yi family will escort her.¡± Yi Zheng looked up at Shi Man. Not only was there no anger in his eyes, but there was a trace of a smile. ¡°You agreed to this.¡± So that was what he meant. Shi Man snorted and prepared to just treat him as air. Su Tang sat in the middle awkwardly and couldn¡¯t help but tug at Shi Man¡¯s sleeve. She persuaded softly, ¡°Brother Yi should have specially come to see you.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows at her and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t tell?¡± She had long seen how much Yi Zheng ignored Su Tang. How could he personally escort her because he was worried about Su Tang¡¯s safety? This was not his style at all. The reason why he personally took action was probably the same as the one that compelled him to go to the school to return the love token the last time. However, knowing was one thing, and being willing to accept it was another. Shi Man did not have a good impression of men like Yi Zheng. Putting aside what the original female antagonist had done to Su Tang, Shi Yu was Yi Zheng¡¯s good friend for many years after all. In the end, he was not spared and still died tragically at his hands. Shi Man did not want to have much contact with such a ruthless man. What she liked were loyal men like her brothers. Yi Zheng saw her compromise, but he was not happy. He could see that Shi Man hated him, but there was nothing he could do. He could only humble himself to walk to Shi Mu¡¯s side and take the meat skewers from him. He said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You guys go play.¡± ¡°You know how to grill this?¡± Shi Mu glared at him in disbelief, afraid that he would take the opportunity to poison the food and harm their entire family. Yi Zheng hummed coldly. Since he could not sit there and continue to be an eyesore to her, he would be an unknown background for the time being. The best solution was to slowly infiltrate her life. Chapter 121 - 121 A Fly 121 A Fly The task of grilling the skewers fell to Yi Zheng. Shi Mu had nothing to do, so he went to Shi Man¡¯s side and talked to Su Tang about designing clothes. Seeing this, Shi He immediately put down the beef in his hand and went to Su Tang to discuss the design concept. They discussed for a while and two design plans were hatched. Su Tang was very happy that her ability could be recognized and readily agreed to help the two of them design clothes. After the discussion, she realized that Shi Man was being neglected. Su Tang handed the beef in her hand to her apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for affecting your family gathering.¡± Shi Man asked indifferently, ¡°Are you happy to have accepted two big orders?¡± Su Tang nodded heavily. Then, she thought of something and shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t ask for a sky-high price. I just want the cost price.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a loss.¡± Shi Man patiently analyzed for her. ¡°Do these two look like they lack money? They have too much money to spend. Just name a price.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do either.¡± Su Tang shook her head stubbornly. ¡°You get what you pay for. You have to be honest when doing business.¡± To her, Shi Man, who was willing to fork out money to support her at this time, had already become her benefactor. She could not bite the hand that fed her. If not for the fact that she did not have enough funds, she would not even want to accept the cost. Shi Man did not mind, but seeing her insistence, she did not persuade her. When the beef on the plate was almost finished, everyone looked at the man wrapped in thick smoke behind the grill. After Yi Zheng scattered the seasoning and grilled it, he handed a large handful of meat skewers to Shi Man. ¡°It¡¯s just right. Try my cooking.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shi Man did not reach out to take it. Instead, she stood up and pulled Su Tang towards the villa. ¡°I¡¯m full. Give it to them.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s expression changed. Shi Yu hurriedly caught the skewers and placed them on the plate. He warmly invited him to sit beside him. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you. Come and eat some.¡± No matter how much the Shi family bullied people, they would not deny them food. Yi Zheng nodded and sat beside Shi Yu in silence, but he refused to touch any of the meat skewers that he had just grilled. He did not like to eat such overcooked beef. He felt that it had lost the freshness of the meat. Moreover, he had grilled it alone for so long just now and had long had enough of the choking smell of thick smoke. If not for Shi Man, he would have turned around and left the moment he entered the manor. Not long after Shi Man returned to her room, Sean sent someone to deliver the news on Feng Liang. The other party seemed to have been frightened out of his mind and had become superstitious. He heard that he had even found a professional fortune-teller to see if he had provoked anything unclean recently. Shi Man laughed when she heard this and continued to instruct, ¡°Next time, switch in some other treasures, such as a spider for him. Let Sean do it himself. Don¡¯t let anyone find out.¡± After the messenger from Immaculate left, Shi Man did not stop smiling. Feng Liang was really an idiot. If this little trick frightened him to this extent, wouldn¡¯t he go crazy after experiencing more in the future? Shi Man did not intend to take Feng Liang¡¯s life immediately. This person could give her money during the day and let his subordinates have some fun at night. He really did not have the ability to cause any other trouble. Shi Man might as well keep him alive and fool him. Shi Man smiled as she knocked on the bathroom door and shouted into it, ¡°Do you want me to get you pajamas?¡± Su Tang was staying with the Shi family tonight, so Shi Man asked her to go in and take a shower first. In the bathroom, the girl had just taken off her clothes. When she heard Shi Man speaking outside, she suddenly realized her mistake. She immediately hugged her shoulders awkwardly and carefully approached the door. ¡°You can just leave it outside. I can take it myself.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Shi Man agreed. She walked to the closet and took out a set of unworn pajamas to hang on the wall outside the bathroom door. Then, as she walked out of the room in boredom, she met the man pacing outside the door as if she was expecting to see him. ¡°Who let you in?¡± Shi Man glared at him coldly. She had sensed his aura in the house just now and felt that this person was as annoying as a fly. That was why she couldn¡¯t help but open the door to chase him away. Yi Zheng stopped in his tracks and asked with a dark expression, ¡°Do you really hate me that much? Can¡¯t we sit down and talk nicely?¡± ¡°Do you like Su Tang?¡± Shi Man suddenly asked. Yi Zheng immediately frowned, as if he was very resistant to her words. ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s not talk for now.¡± Shi Man closed the door firmly, not giving Yi Zheng a chance to react. This guy was clearly the male lead in the original book. He should be circling around the female lead like a fly, but instead, he kept pacing around her door. How could this do? Shi Man thought that it was better to wait for his relationship with the female lead to improve before the two families discussed anything else. Chapter 122 - 122 Scholarship 122 Scholarship Cassel Academy quickly welcomed another midterm exam. Without any suspense, Shi Man got first place in the cohort this time. From then on, she became famous and made a name for herself in the entire school. Su Tang was very happy for Shi Man. However, the results of this mid-term examination would be factored into the scholarship evaluation at the end of the year. Sometimes, she would not be able to get it. In the classroom, Shi Mu was surrounding Shi Man with the report card in his hand. ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve become the focus of the entire school this time. What other reward do you want? As long as you tell me, I¡¯ll get it for you immediately.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shi Man¡¯s results were just for fun. She wasn¡¯t thinking of any rewards. Shi Mu lingered around her. ¡°Good sister, make a request. Otherwise, Brother will feel empty.¡± The students of Class F looked at the president of the Student Council, who had always been high and mighty, speechlessly. At this moment, he had completely changed into a different person. They could not help but click their tongues in their hearts. When Su Tang returned, she looked a little listless. However, when she saw Shi Mu and Shi Man playing, her eyes were filled with smiles. Shi Man pushed Shi Mu out of the classroom helplessly. ¡°Go back quickly. See you after school.¡± Shi Mu was reluctantly pushed out of the classroom. Coincidentally, the class bell rang, so he didn¡¯t enter the classroom again. He just stood at the door and whispered, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you at the door of the class after school. Don¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man nodded. After returning to the classroom, she sat down and finally made time to ask Su Tang, ¡°What happened to you just now?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Su Tang subconsciously denied it. Seeing the dissatisfaction in Shi Man¡¯s eyes, she hesitated for a while before choosing to tell the truth. ¡°I¡¯m worried about the end-of-term scholarship.¡± After being familiar with Shi Man for so long, Su Tang knew Shi Man¡¯s personality. She knew that she liked to be straightforward, so she did not intend to hide it. She did not have a good family background like Shi Man. Ever since she stopped working, her only income was the scholarship every semester. If she could not get enough money this time, she would probably have to rely more on the Yi family to survive next year. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t snatch it from you. I¡¯ll voluntarily give up my right to receive the scholarship.¡± ¡°What?¡± Su Tang widened her eyes in disbelief and quickly dissuaded her. ¡°Don¡¯t do this. Manman, no matter how short of money I am, I know the logic of earning money with my ability. I don¡¯t need you to give in to me. This is a reward you deserve. Even if you don¡¯t need it, you should take it.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s giving in to you?¡± Shi Man smiled mockingly. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the scholarship, to begin with. I don¡¯t intend to ask for the school¡¯s money at all. If you have the ability, get second place yourself. This way, the scholarship will naturally fall to you.¡± ¡°Manman¡­¡± Su Tang still couldn¡¯t agree with her. To a student, not only was a scholarship a usable sum of money, but it was also the highest honor of one¡¯s academic life. She didn¡¯t want Shi Man to give up the honor because of her. However, Shi Man had already made up her mind. She waved her hand impatiently, not wanting to dwell on this matter with Su Tang. She changed the topic and asked, ¡°How¡¯s the costume design for my third brother? I heard that he¡¯s going to wrap up filming soon. Before the production team finishes filming, he¡¯ll apply to the director to reshoot that scene. There doesn¡¯t seem to be much time left.¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost done.¡± In order to complete this mission, Su Tang did not have time to revise these few days even on the eve of the exam. She had been busy with that costume. As long as she finished this set, she could calm down and design the next set of clothes for Shi Man. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Shi Man casually stuffed the report card into the trash can and said calmly, ¡°Remember to collect more money from him. You¡¯re a fool to not earn money.¡± Su Tang couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She nodded obediently and said, ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Seeing that Su Tang could finally listen to her, Shi Man was very relieved. However, when she thought of the male lead who never followed the original plot, Shi Man could not help but have a headache. This person should either develop a relationship with the female lead obediently or find someone else. Why was he always hanging around in front of her? When she returned to the Shi family after school these few days, Shi Man could always see the things Yi Zheng had sent over. She really didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. At night, it suddenly rained heavily outside. Shi Man received a message from Shi Mu. He said that he still had some finishing work to do in the Student Union and could only come over to pick her up later. In the past, Shi Man would definitely not stay and wait for him. However, thinking that she had already agreed today, she could only sit in her seat and look through her notes in boredom. The students of Class F would only be in high spirits after school. When the bell rang, the students ran off. Chapter 123 - 123 Hitting on Her 123 Hitting on Her Su Tang wanted to stay and accompany her, but because of Shi Man¡¯s insistence, she could only leave with an umbrella. In a few minutes, only Shi Man was left in the classroom. The heavy rain outside the window pounded on the window, making the atmosphere in the classroom even gloomier. As Shi Man was still around, the classroom was not locked today. Therefore, when Shi Man felt the commotion at the door, her first reaction was that Shi Mu had come to pick her up after he was done. However, she sniffed slightly and sensed something amiss. Her cold gaze shot towards the door, scaring the man standing carefully in front of the classroom. ¡°Who are you?¡± Shi Man frowned at him and closed the file containing her notes. Her professionalism had already made her habitually enter a vigilant state. As long as the other party did anything unfavorable to her, she would immediately rush up and end his life without hesitation. ¡°I-I don¡¯t mean any harm.¡± The man stammered and waved his hand as if he felt very embarrassed. He swallowed and coughed dryly. He straightened the folds of his shirt and said seriously, ¡°My name is Yuan Yi. I¡¯ve been observing you for a long time and want to be friends with you.¡± Shi Man touched her forehead speechlessly and replied coldly, ¡°Oh.¡± Then, she continued to look down at her notes. Yuan Yi was left at the door by her and walked into the classroom at a loss. When he was about to approach Shi Man, he stopped and asked tentatively, ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shi Man replied without looking up. Yuan Yi was overjoyed. Knowing that she really had nothing to do with Yi Zheng, he sat happily in Su Tang¡¯s seat. Just as he was about to say something, Shi Man¡¯s originally casual gaze suddenly became sharp, cutting into his flesh like a knife. He immediately stood up and looked at her in a daze. Shi Man retracted her gaze and said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t sit in my deskmate¡¯s chair.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh!¡± Yuan Yi nodded in understanding and sat in front of Shi Man obediently. He flipped the chair and sat opposite her. ¡°Then I can sit here, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man squeezed out a word lazily. Yuan Yi rubbed his hands excitedly as if he had been pardoned. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you home yet? Don¡¯t you have an umbrella? I can lend you mine or I can send you back with an umbrella.¡± Shi Man opened her eyes and looked at him. ¡°Waiting for my brother.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Yuan Yi looked into her sharp eyes in a daze. In the past, he had felt that Shi Man was beautiful. Now that he had seen her up close, he felt that she was much more heroic than ordinary female students. It was difficult to look away. ¡°Then do you and your brother have an umbrella? You can use mine. It¡¯s raining so heavily outside. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Yuan Yi continued to search for a topic. He did not feel awkward. Instead, he enjoyed being alone with Shi Man. With someone talking noisily in her ear, Shi Man could only put away her notes and look up at him coldly. Suddenly, she had an evil thought and smiled playfully. ¡°If you give me the umbrella, how are you going back?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a man. It¡¯s fine to be drenched in the rain!¡± As Yuan Yi spoke, he took out an umbrella from his bag and stuffed it into Shi Man¡¯s hand. ¡°Take it and use it. Go home early. It¡¯s not safe for a girl to be alone in school. If your brother can¡¯t pick you up in time, I can send you back.¡± ¡°Will I be safe with you?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and continued to tease him. Yuan Yi suddenly blushed for a moment, then coughed dryly and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s safe. I¡¯m not a bad person, and I don¡¯t have any ill intentions toward you. I¡¯m here to become good friends with you.¡± He said it sincerely. Any innocent girl would probably be touched. However, what Shi Man was skeptical about the most was the so-called pure friendship between men and women. She didn¡¯t believe in kindness for no reason. She believed that there were bad intentions behind solicitousness. However, she did not intend to expose Yuan Yi. Instead, she pretended to be touched and smiled. ¡°Is that so? Then you¡¯re really a good person. I¡¯ll accept this umbrella. How can I return it to you tomorrow?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come and get it myself tomorrow, okay?¡± Yuan Yi probed with a pitiful expression as if he was afraid that Shi Man would refuse. Unexpectedly, Shi Man nodded in agreement. ¡°Then come and get it after school tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Yuan Yi nodded excitedly and could not help but ask, ¡°Then can we be considered friends now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the benefit of being friends?¡± Shi Man looked at him with a faint smile, guessing if he was after the power of the Shi family or something else he shouldn¡¯t have hoped for. Yuan Yi smiled honestly and said, ¡°The advantage is that you¡¯ll have another boyfriend by your side.¡± With that, he stole a glance at Shi Man¡¯s expression and blinked as he added, ¡°I made a slip. I mean a male friend.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave first. Remember to use the umbrella.¡± Yuan Yi stood up and walked out of the classroom, brushing past Shi Mu, who had rushed over to pick up his sister. Chapter 124 - 124 Jealous 124 Jealous After Shi Mu walked in, he looked at the chair in front of Shi Man in surprise and suddenly asked, ¡°Sister, who was that person just now? He was here for you, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded. After packing her things, she stuffed the umbrella Yuan Yi had left behind into his hand. ¡°Use it.¡± ¡°Sister! You actually remembered to bring an umbrella!¡± Shi Mu was surprised for a moment before he suddenly realized something. He frowned and looked at the umbrella in his hand seriously. ¡°That¡¯s not right. This isn¡¯t our umbrella, right? Our family doesn¡¯t have an umbrella of such average quality.¡± Shi Man glanced at him in amusement and patted his shoulder. ¡°Stop looking, Brother. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m hungry.¡± As soon as he heard that his sister was hungry, Shi Mu immediately threw that question to the back of his mind. He quickly helped his sister carry her backpack and the two of them walked downstairs side by side. When they reached the entrance hall on the first floor, the heavy rain outside did not weaken at all. Shi Mu raised the umbrella and covered most of Shi Man¡¯s head. ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go to the car quickly. Brother will bring you home for dinner.¡± ¡°If you hold the umbrella like this, you¡¯ll be drenched before you reach the car.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows. After straightening the umbrella, she walked into the rain. She was never afraid of the wind and rain, nor did she need others to deliberately sacrifice their health to take care of her. Even if her current physical fitness was not as good as before, this did not mean that she had become delicate. The brothers of the Shi family looked inferior to her when it came to toughness. Shi Mu didn¡¯t know what his sister was thinking. He just thought that his sister felt sorry for him and was moved to tears. After the two of them got into the car, Shi Mu personally drove back to the Shi family. As soon as they entered the Shi family¡¯s manor, they saw the Yi family¡¯s car parked in the courtyard. The butler walked over with an umbrella to pick up Shi Man and reminded her softly, ¡°President Yi is here. He doesn¡¯t look too good.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who provoked him again?¡± Although she said that, looking at the expression on Shi Man¡¯s face, she could not feel any concern. The butler was stunned for a moment, but he decided to tell her everything. ¡°President Yi seems to be jealous.¡± ¡°Jealous?¡± Shi Man stared at the butler in confusion and frowned. ¡°Su Tang came too?¡± ¡°No.¡± The butler looked at his Miss in confusion, not understanding why she mentioned Su Tang at this time. Afraid that he would miss any details, he probed, ¡°Is President Yi jealous because you¡¯ve been too close to Miss Su Tang recently?¡± ¡°No way?¡± Shi Man was stunned. Could it be that there had been no progress in the relationship between the male and female leads recently, but she had interacted too much with the female lead and was an eyesore to the male lead? However, the butler was thinking that his Miss was clearly more concerned about Su Tang than President Yi. Could it be that President Yi had really changed his mind and started to fight for favor? The two of them walked into the villa with their own thoughts. Shi Mu parked the car and followed them in with an umbrella. In the living room, Yi Zheng stood up and sized up Shi Man first. When he saw that her hand was empty, his expression softened a little. However, when he saw Shi Mu coming in behind him, his face fell. Shi Mu touched his nose inexplicably and glared at him confidently. ¡°What do you mean by that? This is my house! If you don¡¯t like to see me, go back to the Yi family. Who are you showing off to here!¡± After Shen Xian scolded him softly, she walked to her precious daughter and picked up a shawl to cover her with it. ¡°Baby, did you catch a cold? It was raining too heavily outside today. The driver¡¯s car was stuck on the road, causing you to come back with Shi Mu. He was so careless. Did he let you get wet?¡± Shi Man shook her head and was about to say something to reassure Shen Xian when she saw Yi Zheng¡¯s thin lips move slightly. He glanced at the thing in Shi Mu¡¯s hand and said coldly, ¡°Aunt Shen, Manman won¡¯t be drenched in the rain. After all, someone personally went to give her an umbrella.¡± These words were choking. Shi Man subconsciously looked at the umbrella and suddenly asked, ¡°If not for this umbrella, could you have arrived in time to pick me up?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Yi Zheng nodded firmly. At that time, Tang Zhe was looking at the surveillance video in Class F and telling him that Shi Man might not have brought an umbrella. He almost immediately put down his work and personally brought the driver and Tang Zhe over to pick her up. However, when his car was about to reach Cassel Academy, a man appeared in the surveillance video. That person said something to Shi Man and even left her his umbrella before leaving. Yi Zheng immediately felt angry. He instructed the driver to turn the car around and come to the Shi family first just to wait for Shi Man to give him an explanation. Unfortunately, Shi Man was not inclined to explain to him, because in her opinion, there was no need. She didn¡¯t know why Yi Zheng could give such a definite answer, but in her opinion, she didn¡¯t think a man could easily move her just by opening his mouth. Yuan Yi and Yi Zheng were the same. Without tangible virtue, she would not be easily moved by any man. Chapter 125 - 125 Solicitous 125 Solicitous She just shrugged innocently and said indifferently, ¡°But I¡¯ve already come back with an umbrella, haven¡¯t I?¡± Yi Zheng gritted his teeth and glared at her. After a while, he smiled bitterly and said helplessly, ¡°Alright, I was late this time. I¡¯ll pay attention next time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your business.¡± Shi Man took the backpack from Shi Mu with a frown and nodded at Shen Xian. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go back to my room to take a bath first. I¡¯ll go downstairs for dinner.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Xian could naturally tell that her daughter and Yi Zheng were at daggers drawn. Even if Yi Zheng was her good friend¡¯s son, she would not hesitate to side with her daughter. She thought that her daughter just didn¡¯t want to see Yi Zheng, so she didn¡¯t force her to stay and let her do whatever she wanted. Seeing Shi Man walk up the stairs, Yi Zheng did not receive the explanation he wanted, so there was naturally no need to stay. He stood up and was about to leave. Shen Xian looked at the heavy rain and the foggy street outside and said worriedly, ¡°The rain is too heavy. Why don¡¯t you stay here for a while and leave when the rain eases up?¡± After all, he was her best friend¡¯s son. Although Shen Xian did not expect him to make her daughter happy, she could not let anything happen to him. Yi Zheng glanced at the time on his watch and sat back on the sofa. ¡°Then I can only continue to inconvenience Aunt Shen.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Shen Xian instructed someone to pour hot water for Yi Zheng again. Then, she raised her hand to call out to Shi Mu, who was still standing at the door with an unfriendly expression. ¡°Come and sit. Why are you standing there?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t sit if he sits.¡± Shi Mu raised her head delicately and followed Shi Man up the stairs arrogantly. ¡°This child is actually fooling around.¡± Shen Xian vaguely knew that Shi Mu did not like Yi Zheng, so she did not force him to stay. She could only smile and say, ¡°Shi Yu will be back soon. Now that we can see that both of you have a successful career, your mother and I can be at ease.¡± ¡°Aunt Shen,¡± Yi Zheng said tentatively, ¡°Actually, Manman is more outstanding than her brothers.¡± ¡°Aiya, Xiao Zheng, have you finally realized how good my baby is?¡± Shen Xian smiled proudly and couldn¡¯t help but praise her proudly. ¡°Manman has been especially smart since she was young. I heard that she got first place in the cohort again in this exam. Oh right, I heard from He that Manman¡¯s cooking is especially delicious.¡± Shen Xian kept praising her precious daughter. She really treated Shi Man as her pride from the bottom of her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows and hint, ¡°Moreover, my Manman is especially daring. When she likes someone, she would do so without holding back. If she gives up, no one can change her mind. Don¡¯t you think so, Xiao Zheng?¡± Yi Zheng smiled bitterly and nodded. ¡°Aunt Shen is right. I didn¡¯t cherish Manman in the past.¡± Although he said that, Yi Zheng knew very well that he was saying this to make Shen Xian happy. In his heart, it was very clear that he did not decide to win her heart back because Shi Man had given up on him. Instead, he liked the current Shi Man, so he wanted to renew the engagement. When did this special feeling start? Yi Zheng had thought about it carefully. Perhaps it was from the day Shi Man saved Su Tang from the criminals that he clearly sensed the change in Shi Man and began to want to understand her seriously. He did not like the little girl who used to follow him, but the ruthless leader who had changed drastically and held Immaculate in her hands. The rain outside finally stopped. When Shi Yu rushed home, half of his shirt was already drenched. Shen Xian hurriedly instructed someone to fill his bathtub with hot water. She then took a towel and raised her hand to dry his hair. Shi Yu took the towel and did it himself. His gaze passed his mother and landed on the man sitting on the sofa behind him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see Manman,¡± Yi Zheng said frankly. Shi Yu sneered and rolled his eyes. As he wiped his hair, he returned to his room to take a bath and change his clothes. By the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, the food was on the dining table. Today, Shi Ke and Shi Zhong had gone on a business trip to Lin City and would only be back tomorrow. Because Shi He had to film and had encountered a rainstorm, he would probably sleep in the hotel arranged by the production team. Therefore, only Shen Xian and the three children ate dinner together. Now, there was also Yi Zheng. She instructed someone to go upstairs to greet Shi Man and Shi Mu for dinner. However, Yi Zheng stood up solicitously and suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll go, Aunt Shen.¡± Shen Xian nodded in a daze and agreed to his request. Upstairs, Shi Man was taking a comfortable bath in the bathtub when she suddenly heard an unfamiliar rhythmic knock on the door. She immediately got up and put on a towel. She pushed open the bathroom door coldly and stood behind the door, asking expressionlessly, ¡°Who is it?¡± Yi Zheng stood on the other side of the door and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Chapter 126 - 126 Stuck 126 Stuck Hearing the voice of the person outside the door, Shi Man raised her hand and locked the door. Without a word, she stepped back into the bathtub to take a bath. Outside the door, Yi Zheng heard the commotion inside and shook his head in amusement. When his gaze met Shi Mu¡¯s, who was poking his head out of the next room, his smiling eyes immediately turned cold and sharp. ¡°Who asked you to come up?¡± Shi Mu glared at him unhappily. His nostrils were slightly raised, looking like he did not take Yi Zheng seriously. Yi Zheng naturally wouldn¡¯t bicker with him. He turned to look at him elegantly. ¡°Aunt Shen asked you to go downstairs for dinner.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hearing that it was his mother, Shi Mu shut his mouth resentfully, but his eyes were still staring at Yi Zheng warily. ¡°I¡¯ll bring my sister downstairs. You can leave first.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Yi Zheng smiled meaningfully and turned to walk downstairs. Shi Mu pursed his lips and walked out of the room. Just as he was about to knock on Shi Man¡¯s door, he suddenly realized something and stomped his feet at Yi Zheng¡¯s departing figure. He said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m bringing my own sister down. What do you mean by thanking me? What has it got to do with you?¡± Before he could finish being exasperated, Shi Man suddenly opened the door and looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Shi Mu quickly stopped talking and followed Shi Man downstairs in embarrassment. He cursed Yi Zheng countless times in his heart. At the dining table, Yi Zheng was taking the initiative to help Shen Xian prepare the dishes. Putting aside the fact that he did not like Shi Man in the past, Yi Zheng had always been a model junior in front of his elders. After Shi Mu followed Shi Man and sat on the chair dispiritedly, he started to glare at Yi Zheng. He did not believe that this fellow could continue pretending. He would keep staring at him and wait for him to expose himself! ¡°What are you looking at? Aren¡¯t you going to help with some work?¡± Shen Xian¡¯s upbringing was very strict. Usually, she would ask her sons to do as much as possible to prevent them from becoming lazy. Other than Shi Man, her other brothers had more or less done a lot of housework at home. Shi Mu nodded and went to the kitchen slowly. He took a plate from the servant and specially placed it in front of his sister. He coaxed her carefully, ¡°Sister, you like this dish. You have to eat more later.¡± Shen Xian watched in satisfaction as Shi Mu subconsciously took care of his sister. She couldn¡¯t help but pat his shoulder and praise him, ¡°Not bad, Xiao Mu. I think you¡¯ve really grown up a lot now. You don¡¯t only fool around like when you were young.¡± Shi Mu immediately raised his head proudly and glanced at Yi Zheng disdainfully. ¡°Of course. No matter what, I will dote on my sister and love her, unlike some people who only know what regret is now.¡± Yi Zheng chuckled and sat at the dining table. He picked up the soaked handkerchief and handed it to Shi Man. ¡°Wipe your hands first. We can eat soon.¡± Shi Man glanced at him expressionlessly and suddenly smiled coldly, as if she wanted to see what else he had up his sleeve. She raised her hand and took his handkerchief. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Shi Mu was so angry that his face turned green. He quickly placed the chopsticks in front of Shi Man and smiled dotingly. ¡°Sister, eat first. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡± ¡°Drink a bowl of ginger soup first, lest you catch a cold from the rain just now.¡± Yi Zheng took a bowl of steaming ginger soup from the servant and placed it in front of Shi Man. ¡°I just instructed someone to make it and put some sugar cubes in it. It should be palatable. Drink some and don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± This was the first time Shi Man had observed Yi Zheng say so much in one go. She raised her eyebrows in curiosity. As he had wished, she picked up the soup bowl and finished the ginger soup. She handed the empty bowl back to him and said, ¡°Alright, then?¡± Yi Zheng picked up some fish with the serving chopsticks and carefully picked out the fish bones on it. After putting them in Shi Man¡¯s plate, he narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°Do you want some? What do you like to eat? I¡¯ll pick it up for you.¡± Shi Mu sat opposite him. His teeth were so sore that he wanted to throw Yi Zheng into the rain. He said sarcastically, ¡°My sister has her own hands and knows how to pick up food. She doesn¡¯t need you.¡± Yi Zheng nodded in agreement. ¡°I know, but I like to take care of her. Can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°B*tch.¡± After Shi Mu cursed softly, he picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth, converting all his anger into an appetite. He gritted his teeth and chewed the fish in his mouth, but he was caught off guard and swallowed a small fish bone. He immediately put down his chopsticks in discomfort, covered his throat, and shouted, ¡°I think I¡¯m stuck!¡± Shen Xian immediately walked to his side worriedly and asked the servant to pour a glass of hot water for him to drink. After Shi Mu finished the entire glass of water, the fish bones were still stuck in place. He was in so much pain that his tears were about to flow, but because of Yi Zheng¡¯s presence, he bit his lower lip and refused to show weakness. Shi Yu also walked over anxiously and patted his back to think of a way for him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the hospital to take it out?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shi Mu rejected him decisively. If he went to the hospital for such a small matter, wouldn¡¯t he be laughed at by Yi Zheng in the future? Chapter 127 - 127 Staying Up Late to Watch a Series 127 Staying Up Late to Watch a Series ¡°Let me try.¡± Shi Man stood up and walked to Shi Mu¡¯s side. Under his shocked gaze, she suddenly raised her hand and pressed him down on the chair, knocking his back hard. Shi Mu couldn¡¯t help but cough violently. The fish bones finally flew out of his throat. Shi Man retracted her hand and sat back in her seat to eat the fish in small bites, leaving the remaining members of the Shi family looking at each other in disbelief. Compared to them, Yi Zheng was very calm. He continued to pick fish bones for Shi Man methodically. He placed pieces of fish on her plate one after another. Only after feeding her did he get up and wash his hands under the tap. He had not eaten much for dinner. When he came back after washing his hands, Shi Man had already returned to her room to rest. Shen Xian smiled apologetically at Yi Zheng. After asking him to sit down, she instructed the servant to change a bowl of hot rice for him. Just now, Yi Zheng was only focused on feeding Shi Man. The rice in his bowl had already turned cold. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself.¡± Yi Zheng stopped the servant who was about to go to the kitchen to scoop rice again. He picked up his chopsticks and ate the rice in front of him. Ever since Shi Man left, the dining table had been strangely quiet. After they finished eating and sent Yi Zheng away, Shi Yu came back to his senses and looked at Shi Mu. He patted Shi Mu¡¯s back to calm him down. ¡°How do you feel? Do you want to see a doctor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Shi Mu leaned back in his chair weakly and said with a melancholic expression, ¡°My sister was born to be useful. I didn¡¯t expect Manman to know this. If not for her today, my throat would have been cut by fish bones.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that serious.¡± Shen Xian despised her son for being delicate. After glaring at him, her heart softened and she personally poured him a glass of water to moisten his throat. ¡°But it¡¯s really all thanks to Manman just now.¡± Shi Yu nodded in agreement and looked at Shi Mu in confusion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you fine? Why do you still have this half-dead expression?¡± ¡°What do you know? I¡¯m embarrassed!¡± Shi Mu was so dispirited that he almost wanted to find a hole to hide in. Shi Yu patted his shoulder in amusement and comforted him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? You didn¡¯t cry just now!¡± ¡°Are you still my biological brother?¡± Shi Mu rolled his eyes at him and said angrily, ¡°I actually embarrassed myself in front of Yi Zheng and even asked my sister to save me. How can I still have the face to shout in front of him in the future? I might as well just get choked to death just now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Shen Xian patted his head and chased him back to the room. ¡°Hurry up and go back to sleep. Don¡¯t be crazy here. Be careful that Yi Zheng will come back and laugh his head off when he sees you like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go back and adjust my mentality now!¡± With Shi Mu, no name was more useful than the word ¡°Yi Zheng¡±. He bounced up from his chair almost immediately and rushed back to his room to ponder over his life. Shi Yu looked helplessly at his brother¡¯s fleeing back and shook his head. ¡°When will Xiao Mu grow up?¡± As Shen Xian drank the bird¡¯s nest to nourish her skin, she said mockingly, ¡°As long as his brothers are still around, he will probably be so childish for the rest of his life.¡± Shi Yu nodded in amusement, agreeing with Shen Xian¡¯s evaluation. After the mother and son chatted for a while, Shi Yu got up to return to his room to rest. Before he left, he couldn¡¯t help but persuade her, ¡°Mom, watch fewer television dramas. You have to rest more.¡± ¡°This is the first period television drama starring your third brother. How can I not watch it?¡± Shen Xian turned on the television excitedly. After adjusting the channel, she waited for the television drama to begin. Ever since Shi He became popular, his television dramas had been switched to the evening slot. There were three episodes. In order to catch her son¡¯s television dramas, Shen Xian had to stay up late every time, making Shi Yu¡¯s heart ache. ¡°Then quickly go back to your room to sleep after you¡¯re done. My father isn¡¯t around today. You can¡¯t stay up until dawn alone because no one is watching over you.¡± Shi Yu knew his mother¡¯s playful personality very well and couldn¡¯t help but nag. Sure enough, Shen Xian waved her hand impatiently and asked him to quickly return to his room to rest. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy for your father to not be around, but now you¡¯re the one who¡¯s nagging at me. Go do your own things. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Xian¡¯s phone suddenly rang. The words ¡°Hubby¡± on the caller ID made her feel like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat. She immediately lost her aura. After picking up the phone, she pretended to be woken up and muttered, ¡°Hello? Why are you calling so late? I¡¯m already asleep.¡± Shi Zhong looked at the clock in silence. As expected, he heard a familiar opening theme of a television drama on the phone. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Honey, you¡¯ve changed. I¡¯ve only been on a business trip for a day, but you¡¯ve already learned to lie to me.¡± Chapter 128 - 128 Avoid Meeting 128 Avoid Meeting Shen Xian lowered the volume of the television drama awkwardly and coaxed softly, ¡°Hubby, I miss you so much. When are you coming back?¡± Shi Zhong sighed and replied, ¡°It¡¯ll be a few days. It¡¯s been hard on you to stay at home alone with the children.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hard. By the way, Shi Man got first place in the cohort this time. When you come back, let¡¯s do a celebration for her,¡± Shen Xian said as she stared at the television screen, afraid that she would miss something. Shi Zhong nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to your arrangements.¡± He was silent for a moment. Knowing that his wife was busy watching television, he cut the conversation short. ¡°Did Yi Zheng go to our house today?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It was raining heavily, but he came. I was shocked and asked him to eat dinner before leaving.¡± Shen Xian shared her doubts with Shi Zhong in confusion. Shi Zhong listened quietly and then smiled coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what Yi Zheng is after, but don¡¯t worry. Manman is also my daughter. I will dote on her. Let them interact less for the time being. I¡¯ll ask this kid personally when I go back.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Shen Xian was very reliant on Shi Zhong. Hearing him say this, she did not doubt him and trusted him to handle all the difficult matters. Seeing that the opening theme song was about to end, Shen Xian smiled and couldn¡¯t help but urge, ¡°I¡¯ll hang up first. My son¡¯s television drama is about to start. I can¡¯t miss any details.¡± ¡°Then you have to remember to sleep early.¡± After Shi Zhong instructed her worriedly, he heard his wife hang up the phone. He shook his head in amusement, unbuttoned his shirt, and walked into the bathroom to take a shower. The next day, Shi Man had to drive to school alone as usual. However, before she left, she was suddenly stopped by Shen Xian. She grabbed her youngest son, who was stuffing bread into his mouth, and pushed him to Shi Man¡¯s side. She took the initiative to suggest, ¡°Let your brother send you to school in the future. It¡¯s on the way for the two of you anyway.¡± Shi Mu widened his eyes and looked at Shen Xian in surprise. He couldn¡¯t help but nod repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice. ¡°Mom is right. Sister, go to school with Brother in the future. Why do you have to drive yourself?!¡± Shi Man looked at Shen Xian strangely. Although she was puzzled, she agreed obediently. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Shen Xian immediately smiled comfortably and watched the two of them get into the car before walking back to the villa in relief. Last night, her husband had personally instructed her to try her best to stop the two of them from meeting before finding out Yi Zheng¡¯s true motive. Just in case, she pushed Shi Mu out as an excuse. She was mainly afraid that Yi Zheng would stop Shi Man halfway and insist on seeing her precious daughter. However, after she arranged this, she shook her head and smiled helplessly as she sat on the sofa. She belatedly felt that what she did was completely unnecessary. With Yi Zheng¡¯s temperament and ambition, he should not take up time at work and specially come to see Shi Man. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. This morning, Yi Zheng really waited at the school gate just to meet Shi Man. After seeing her and Shi Mu get out of the car together, Yi Zheng, who was sitting in the backseat, frowned slightly. He opened the car door and got out of the car. He buttoned his suit jacket with his right hand. He slowly walked up to the two of them and stood still. He said dryly, ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Morning. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and asked bluntly. Shi Mu shielded his sister behind him as if he was facing a great enemy. Yi Zheng walked past Shi Mu and fixed his eyes on Shi Man. He said calmly, ¡°Today is Cassel Academy¡¯s anniversary. As a graduate, I was invited back by the principal to give a speech.¡± ¡°So?¡± Shi Man frowned at him in confusion. What did what he said have to do with her? Yi Zheng pursed his lips and said calmly, ¡°Can I invite you to lunch with me? I¡¯ve booked a place in the best hotel in the city. Your brother can come along.¡± Shi Man glanced at Shi Mu and saw her brother¡¯s exasperated expression. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m afraid my brother will want to eat you even more.¡± With that, she pulled Shi Mu into the school without looking back and ignored the man who was abandoned. Shi Mu held his sister¡¯s hand excitedly and grinned. ¡°Sister, you did very well just now. We don¡¯t lack that mouthful of food, so we don¡¯t have to go with him. Brother will pick you up at the entrance of your class at noon and bring you to eat delicious food.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shi Man nodded in agreement. Then, she suddenly retracted her hand and spread her hands at him. ¡°Where¡¯s the umbrella?¡± Shi Mu was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He quickly took out the umbrella from his backpack and placed it in her hand. He asked curiously, ¡°Whose umbrella is this? Are you going to return it to its owner?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded lightly. She wasn¡¯t deliberately hiding that person¡¯s name, but she suddenly couldn¡¯t remember his name, so she didn¡¯t say anything and returned to her class with the umbrella. Chapter 129 - 129 Not Getting a Boyfriend 129 Not Getting a Boyfriend Su Tang was waiting for her in the classroom. When she saw her, she ran to her side happily and smiled. ¡°Manman, the clothes I made for your third brother have been approved for use by the production team!¡± Shi Man looked down at her design blueprint and commented with a smile, ¡°Of course.¡± Su Tang was instantly even happier. She smiled and took out another blueprint for her to see. ¡°This is for your fourth brother. Help me bring it back and show it to him. If he¡¯s not satisfied, he can mark it with a pencil. I¡¯ll take it back and change it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man put away the blueprint. After sitting down, she turned to look at the girl who was still smiling secretly and suddenly asked, ¡°What about mine?¡± Shi Man only wanted to tease her, but she did not expect Su Tang to blink her eyes seriously and say guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been too busy recently. I have only one idea for your clothes, but I can design them tonight. I¡¯ll show you the design tomorrow, okay?¡± ¡°Why are you working so hard?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have clothes to wear. Take your time and don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Su Tang smiled sweetly. When she saw the umbrella in her hand, she was stunned and asked in surprise, ¡°Whose umbrella is this?¡± ¡°How do you know it¡¯s not mine?¡± Shi Man stared at her playfully. Su Tang couldn¡¯t stand her teasing gaze the most. After looking at her, she felt her heart beat faster and she felt very uncomfortable. She quickly lowered her head and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s not your type.¡± ¡°You know me quite well.¡± Shi Man chuckled and did not comment. In the past, she would definitely avoid letting others know her preferences, but it was different now. She was suddenly very happy that someone was working hard to be with her and remember her preferences. This strange taste even gave her the illusion of happiness. Su Tang looked up shyly and stole a glance at her. She asked tentatively, ¡°So it¡¯s your brother¡¯s?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shi Man replied honestly. ¡°It¡¯s a boy¡¯s. I don¡¯t remember his name.¡± Su Tang stared at her in confusion. Based on Su Tang¡¯s understanding of Shi Man, she should not easily accept anything sent by someone she was unfamiliar with. Could it be that this boy was special to Shi Man that made her break her usual style and be willing to accept his kindness? Her thoughts drifted further and further away. Su Tang did not even hear Shi Man call her. It was only when Shi Man suddenly snapped her fingers in front of her that Su Tang came back to her senses and asked in a daze, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What are you thinking about? Why are you in a daze?¡± Shi Man pointed at her backpack. ¡°Where are my notes?¡± ¡°Oh, oh, here it is.¡± She took her notebook out of her backpack. After half a semester of notes, she had used up half of the thick notebook and looked accomplished. However, Su Tang did not have the mood to admire her results now. She thought of many things in an instant. Shi Man¡¯s help was always at the most critical moment, but she should be dispensable to Shi Man. Her only use was probably to show Shi Man her daily class notes, but these were not necessary for Shi Man because Su Tang knew in her heart that even without her notes, Shi Man could still obtain her current score by virtue of her memory and simply listening to class. The reason why Shi Man borrowed class notes from her every day was probably just a habit. However, if she didn¡¯t even have this last purpose, would she become less needed once Shi Man had someone else in her heart? The more Su Tang thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. No wonder she was worried. Shi Man meant a lot to her and had long surpassed ordinary classmates and friends. The more she valued Shi Man, the more she cared about who else she would date. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy Su Tang felt. Shi Man looked strangely at her deskmate¡¯s melancholic expression. She suddenly reached out and knocked on her desk, calling her back from her daze. She said in amusement, ¡°It¡¯s just an umbrella. Is there a need? What are you thinking?¡± Su Tang came back to her senses and blurted out, ¡°Would you have a boyfriend?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shi Man frowned as if she had never thought of this question and was especially troubled. She shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t have this thought for the time being. What about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Su Tang shook her head decisively and denied it. ¡°No, I just want to study hard and design clothes now. I want to fulfill my aunt¡¯s dream.¡± When Shi Man heard this answer, she couldn¡¯t tell what she was feeling. The female protagonist¡¯s current mentality had completely deviated. Shi Man did not know if her decision not to have a boyfriend would affect her fate of becoming the female protagonist. However, the only thing Shi Man knew very well was that she would never wrong her in order to protect her family and force her to be with the male protagonist according to the original plot. Chapter 130 - 130 Be Your Dog 130 Be Your Dog The school anniversary was held after the second class in the morning. The students of Cassel Academy were gathered in the hall. After sitting down according to class, they waited for the school leaders to take turns speaking. The students below the stage discussed excitedly what they were going to do during the afternoon break. The auditorium was noisy. Shi Mu sat on the rostrum and looked around for Shi Man. When his gaze met Yi Zheng¡¯s, his smiling face immediately fell. Shi Man was in Class F and sat slightly behind. It was a hidden corner that was more convenient for students to play tricks. Su Tang took the design and placed it on her lap to draw seriously. Shi Man stared at her drawing in boredom. Chen Wei discussed with the classmate sitting beside Shi Man and changed seats when no one was paying attention. He sat beside Shi Man and asked carefully, ¡°Sister Man, do you have any plans for the afternoon?¡± Only then did Shi Man look away from the design. Her gaze landed on Chen Wei, but it made him shiver for no reason. ¡°No, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Shi Man¡¯s attitude was extremely cold, but to Chen Wei, it was already a great honor for her to be willing to pay attention to him. Naturally, he would not mind her tone. ¡°That¡¯s good. I want to play with a few classmates in the Nightless City in the afternoon. I wonder if Sister Man will do me the favor of coming over?¡± Chen Wei stared at Shi Man¡¯s exquisite face expectantly. Shi Man sneered and turned her head away without interest. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°Sister Man!¡± Chen Wei couldn¡¯t help but beg softly, ¡°Do me the honor and go play. I¡¯ll cover all the expenses. You just have to be happy.¡± Seeing that Shi Man was not moved at all, he immediately became anxious. He had long bragged to his friends outside that he was very familiar with Shi Man. If he could not invite her this time, they would definitely laugh at him! Thinking of this, Chen Wei bit his lower lip. After thinking for a moment, he probed, ¡°If I can find a few handsome male actors, can you do me the honor of going over to play, even if it¡¯s just showing your face!¡± Su Tang paused for a moment before continuing to draw the design plan uneasily. Shi Man turned around and glared at him impatiently. ¡°No, don¡¯t you understand? Who cares about male actors? Keep them for yourself.¡± ¡°No, if it were me, I¡¯ll use a young female model!¡± Chen Wei couldn¡¯t help but retort. Then, he realized that he had digressed. His eyes darted around and he suddenly made up his mind. He leaned towards Shi Man and whispered, ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to come, I¡¯ll be your dog in the future.¡± Su Tang looked up at him in shock. Shi Man turned around and raised her eyebrows with a smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s hear it first?¡± ¡°Woof.¡± Chen Wei barked. In order not to embarrass himself in front of his friends, he had to invite Shi Man today. Moreover, he had long made up his mind to follow Shi Man. It was not embarrassing to bark twice in front of his boss. He was afraid that Shi Man would be dissatisfied, so he continued to call out a few times and stared at Shi Man expectantly. ¡°Alright.¡± Shi Man thought that since she had no plans in the afternoon, she might as well agree to his request and play with him. Chen Wei was immediately overjoyed. He rubbed his hands excitedly and said, ¡°Then after the school anniversary, get in my car. I¡¯ll bring you straight over.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man nodded. This time, she turned around to look at Su Tang¡¯s design. No one bothered her anymore. As Su Tang drew the blueprint, she asked worriedly, ¡°Are you really going to that kind of place with him? It should be all boys, right? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be in danger.¡± ¡°Worried about me?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Then come with me.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Su Tang didn¡¯t really want to step into that kind of place again, but on second thought, she was worried about Shi Man being alone, so she nodded firmly and agreed. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll accompany you. If anything happens, we can take care of each other.¡± ¡°Look at how serious you are, as if it¡¯s a tiger¡¯s den.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh when she saw her looking like she was facing a great enemy. In her previous life, where had she not been? She did not take a small matter like going to a bar with a few boys to heart. Moreover, even if she lent Chen Wei ten guts now, he would not dare to do anything to her. Su Tang did not think so. In her heart, Chen Wei was not a good person at all. Even if Shi Man was extraordinary, it was easy to block him in the open and difficult to guard against him in the dark. If she did not follow and watch personally, she would really be worried. If Shi Man was accidentally tricked by them, it would be too late for her to regret it. After making up her mind to follow, Su Tang quickened the drawing in her hand, wanting to rush out the design she had intended to finish in the afternoon during the school anniversary. On the platform, Yi Zheng saw Shi Man whispering to the male student beside her. The two of them seemed to have reached an agreement. The boy looked very happy. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression darkened. He gave Tang Zhe a look before taking the microphone from the principal to speak on stage. Chapter 131 - 131 Going Together 131 Going Together Shi Mu also saw his sister talking to another guy just now and immediately pouted unhappily. As soon as the school anniversary speech ended, he couldn¡¯t help but run to his sister¡¯s side and grab her hand as if declaring his sovereignty. ¡°Manman, who was the person who spoke to you just now? Did he invite you to have lunch with him? Did Yi Zheng send him?¡± Shi Man frowned at her excited brother and shook her head. ¡°No, he¡¯s not treating me to lunch.¡± Shi Mu heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Shi Man continue, ¡°He invited me to Nightless City in the afternoon to play.¡± Shi Mu¡¯s heart was in his throat. He immediately looked for the kid with a furious expression. However, Chen Wei was scheming. He had already slipped away when Shi Mu came over. Shi Mu couldn¡¯t find him and could only say angrily, ¡°How dare he invite my sister to such a place? I¡¯ll skin him alive the next time I see him!¡± With that, he looked at Shi Man expectantly and blinked. ¡°You didn¡¯t agree, right?¡± ¡°I agreed.¡± Shi Man nodded and grabbed Su Tang¡¯s arm behind her. ¡°She¡¯s coming with me.¡± ¡°No!¡± Shi Mu objected decisively. ¡°You can¡¯t go! Unless you agree to bring me along!¡± Shi Man knew that he was worried about her and nodded without hesitation. ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Mu did not expect her to agree so easily. He immediately smiled in surprise. ¡°Sister is so obedient. Don¡¯t worry, Brother will protect you well!¡± When he saw that bastard, he would definitely beat him up! Shi Man did not know what he was thinking, but from the viciousness that flashed across his eyes, she could roughly guess what he was planning. She had no intention of stopping him. She pulled Su Tang away with her. Shi Mu naturally followed beside her. Before they could walk out of the hall, Tang Zhe stopped them and smiled at Shi Man. ¡°Miss Shi, please wait. My master has something to tell you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m busy?¡± Shi Man wanted to walk around him impatiently, but Tang Zhe took a step in the direction she left fearlessly and still stood firmly in front of her. ¡°Miss Shi, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. I¡¯m just following Master¡¯s instructions. If you¡¯re unhappy, you can wait for Master to come and tell him personally.¡± ¡°Is this Yi Zheng done? How can he be so thick-skinned!¡± Shi Mu couldn¡¯t help but curse softly. Shi Man looked expressionlessly at Yi Zheng, who was patronizing the principal on the rostrum. The other party seemed to have acutely sensed her gaze, and his cold eyes were tainted with a smile the moment they met. Unfortunately, Shi Man was not in the mood to investigate why he wanted to smile. She calmly turned her gaze back to Tang Zhe and clenched her fists by her side. ¡°No one has dared to stop me yet. Are you going to move aside or should I throw you out?¡± Tang Zhe, who had long seen Shi Man¡¯s skills, smiled bitterly in his heart. He did not want to have a conflict with Shi Man at all, but if he did not complete the mission, he was afraid that he would not have a good time. He could only shake his head helplessly and say, ¡°I don¡¯t want to choose either. Miss Shi, please let me off.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows. Just as she was about to make a move, she saw the man walking down from the rostrum from the corner of her eye. She turned slightly and looked at him coldly. ¡°What do you mean by getting someone to stop me?¡± Shi Mu had been holding back because the principal was still around. Now that Yi Zheng had walked down the stage and the principal had already walked out of the hall surrounded by everyone, he immediately had no scruples and questioned loudly, ¡°Can you not stick to my sister like a piece of plaster? My sister doesn¡¯t like you anymore. Can¡¯t you understand? She doesn¡¯t want to see you again.¡± Shi Mu¡¯s voice was not soft, but fortunately, the students had already left the school in a hurry because of the afternoon break. At this moment, there was no one else in the hall except them. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression did not change, completely ignoring Shi Mu. He slowly walked up to Shi Man and stood still. He stared at her coldly and said, ¡°My mother just called and said that she wants to invite you back to the Yi family for lunch. I wonder if Manman is willing?¡± ¡°Auntie Lu?¡± Shi Mu glared at Yi Zheng distrustfully. He leaned towards Shi Man and whispered, ¡°This mother and son are clearly in cahoots, but Auntie Lu is Mom¡¯s best friend. We can¡¯t reject her too harshly.¡± Shi Man glanced at him indifferently and said decisively, ¡°No.¡± Shi Mu widened his eyes in shock. He did not expect his sister to become so bold and direct now. He could not help but praise her in his heart. Yi Zheng seemed to have expected her to say this, but he still had a gentle smile on his face. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell my mother that you¡¯re busy in the afternoon. Please feel free.¡± With that, he turned around and left with Tang Zhe, leaving Shi Mu stunned on the spot. Had Yi Zheng become so easy to deal with? Chapter 132 - 132 Meeting An Old Friend 132 Meeting An Old Friend The three of them walked to the school gate. Chen Wei had been waiting there. When he saw Shi Mu coming too, his eyes lit up. He quickly came over and said respectfully, ¡°Is the President coming with us? That¡¯s really making me look good!¡± Shi Mu sneered and grabbed his collar. He said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked my sister to go to Nightless City with you?¡± ¡°Brother, I was wrong. I really don¡¯t have any other intentions. I just admire Sister Man!¡± Chen Wei begged for mercy and turned to Shi Man as if asking for help. ¡°Sister Man, please, explain to your brother quickly. I really don¡¯t have any other intentions. I just want to invite you to play with me!¡± Shi Mu glared at Chen Wei, determined to teach him a lesson. Shi Man raised her hand and patted his wrist. ¡°Brother, let him go. There¡¯s no need. I promised him myself, and he didn¡¯t force me to go.¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Shi Mu looked at Shi Man worriedly, but his hand obediently let go of his collar. ¡°Don¡¯t be deceived by him! This kid doesn¡¯t look like a good person!¡± ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯ve really wronged me.¡± Chen Wei defended himself aggrievedly. Shi Mu immediately glared at him and scolded, ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s not your place to speak!¡± Shi Man glanced at the car that had been parked by the roadside in the distance and calmly retracted her gaze. She smiled evilly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go first. The tail will be anxious from waiting later.¡± ¡°What tail?¡± Shi Mu did not understand what she meant, but he still drove the car obediently to Shi Man¡¯s side and personally opened the car door for her. After Shi Man got in, he glared at Chen Wei. ¡°You better not let me seize the opportunity!¡± Chen Wei hurriedly smiled and got into his car to lead the way. Shi Mu drove personally and followed behind Chen Wei aggrievedly. He couldn¡¯t help but look at his sister through the rearview mirror and complain, ¡°Baby, you can tell me if you want to go to Nightless City to play. I definitely won¡¯t reject you. Why agree to another boy?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m bored,¡± Shi Man replied honestly. This city was too calm, so calm that she began to find it boring. In her previous life, her life had always been thrilling and exciting. Every day was very fulfilling, but now that she could easily get first place in the cohort, her school life had completely lost meaning. If she didn¡¯t find something exciting to do, she would probably want to run away from home and continue living the life of a mercenary. Shi Mu did not expect his sister to easily agree to another boy¡¯s invitation because of this reason. He was immediately angry at himself for being careless and not being able to take care of his sister¡¯s feelings. He spent the entire journey blaming himself. When the car arrived outside Nightless City, Shi Mu was still regretting as he opened the car door for Shi Man. Chen Wei had been waiting at the entrance of Nightless City for a long time, but he did not dare to approach. He could only wait for them to walk over. After Shi Man pulled Su Tang out of the car, she followed Chen Wei into the private room that had been prepared long ago. The originally noisy private room instantly became silent because of Shi Man¡¯s arrival. In the corner, a man in a purple suit who looked like a peacock heard the commotion and his eyes lit up. He swirled his wine glass and walked up to Shi Man obsequiously. After seeing her face clearly, he did not hide the surprise in his eyes and smiled in surprise. ¡°Miss Shi, I haven¡¯t seen you for a while. You seem to have become prettier.¡± The person who spoke was none other than the man she had met at the black market, Jiang Sheng. Shi Man did not expect to meet him here. She raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a while, but your mouth is still as sweet.¡± Seeing that the other party was actually willing to acknowledge him, Jiang Sheng tried his best to please her. ¡°So Miss Shi still remembers me. I¡¯m really too excited. I have to drink a few more glasses with Miss Shi today.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man played along casually. Shi Mu immediately objected angrily, ¡°No! Who are you? How dare you drink with Manman?¡± Jiang Sheng was stunned for a moment before he noticed Shi Mu, who had entered with him. An awkward expression flashed across his face before he regained his smile and said, ¡°Since Miss Shi has agreed herself, Young Master Shi, what reason do you have to reject?¡± Chen Wei was frightened. He knew that Jiang Sheng and Shi Man knew each other, but he did not expect Jiang Sheng to be so bold as to fight Shi Mu head-on. He quickly tried to smooth things over. ¡°Everyone, sit down and talk slowly. Knowing that Brother Shi is coming, I specially ordered a few bottles of good wine. Do me the honor and try them. If you think they¡¯re okay, I¡¯ll get someone to add a few more bottles.¡± Before Shi Mu could react, Shi Man led Su Tang to an empty seat and sat down. The others in the private room immediately seemed to have seen something rare and surrounded her eagerly. Jiang Sheng quickly poured a glass of wine for Shi Man and said in a low voice, ¡°Miss Shi, if you¡¯re willing to drink with me, I won¡¯t hesitate even if you kill me today.¡± He could tell that Shi Man was different from before. He thought that his chance to marry into a rich family had come. How could he not try his best to please Shi Man? Chapter 133 - 133 Drinking Challenge 133 Drinking Challenge Shi Man raised her eyebrows and took the glass of red wine from him. Just as she was about to drink it, the door of the private room was suddenly kicked open from the outside. Yi Zheng glared at the men surrounding Shi Man with a dark expression and said coldly, ¡°Who asked you to let her drink?¡± Shi Mu instantly jumped up from the corner and glared at him in disbelief. ¡°How did you know we were here? Did you follow us?¡± Only then did Yi Zheng turn to him and say coldly, ¡°Is this how you behave as a brother? You brought your sister to such a place and watched her get drunk?¡± Shi Mu¡¯s face turned red when he was criticized. He immediately shouted angrily, ¡°Do you think I want her to drink? I can¡¯t wait to chop up all those men!¡± When the boys around Shi Man heard this, they couldn¡¯t help but shiver and move away from Shi Man. Yi Zheng snorted and looked at Shi Man again. He ordered, ¡°Come back with me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and looked at him playfully. She glanced at Su Tang, who was also trembling beside her, and asked softly, ¡°Are you going with him?¡± Su Tang shook her head decisively. ¡°No, I have to be with you.¡± She had to watch Shi Man and not let her be plotted against by the wolf-like men beside her, especially the man in purple. It was obvious that he had ill intentions. He had already become Su Tang¡¯s focus. Shi Man¡¯s eyes were filled with smiles. She leaned on the sofa and looked at Yi Zheng provocatively, wanting to agitate his possessiveness towards the female lead. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression darkened even more. Seeing that Shi Man had no intention of leaving with him, he turned around and glanced coldly at Tang Zhe. The latter immediately understood and found a comfortable chair for him to sit down. Then, he tactfully poured a glass of red wine and placed it in front of him. Yi Zheng picked up his wine glass and shook it casually. It was enough to make the entire private room pale in comparison. It was as if this was no longer a bar for people to enjoy, but a noble and elegant palace, and Yi Zheng was the king of the entire palace. ¡°Since you want to drink, let me drink with you.¡± He held the wine glass and gently touched the wine glass in Shi Man¡¯s hand. There was an evil smile on his lips, but it did not reach his eyes. Shi Man sneered, picked up her wine glass, and drank it in one gulp. Then, she looked up at him lazily. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± Yi Zheng lowered his eyes and chuckled. He also finished the wine in his glass. Chen Wei was already dumbfounded. He wanted to stop them, but he did not dare to speak. Who was Yi Zheng? He was the master of the Yi family and was even harder to offend than Shi Man, the daughter of a rich family. He had caused huge trouble this time. Perhaps he had already unintentionally offended Yi Zheng completely. Looking at Yi Zheng¡¯s posture, he did not look like he did not care about Shi Man at all. If he unknowingly became a thorn in Yi Zheng¡¯s side, the Chen family¡¯s good days would be over. In order not to be singled out by Yi Zheng in the future, Chen Wei hurriedly smiled apologetically and went to his side. He said softly, ¡°President Yi, I didn¡¯t know you would come. I really didn¡¯t entertain you well. I see that you and Sister Man have something to talk about. Why don¡¯t you sit beside her and talk slowly?¡± With that, he gave Jiang Sheng, who was beside Shi Man, a look and asked him to stay away from Shi Man. If he stayed by Shi Man¡¯s side and refused to leave, he would probably be carried out later. Jiang Sheng knew very well about Shi Man and Yi Zheng¡¯s love and hatred. When he met Chen Wei¡¯s gaze, he hurriedly jumped up from the sofa and retreated to the corner in silence to make room for Yi Zheng. Yi Zheng looked at Chen Wei in appreciation. He stood up and sat beside Shi Man without hesitation. He personally filled her glass with red wine and said in a slow tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to drink so well, but you have to drink less. I¡¯ll send you back later.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°No need!¡± Shi Man and Shi Mu spoke almost at the same time. However, Shi Man looked exceptionally calm, while Shi Mu was full of contempt. He raised his hand and pulled Su Tang to the side. He sat beside Shi Man and shouted indignantly, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m dead? I¡¯ll naturally send my sister home later. There¡¯s no need to trouble you.¡± Yi Zheng smiled sarcastically. ¡°Is that so? I thought you were blind to allow so many strange men to drink around your sister.¡± Shi Mu was unable to refute this. How could he dare to interfere in Shi Man¡¯s matters? In the car just now, Shi Man¡¯s mention of boredom had already made him fall into deep self-reproach. How could he stop her from finding happiness? He originally thought that since he was at the scene, as long as he took good care of his sister and did not let others take advantage of her, it was not a big deal to drink. But now that Yi Zheng mentioned it sarcastically, he immediately felt his face burning. A strong sense of shame almost drowned him, as if he had done something unforgivable. Chapter 134 - 134 Open 134 Open Shi Man saw Shi Mu¡¯s guilt and was even more dissatisfied with Yi Zheng¡¯s meddling. She raised her glass and said coldly, ¡°If you want to stay and drink, I won¡¯t stop you. But if you come to bully my brother, don¡¯t blame me for chasing you out.¡± These words were merciless. Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes when he heard this. Everyone thought that he would leave in anger, but he suddenly chuckled and shook his head indifferently. ¡°If you like to drink, I¡¯ll accompany you, but these people have to get lost.¡± He glanced meaningfully in the direction of Chen Wei and Jiang Sheng. His cold gaze made them shiver. Without waiting for Shi Man to speak, Chen Wei immediately nodded desperately like a chick pecking at rice. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. We¡¯ll get lost now. President Yi and Sister Man, drink slowly. I¡¯ll go downstairs to settle the bill. No matter what you order later, it¡¯ll be on my account.¡± With that, he brought the few of them out of the private room as if they had been pardoned. His entire body was covered in a cold sweat. With no one else in the private room, Shi Man immediately lost interest. She put down her wine glass and looked at Yi Zheng beside her. She frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Do you know what it means to be too little too late?¡± Su Tang held her breath and sat in the corner staring at the two of them timidly. Yi Zheng said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too late, because what I want is the current you.¡± Shi Man subconsciously clenched her fists on her knees, her eyes as dark as an abyss that could never be escaped. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Literally.¡± Yi Zheng was not prepared to expose his inner thoughts in front of the other two. He changed the topic and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to Class S?¡± From his point of view, with Shi Man¡¯s results, she did not need to fall to Class F at the bottom. He had also taken the opportunity to chat with the principal just now and knew that Shi Man¡¯s entrance results were very good, so he raised this question in surprise. ¡°Is there a problem if I don¡¯t like it?¡± Shi Man leaned casually on the sofa and tilted her head to size up the male protagonist in the original book for the first time. To be fair, this man¡¯s looks were worthy of the male lead¡¯s status. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. His thin face coupled with three-dimensional facial features made him look so handsome that even the savvy Shi Man would acknowledge his charm. However, he was not Shi Man¡¯s type. She did not like men who were too ruthless. Yi Zheng was a timebomb that could explode if one was not careful. He was the type of male lead that could easily destroy the Shi family. However, Shi Man had no intention of currying favor with him. On the contrary, she would do something to detoxify Yi Zheng, which was enough to show her stand. It was impossible for her to submit to Yi Zheng, even though she knew very well that he was the male lead with the aura of a protagonist. If there really came a day when the Yi family stood against the Shi family again, she would destroy the Yi family at all costs and kill everyone in the Yi family who would pose a threat to the Shi family to protect her brothers and parents. That was why she was not polite to Yi Zheng at all. It was because she did not care if the other party would really be kind toward her. She was just responding to her conscience to stop making things difficult for the female protagonist and not let her become the fuse to trigger everything. Yi Zheng heard an unexpected answer and couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows and smile. ¡°It¡¯s really an answer that suits your current style. Then let me congratulate you on getting first place in the cohort. When the Shi family celebrates for you, can you invite me along? Even if we can¡¯t become engaged, we¡¯re still friends who grew up together, right?¡± If it were the past Shi Man, she would definitely recall many childhood memories when she heard this. However, Shi Man, who was sitting here now, had no memories of Yi Zheng. She shook her head unmoved and said, ¡°If you want to participate, you can discuss it with my mother. There¡¯s no need to specially say anything about friendship with me. From the day I broke off the engagement with you, there¡¯s no need for any friendship between us. I hope you can understand.¡± Yi Zheng tightened his grip on the wine glass. For some reason, his usually calm and indifferent heart seemed to be suddenly gripped tightly. For the first time in his life, he tasted heartache. He looked up slightly to hide the hurt in his eyes and nodded slowly. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll leave first. I¡¯ll leave Tang Zhe behind and get him to drive you back later.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shi Man still refused without hesitation. ¡°You can take your people away with you. My brother didn¡¯t drink. He can send me home.¡± Yi Zheng stood up and nodded. In the end, he did not say anything else and left the private room. Seeing that the irksome person had finally left, Shi Mu hugged his sister¡¯s shoulder happily and said, ¡°As expected of my baby. You said it so well just now! Let¡¯s ignore that heartless wretched man in the future! Tell him to get lost as far as possible!¡± Su Tang also walked over and sat timidly beside Shi Man. She held her arm and shook it gently. ¡°Manman, Brother Yi has left. Why don¡¯t we go back?¡± Chapter 135 - 135 Old Friend 135 Old Friend Shi Mu, on the other hand, was in a good mood. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fun without people in the way. Sister, if you want to drink now, I¡¯ll definitely drink with you to my heart¡¯s content.¡± Shi Man looked at the worried Su Tang and knew that she might not be used to such a place. She stood up and said indifferently, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go home for dinner. Come back with us.¡± Su Tang nodded obediently and followed Shi Man out of the private room. Yuan Yi, who was drinking in the next corner, suddenly stood up and opened the door of the private room. The classmate behind him couldn¡¯t help but put down his wine glass and stop him. ¡°Brother Yuan, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bored. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Yuan Yi was thinking about Shi Man and was not in the mood to drink with this group of people. After closing the door of the private room, he was about to habitually take out a cigarette from his pocket when he bumped into Shi Man, who walked out at the same time. ¡°Why are you here!¡± Yuan Yi took his hand out of his pocket in surprise and completely forgot about smoking. He jogged to her. He did not expect to meet the person he had been thinking about for the entire day here. Shi Man raised her eyebrows and recognized him, but she still didn¡¯t remember his name. She could only smile and nod politely. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Yuan Yi immediately smiled foolishly. When he saw the man standing beside Shi Man, he subconsciously released his hostility. However, after seeing his face clearly, he smiled in surprise again. ¡°You¡¯re Brother Shi Mu!¡± ¡°You know me?¡± Shi Mu searched his mind for a long time before his eyes widened in realization. ¡°You¡¯re Yuan Yi?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Brother Mu, you finally remember me!¡± Seeing his senior who played with him when he was young, Yuan Yi revealed a rare silly look again. He had gone to the same kindergarten as Shi Mu in the past. At that time, he had acknowledged Shi Mu as his elder brother. Unfortunately, he was sent overseas by his family to study later. He had just returned to the country this year and had yet to meet his childhood friends. Unexpectedly, he saw Shi Mu again in such a strange way. And the girl he had been thinking about was actually Shi Mu¡¯s biological sister! Yuan Yi was very satisfied with the right decision he had made when he was young. As long as Shi Mu could acknowledge him and help at the critical moment, he would be a big step closer to winning Shi Man. Shi Mu clearly remembered the times when he was young and ran amok with Yuan Yi. He patted his shoulder excitedly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the little fatty in the past to become so handsome now. We¡¯re about to go home for dinner. Do you want to join us?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Yuan Yi immediately nodded in agreement. Then, he blinked and looked at Shi Man playfully. ¡°Where¡¯s my umbrella?¡± Shi Man watched the interaction between the two of them expressionlessly. She was going to take out the white umbrella from her backpack and return it to him, but Yuan Yi raised his hand to stop her. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s just an umbrella. You don¡¯t have to return it. Just remember to bring it with you often in the future and not catch a cold in the rain.¡± He had no intention of letting Shi Man return the umbrella. He suddenly mentioned it now to close the distance between them and let Shi Mu know that he had lent Shi Man the umbrella yesterday. When Shi Mu heard their conversation, he smiled in understanding. ¡°I was wondering when my sister had such an umbrella. So it¡¯s yours. Thank you so much for yesterday. Otherwise, we would really have been drenched.¡± ¡°Brother, why are you being so polite to me?¡± Yuan Yi hugged Shi Mu¡¯s shoulder and changed his strategy at the last minute. He focused his attention on Shi Mu and was determined to build a good relationship with him. ¡°What delicious food did you make at home? I remember that Brother liked seafood the most when he was young.¡± ¡°You even remember this!¡± Shi Mu¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. He was still very happy to meet his childhood playmate. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get someone to make some seafood later. Coincidentally, my sister likes it too.¡± Yuan Yi glanced at Shi Man, who was following behind him, and said with a smile, ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll get the butler to send some seafood to your house. Let¡¯s eat together later.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a guest. How can I let you spend money?¡± Shi Mu immediately waved his hand and refused. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and come home with me to eat. We can get together. I heard that you went overseas. Why are you suddenly back?¡± ¡°I miss Big Brother.¡± Yuan Yi pretended to look aggrieved as he stared at Shi Mu. Shi Mu pushed him away speechlessly. Although he spoke disdainfully, his eyes were filled with smiles. ¡°Don¡¯t disgust me. Speak properly. Otherwise, I¡¯ll punish you to stand at the side and make you watch us eat.¡± ¡°Big Brother! You¡¯re too ruthless!¡± Yuan Yi chimed in and put on an innocent and pitiful expression. The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked out of the Nightless City side by side. The distance of more than ten years seemed to have disappeared in an instant. Unknowingly, they had returned to the time when they were mischievous and caused trouble together when they were young. Shi Mu drove and looked at his sister in the backseat through the rearview mirror. He couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Manman, how did you meet Yuan Yi?¡± Chapter 136 - 136 Celebration Banquet 136 Celebration Banquet ¡°He wanted to make friends with me first.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes and smiled at Yuan Yi, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. When Shi Mu heard this, alarm bells rang in his head. As he drove, he did not forget to look at Yuan Yi beside him. ¡°Why do you want to be friends with my sister?¡± Yuan Yi smiled shyly and said, ¡°I noticed Manman during practical training. I admire her extraordinary heroic spirit and just want to get to know her.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shi Mu let down his guard and chatted with Yuan Yi about what happened after he left. ¡°Do you know that ever since you went overseas, it had been too boring? There were obedient children everywhere. There¡¯s no one who even accompanied me to piss off my third brother.¡± Yuan Yi could not help but laugh. ¡°Your third brother is just good-tempered. Otherwise, if it were me, I would definitely beat you up!¡± On the other side, because Shi Zhong missed his wife, he compressed his schedule and worked himself and his eldest son, Shi Ke to the bone. After completing the business mission at a speed that ordinary people could not reach, he hurriedly rushed back to the Shi family. When Shen Xian saw Shi Zhong return, she happily called Shi He and asked him to come back early tonight to celebrate Shi Man getting first place in the cohort. Shi He immediately agreed and even canceled his social gathering and returned home early. Therefore, when Shi Mu brought them into the Shi family¡¯s manor, they saw at a glance that the stone path in the garden was covered with a red carpet. It was even grander than a celebrity¡¯s fashion show. Shi He stood at the end of the red carpet with a large bouquet of red roses in his hand. He smiled and waited for his precious sister. Shi Mu was shocked by this scene. He hurriedly pulled Yuan Yi and made way for Shi Man to walk in front. If his brothers saw him stepping on the red carpet first, they would definitely join forces to skin him alive! The Shi family was rich and powerful. They were good at everything, but they loved to bully him, the youngest brother of the Shi family. Yuan Yi followed Shi Mu to the side and smiled at Shi Man. He congratulated her. ¡°Are they holding a celebration banquet for Manman? You¡¯ve just transferred schools and can get first place in Cassel Academy in less than a semester. You¡¯re really amazing.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shi Mu patted Yuan Yi¡¯s shoulder and said proudly, ¡°My sister is amazing in many ways. You¡¯ll slowly realize it in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, then I¡¯m willing to slowly understand.¡± Yuan Yi had a smile in his eyes from the beginning to the end. Although his words were ambiguous, his attitude had always been refined, making it impossible to find any mistakes in his behavior. Shi Mu still liked to talk to him as much as he did when he was young. He did not feel uncomfortable at all that his sister was being coveted. Instead, he could not wait for Yuan Yi to discover how good his sister was and be envious that he could have a unique sister. Su Tang followed behind Shi Man and chuckled. ¡°Manman, go quickly. We¡¯ll follow you from behind. Your brother is still waiting for you in front.¡± Shi Man turned her head and looked at the girl who was sincerely happy for her. She suddenly asked, ¡°Have you walked the red carpet?¡± ¡°Huh? No.¡± Su Tang looked at her in confusion. Shi Man looked like she knew it. Then, she pulled her to her side and let her walk on the red carpet side by side with her. She said confidently, ¡°In the future when you become the top fashion designer in the country, you definitely have to walk the red carpet. Treat it as a rehearsal now and get used to it in advance.¡± ¡°Manman, this is your celebration banquet.¡± Su Tang felt that it was inappropriate and wanted to slow down and fall behind. However, Shi Man grabbed her arm tightly and did not let her succeed. ¡°It¡¯s just a small test. Why are you so serious? Just walk properly and don¡¯t fall.¡± Seeing her firm attitude, Su Tang shut her mouth and lowered her head without saying anything else. However, she could not help but feel excited. Thinking of the future Shi Man had casually described, Su Tang could not help but yearn. If only she could really become a powerful fashion designer like Shi Man said one day. That way, she could stand by Shi Man¡¯s side openly and not be like now. Even walking the red carpet with Shi Man seemed so unreasonable. Su Tang secretly made up her mind to work hard. Unknowingly, the future direction had become very clear to her. The two of them walked the entire red carpet together. At the end of the red carpet, Shi He kept looking at Shi Man with curved eyes. As they approached, he felt the change in his sister for the first time. He could tell that his sister was no longer the willful little girl she used to be. She seemed to have become mature overnight and knew how to take care of her friends. She could be calm and composed in front of everyone, even more so than when he first walked the red carpet. Shi He handed the flowers in his hand to Shi Man and turned to open the door behind him. The sweet smell hit her. Chapter 137 - 137 Cutting the Cake 137 Cutting the Cake There were five layers of cake in the middle of the living room, and there were all kinds of desserts on the surrounding carts. That sweet smell came from here. Shi He raised his hand and bowed gentlemanly. After Shi Man walked into the living room with his hand, he placed the knife that cut the cake in her hand. ¡°Manman!¡± Shen Xian gently held Shi Man¡¯s hand and led her to the cake. She hugged her shoulder and said, ¡°Congratulations on getting first place in the cohort. Mom knows that you like sweet food the most, so I specially found the most famous pastries in the country for you. I even specially hired the top cakemaker in the country to make a cake for you. How about it? Do you like it?¡± Shi Man actually didn¡¯t like to eat such sweet things, but when she thought about how this was a banquet that the Shi family had carefully prepared to suit her preferences, she nodded obediently and said, ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re family! Why are you thanking me?¡± Shen Xian held Shi Man¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but kiss her forehead. Then, she said with a gratified expression, ¡°Cut the cake. These few layers of cake have different flavors. You can cut whatever you like yourself.¡± Shi Man looked at the greasy cream and felt a headache. She retracted her gaze and looked at Shen Xian. ¡°Which one does Mom like?¡± ¡°My baby is so good. She even knows to let Mom eat first!¡± Shen Xian was immediately touched and hugged Shi Man. She was so excited that tears gathered in her eyes. Shi Zhong hurriedly walked over to comfort his wife. ¡°Baby, Manman is still waiting to cut a cake for you. Quickly choose a piece.¡± Only then did Shen Xian realize that she had lost her composure. She wiped her tears and smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have the strawberry-flavored one. It¡¯s been hard on my precious daughter.¡± Shi Man nodded calmly. She accurately placed the knife down and cut off a standard triangular cake. Then, she placed it on the tray and handed it to Shen Xian. Shi Mu was standing behind Shi Man and saw her actions clearly. He couldn¡¯t help but walk around her and sigh in surprise. ¡°Sister, your cutting technique was so cool just now. Can you cut it again for Brother to see?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man glanced at him and asked calmly, ¡°Which cake does Fourth Brother want?¡± Shi Mu had some thoughts and specially chose the layer of cake in the middle for Shi Man to cut. His original intention was not to make things difficult for his sister. He just wanted to test her cutting technique. Ever since he experienced the gunfight last time, he vaguely felt that his sister¡¯s skills were extraordinary. He suddenly wanted to validate his guess. If Shi Man could really cut off the middle layer of cake cleanly, he would have another reason to show off his sister in the future! Shi Man saw through his intentions at a glance, but she had no intention of exposing him. It would not hurt to let him know her skills. At the very least, it would let him understand that she had the ability to protect him and prevent him from putting himself in danger in the future to save her. Shi Man held the knife and cut the cake casually, but the piece in the tray was still a standard triangle. Shi Mu was dumbfounded. Shi Zhong and Shi Ke could also tell that something was up. They could not help but lean towards Shi Man, wanting her to help them cut a piece of cake. However, this time, Shi Man was unwilling to do it anymore. She stuffed the small knife with cream in her hand into her brother¡¯s hand and said lazily, ¡°Big Brother, come and cut the cake. I want the same flavor as Mom, and so does Su Tang. As for the rest, you can tell Big Brother what you want.¡± Shi Ke was caught off guard by his heavy responsibility. He stood in front of the cake and smiled helplessly as he helped his sister and classmate cut the cake. Yuan Yi picked a piece of mango-flavored food and brought it to Shi Man, who was sitting at the dining table. He smiled and praised, ¡°Do you usually like to cook? I saw that you were very skilled just now. Your cooking must be especially delicious.¡± Shi Man looked up at him and nodded coldly. Then, she did not say anything else. Yuan Yi had long been used to her personality. He took a bite of the sweet cake and smiled in an extremely good mood. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t gone overseas at that time, I might have been able to grow up with you.¡± If that were the case, he and Shi Man would be childhood sweethearts. Perhaps even Shi Man would be engaged to him. Shi Man did not reply. Su Tang sat on her other side and sized up Yuan Yi curiously. She silently commented in her heart, ¡°Not as good-looking as Manman.¡± Then, she lowered her head and continued eating the cake. When Shi Mu walked over with the cake, he saw Yuan Yi talking to Shi Man warmly. He couldn¡¯t help but speed up and ask with a frown, ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking about our childhood.¡± Yuan Yi gave Shi Mu a seat and sat further away from Shi Man. After Shi Mu sat down in satisfaction, he personally poured a glass of red wine for his childhood friend and smiled. ¡°Are you telling Manman about our heroic deeds when we were young?¡± ¡°You two were heroes?¡± Speaking of this, Shi He had the most say. He couldn¡¯t help but walk over and mock Shi Mu. Chapter 138 - 138 Attack Again 138 Attack Again The main reason why Shi Mu was not liked when he was young was that born at a bad time. Moreover, he was mischievous. There were already three sons in the family and they wanted a cute sister. Unfortunately, the next was a baby boy. Shi He had raised Shi Mu when he was young. Once Shi Mu caused trouble outside, the first person to stand up and clean up the mess for him would definitely be Shi He. Because of this, he hit Shi Mu¡¯s butt a lot when he was young. However, boys had a rebellious mentality, to begin with. After being beaten up by his brother, Shi Mu¡¯s rebellious mentality became stronger and he started to do whatever he wanted. Shi Mu and Yuan Yi had almost become bullies in kindergarten. Things like pranking classmates and collecting protection fees had become a small matter. The two of them were alike and had bad records. That was why the Yuan family sent their son overseas when he was so young. It was to avoid Shi Mu¡¯s scourge and not let him lead Yuan Yi astray. Shi Mu blushed when he was exposed on the spot. He coughed dryly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ruin my beautiful image in my sister¡¯s eyes. I want to be a good brother!¡± ¡°You? I¡¯m already grateful that you didn¡¯t lead my sister astray,¡± Shi He teased mercilessly. Shi Yu cut the cake and greeted them with a bright and warm smile. ¡°Actually, Xiao Mu is much more mature. Brother is very relieved.¡± ¡°Second Brother is the best.¡± Shi Mu snorted at Shi He and turned his head away disdainfully. He looked at Shi Yu with an aggrieved expression. As his second brother, Shi Yu had always played a mediating role among his brothers. He was also very humble and gentle. Even Shi Man was very close to him and was willing to tell Shi Yu secrets that she was unwilling to tell others. Unfortunately, ever since his sister became mature and sensible, it had been a long time since he had the chance to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk with her like before. He rarely even had a chance to talk to her. The relationship between the siblings had become much more distant. The few of them gathered together to eat cake and celebrate with Shi Man. The sky outside quietly darkened. As she listened to Shi Mu talk about his heroic deeds when he was young, Shi Man¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. She put down her fork and stood up. Her voice was so cold that ice could seep out. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while and will be back soon.¡± ¡°Sister! Where are you going?¡± Shi Mu immediately stood up and wanted to follow her out. Su Tang hurriedly stopped him and said, ¡°Manman might have some private matters. It¡¯s more convenient for me to follow her.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shi Mu thought about it and agreed. ¡°Then go quickly. If you need help, come back and call us anytime.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Tang followed Shi Man out of the villa, but she did not follow closely behind her as she had said. She had been paying attention to Shi Man¡¯s expression the entire night. Watching Shi Man had become a habit of hers, so she could understand her in a short period of time. Just now, she had seen clearly that Shi Man suddenly left because she didn¡¯t want anyone to follow her. She had to stand at the door and guard it, not letting the brothers of the Shi family go out to look for Shi Man to avoid affecting her private matters. Shi Man naturally heard the footsteps following her from afar. Just as she was about to bring Su Tang to a safe place to hide, she suddenly realized that the extremely light footsteps had disappeared for some reason. Shi Man guessed that Su Tang did not follow, so she had nothing to worry about. She casually picked up a few stones and walked out of the Shi family¡¯s manor to a remote corner to wait. In the dark night, the surroundings were quiet, but her ears could still clearly hear the breathing hidden not far away. She was very sure that Sean and the others were among the people who had come. However, if it were only the Immaculate people who had come to look for her, they would have appeared long ago. Since this group of people was still hiding in the dark, it meant that other than Sean, there was also the person Feng Liang had sent to deliver the money! Shi Man narrowed her eyes and identified Sean¡¯s approximate location. Then, she threw stones in the direction of the other breathing sounds with full force. Every stone accurately hit the other party between the eyebrows, knocking them dizzy. The people Feng Liang had sent out all respected Sean, but seeing that his people had been hit, but the people Sean had brought were unscathed, he could not help but feel a little dissatisfied. ¡°Brother Sean, she has already discovered us. Let¡¯s hurry up and attack!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Sean nodded solemnly. After knowing that his boss had confirmed the true location of the enemy, he was completely relieved. He took out his pistol and fired a few bullets at Shi Man. Shi Man knew their location, so she could naturally guess the approximate location of the trajectory. After dodging nimbly, she quickly arrived in front of the nearest person. She hit the back of that person¡¯s neck and knocked him out. She snatched his pistol and shot in several directions. Chapter 139 - 139 Threat 139 Threat Some of the people Feng Liang sent were hit in the shoulder and some in the leg by Shi Man. In order to act realisticly, Sean even took the initiative to move forward and received a wound on his arm. The few of them gritted their teeth in pain and broke out in cold sweat. It was only then that they knew that Shi Man was not the useless Miss Shi of the Shi family. Her strength was already comparable to that of a top mercenary. It was only then that they knew what fear was. They immediately panicked and looked at Sean for his opinion. Seeing that the show was almost over, Sean said with a solemn expression, ¡°Let¡¯s retreat first. Treatment of injuries can¡¯t be delayed. It¡¯s more important to treat them first.¡± The few of them looked at each other and retreated into the night. Shi Man had no intention of capturing them alive. She casually threw the gun at the person who had just woken up and turned to walk back to the Shi family manor. At the end of the red carpet, Su Tang had already left. In her place was a tall and thin figure in the night. When that person saw Shi Man walk in, he immediately strode forward. ¡°Manman, if I say that I accidentally discovered your little secret, will you kill me to silence me?¡± Yuan Yi walked to Shi Man¡¯s side with a smile, but there was no smug expression on his face. He was still gentle and calm as if he had not discovered a gunfight, but had instead caught the little sister next door taking a walk late at night. Shi Man looked up at him with a faint smile. ¡°That depends on how much you discovered.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He lowered his head in mock distress and thought carefully for a moment. Then he leaned over to her and suggested fawningly, ¡°Why don¡¯t I help you keep this secret and you can be good friends with me?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you afraid that I would kill you just now?¡± Shi Man stopped in her tracks and looked at Yuan Yi. She said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to explain something to you. I¡¯m not afraid of others threatening me because I always have a way to make the person who threatens me unable to open his mouth.¡± Yuan Yi pretended to be shocked and opened his mouth as if he knew that his performance was too exaggerated. Under Shi Man¡¯s playful gaze, he restrained the expression on his face and stared at her gently. Shi Man suddenly chuckled for some reason, feeling a little interested in the man in front of her. She changed the topic and said calmly, ¡°However, you¡¯re quite interesting. Moreover, you have a good relationship with my brother. I can agree to your condition to be a friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Yuan Yi was so happy that he almost hugged her shoulder. He only put down his hand awkwardly when she glared at him coldly and walked obediently beside her. ¡°Then can I go to your class to play with you often in the future?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so fun about it?¡± Shi Man asked in confusion. Yuan Yi had an unfathomable expression on his face as he said matter-of-factly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about this. Anyway, you won¡¯t be bored playing with me.¡± Seeing that she had already reached the entrance of the villa, Yuan Yi raised his hand and personally opened the door for her. After she entered the villa, he followed her in politely. The cake in the living room had almost been distributed. Every servant of the Shi family was lucky enough to get a piece of cake personally made by a famous pastry chef in the country. They couldn¡¯t stop praising Shi Man. Shen Xian sat at the head of the table and listened to the servants praise her precious daughter. She was even happier for her daughter than when she was praised. The brothers of the Shi family also sat around their mother. When their sister returned, they hurriedly surrounded her with the same worried expression. ¡°Manman, where did you go just now? Why were you gone for so long?¡± Shi Ke personally took off her coat and handed it to the butler for safekeeping. Shi Yu poured her a cup of hot tea to help her dispel the coldness in her body. Shi He hugged her and sat on the sofa. He picked up a delicious pastry and stuffed it into her hand. ¡°Sister, these were specially customized for you. Try them and see if you like them. If you like them, I¡¯ll keep the pastry chef so she can make pastries for you in the future.¡± The three brothers surrounded Shi Man and asked about her well-being. Only Shi Mu, who had a sharp nose, sniffed unnaturally at the side. For some reason, he sniffed a faint whiff of gunpowder. He immediately frowned and sat beside Shi Man. He suddenly asked, ¡°Manman, did you run out to secretly set off firecrackers just now?¡± Shi Man frowned and said calmly, ¡°No, why do you ask?¡± Shi Mu sniffed around in confusion. ¡°Strange, then why do I smell a strong smell of gunpowder?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the smell of gunpowder?¡± Shi He leaned towards Shi Man curiously and sniffed her. He glared at Shi Mu in confusion and said angrily, ¡°Is there something wrong with your nose? Did you smell wrong?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be. My nose has always been very sensitive.¡± Shi Mu rubbed his nose innocently. Coincidentally, he saw Yuan Yi beside him and leaned over to smell him carefully. Yuan Yi explained in amusement, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I smoked a cigarette just now.¡± Chapter 140 - 140 A Princess Carry 140 A Princess Carry ¡°You smoke?¡± Shi Mu stared at him in shock. Yuan Yi noted the disdain of the rest of the Shi family toward Shi Mu and nodded in amusement. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re all adults. Is there a problem?¡± Shi Mu frowned and subconsciously moved away from him. Shi Mu had a unique sense of smell since he was young, so he especially hated more intense smells like smoke. Shi Zhong and Shi Ke would occasionally smoke. Every time, he would deliberately stay away to avoid choking on the smoke. However, although he hated it, he was not so pretentious as to order everyone around him to quit smoking for him. Shi Mu touched his nose unnaturally and said calmly, ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no problem. Stay away from me when you smoke in the future. After smoking, you have to wait for the smell to dissipate before approaching me. My nose can¡¯t stand this smell.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yuan Yi agreed readily. While everyone¡¯s attention was on Shi Man, he secretly stuck out his tongue at her and asked for her reward. He was the one who had helped her cover up the scent of the gunpowder left behind after the shooting. He would not let her go easily. Shi Man nodded gently, then stood up and walked to the sofa toward Su Tang, who was holding her stomach with a pained expression, frowned and asked, ¡°Stomach pain? How did you get it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Su Tang had never had a stomachache before. At this moment, she was in so much pain that she broke out in a cold sweat. Her body was hunched like a prawn, and she couldn¡¯t even straighten her back. ¡°Butler, go get the medicine,¡± Shi Man instructed coldly. She supported Su Tang and laid her down on the soft sofa. She personally poured her a glass of hot water. ¡°Drink some to warm your stomach. Sleep with me after taking the medicine. There¡¯s no need to go back to the Yi family.¡± Su Tang nodded in pain. She suddenly raised her hand and held Shi Man¡¯s hand. She lowered her voice apologetically and said, ¡°I wanted to help you guard outside the door just now. I didn¡¯t expect my stomach to suddenly hurt so much. I could only watch helplessly as Yuan Yi walked out of the door. Did anything happen?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows. She did not expect her to be so smart at this moment. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Only then did Su Tang rest her head on the arm of the sofa in relief. She covered her stomach and was in so much pain that she couldn¡¯t speak. The butler quickly found the stomach medicine. Just now, they were all surrounding Shen Xian, but no one noticed the commotion on Su Tang¡¯s side. He felt very guilty that he did not help Miss take good care of her guest. Shen Xian also felt guilty and uneasy. She could tell that Su Tang¡¯s illness was not faked. She hurriedly took the stomach medicine from the butler and personally brought it to Su Tang¡¯s mouth. She comforted her softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was Auntie¡¯s fault just now. Quickly take these pills. These are all special medicine. It won¡¯t hurt anymore after a while.¡± ¡°Thank you, Auntie.¡± Su Tang sat up in pain and held a few bitter pills to her mouth. She took a big sip of hot water from Shi Man¡¯s hand and sent the medicine into her stomach. Then, she fell back onto the sofa exhausted and did not even have the strength to move her fingers. Shen Xian sighed and felt sorry for this poor girl. She hurriedly called for the servants at home to help her rest in the guest room. In the past, because Shi Man liked Yi Zheng, she actually didn¡¯t like this girl who suddenly appeared beside her future son-in-law. In addition, Shi Man was always at odds with her, so she naturally hated her even more. However, after interacting with her a few times, Shen Xian could tell that Su Tang was a kind and gentle girl. She was definitely not the kind of bitch who deliberately snatched someone¡¯s fianc¨¦. Moreover, looking at Shi Man¡¯s nervous expression, it was not difficult for Shen Xian to see how close the two of them were. Naturally, she was more concerned about her. Even if Shi Man asked Su Tang to be placed in the Shi family now, she would immediately agree. The servants also knew that it was their negligence just now that caused the guest to suffer for so long. They hurriedly walked over to help Su Tang up, but when they were about to approach the sofa, Shi Man raised her hand and stopped them. She frowned and looked at the thin women. She said coldly, ¡°Can you guys carry her?¡± The servants looked at each other in confusion. How could they overestimate themselves and carry Miss Shi¡¯s guest? Of course, they would help her into the guest room to rest! Shi Man did not wait for them to explain. She stood up and bent down. Her arm passed through Su Tang¡¯s knee and she easily picked her up from the sofa. She looked coldly at the servants who were shocked by her actions and said impatiently, ¡°Get out of the way.¡± The few of them hurriedly made way. Shi Man ignored the shocked gazes of her brothers and parents and steadily carried Su Tang up the steps. She slowly walked to her room and placed her on her bed. After she disappeared around the corner upstairs, Shi Mu came back to his senses and cried out in disbelief, ¡°Was that really Manman just now?! She was too strong! I thought my sister was the weak type!¡± Shi He rolled his eyes at him and sneered in disgust. ¡°Have you forgotten that in the video of the last practical training, Sister dragged almost a few hundred people up the city wall from beginning to end?¡± Chapter 141 - 141 Taking Care of Su Tang 141 Taking Care of Su Tang Su Tang¡¯s gastric illness came very suddenly this time. Fortunately, the medicine took effect quickly. Just as Shen Xian had said, the stomach pain was relieved in less than twenty minutes. Su Tang sat up gratefully and looked at Shi Man, who was leaning against the head of the bed reading. She smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for just now. Manman, if it weren¡¯t for you, I thought I almost wouldn¡¯t have made it.¡± Seeing that she was fine, Shi Man put down the book and handed her the hot water from the bed. ¡°Drink some more. I don¡¯t think you ate much just now. If you feel hungry, you can tell me at any time. I¡¯ll get someone to prepare something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry yet.¡± Su Tang had just recovered from her stomachache and did not want to eat yet. When she saw that Shi Man was about to read again, she hurriedly asked anxiously, ¡°Shall I sleep here tonight? Why don¡¯t I stay in the guest room?¡± She was worried that a cold person like Shi Man would not like others sleeping in the same bed as her. ¡°Whatever.¡± Shi Man took the cup of hot water from her and placed it at the head of the bed. She said indifferently, ¡°If you want to sleep in the guest room, go and tell the servants yourself. There are many rooms in the Shi family. You can sleep anywhere.¡± After saying that, she lowered her head to read again without revealing any emotions. Su Tang did not reply immediately. Instead, she looked up and carefully stole a glance at her expression. After thinking for a moment, she probed, ¡°That¡¯s too troublesome for others. I¡¯ll sleep here tonight.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but smile. She pointed at the closet and said, ¡°The pajamas you wore last time are inside. If you want to shower and change, go get them yourself.¡± Just now, Su Tang had sweated a lot because of her stomach pain. Now that she had finally recovered, she felt uncomfortable and wanted to take a good shower. She nodded slightly. Afraid that she would disturb Shi Man¡¯s reading, she tiptoed out of bed. After opening the cabinet door, she didn¡¯t dare to rummage around. After confirming the location of the pajamas with her eyes, she quietly took them and carried them into the bathroom. The moment the bathroom door closed gently, Shi Man looked up from her book. She stood up and went out to instruct someone to prepare some hot water to bring in. She also boiled a few bowls worth of porridge and placed them in the pot to heat up. She was not deliberately forcing Su Tang to sleep in her room, but she was worried that her stomachache would relapse. At that time, with her personality, she would definitely not want to disturb others and would definitely endure the pain until it was eased after prolonged torture. Since she was the one who brought her home, she could not let Su Tang wait for death in the room. She was just sleeping on the same bed as Su Tang. She was not a clean freak and had no reason to accept it. Moreover, during practical training, Shi Man realized that Su Tang was obedient and quiet. She would not have any trouble sleeping with Su Tang. Moreover, if she were to fuss over it, Su Tang would have taken care of her more. Now, she was just repaying Su Tang for her usual efforts by taking good care of her when she was sick. When Su Tang came out of the bathroom after taking a shower, Shi Man had already personally gone to the kitchen to take a look. The hot porridge was almost cooked before she came back and brought Su Tang downstairs to eat. In terms of food, Shi Mu was definitely not lacking. This guy had long caught a whiff of the fragrance and entered the kitchen. Although he was a little disappointed to see that his sister was not cooking personally, he still took the bowl and chopsticks early and waited to eat with his sister. However, even if Shi Man did not make this pot of porridge herself, she had actually been supervising the servants from the side. Therefore, the porridge she made still carried some of her skills. It was sweet but not cloying. Shi He heard the commotion in the kitchen because he had been paying attention to the movements there. When he heard his sister and Su Tang¡¯s voices, he hurriedly opened the door and pretended to be surprised. ¡°I was about to look for you to ask if you wanted dinner. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡± Shi Man stopped in her tracks and looked at him doubtfully. Then, she said with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re about to eat. Do you want to join us, Third Brother?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shi He immediately nodded without hesitation. Seeing his sister¡¯s faint smile, he coughed awkwardly and said, ¡°I only had cake for dinner. I¡¯m not too full. I¡¯m hungry now.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go together.¡± Shi Man pulled Su Tang downstairs. After walking into the dining room, she immediately saw Shi Mu waiting at the table with bowls and chopsticks. She shook her head helplessly and smiled. ¡°Why? Fourth Brother, you weren¡¯t full at dinner?¡± Shi Mu scratched his head foolishly and instructed the servant to quickly scoop the cooked porridge into a bowl. Then, he held Shi Man¡¯s shoulder and asked her to sit down. ¡°Ever since I ate Sister¡¯s cooking last time, I¡¯ve been thinking about that taste. I thought that you were cooking today, so I rushed out to take a look.¡± ¡°Manman knows how to cook?¡± Su Tang looked at Shi Man in surprise and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I really want to know. Is there anything you can¡¯t do?¡± Chapter 142 - 142 Transfer 142 Transfer ¡°My sister knows a lot!¡± Shi Mu drank the porridge in his bowl proudly and couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Has our chef¡¯s skills improved?¡± Shi Man smiled and did not say anything. After eating the porridge with Su Tang, she brought her back to her room to rest. The next morning, the two of them woke up from bed together. Last night, Su Tang slept especially well and did not suffer from gastric problems again. Instead, because of the bowl of hot porridge, her stomach had been warm and especially comfortable. Shi Man looked at her expression. After confirming that she was really fine, she smiled comfortably. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Morning.¡± Su Tang got up from the bed and rubbed her sleepy eyes. She opened her big watery eyes and said good morning to her with a smile. After washing up, Shi Man brought Su Tang down the stairs. The others from the Shi family were already seated in the dining room. Shi Mu took the initiative to pull out a chair for Shi Man and said, ¡°Sister, let Brother continue to send you to school today?¡± Shi He immediately said angrily, ¡°Hey! You¡¯re cheating, Xiao Mu. Didn¡¯t we agree to let Sister choose just now?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and looked at Su Tang. Seeing her nod at her, she agreed indifferently. ¡°Sure.¡± Shi He immediately stopped talking and glared at Shi Mu. He raised his hand and snatched his bowl away, not letting him eat. Shi Ke and Shi Yu were already used to their younger brothers¡¯ childishness. They looked at them helplessly and personally scooped breakfast for their sister. Shi Mu shook his head proudly and reached out to snatch his bowl back. After eating breakfast happily, he sent his sister and Su Tang to school. In the classroom, the noisy class suddenly fell silent the moment Shi Man arrived. In the crowd, Chen Wei pushed away the stunned classmate and walked up to Shi Man. He said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister Man. It¡¯s all my fault for not arranging it yesterday and making you unhappy. I promise I¡¯ll definitely make it up to you. The next time you choose a place and time, I¡¯ll be in charge of paying.¡± Shi Man smiled, but the smile in her eyes disappeared in an instant. ¡°I can¡¯t blame you.¡± Chen Wei immediately said happily, ¡°Sister Man is really beautiful and kind. By the way, I heard that the President treated Sister Man to seafood in the canteen once. I guessed that you would like seafood, so I specially airlifted some over and placed them in the freezer in the canteen. I even hired a seafood chef. Sister Man, please do me the honor and taste the chef¡¯s cooking in the canteen at noon.¡± ¡°How thoughtful.¡± With that, Shi Man pulled Su Tang back to her seat expressionlessly. Chen Wei immediately followed like a little tail. Seeing Shi Man¡¯s serious and impatient expression, Chen Wei quickly explained, ¡°I have something to tell Sister Man. I didn¡¯t mean to pester you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shi Man looked up at him calmly. Chen Wei leaned into Shi Man¡¯s ear mysteriously and lowered his voice. ¡°I heard that Fang Han¡¯s family has already given a lot of gifts to the principal and begged him to let Fang Han return to school. The school is in a difficult position now and wants Fang Han to return to school, but considering that you¡¯re still in Class F, they can only transfer Fang Han¡¯s class. However, you know that Fang Han¡¯s results can¡¯t get her to the top class at all, so she hasn¡¯t returned.¡± Shi Man¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°So?¡± Chen Wei frowned and reminded her softly, ¡°That¡¯s why I speculated that the school might suggest transferring you. After all, with your results, you can totally enter Class S to attend classes. It¡¯s really a waste of your talent in our class. Moreover, I heard that Mr. Geng even had an argument with the school over this. Just because you¡¯re his top student, he¡¯s unwilling to let you leave.¡± Shi Man rolled her eyes and suddenly asked, ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°Just before the school anniversary yesterday morning!¡± Chen Wei vowed. ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Man blinked and raised her eyebrows at him. ¡°How much did Yi Zheng participate in it?¡± Chen Wei was stunned for a moment. He subconsciously rubbed his nose and coughed dryly. ¡°How can I know about President Yi?¡± Chen Wei, who had wanted to bluff his way through, was caught off guard when he saw Shi Man narrow her eyes dangerously. He immediately changed the topic and begged for mercy. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I really don¡¯t dare to say it. Sigh, forget it. Who asked you to be my boss now? Then I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± Shi Man sneered and walked around in a circle. Only then did Chen Wei reveal his goal of showing his loyalty. Chen Wei knew when to stop. He immediately nodded and smiled. ¡°President Yi doesn¡¯t agree with Fang Han¡¯s return. He even said that as long as Fang Han is expelled, the Yi family is willing to pay to build a top laboratory for the school. For this benefit, the school is thinking of a way to return the gifts they received to the Fang family. However, President Yi agrees with your transfer, but the final decision will definitely be yours.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shi Man lowered her eyes and waved for him to leave. Chapter 143 - 143 Donation 143 Donation After Chen Wei left, Su Tang, who had been listening to everything, looked at Shi Man carefully. ¡°Are you really going to transfer classes?¡± ¡°Why should I change classes?¡± Shi Man shrugged and took out the notes from Su Tang¡¯s hand with a puzzled expression. She teased, ¡°If I change classes, where can I find such a good deskmate to borrow my notes from in the future?¡± Hearing her straightforward answer, Su Tang smiled easily. She took out the costume design and continued to modify it. During class, Geng Hui called Shi Man to the office with a solemn expression. While the other teachers were not around, Geng Hui said anxiously, ¡°Shi Man, I don¡¯t know if I should tell you something. I know your results are very good, and the school wants you to go to Class S, which has the best results in the entire grade, but I still hope you can stay.¡± Seeing that Shi Man¡¯s expression was indifferent, Geng Hui sighed deeply and said earnestly, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth. Actually, before you came to our class, our Class F was recognized as the worst class in the entire school. However, ever since you came, not only has the discipline in the classroom improved, but even the students who didn¡¯t study seriously in the past have started to do so. I really can¡¯t bear to part with such a good student like you!¡± Geng Hui said it sincerely, but he did not see a change in Shi Man¡¯s expression. He could not help but feel a little uncertain. He could not help but ask tentatively, ¡°Shi Man, do you want to transfer classes?¡± Shi Man smiled helplessly. The reason why she had listened to his nonsense for so long was that she respected her teacher and did not want to interrupt him. At this moment, when she heard that he was finally willing to ask for her opinion, she shook her head and said, ¡°I won¡¯t leave. It doesn¡¯t make any difference to me in any class. Even if I stay in our class, I¡¯ll still be the next top student.¡± Geng Hui immediately stood up in surprise and almost cried tears of joy. He couldn¡¯t help but clap his hands. ¡°This is great! Shi Man, you don¡¯t know how happy I am now!¡± Shi Man smiled and looked up at the male teacher in his thirties with tears in his eyes. She asked helplessly, ¡°Then can I go back to class?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Geng Hui turned his head excitedly to wipe his tears and personally sent Shi Man back to the classroom. Then, he ran all the way into the principal¡¯s office to explain Shi Man¡¯s intentions to him. He was so happy that he wanted to fly. After Shi Man returned, Chen Wei immediately winked at her, wanting to ask about the conversation she had with Geng Hui. Unfortunately, the class was still in session, so he could only sit in his seat anxiously and wait for class to end. To be honest, he did not want Shi Man to leave at all. He had made up his mind to stay with Shi Man. With such a rich and capable boss, he would be able to socialize with people from other schools in the future. However, if Shi Man left, it would be difficult for him to continue currying favor with her. Su Tang also looked at Shi Man inquisitively. When she met her calm eyes, her nervous heart miraculously calmed down. Shi Man always had this ability to make people feel at ease. After one class, it was lunch break. Chen Wei squeezed through the students blocking the front aisle and went to Shi Man¡¯s side to ask anxiously, ¡°Boss, how is it? Did Geng Hui tell you about the transfer?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man put away her notes and stood up with Su Tang to go to the canteen. Chen Wei followed behind unwillingly, but he was warned by Shi Man. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree. Don¡¯t follow us.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I won¡¯t follow.¡± After obtaining the answer he wanted, Chen Wei immediately disappeared from Shi Man¡¯s face with a smile. The two of them arrived at the canteen together. Naturally, someone arranged by Chen Wei personally brought seafood over and placed it in front of the two of them. Shi Man pushed everything in front of Su Tang and scooped another portion of rice to eat slowly. On the top floor of the Yi Group, after Tang Zhe hung up the phone, he deliberated for a moment before carefully looking at his master¡¯s expression. ¡°President Yi, the principal just called and said that Miss Shi rejected the suggestion to transfer classes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Yi Zheng was very puzzled. She clearly had such good results. Why did she have to waste her time in the worst class? Tang Zhe guessed carefully, ¡°Perhaps Miss Shi can¡¯t bear to part with someone and is unwilling to transfer classes?¡± Yi Zheng suddenly looked up at him and sneered. ¡°You mean Su Tang?¡± Tang Zhe shivered under his gaze and hurriedly said, ¡°President Yi, I¡¯m not very sure what Miss Shi is thinking.¡± Yi Zheng sneered and looked at the document in front of him on the donation of a laboratory to Cassel Academy. After signing it, he casually threw it to Tang Zhe and said calmly, ¡°Let her be. Oh right, tell the principal that the scholarship at the end of this semester will be borne by the Yi family. I¡¯ll give the first place in the cohort a separate reward, but don¡¯t let him say it for the time being. Just announce to the public that the first place is no longer a cash reward.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tang Zhe didn¡¯t dare to ask further and immediately retreated to contact the principal. Chapter 144 - 144 Auction 144 Auction In the office, Yi Zheng slowly curled his lips and took out the bracelet that Shi Man had returned to the Yi family from the drawer. He suddenly thought of a brilliant idea for Shi Man to have no choice but to accept this thing again. After school, Yuan Yi and Shi Mu came to the class door to pick Shi Man up. Seeing her come out, Shi Mu walked over mysteriously and held her hand. ¡°Sister, Brother will bring you out to play today.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Shi Man turned around to bid farewell to Su Tang before looking at the mysterious Shi Mu curiously and raising her eyebrows. Yuan Yi smiled and said, ¡°I told you long ago that you won¡¯t be bored when you¡¯re with me in the future. I just received an invitation to an auction and I¡¯ll bring you there to play.¡± Shi Man was surprised. ¡°What auction is that? They didn¡¯t send an invitation to the Shi family?¡± Shi Mu coughed lightly and lowered his voice. ¡°Sister, you don¡¯t know, but this auction is different from ordinary ones. I heard that there will be an illegal armament auction. The Shi family has never been involved in this, so the organizers naturally didn¡¯t dare to invite us to participate.¡± When Shi Man heard his explanation, she raised her eyebrows and looked at Yuan Yi playfully. ¡°It seems that your family is involved in this?¡± Yuan Yi smiled and did not answer her question. Instead, he pushed her shoulder into the car. The few of them quickly drove to the auction venue. Yuan Yi took out the invitation and showed his identity, bringing Shi Man and Shi Mu in. If it were anyone else, they naturally could not bring outsiders who were not invited into the venue. However, the Yuan family was one of the investors behind this auction, so the bodyguards in charge of receiving them outside did not dare to stop them. This auction was set on the fifteenth floor of the hotel. After Shi Man and the others took the elevator to the fourteenth floor, the staff waiting outside the elevator personally checked with a machine that they were not carrying prohibited items before someone led them up the stairs on foot. Outside the auction, the service staff had long received the news and was waiting there. When he saw Yuan Yi, he immediately made an inviting gesture ingratiatingly. Then, he smiled respectfully and said, ¡°Young Master Yuan, I¡¯ve already reserved a private room with the best view for you in advance. In a while, someone will send the list of items for this auction to you. If you have any other instructions, please call me. I¡¯ll be waiting for your call outside the private room.¡± Yuan Yi glanced at Shi Man and raised his eyebrows with a smile. ¡°Send some nuts, snacks, and red wine with low alcoholic content up.¡± ¡°Alright, Young Master Yuan.¡± The staff sent them to the door of the private room and immediately turned around to get the items ready. In the private room next door, a woman in a long red dress and exquisite makeup immediately perked up when she heard the staff address Young Master Yuan. She tidied her hair in the mirror and walked out of the private room with a standard gentle smile. She pretended to have accidentally bumped into him and widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Brother Yuan Yi! It¡¯s really you!¡± Shi Man looked over. The first thing she smelled was the fragrance of gardenias. Then, she saw a pretentious woman flirting with Yuan Yi. Shi Mu frowned slightly and glared at his childhood friend unhappily. ¡°You invited someone else here?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Although Yuan Yi was answering Shi Mu, his eyes were fixed on Shi Man, as if he didn¡¯t want her to misunderstand. Seeing that he was ignoring her and looking at the girl beside him affectionately, the woman immediately glared at him jealously, wanting to see which vixen had beaten her to him. Unexpectedly, she saw Shi Man, who was bare-faced. Her eyes widened and she lost her composure in disbelief. ¡°Why are you with Brother Yuan Yi? Didn¡¯t you chase after President Yi all day?¡± After saying that, she pouted a little aggrievedly and questioned pitifully, ¡°Tell me quickly, what¡¯s your relationship with Brother Yuan Yi?¡± To her, Shi Man was too despicable. In the past, when she liked Yi Zheng, Shi Man jumped out and became Yi Zheng¡¯s fianc¨¦e. After knowing her feelings, she dragged her down from her position as a top celebrity in the entertainment industry. After exposing a few scandals about her, she refused to stop. She used all kinds of methods to force her to leave the entertainment industry and completely disappear from Yi Zheng¡¯s sight. Shi Man had caused her to completely lose the career she was proud of. Now, she was snatching Brother Yuan Yi! Yuan Yi took a small step forward and stood in front of Shi Man. A layer of anger appeared in his gentle eyes. ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t know you. Please don¡¯t question my friend.¡± ¡°Brother Yuan Yi.¡± The woman covered her mouth in disbelief as large tears rolled down her eyes. ¡°You actually don¡¯t remember me. I¡¯m Ji Xue, your Little Sister Xue! I heard that you¡¯ve returned to the country and have been looking for an opportunity to see you. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here so coincidentally!¡± Yuan Yi narrowed his eyes as if he was thinking about this name in the corner of his memory. After a while, he curled his lips and smiled. ¡°I was wondering who it was. So it¡¯s Student Ji Xue, who was taught a lesson by me and Elder Brother.¡± Chapter 145 - 145 Gambling 145 Gambling Hearing their words, Shi Man immediately knew what was up. In the past two days, Yuan Yi and Shi Mu had mentioned their heroic deeds when they were young in front of her. Basically, every time they caused trouble, it was to eliminate the strong and help the weak. They would not bully their classmates. If Ji Xue had really been targeted by the two of them, it could only mean that there was something wrong with her. She was not as innocent as she appeared. When Ji Xue heard Yuan Yi say that about her, her face immediately turned red. She stomped her feet angrily and said, ¡°Brother Yuan Yi, don¡¯t mention what happened when we were young. It¡¯s not easy for us to meet. We should have a good gathering.¡± ¡°No need. We still have something on.¡± Yuan Yi rejected coldly and turned to look at Shi Man. The coldness on his face faded. ¡°Manman, let¡¯s go in and sit first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man smiled. When her eyes met Ji Xue, who was filled with intense hatred, the smile on her lips widened. She looked at her provocatively for a moment before walking into the private room accompanied by Yuan Yi and Shi Mu. She did not know how the original host had offended Ji Xue, but no matter what the original host had done in the past, it had nothing to do with her now. As long as Ji Xue did not take the initiative to cause trouble, she would not divert her attention to deal with Ji Xue. Ji Xue gritted her teeth in anger as she watched Yuan Yi walk into the private room with Shi Man with a smile. She took out her phone and took two photos to post online. She did not believe that Yi Zheng would not have any reaction after seeing this! The staff brought a few waiters with nuts and red wine into the private room. Ji Xue was watching jealously when she saw the short and fat man walking back from the washroom. She hurriedly suppressed the emotions in her eyes and held that person¡¯s arm ingratiatingly. She said coquettishly, ¡°CEO Wang, I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time. Why did you only come back?¡± ¡°Are you anxious? My little darling, what were you looking at just now?¡± Although Wang Hai had a pair of narrow eyes, his eyes were sharp. Naturally, he did not miss her expression just now and could not help but be curious about the person in the private room next door. ¡°I¡¯m just envious because they ordered a lot of food.¡± Ji Xue gently placed her head on the man¡¯s shoulder, looking so pitiful that it made one¡¯s heart ache. As expected, Wang Hai fell for her trick. He immediately pulled her into his arms and coaxed her. ¡°Aiyo, I was negligent. How can my little darling be envious of others? What do you want to eat? Brother Wang will order it for you!¡± How could Ji Xue covet those snacks? However, since she had already used this as a reason, she could only put on a show to the end. She immediately pretended to be innocent and pulled his arm to shake it gently like a child. ¡°Thank you, Brother Wang. Brother Wang is so good to me.¡± The two of them found the waiter and asked for some nuts and wine before walking back to the private room. There was no one else in the room, so Wang Hai¡¯s hand became restless. His large palm slid down her slender waist, and he placed his hand on her butt lecherously. He couldn¡¯t help but rub it hard, feeling the softness in his palm. Ji Xue shyly pushed his hand away and used the excuse of hanging up her clothes to take off her coat and walk to the door. When she turned around, a moment of disgust flashed across her eyes. If she had not heard that Yuan Yi would be here today, she would not have agreed to accompany this old man. It had only been a day since they met and he had already placed his fat hand on her more than once. However, she could not reject him too stiffly. Otherwise, without Wang Hai, she would definitely be chased out by the organizers. Ji Xue endured her disgust. After hanging up the clothes, she teased Wang Hai and sat opposite him. The auction officially began. In the private room next door, Shi Man was eating the snacks in her hand and flipping through the auction list. There were two main highlights in this auction. One was timber, and the other was ordnance. Shi Man had enough weapons on hand and was not too interested in the latter. Instead, she was interested in timber. Everyone said that trading in timber was more expensive than trading in precious stones. A slash could make people rich or bankrupt. Originally, this gameplay was only popular in Vietnam, but now, the country could smell the huge profits from such gambling. Many people in the dark market bought wood from Hainan at a high price and marketed it at such a relatively secret auction in the country. Shi Man really wanted to try because she had taken over similar employment commissions in the past and had developed some judgment. Yuan Yi had been carefully observing her expression. When he saw her gaze lingering on the timber page, he immediately smiled and leaned over to say softly, ¡°Take whatever you want. I¡¯ll pay the bill today.¡± ¡°How can that do?¡± Shi Mu was not short of money at all. He immediately patted his chest and took the initiative to say to Shi Man, ¡°Sister, you can buy whatever you like. Not to mention a piece of broken wood, even if you buy everything on this list, I won¡¯t blink!¡± Shi Man looked at him in amusement and couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Why do I want this entire book?¡± Chapter 146 - 146 Steady Profit 146 Steady Profit Shi Mu didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with what he said. He promised her openly, ¡°As long as you like it, I¡¯ll buy it all for you.¡± Yuan Yi poured him a glass of wine helplessly and said in amusement, ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t snatch it from you anymore. You can pay the bill, okay? If you want the things I buy later, you can settle the bill too, Brother Shi Mu.¡± ¡°Go away.¡± Shi Mu picked up his wine glass and rolled his eyes. ¡°I only care about my sister. I don¡¯t care about you.¡± ¡°I was just joking.¡± Yuan Yi was too familiar with him and did not take his attitude to heart at all. He smiled and pointed at the big screen in the private room to introduce it to Shi Man. ¡°We¡¯re not in the lobby. We can see the live broadcast from here later. If you want to buy anything, enter the price on the machine in the middle of the table and the host will receive it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man nodded, thinking that the auction in this book was not much different from the auction she had experienced in her previous life. The first two items were just to garner attention. They were bought without additional bids. It was not easy for her to wait for the wood segment. Shi Man ate the nuts slowly and stared at the first piece of wood carried up on the screen, her eyebrows twitching. ¡°What do you think of this piece of wood?¡± Yuan Yi did not know much, but he inexplicably felt that Shi Man should know very well and could not help but ask her curiously. Actually, the main bet was on the rosewood. If one used a large sum of money to buy a good rosewood, the price would increase dozens of times, allowing one to become rich overnight. Of course, there were also unlucky people who would end up with wood of low quality. The money lost was enough to make one¡¯s heart ache. Wood gambling was the same as precious stone gambling. The buyer could only look with his eyes and rely on superficial observation to determine the size and quality of the solid wood inside. The wood that was put up for bidding was of medium quality and was definitely profitable, but it was not enough to catch Shi Man¡¯s eye. She took a closer look and had a plan in her heart, but she could not make it too obvious. She could only say tactfully in the words of an outsider, ¡°This wood looks too thin and small. It can¡¯t be sold for a good price.¡± Yuan Yi smiled helplessly. How could he not tell that she said this on purpose? Ever since he found out that her marksmanship was superb last time, he no longer treated her as an ordinary only daughter of the Shi family. Instead, he began to probe her strength. This was also the reason why he specially brought her to the auction. Shi Mu did not suspect anything. He sat at the side and drank red wine. He nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes! Sister makes sense! Such a thin and small piece of wood is obviously worthless. The starting price is actually 20,000 dollars. They¡¯re really fooling people like they¡¯re idiots. Who would buy it!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the machine in the host¡¯s hand emitted a soft sound. He looked down and quickly said with a smile, ¡°Room 5 bids 50,000!¡± ¡°Damn! Someone really bought it!¡± Shi Mu continued to stare at the screen in disbelief, wanting to see how many fools would be easily fooled. He did not understand the meaning of betting on wood. He only felt that this piece of wood looked useless. It was better to buy a big tree and plant it in his manor. At least it could cool one down in the summer. The bid was quickly raised to 100,000. Many people who followed suit gave up and did not intend to invest too much money in this. After all, betting on wood was not popular in the country. Recently, there were many merchants who sold wood to fake it and used all kinds of methods to cheat money. Therefore, even if the people at the auction were either rich or noble, they were unwilling to spend this unjust money. In the end, the first piece of wood was bought by the VIP in Private Room Five for 100,000 dollars. According to the rules, the host would cut the wood off on the spot and let everyone see the quality inside. Now, everyone¡¯s hearts were clenched. Most of the people here today were actually here to pick up scraps. The first piece of wood in this gamble was undoubtedly a touchstone. If it was of good quality, then all of them would have an idea and be tempted to bid in the subsequent rounds. If it was fake, then the people behind would have to consider it carefully when bidding again. Fortunately, the content of the rosewood in this wood was not bad, and the quality was medium. If it was flipped for a profit, the price could be increased by ten times. The wood was covered with a red cloth by the host and sent to Private Room Five by the staff. This time, everyone present immediately became restless. The piece of wood that the person had bought just now was definitely profitable. They could not help but regret their judgment. Shi Mu was so shocked that he didn¡¯t even know that the nuts in his hand had fallen to the ground. He looked at his sister in a daze and said, ¡°Is this thing so valuable? Why don¡¯t we buy one next?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Shi Man peeled off a pine nut and stared at the screen calmly. ¡°The real good things must be kept for subsequent bids.¡± Chapter 147 - 147 Malicious Bid 147 Malicious Bid Shi Man had predicted it well. The final transaction price of the few pieces of wood that were carried up was far higher than the first piece of wood. The most expensive piece was even sold for three million dollars, but after cutting it open, the buyer lost everything. The combined content of a few pieces of wood was not as much as the first piece of wood. This made everyone present furious. When it was time for the next piece of wood, no one made a bid. Shi Mu¡¯s heart ached for his sister¡¯s nails. He refused to let her spend any more effort peeling the pine nuts. He took the initiative to peel them for her patiently. Shi Man ate with a smile. Hearing the host¡¯s awkward reorganization, she looked up casually. Her eyes, which had been calm just now, were immediately tainted with a wicked smile. ¡°Interested?¡± Yuan Yi had been staring at her expression and saw it clearly. He could not help but ask curiously. Shi Man nodded slightly. She picked up a stylus and slowly wrote a number on the machine in the middle of the table. The host immediately announced in surprise, ¡°The VIP in Private Room Three bid 30,000 dollars.¡± Initially, he thought that no one would bid for this price. Just as the host was about to hammer down and finalize it, the machine in his hand suddenly rang again. He hurriedly put down the hammer and looked at it. He picked up the microphone excitedly and said, ¡°The VIP in Private Room Four bid 100,000!¡± ¡°Private Room Four, isn¡¯t that Ji Xue?¡± Shi Mu was not a fool. When so many pieces of wood were being auctioned just now, the private room next door seemed to be empty and there was no movement at all. Now that his sister had made a bid, the other party immediately increased the price. He immediately understood the other party¡¯s intentions. He couldn¡¯t help but cheer his sister on. ¡°Go ahead and fight with her. Our Shi family isn¡¯t easy to bully.¡± Shi Man smiled and did not say anything. She continued to write down the price of 200,000 dollars on the machine. As expected, the neighbor raised the price to 300,000 dollars. The people in the two private rooms exchanged blows and soon raised the price by 15 times. It was already the same as the highest price of the previous bids. Three million was not a small sum, but it was still not worth mentioning in Shi Mu¡¯s eyes. He waved his hand and was about to write down four million when Shi Man raised her hand to stop him. Seeing that the host was about to start hammering, Shi Mu was anxious and did not want to lose to others. He could not help but say, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t stop me. Today, Brother wants to let others know that no one can snatch anything my sister likes!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you.¡± Shi Man and Yuan Yi had planned something just now and stared at Shi Mu with evil smiles. Shi Mu couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the two of you? Why are you looking at me like that? Aiya, forget it. I have to increase the price quickly. That b*tch will really buy it later!¡± ¡°Brother.¡± Shi Man watched him write and leaned over softly. ¡°Push it to five million.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Shi Mu nodded without hesitation. He felt that he was very dashing for spending so much money on his sister. He sat at the side and smiled foolishly. Yuan Yi and Shi Man looked at each other and saw the smug smile in each other¡¯s eyes. As early as when Ji Xue started to increase the price, Yuan Yi had already become suspicious. With his identity as one of the organizers, he pulled out the invitation records backstage and found the real sugar daddy behind Ji Xue. The Ji family was just a small family. In his impression, Ji Xue had not been invited to this auction. Therefore, the reason why she could enter successfully became intriguing. As expected, when Yuan Yi saw Wang Hai¡¯s name, he immediately smiled and quietly explained to Shi Man, ¡°This man surnamed Wang has a little background. His family business is mainly in the black market. He looks noble but only our people know that he¡¯s famous for being stingy. He has countless women around him, but he¡¯s unwilling to spend a single cent on them. Moreover, as far as I know, he never participates in wood gambling. Ji Xue must have touched his sore spot this time.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Then with your understanding of Wang Hai, how much can he indulge Ji Xue?¡± Yuan Yi slowly extended five fingers. Shi Man smiled knowingly. ¡°Then add this number.¡± Yuan Yi was stunned and could not help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that she won¡¯t increase the price and lose money?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. She won¡¯t give up such a good opportunity.¡± Shi Man smiled meaningfully. That was why she stopped Shi Mu just now and asked him to add an additional million yuan. The price of five million had already reached the highest record in history. The host excitedly hammered the first time and said loudly, ¡°Five million going once!¡± Immediately after, he hammered a second time and continued, ¡°Five million going twice!¡± Seeing that the third hammer was about to land, everyone¡¯s hearts were in their throats. Wang Hai grabbed Ji Xue¡¯s hand tightly. With anger and flattery, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You can¡¯t bid anymore. Didn¡¯t you see that those people just now lost everything?¡± Chapter 148 - 148 Price 148 Price Ji Xue struggled to break free from his greasy hand and begged aggrievedly, ¡°CEO Wang, believe me. You won¡¯t lose out this time! I know the person in the private room next door. That woman is petty and sinister. She won¡¯t give away what she likes!¡± ¡°Next door? Who is it?¡± Wang Hai looked at her distrustfully, but he did not continue to stop her. Ji Xue found a loophole and quickly wrote six million on the machine. The host was about to hammer the last time when the machine in his hand beeped at the last moment. He hurriedly stopped. After seeing the bid on it, he announced excitedly again, ¡°The VIP in Private Room Four bid six million!¡± Wang Hai stared at her in shock, wishing he could slap her immediately! This woman was not worth him spending so much money for her! Ji Xue could not be bothered to coax him. She waited expectantly for the host to continue reading out the bid for the private room next door. She did not expect Shi Man to take the initiative to withdraw at this critical moment. Therefore, after the wooden hammer landed on the table three times, she was still in a daze. The host did not expect the bidding to be so intense today. Thinking of the large sum of commission was about to be transferred to his account, he immediately said excitedly, ¡°Congratulations to the VIP in Private Room Four for buying this piece of wood for six million. Now, let us witness a miracle together!¡± In the private room, Shi Man held Shi Mu¡¯s hand tightly until the thing successfully belonged to the private room next door. ¡°Sister, didn¡¯t you want this? Why did you give up? Our family doesn¡¯t lack this bit of money. So what if we lose it all?¡± Shi Mu asked in confusion. When did his sister learn to be diligent? In the past, she would not even blink when she spent this little money. Yuan Yi blinked at Shi Mu in amusement. After enduring it for a while, he couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°The Shi family wasn¡¯t handed over to you. Instead, they were handed over to your eldest brother and second brother to manage together. It¡¯s really the wisest decision Uncle Shi has made.¡± ¡°Hey, what do you mean? Is this something a brother should say?¡± Shi Mu immediately pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. He knew that he was not as capable as his eldest brother and second brother, but he had already tried his best to close the gap! Moreover, he was only spending money on his sister. Shi Mu firmly believed that even if those two fellows were around, they would definitely make the same decision as him. Yuan Yi toasted him comfortingly and smiled. ¡°Alright, alright. Just take it that I said something wrong and I apologize to Big Brother, okay?¡± Shi Mu snorted and drank with him arrogantly. He raised his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s more like it. But I¡¯m serious. Why didn¡¯t you continue raising the price just now?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and gestured for him to look at the screen. The host was holding a knife and slashing at the wood that had just been confirmed. When everyone saw the material inside, they immediately gasped. Six million for such a useless piece of wood. Everyone could not help but feel strong sympathy for the VIP in Private Room Four. Wang Hai¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. He glared fiercely at the dumbfounded woman. There was no longer half a doting and loving look in his eyes; there was only strong disgust. He slammed the table and stood up. ¡°Pay for this piece of wood yourself. I won¡¯t help you pay!¡± With that, he turned around and was about to leave the private room when Ji Xue came back to her senses. She hurriedly grabbed Wang Hai¡¯s hand and knelt on the ground to beg without thinking. ¡°CEO Wang, you can¡¯t leave me alone. I was brought in by you. If I can¡¯t pay later, you¡¯ll lose face!¡± ¡°You!¡± Wang Hai knew this very well, so he couldn¡¯t take this lying down. Outsiders did not know the truth about the private room just now. They would only think that after he bought the item and realized that it was trash, he had to escape. At that time, if others discussed it behind his back, it would be him, Wang Hai. It had nothing to do with her, Ji Xue! Ji Xue knew that she had touched his weakness, but she also knew that she would probably have to pay a huge price to get rid of Wang Hai this time. She could not help but hate Shi Man even more. As long as this woman appeared, she would not have a comfortable day. Could it be that Shi Man was the bane of her existence and specially came to oppose her? Wang Hai took a deep breath and calmed down. He looked down at the woman kneeling on the ground and sneered. ¡°Alright, very good. I can help you pay the bill, but you have to accompany me for a month. This month, you have to do whatever I ask you to do. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being rude to you!¡± ¡°Alright, I promise you.¡± Ji Xue lowered her head, hiding the disgust in her eyes. She might as well die if she had to accompany this disgusting and greasy man for a month! However, in order to resolve the current predicament and continue to survive in this circle in the future, she could only grit her teeth and agree to let this bastard take advantage of her for nothing! The staff quickly sent the cut wood over. Ji Xue got up from the ground and reached out to ask Wang Hai for his bank card. However, when she saw the sinister glint in the man¡¯s eyes, she shivered fiercely. Chapter 149 - 149 Yellow Rosewood 149 Yellow Rosewood ¡°Wait outside.¡± Wang Hai ordered the staff outside coldly. He turned to look at the pitiful Ji Xue and an evil thought suddenly rose in his heart. ¡°You want a bank card? Take it from my pocket.¡± Ji Xue¡¯s hand trembled. She tentatively reached into his pocket, but he grabbed her wrist with such strength that she couldn¡¯t help but cry out in pain. However, the pain on her face undoubtedly aroused the man¡¯s desire to torture her. Wang Hai smiled evilly and raised his eyebrows as he ordered, ¡°Kneel down and take the bank card out of my pocket with your mouth.¡± ¡°W-What did you say?¡± Ji Xue blinked as if she did not understand what he meant. Wang Hai didn¡¯t have much patience. He sneered and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to repeat myself.¡± This time, Ji Xue could not pretend to be confused. She bit her lower lip hard and held back her tears of humiliation. She slowly knelt on the ground and tentatively stuck her head out. Only when she touched the man¡¯s pocket did she stick out her pink tongue and reach into the depths of the pocket. Just as he said, she took the bank card out using her mouth. Wang Hai patted her head as if he was rewarding her. He mercifully sat on a chair at the side and took a sip of red wine. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Now you can go over and pay the bill, my baby.¡± Ji Xue¡¯s eyes flickered as if she could already imagine what kind of life awaited her. In the private room next door, even Shi Mu, who knew nothing about wood gambling, could tell that the composition of that thing was extremely poor. Even if it was thrown by the roadside, not many people would pick it up. A ridiculous thought suddenly arose in his heart. He inexplicably felt that his sister was probably fishing when she suddenly bid just now. His eyes darted around as he continued to peel pine nuts for her and asked casually, ¡°The material of this thing is so poor. Fortunately, we didn¡¯t buy it just now. But Sister, why did you take a fancy to this wood?¡± Shi Man held back her laughter and saw through his thoughts, but she did not choose to expose him. Instead, she blinked innocently and said matter-of-factly, ¡°The shape of that piece of wood looks good. I want to bring it home to decorate the flower pot in the room.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shi Mu heaved a sigh of relief. Meeting his sister¡¯s probing gaze, he hurriedly coughed awkwardly and explained, ¡°I was afraid that you would feel regretful that you didn¡¯t buy what you liked. So you just wanted an accessory. What¡¯s so difficult about that? When we go back, I¡¯ll choose something a hundred times better for you!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man nodded slightly and continued to look at the auction venue. The wood gambling segment was not over yet, but there were only three pieces of wood left. Soon, the next piece of wood was carried up by the staff. Shi Man glanced at it and smiled determinedly. After the five million and six million bids had been wasted, everyone present became even more cautious when bidding again. Shi Man couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with them. She picked up her pen and wrote 100,000 on the machine. With the record of her bidding for a piece of trash just now, the VIPs in the other private rooms did not blindly follow suit this time. Instead, they chose to watch. The people who had bid just now chose to forfeit when they saw the people in Private Room Three bidding again. Just as Shi Man had expected, she only used 100,000 to buy this wood. Initially, everyone thought that another unlucky person would be born. However, after the host cut open the wood and revealed the material inside, they were instantly shocked beyond words. No one expected that the interior of this piece of wood that they did not think highly of was actually filled with yellow rosewood. Not to mention 100,000, even a billion was worth it! Shi Mu also stared at the screen in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t help but jump up excitedly and shout, ¡°Sister! Sister! You¡¯re too lucky! You¡¯re rich now!¡± Yuan Yi also congratulated her happily. ¡°As expected of Manman. You have good taste. This is probably the best piece of wood in recent years. You actually bought it. What do you plan to do with it?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± Shi Man stared at the treasure in satisfaction, waiting for it to be delivered to her hand by the staff. In private room four, after Ji Xue heard the cheers from next door, her expression became even darker and uglier. However, she could not speak now. Wang Hai, this pervert, seemed to have suddenly lost his mind and gone crazy, forcing her to kneel on the ground and lick his most disgusting part. Ji Xue¡¯s only hope now was that Yi Zheng could really see that photo and let him know what kind of fickle and shameless woman Shi Man was! She was waiting to see the outcome of Shi Man being cruelly abandoned by Yi Zheng! The staff held the piece of wood in his hand and knocked on the door of Private Room Three with a smile. He smiled politely and said, ¡°Congratulations on buying the rosewood with such good ingredients. In addition, the distinguished guest in Private Room Ten said that he¡¯s willing to pay 100 million to buy it from you. He wants me to ask you what you think.¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Man refused decisively and asked him to put the wood on the table. After paying, she waved her hand to dismiss him. Chapter 150 - 150 Strange Pistol 150 Strange Pistol The next few auction items were some antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. Shi Man was not interested in these. She was a little tired of eating nuts, so she wanted to go home for dinner. Yuan Yi saw through her intentions and poured a glass of red wine for her to relieve her boredom. Then, he suggested mysteriously, ¡°The end is the highlight of tonight¡¯s auction. You¡¯ll definitely be interested.¡± Shi Man looked at the shadows of the mysterious guns at the end of the list and felt disinterested. Ever since she had Yi Zheng¡¯s regular offering, Immaculate did not lack armaments at all. She also had a silver spear she liked and did not plan to get too many. ¡°It¡¯s boring. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Shi Man stood up and was about to leave when Shi Mu grabbed her wrist. He was a little embarrassed to pull her back to her seat and sit down. He said carefully, ¡°Sister, actually, Brother has liked these pistols since he was young, but my family has always been strict, so I haven¡¯t seen a real gun with my own eyes until now. It¡¯s not easy to have such an opportunity this time. Can you watch it with me before leaving?¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t expect Shi Mu to like such things, but she still sat down obediently and nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home together after Brother is done.¡± Shi Mu immediately smiled happily and stared at the screen, looking forward to seeing the pistol that he had been thinking about day and night. The auction quickly came to an end and entered the final segment. The first thing the staff brought up was a pistol with an inlaid metal shell. The gun was beautifully designed, and under the light, the metal shell flickered with a dazzling light. Shi Mu was stunned. He did not expect to see such a beautiful pistol with his own eyes and could not help but be tempted. Yuan Yi immediately said, ¡°Do you want to buy one back to play?¡± Shi Mu was about to nod enviously when he suddenly thought of Shen Xian and Shi Zhong¡¯s furious expressions. He immediately shook his head and said, ¡°Forget it. If my mother finds out, she¡¯ll beat me to death.¡± Yuan Yi could not help but laugh at him. He glanced at the young girl who was still not very interested and asked curiously, ¡°Are you really not interested? I thought you would like this kind of thing!¡± ¡°My sister doesn¡¯t like guns!¡± Shi Mu retorted for her before Shi Man could speak. ¡°My sister clearly likes Barbie dolls the most!¡± Yuan Yi could not hold it in anymore. He stole a glance at Shi Man¡¯s expressionless face and asked suspiciously, ¡°Are you sure? Does she like Barbie dolls?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Shi Mu said curiously, ¡°As her brother, don¡¯t I know my sister better than you? My family has so many limited-edition Barbie dolls that they can fill a warehouse! Those are my sister¡¯s treasures!¡± Shi Man¡¯s expression was still calm as if the person he was talking about was not her. Not to mention Yuan Yi, even Shi Man did not believe that she would like those dolls that only young girls would play with. Unfortunately, the original host was such a young lady. Even the clothes in her wardrobe were mostly bought according to the style of the Barbie gown. She would always be mocked when she wore them. However, she liked them very much and was even proud of them, thinking that the aesthetics of others were inferior to hers. Shi Man did not dare to compliment the original owner¡¯s aesthetics, but she still chose to respect her, so she was not in a hurry to deny it. Yuan Yi shook his head helplessly, not prepared to continue arguing with Shi Mu about this matter. However, he was still prepared to take the opportunity to close the distance with Shi Man. He smiled at her generously and said, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll bring the new limited-edition doll to your house and give it to you personally, okay?¡± Shi Man glanced at him coldly and smiled faintly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll definitely thank you properly when the time comes.¡± Shi Mu clearly didn¡¯t hear the sarcasm in their words. He thought that Yuan Yi was being polite to him and couldn¡¯t help but pat his shoulder. ¡°Brother, why are you bringing a gift to our house? But since it¡¯s for Manman, I¡¯ll thank you on Manman¡¯s behalf first. You¡¯re not allowed to bring anything next time. You¡¯re treating us like outsiders.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yuan Yi nodded with a smile and looked at Shi Man with gloating eyes. Shi Man pursed her lips speechlessly and prepared to ignore the two childish people. She continued to look at the next pistol on the screen and raised her eyebrows to evaluate. ¡°It¡¯s quite a beautiful women¡¯s pistol.¡± Yuan Yi followed her gaze and saw a pistol covered in water-pink paint lying quietly on the tray. However, the configuration of this gun was far from as cute as it looked. There were three separate safety devices, plus a nine-millimeter Osprey silencer, a small scope, and other tactical accessories at the end of the slide. The magazine had a capacity of 17 rounds and an effective range of 50 meters. It could perfectly make up for the uselessness of ordinary long-range sniper rifles in close combat. Moreover, pistols circulating on the market basically did not have this color. It could be seen how unique the designer behind this pistol was. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Yuan Yi probed. Shi Mu rejected it on behalf of his sister. ¡°We don¡¯t buy such dangerous things.¡± Chapter 151 - 151 Mysterious Buyer 151 Mysterious Buyer Shi Man chuckled at the side. Seeing Shi Mu¡¯s puzzled gaze, she said seriously, ¡°Yes, our family doesn¡¯t allow us to buy such dangerous things.¡± Shi Mu smiled in satisfaction. He raised his eyebrows proudly at Yuan Yi and focused his gaze on the big screen again. However, he did not expect the venue to be so quiet. Before the bidding could happen, the guest in Private Room Sixteen raised the price to the highest. The pistol, which started at 5 million, was instantly raised to 50 million. The entire venue was in an uproar. Even the host was dumbfounded and could not believe his eyes. Fortunately, he had presided over the auction for many years and his mental fortitude had been trained extremely well. He was only dazed for a moment before he quickly recovered and said, ¡°50 million once!¡± The entire place was still silent. This gun was not the best at this auction. Moreover, its watery pink appearance was not practical, so no one was willing to spend ten times the price to snatch this unique pistol from the lunatic in Private Room Sixteen. With the final decision, the host was overjoyed. He asked the staff to put the things into the black suitcase, match them with bullets, and send them into Private Room Sixteen. Shi Mu looked at the final transaction price in shock and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°In the future, I¡¯ll be angry with whoever says that I¡¯m a prodigal. Who exactly is this person in Private Room Sixteen? Isn¡¯t this much more prodigal than me?¡± Shi Man could not help but be a little curious. In his opinion, this gun was not worth this price at all. Moreover, its appearance was too eye-catching and not suitable for ordinary use. 50 million was enough to buy a legitimate weapon that was much better than this gun. Without waiting for Shi Man to say anything, Yuan Yi called the staff in charge of arranging the private room backstage. After a series of carrots and sticks, the staff still said with a long face, ¡°CEO Yuan, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you, but we really don¡¯t know the other party¡¯s true identity.¡± ¡°Oh? What do you mean? How did you let her in if you don¡¯t know her identity?¡± Yuan Yi was also curious and insisted on getting to the bottom of it. He only wanted to find out the identity of this strange and mysterious guest. The staff explained aggrievedly, ¡°The other party was wearing a mask when he came and was holding a special VIP gold card from the black market. How could we not let him in!¡± Yuan Yi frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°But weren¡¯t you the ones who arranged the private room?¡± ¡°We arranged it.¡± The staff frowned and tried his best to defend himself. ¡°But we didn¡¯t arrange his seat at all. He was an important guest who had just arrived. Because the private rooms in front were filled, we could only arrange the last empty room for him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Yuan Yi¡¯s expression relaxed as he smiled warmly. ¡°Then I must have made things difficult for you.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± After a few polite words, the staff hurriedly left the private room. He was covered in a layer of cold sweat, afraid that he would lose such a good job if he couldn¡¯t explain. After they left, Yuan Yi raised his eyebrows and looked at Shi Man. He took the initiative to ask, ¡°Do you have any thoughts? Who do you think that person is?¡± Shi Man took a sip of red wine and shook her head gently. ¡°Our Shi family does business that can be seen on the surface and has never been involved in the underworld. How can we know such a person?¡± Shi Mu felt that his sister had said it very well and nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Our family doesn¡¯t do this. It¡¯s useless for you to ask my sister. I think you should hurry over and investigate. Don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± Yuan Yi smiled without saying anything. He had no intention of going out to do serious business at all. He continued to shake the wine glass in his hand leisurely and said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. A fox will always show its tail. Moreover, there¡¯s that group of old fellows watching behind me. Why should I worry?¡± Yuan Yi was a profligate son who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun. Shi Mu found what he said pleasing and smiled. He patted his shoulder and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯ve just returned to the country and haven¡¯t graduated yet. You can play for a few more years!¡± Yuan Yi nodded slightly and flattered him sweetly. ¡°Big Brother is right. I still want to have fun with you for a few years.¡± Shi Mu was a little smug from being called Big Brother. He waved his hand repeatedly and really pretended to be an elder brother. He sighed and said, ¡°Now that I think about it, school is still the freest. I¡¯m about to graduate. When the time comes, I¡¯ll leave my sister to you. If you don¡¯t take good care of her, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± ¡°Alright, no problem,¡± Yuan Yi agreed readily. He glanced at Shi Man with a naughty smile and said with double entendre, ¡°Leave Manman to me. Big Brother, don¡¯t worry.¡± Shi Mu was naturally relieved. This was a good brother who had listened to him since he was young. He immediately raised his wine glass and said heroically, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have a toast as proof. In the future, when I¡¯m not in school, my precious sister will be under your protection.¡± Chapter 152 - 152 Gunfight 152 Gunfight ¡°Alright.¡± Yuan Yi agreed decisively. He raised his wine glass and clinked it with Shi Mu¡¯s before drinking it in one gulp. His smiling eyes were fixed on Shi Man. ¡°I wonder if Manman agrees?¡± Yuan Yi raised his eyebrows and looked at the seemingly gentle girl sitting at the side. In fact, even he could not compare to her ruthless methods. Shi Man glanced at him with a faint smile and lowered her eyes. ¡°That depends on whether you have the ability to really take care of me.¡± She was a person who was slow to warm up to others and would not let anyone enter her heart easily. However, the feeling Yuan Yi gave her felt a little similar to Su Tang. She was very curious about what he planned to do next. Yuan Yi understood that Shi Man was starting to treat him differently from others. He could not help but smile. ¡°Then I have to work hard.¡± After watching this show, Shi Man clapped her hands and stood up to walk out of the private room with the two of them, preparing to leave early and go home for dinner. Yuan Yi naturally got into the car and still sat steadily in the front passenger seat. He tactfully maintained a certain distance from Shi Man. Shi Mu was especially satisfied with him. He happily brought his good friend and sister home. As soon as he entered, he was scolded by Shen Xian. ¡°Where did you bring your sister to play? Don¡¯t you know what time it is? Why are you only home now?¡± ¡°Sigh, Mom, it hurts!¡± Shi Muwei bent down aggrievedly, wanting to be closer to her hand that was pinching his ear to reduce the pain. Shen Xian suddenly let go and pushed her out of the door. She grabbed Shi Man¡¯s small hand and sized her up. Seeing that she was fine, she was relieved and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Baby, why are you only home now? Mommy is very worried about you.¡± Her attitude towards Shi Mu was worlds apart. Shi Man pursed her lips and chuckled. She said obediently, ¡°Brother brought me to see a movie. Mom, I¡¯m hungry. Is there any dinner left?¡± Shen Xian was furious when she heard that. She couldn¡¯t help but point at Shi Mu to scold him, ¡°Good kid, you didn¡¯t even give your sister a meal when you brought her out to play. Do you want to starve your sister?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Shi Mu couldn¡¯t say anything and could only stand there and be scolded. When Shen Xian was done scolding, she noticed that there was another person at the entrance of the courtyard. When she took a closer look, she realized that it was the youngest son of the Yuan family who had come to the house before. She hurriedly switched to a warm and happy expression and smiled as she welcomed him in. ¡°Did you go to watch the movie with the two of them just now? You didn¡¯t eat dinner, right? Come in quickly. Auntie specially reserved a sumptuous table of food.¡± Yuan Yi smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Auntie.¡± Shen Xian let the two of them in happily, leaving Shi Mu standing outside the door as a punishment. Seeing that the steaming food in the room had been served on the dining table, Shi Mu was stunned. He rubbed his already shriveled stomach aggrievedly and sniffed the fragrance of the food. He wanted to enter the house, but he was afraid of being scolded. He stood outside the door hesitantly. It was only when Shi Man came over to open the door for him that he entered the house happily. Then, he immediately lowered his head and apologized to Shen Xian and Shi Man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was negligent tonight. I shouldn¡¯t have brought my sister out so late and not let her eat.¡± Shen Xian snorted and hugged Shi Man¡¯s shoulder with heartache. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on Manman. If he¡¯s careless again in the future, we won¡¯t play with him anymore.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± Shi Mu was anxious. He hurriedly looked at Shi Man, afraid that she would really agree to not want him as her brother. Shi Man shook her head helplessly and smiled. ¡°Mom, Fourth Brother is very good to me. I said that I wasn¡¯t hungry yet, so we didn¡¯t go to eat. Brother couldn¡¯t bear to starve me. He peeled a lot of nuts for me to eat.¡± Only then did Shen Xian¡¯s expression soften a little. She looked at Shi Mu indifferently and said with the dignity of a mother, ¡°Since your sister has spoken up for you like this, let¡¯s forget about what happened today. From today onwards, if you have to come home late, you have to report to me.¡± Shi Mu knew his mother¡¯s personality. She was the most lenient person and never interfered with her children¡¯s freedom. That was why he was curious about her abnormality today. He couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Mom, did something happen recently? Why do we suddenly have this family rule?¡± ¡°Your mother is also worried about you.¡± Shi Zhong slowly came down the stairs. He first hugged his wife and expressed his concern before greeting Yuan Yi and telling him not to be restrained here. In the end, he shifted his gaze to Shi Mu and lectured him resentfully, ¡°I often tell you that you have to be observant when doing business. Did you take it to heart? Didn¡¯t you see the news that¡¯s all over the Internet?¡± ¡°What news?¡± Shi Man asked with a frown. Shi Zhong and Shen Xian looked at each other and barely resisted the urge to teach Shi Man a lesson. They coughed lightly and explained in a gentle tone, ¡°Just now, a gunfight suddenly broke out in a few abandoned factories in the suburbs. The residents nearby who heard the commotion have already called the police. I heard that it was a conflict between the underworlds over territory. It hasn¡¯t been peaceful recently. You have to be careful when you go out.¡± Chapter 153 - 153 Night Attack 153 Night Attack When Shi Man heard this, she immediately felt that something was wrong. She did not ask Shi Zhong where this happened. Instead, she used the excuse of returning to her room to change and went online to read the latest news. As expected, the location of the gun battle was Immaculate¡¯s stronghold. After she went downstairs and quickly finished dinner, she ignored the others¡¯ requests to stay and chat. She used tiredness as an excuse and returned to her room to lock the door. She changed into clothes suitable for moving in the dark. She carried her pistol and jumped out of the Shi family. By the time she arrived at the location of the gunfight, there was already a cordon everywhere. The police were searching for the hiding place of the two groups of people. Shi Man frowned and looked around. It was not easy for her to find a trace. She walked along the path into the depths and saw Sean and the others in a remote hut. When Sean saw Shi Man, he immediately held her hand in surprise. He could not help but cry, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re finally here to seek justice for us!¡± ¡°Who did it?¡± Shi Man helped Sean sit up and looked at their injuries carefully. Seeing that they were only slightly bruised, she was slightly relieved. ¡°It must be the people from Hellgate!¡± Sean said with certainty. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with them before and know that they¡¯re all used to having a skull tattoo on their wrists. I saw it clearly this time. Everyone in the group who attacked had this mark on their hands.¡± ¡°Hellgate?¡± Shi Man was not very clear about the division of power in this world. She asked in confusion, ¡°What do the people of Hellgate have to do with us?¡± Sean coughed awkwardly and reminded her with a faint gaze, ¡°Boss, in G City, Hellgate¡¯s power could be ranked second! But now, under your guidance, our brothers are becoming stronger day by day. Not long ago, we did a few missions and snatched a lot of Hellgate¡¯s business. It might be because of this that they targeted us.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes dangerously. If anyone dared to touch her people, they had to ask for permission from the silver gun in her hand. Sean could see the anger in her eyes and could not help but persuade her. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s not the most important thing that we suffered this time. However, if they still target us in the future, I¡¯m afraid Immaculate will not be able to survive in G City.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s that batch of firearms?¡± Shi Man¡¯s voice was deep as she referred to the batch of firearms Yi Zheng had sent. Sean was overjoyed. He slapped his thigh and rejoiced. ¡°Fortunately, the boss over there sent someone to remind us yesterday that a faction has been secretly investigating Immaculate. My brothers and I hid that batch of goods overnight. Just now, the people from the Hellgate barged into the stronghold to snatch our treasures. Unfortunately, they¡¯re destined to not be able to find anything!¡± ¡°You said he sent someone to remind you yesterday?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly. Thinking of Yi Zheng¡¯s strange overtures recently, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had seen through something. Sean nodded and said proudly, ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s all thanks to Boss¡¯s shrewdness and ability that we can be allies with such a huge force! Recently, we¡¯ve been able to receive so many rewarding missions because of the other party¡¯s help behind the scenes. We¡¯re not fools. We can naturally tell that without them, we probably wouldn¡¯t have risen so quickly.¡± Shi Man sneered and did not echo his words. Instead, she asked coldly, ¡°Where¡¯s the stronghold of the Hellgate you mentioned?¡± ¡°Boss! You¡¯re not going to do a sneak attack on their nest alone, are you?¡± Sean stood up in shock. Ignoring the pain of the wound on his body, he could not help but advise anxiously, ¡°This won¡¯t do. It¡¯s too dangerous. Let¡¯s wait for our brothers to recover before planning an operation together!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Boss, you can¡¯t take the risk!¡± The other mercenaries hurriedly echoed. They now knew how wise Sean¡¯s decision to acknowledge Shi Man as his boss was. If not for Shi Man, they would not have been able to reach their current heights even if they had worked hard for more than ten years. Shi Man glanced at them coldly and said faintly, ¡°There¡¯s no reason for them to retreat unscathed. I¡¯ll send them a big gift.¡± Sean pondered for a moment and suddenly made up his mind. He nodded solemnly and said, ¡°Boss is right. Then I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shi Man patted his shoulder and asked him to sit down. She threw them a bank card and said slowly, ¡°Tell me the address and find a place to recuperate in peace.¡± Sean was still worried and could not help but advise, ¡°Why don¡¯t we wait for the few of us to act together?¡± Shi Man glanced at him unhappily and frowned. ¡°Since when can you question my decision?¡± The few of them hurriedly lowered their heads in shame and did not dare to say anything else. After telling Shi Man about one of the strongholds of the Hellgate that they knew, they handed the remaining bullets to Shi Man. ¡°Boss, you don¡¯t want us to move with you, but you have to bring these so that we can be at ease.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man took the bullets that were suitable for her gun and put them away. She turned around and entered the night. logo Chapter 154 - 154 Hellgate 154 Hellgate Shi Man could not stay outside for long at night. In order to avoid any accidents at home leading to the discovery that she was not around, she had to end it quickly. According to the address Sean had given her, Shi Man sneaked over in the night. When she arrived, she realized that she was near a pier. Shi Man was very satisfied with this location. It was suitable for trading at the docks, which meant that a large sum of money would enter her account. She narrowed her eyes in the night. In her previous life, she had infiltrated the enemy¡¯s hidden base too many times. She knew too well where these people were used to hiding the true core location. She entered the dock with the experience she had accumulated in the past. Sure enough, she found the office of the boss of Hellgate. Thinking of the wounds Sean and the others suffered, Shi Man sneered and skillfully knocked on the safe. She wanted to get some medical fees first, but she did not expect to see a military grenade. This was a good thing and could save her a lot of trouble. After carefully putting the item in her pocket, Shi Man took away an appropriate amount of money. Just as she was about to do the next thing, the office door was suddenly pushed open. She hurriedly hid in a hidden place and hid her aura, almost becoming one with the tall cabinet. The person who came in was a cold-faced man in a suit. He glanced coldly at his secretary behind him and scolded angrily, ¡°You can¡¯t even do such a small thing and dare to come back to see me! What Immaculate? There are only a few people in total, and you can¡¯t even handle them. What¡¯s the use of raising you, good-for-nothings!¡± The secretary lowered his head timidly and hurriedly bowed to apologize to him. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry. We were careless this time and allowed the Immaculate people to transfer the supplies in advance.¡± The man snorted coldly, turned around, walked behind the desk, and slowly sat down. His hawk-like sharp eyes stared intently at the secretary and said, ¡°Are their people vigilant, or is someone leaking information behind the scenes!¡± The secretary was slightly stunned when he heard this. He hurriedly raised his head and said in disbelief, ¡°That¡¯s impossible, right? The brothers who participated in this operation were all carefully selected. There¡¯s no possibility of them leaking the news!¡± The man was even angrier when he heard this. He said bluntly that the secretary was a blockhead and suggested resentfully, ¡°If they didn¡¯t leak anything, can¡¯t someone else in Hellgate sense our actions and secretly spread the news?¡± The secretary thought about this possibility carefully and screened everyone who could come into contact with the secret core in his mind, but he still felt that he had no clue. ¡°But even if that¡¯s the case, the main force of Immaculate is in M City. They shouldn¡¯t be familiar with Hellgate. Why would someone be willing to take the risk of being discovered by us to inform them in advance?¡± This was something he could not figure out no matter what. To the various large factions in G City, Immaculate was like an outsider. Although it was developing rapidly, it did not have a foundation and did not have any interaction with the people from the various large factions. Therefore, many old factions did not take Immaculate seriously. In G City, the underworld forces were intertwined. There was no absolute innocence between each force. Sending people to infiltrate an opposing force was already a tacit method, so it was not very accurate to say that this operation was top secret. Hellgate could guarantee that the people from the Immaculate Sect would not know in advance, but they could not guarantee that the people from the other large factions would also know nothing. But so what if Immaculate¡¯s development momentum was fierce? The foundation of these families, who had been in the black market for several generations, was not something that any random force could compare to. The man narrowed his eyes and stared at the teacup in front of him in a low voice. He said slowly, ¡°This is what I¡¯m most worried about. Perhaps Immaculate has already formed an alliance with someone. Otherwise, I don¡¯t believe that they can reach the sky in such a short period of time and even predict our sneak attack in advance.¡± The secretary pondered for a moment. The more he thought about it, the more shocked he became. If it was really as their boss had guessed, the current Immaculate could not be underestimated. Moreover, they might have already offended some big shot in tonight¡¯s operation. Thinking of this, the secretary couldn¡¯t help but look at the man sitting at the head of the table nervously and say, ¡°Then what should we do next? Should we kill them while they¡¯re injured?¡± The man narrowed his eyes dangerously. He clearly knew that this was the best way to settle this once and for all. Although they had failed in one strike, they had accidentally probed the other forces of Immaculate. Even if he wanted to attack, it was inevitable that he would be wary. ¡°Contact Nighthawk¡¯s boss immediately and say that I have something very important to discuss with him. Tell him to meet me at the usual place tomorrow night.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The secretary nodded and walked out of the office with a serious expression to complete the mission given by his boss. The man was sitting behind his desk, pondering the power behind Immaculate. He was caught off guard and was held in front of his neck by a silver knife. The man had experienced big scenes and was not particularly afraid. Instead, he asked very calmly, ¡°Who are you? Why are you here to kill me?¡± Chapter 155 - 155 Cooperation 155 Cooperation Shi Man was wearing a mask, and her tone was so cold that ice could seep out. ¡°How about I make a deal with you?¡± ¡°What deal?¡± The man narrowed his eyes dangerously, his right hand moving subtly to the pistol clipped to his belt. Shi Man sneered and quickly kicked his hand away. After pulling out his gun for him, she played with it carefully. ¡°It¡¯s not much. Is the dignified boss of the Hellgate using such trash?¡± The man groaned at her merciless kick. After hearing what she said, he immediately felt that his dignity had been offended. He couldn¡¯t help but say angrily, ¡°Who are you? Why did you come to Hellgate?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯m here to make a deal with you?¡± Shi Man casually pressed the pistol against his forehead and smiled. ¡°I heard that you wanted to deal with that Immaculate just now. Coincidentally, I have a grudge against them. Why don¡¯t we cooperate? You¡¯ll pay and I¡¯ll help you kill them. How about that?¡± The man curled his lips into a cold smile. From the corner of his eye, he sized up the slender and well-proportioned woman beside him. He couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°Just you alone? Who can you kill?¡± Shi Man was not angry at his disdainful attitude. Instead, the smile on her face became deeper and deeper. The smile gradually spread from her eyes. The pistol against his forehead easily pushed his head to the side and she said slowly, ¡°Who can I kill? I can kill you now, Uncle.¡± ¡°Even if you kill me, you won¡¯t be able to escape!¡± The man stared at her fiercely, wishing he could skin her alive and teach her a lesson. Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly and a mocking smile appeared on her face. Unfortunately, through the mask, the man could not see the change in her expression. Instead, he thought that she was frightened by his words and said even more arrogantly, ¡°Let go of me now and I can consider letting you go. Otherwise, if you kill me, you can only die with me. It won¡¯t do you any good.¡± Shi Man had no intention of letting him off. She pressed the gun bolt and smiled casually. ¡°Is that so? Since you¡¯re so confident, why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡± The man frowned and asked coldly, ¡°Bet on what?¡± Shi Man smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s bet if I can leave safely after killing you. If I win, your Hellgate will belong to me. But if I lose, the two of us will have a companion on the road to hell.¡± ¡°What a crazy woman,¡± the man said fiercely. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if he was still digesting the fact that he was being threatened by a young girl. After a while, he slowly opened his eyes and said in a gentle tone, ¡°I can agree to hire you to finish off Immaculate, but you have to put down the gun first.¡± Shi Man was not fooled. She was almost certain that the man would suddenly capture her the moment she obediently put away the pistol. Unfortunately, she did not only know how to use these cold iron lumps. Compared to weaponry, she was actually better at close combat! Shi Man was confident in her strength, so she slowly put away her pistol as the man had said. But in the man¡¯s eyes, all of this became proof of her lack of experience. The man snorted and suddenly raised his hand to strangle her. A nasty thought involuntarily appeared in his mind. Even if this woman died here today, she could only blame herself for overestimating herself. She actually dared to hit a rock with an egg and chose to fight him head-on. The man¡¯s actions, which he thought were fast, became a slow scene in Shi Man¡¯s eyes. She calmly avoided his hand and fired. The bullet accurately brushed past his finger and shot at the wall behind him. The burning pain immediately came from his hand. The man stared at the girl in disbelief. He did not expect her to really dare to shoot openly here. He immediately raised his hands and pretended to surrender. His throat rolled up and down as he coaxed in a gentle tone, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that you would put down the gun?¡± Shi Man tilted her head and looked at him in amusement. ¡°You promised to pay me to assassinate Immaculate. What you did just now was to kill me.¡± The man¡¯s cold expression was a little broken. He frowned and scolded the secretary outside for being deaf. After repeatedly weighing the current situation, he couldn¡¯t help but smile ingratiatingly. ¡°I wanted to test your strength just now. Now that I¡¯ve confirmed that your skills meet my hiring requirements, I can pay you the deposit.¡± ¡°How straightforward.¡± Shi Man reached out to take the bank card he handed her and glanced at it. ¡°Password?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no password.¡± The man waved his hand and pointed at the pistol that was still pressed against his head. ¡°Can you put down the gun now?¡± Shi Man sneered and moved the gun away from his head. Since ancient times, all those in power cared about their lives. This man in front of them was the best example. Chapter 156 - 156 Come and Go as You Please 156 Come and Go as You Please The more he looked like a high and mighty person, the more shocking it was after his hypocritical mask was removed. Shi Man knew this kind of person the best. She knew what she was doing, so she planned to take the risk and take the opportunity to cheat a large sum of money from Hellgate to make up for her losses. She still didn¡¯t want blood on her hands in this life unless she had to. But that didn¡¯t mean she was going to be soft-hearted. The man watched her put away the bank card with his own eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. He regained the coldness on his face and his tone was covered in frost. ¡°I¡¯ve already given you the money. How can I believe that you won¡¯t run away with my money?¡± Shi Man looked up at him and said slowly, ¡°Do you have any other choice? Don¡¯t forget that it¡¯s easy for me to take your life.¡± The man was furious and couldn¡¯t help but slap the table. ¡°Alright, if you dare to lie to me, don¡¯t blame me for being rude to you. At that time, no matter how good your skills are, you¡¯ll probably be alone!¡± Shi Man sneered indifferently and did not take his threat seriously at all. She calmly walked to the door and prepared to leave. The man was shocked by her boldness, but he was secretly delighted by her carelessness. Before she could open the door handle of the office, the people from Hellgate outside all had pistols in their hands. They filed in and surrounded her. The man sneered and walked out from behind the desk. He raised his hand slightly and ordered his subordinates to attack immediately. He wanted to see who this young lady was to actually have such guts! Shi Man glanced at him frivolously and dodged a bullet. She grabbed the person beside her and pulled her in front of her, blocking the next bullet for her. At this moment, the man¡¯s eyes were still filled with victory. He did not think that Shi Man had the ability to escape his encirclement at all. Did she really think that Hellgate¡¯s power was just for show?! Since she was here, she should not blame him for letting her die! Shi Man saw the triumphant smile in his eyes. She took out her pistol and hid behind the cabinet. She loaded the gun and suddenly rushed out of the cabinet. It took less than a second to aim and the bullet accurately entered the man¡¯s shoulder. Shi Man hit the target. After continuing to dodge, she did not forget to mock coldly, ¡°This is the outcome of you plotting against me tonight. If your subordinate shoots another bullet at me, I¡¯ll hit your thigh next time!¡± The people under Hellgate were also red-eyed from the battle. No matter how they surrounded her, the girl in black could always easily avoid their attacks and even take the time to shoot their boss. While they felt humiliated, uncontrollable anger rose in their hearts. Someone couldn¡¯t stand her mockery and raised the pistol first to fire another round at her. Shi Man sneered and agilely dodged to the other end of the shelf. She flipped over and jumped to the top of the high shelf. She raised her pistol and smiled. ¡°Your people were the first to disobey.¡± When the man saw her raise the pistol, he panicked. He hurriedly covered the bleeding wound on his shoulder and staggered to hide behind the table. Unexpectedly, Shi Man¡¯s marksmanship was even faster. There was almost no need to deliberately aim. The bullet carried a cold wind and suddenly entered his thigh. It hurt so much that he fell to the ground and wailed in embarrassment. This time, no one dared to act rashly. More than ten pairs of eyes looked at the girl as if she was a monster. The secretary hurriedly went forward to treat his boss¡¯s wound. He couldn¡¯t help but take out the walkie-talkie and try to call more people to deal with Shi Man. Unexpectedly, the man raised his hand and stopped him. The secretary looked at his boss in disbelief, only to see that the man¡¯s forehead was already covered in a cold sweat. His face was as pale as paper and the color had drained from his face. Ever since he became the boss of Hellgate, he had never needed to do anything himself. However, this time was different from before. The young girl in front of him clearly knew the principle of capturing the leader first. Every shot Shi Man shot would not kill him, but it was enough to make him black out from the pain. The man endured the intense pain and forced a voice out of his throat. ¡°Let her go.¡± ¡°Boss!¡± The secretary¡¯s eyes turned red, but he did not dare to disobey him. He stood up and waved for everyone in the room to leave first. Shi Man played with the pistol in satisfaction and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. Then our deal is sealed. Goodbye.¡± With that, she flipped over and jumped out of the window. She actually climbed the vertical wall skillfully and landed steadily under everyone¡¯s shocked gazes. Then, she quickly disappeared into the night. The secretary didn¡¯t dare to delay and hurriedly called a private doctor to treat Boss¡¯s injuries. However, he still frowned unwillingly and said, ¡°I actually let her escape just like that. I¡¯m really too useless.¡± The man snorted and a scheming glint flashed across his eyes. He endured the pain and smiled evilly. ¡°Does she think it¡¯s so easy to take my things? Go turn on my private computer. You can see the location of my pistol on it.¡± Chapter 157 - 157 Alliance 157 Alliance The secretary sent the man to the private doctor before returning to retrieve the notebook. At this moment, Shi Man had not moved from her location. The secretary was delighted, thinking that he had found Shi Man¡¯s nest. He quickly zoomed in on the map on the computer and saw an unexpected location. In the factory, Shi Man slowly sneaked into the darkness and found a hidden place. After hiding the pistol she had just snatched, she was about to retreat. In front of the iron gate, a black car suddenly stopped outside the factory. The mercenaries in charge of patrolling stepped aside, not daring to look at the man who got out of the car. Yi Zheng put on his mask with a lingering smile in his eyes. When Shi Man heard the commotion outside, she quickly climbed over the back wall and hid in a place where she could retreat at any time. She hid and observed the commotion in the factory. Yi Zheng slowly walked in and looked around the place specially used for Shi Man to treat him. However, he did not know what was the ¡°good thing¡± she had brought him this time. The huge light on the roof of the factory was turned on by Tang Zhe, and the originally dark place instantly lit up. Every corner could be seen by Yi Zheng. After confirming that she had already left the factory vigilantly, Yi Zheng casually walked to the place where Shi Man had hidden the pistol. He glanced at the flawless wall and walked to the back wall outside. He smiled and said briskly, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you treat me before leaving?¡± Shi Man walked in from outside the back wall expressionlessly, revealing a pair of cold eyes. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± Yi Zheng slowly walked up to her. After confirming that she was not injured, he finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I was the one who gave Sean the news that someone had attacked and needed to transfer supplies at the last minute.¡± ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Shi Man said with a fake smile. It was true that this person had helped her, but at the same time, he had schemed against her. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have arrived at this warehouse almost at the same time as her. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Yi Zheng looked at her vigilant gaze calmly and the corners of his lips subconsciously curled up. ¡°You schemed against me too. We¡¯re even.¡± Shi Man was stunned for a moment as if she did not expect him to have such a frivolous reaction. She could not help but mock him, ¡°You guessed that I would come here and went to all the trouble to stop me. What do you want? You can just say it.¡± ¡°Wanted to see you.¡± Yi Zheng pursed his lips and suddenly raised his hand to reach for Tang Zhe. Tang Zhe immediately bowed and handed over a black golden box. Shi Man found the box familiar and could not help but raise her eyebrows. ¡°What is this?¡± Yi Zheng didn¡¯t answer her question. He lowered his eyes and slowly opened the box, revealing the pink pistol inside. Shi Man suddenly wanted to laugh. Wasn¡¯t this the fool who had paid a high price for that useless pistol at the auction just now? Yi Zheng saw her gaze and knew what she was thinking. He also felt a little stupid. When he found out that Shi Man had gone to the auction and entered the same private room with another man, he had even postponed a business meeting worth hundreds of millions just to see her personally and not let her have the chance to approach others. The moment this gun was taken out for auction, Yi Zheng somehow thought of Shi Man. It was not because she was the only woman beside him who knew how to use a pistol, but because he felt from the bottom of his heart that this gun was very similar to her. She looked like a soft and cute character on the surface, but she was all fierce on the inside. She was like a pistol filled with bullets that could kill at any time. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows at him. Could it be that he wanted to say that he had specially bought this for her? Yi Zheng raised the box and handed the pistol to her. He said slowly, ¡°Take it as a keepsake of the alliance between Immaculate and Blood Devour.¡± Shi Man put away the teasing smile on her face and stared at him expressionlessly. ¡°When did I say that I wanted to form an alliance with you? Our Immaculate should be your benefactor.¡± Not to mention the mercenaries beside her, even Tang Zhe could not help but gasp at her words. No one had ever dared to claim credit in front of his master. However, if one really considered the facts, Shi Man was actually right. Although the hot poison was not fatal to Yi Zheng, he had suffered a lot. If she detoxified this poison, it would be equivalent to helping him escape the pain that would haunt him for the rest of his life and even extend his life. It could barely be considered a life-saving grace. Tang Zhe thought that his master would be angry and take the initiative to withdraw his offer of alliance. Unexpectedly, Yi Zheng thought about what she said seriously and said matter-of-factly, ¡°Are you really not going to consider it again? The identity of the Blood Devour can help you more than just a little.¡± He glanced pointedly at the place where she had hidden the pistol and narrowed his eyes at her like an old fox. Chapter 158 - 158 Killing Many Birds With One Stone 158 Killing Many Birds With One Stone The corners of Shi Man¡¯s mouth twitched speechlessly. She raised her hand and picked up the strange pink pistol. She weighed it in her hand and smiled evilly. ¡°The token I gave you is in the storeroom. You should know where it is.¡± She was referring to the pistol she had snatched back from Hellgate. It was a hot potato. The moment Shi Man received the gun, she knew that it had been modified. It was very likely that it had been installed with something that shouldn¡¯t exist on the pistol. For example, a tracking device. Her original intention was to throw this thing to Yi Zheng and divert the trouble. However, considering that Su Tang was in the Yi family and that she had not hidden her woman¡¯s identity tonight, Su Tang would probably be targeted by Hellgate if she really placed it in the Yi family without anyone knowing. Therefore, the best way was to throw it into the only stronghold she knew. Yi Zheng might have calculated that she would do this, so he specially came here to stop her. After throwing the thing into Yi Zheng¡¯s territory, the first thing the people of Hellgate would think of was that she was related to Blood Devourer and was very likely an internal member of Blood Devourer. At this moment, the leader of the Hellgate was actually secretly glad that he could obtain the help of Blood Devourer and join forces to eliminate Immaculate. Blood Devourer¡¯s status in G City was like a god. Whether it was the aristocratic families that had been in the underworld all year round or the emerging organizations, everyone knew Blood Devourer¡¯s name in the entire underworld. Even the mysterious black market was under Blood Devourer. It could be seen that Yi Zheng had already controlled the lifeline of the entire underworld. Without the black market, who knew how many people would lose their jobs instantly. Therefore, the people of Hellgate would not want to offend Blood Devourer no matter what. Naturally, they did not dare to make a big deal of the fact that she had injured their boss tonight. Of course, there was another reason why she chose to throw the pistol here. She wanted to plant a thorn in Yi Zheng¡¯s eyes. Even if the people from Hellgate did not dare to fuss about tonight, they might still join forces to attack Yi Zheng in the future. This way, she would not be Yi Zheng¡¯s only enemy. Not only could she divert his attention, but she could also passively make him her backer as she went around swindling. Why not? However, she had never expected Yi Zheng to have calculated to wait for her here and instantly see through her intentions. His reaction was very intriguing. Not only was he not angry, but he also took out a pistol that he had bought at a high price to ally with her. Shi Man could not figure out why a large organization like Blood Devourer needed to form an alliance with Immaculate. Even if Immaculate had risen too quickly, she shouldn¡¯t be able to catch his eye. Seeing Shi Man staring at him suspiciously, Yi Zheng chuckled. His laughter was so shocking that everyone except Shi Man almost dropped their jaws. ¡°You don¡¯t have to suspect that I have ulterior motives. You helped me remove the heat poison, so of course I can¡¯t mistreat Immaculate. It¡¯s just that these armaments would not be enough. I¡¯ll support you in the future.¡± Shi Man put away the pistol skeptically. After saying goodbye coldly, she turned around and ran into the night to rush home. Tang Zhe sent the others away and walked to Yi Zheng¡¯s side. He asked carefully, ¡°Should we send a few people to follow Miss Shi in case she encounters an accident on the way?¡± ¡°No need.¡± No one knew Shi Man¡¯s strength better than Yi Zheng. He was probably the only person who could make things difficult for her in G City. When she returned home, Shi Man hid the pistol, changed her clothes, and lay on the bed. Sean and the others must have found a place to recuperate and secretly threw a note in. Shi Man picked it up and glanced at it casually. After memorizing their hiding place, she tore the note into pieces and threw it into the wastebasket. Outside the door, Shi He was pacing back and forth in front of his sister¡¯s door for the third time. It was late at night. He thought that his sister should be asleep, but the frustration that surged in his heart made him unable to calm down. He could only walk around her door again and again. Shi Man packed everything and confirmed that no one would see anything before opening the door expressionlessly. When she saw Shi He, the coldness on her face suddenly softened. ¡°Third Brother, why are you here?¡± ¡°Sister! Fortunately, you¡¯re still awake!¡± Shi He held her hand excitedly and shyly tugged at his dark brown hair. He smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Are you free now? I want to eat your cooking.¡± Recalling that it was already eleven o¡¯clock at night, Shi He immediately added, ¡°If you¡¯re tired or don¡¯t want to do it, forget it. I¡¯ll go to bed.¡± Shi Man looked up and saw the fatigue on his face. She guessed that he had not eaten her food recently, causing his addiction to Shi Jing¡¯s food to act up. She nodded readily and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make it for Third Brother now.¡± His sister was really too obedient. Shi He felt a warm current in his heart. He hurriedly followed behind her and asked carefully, ¡°Can I make soup for Brother? I want to drink soup.¡± In the past, Shi Jing always made soup. Shi He would be addicted every time he had it. Ever since Shi Jing was chased out, he had not drunk soup for a long time. At this moment, his heart was burning. Chapter 159 - 159 Acting Together 159 Acting Together Shi Man estimated the time since the last time she cooked for him. Actually, Shi He¡¯s restraint was already very good. According to her calculations, he should have been unable to keep himself from looking for her. When they arrived at the kitchen, Shi Man opened the fridge and picked out a few vegetables that she needed. Shi He took the initiative to help wash the vegetables, so Shi Man let him be. She skillfully brewed a pot of fragrant hot soup step by step. When the soup was thick, Shi Mu did not disappoint and scurried downstairs. He cried out accusingly, ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯re too mean. Sister actually didn¡¯t call me when she was cooking!¡± ¡°I thought you were already asleep.¡± Shi He rolled his eyes and moved to the side, avoiding Shi Mu¡¯s hand on his shoulder in disdain. Shi Mu secretly made a face at him and ignored Shi He, who was always unforgiving with his words. He hugged Shi Man¡¯s arm and said, ¡°What are you making? Why does it smell so good?¡± Shi Man retracted her arm expressionlessly and opened the pot lid for him to see. ¡°Do you want winter melon soup?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shi Mu immediately beamed. ¡°Winter melon soup is delicious. Now that the weather is getting colder, it¡¯s suitable for drinking winter melon soup.¡± With that, he seemed to smell something that didn¡¯t belong in his house again. He wrinkled his nose and sniffed gently. Shi Man calmly distanced herself from him and sat down on the other side of the dining table, slowly drinking the tea in her hand. After the soup was boiled, Shi Mu¡¯s attention was completely diverted. He took the initiative to take on the task of scooping the soup and scooped a bowl for himself and Shi Man. Shi He slammed the table angrily and frowned anxiously. ¡°Where¡¯s mine? Why didn¡¯t you get me some?¡± Shi Mu raised his head proudly and took a big sip of the soup. He narrowed his eyes in enjoyment and said, ¡°The soup is in the kitchen. Third Brother, help yourself.¡± Shi He glared at him fiercely. ¡°Very good, just you wait!¡± Shi Man smiled and lowered her head to drink the soup. She was actually a little hungry, but she was not used to eating too much at night. One bowl was enough. She got up and wanted to return to her room to wash up and rest. Shi Mu stared at her back reluctantly. ¡°Sister! Brother will send you to school tomorrow morning!¡± Shi Man did not speak. She gestured behind her and walked back upstairs without stopping. The next day, during the lunch break, Shi Man quietly slipped out of school and found the hiding place of Sean and the others according to the map. Last night, they finally shook off the people from Hellgate who were following them and bumped into the subordinates of Blood Devourer. Sean saw their identities and knew that these people were very likely sent by Yi Zheng to receive them. He was overjoyed and followed them. Yi Zheng sent his subordinates to find a hotel they owned for them to stay in. He also instructed them to be careful to avoid suspicious people when they went out. After all, they were people who had revealed their true colors in front of Hellgate. Sean knew the severity of the matter and did not want to cause trouble for his boss. He nodded repeatedly and agreed. After Blood Devourer¡¯s private doctor bandaged their wounds, the few of them leisurely stayed in the hotel to enjoy life as though they were in retirement. Sean was afraid that Shi Man would be worried about them, so he ran to the Shi family overnight to send her a letter. Unexpectedly, Shi Man did not return until late at night. He could not help but be a little worried that something would happen to her in Hellgate. Even though his boss¡¯s figure was captivating and her gunmanship was godlike, she was still alone after all. There were hundreds of people in Hellgate who were famous based on their skills. It was obvious how dangerous it was for Shi Man to enter the lion¡¯s den alone. It was not until Shi Man appeared in front of them unharmed that Sean and the others were completely relieved. They could not help but praise Shi Man. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re good! What did you gain last night?¡± Shi Man was led to a chair and sat down. She drank the tea they had brewed and said calmly, ¡°I took a job for you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sean did not expect her to be talking about this. He asked curiously, ¡°What job, Boss?¡± Shi Man put down her teacup and a trace of mischief flashed across her eyes. ¡°Fight me.¡± ¡°What!¡± They staggered and almost fell to the ground. Sean was so shocked that he almost knelt down for her. ¡°Boss, did we do something wrong? You can just say it. We will definitely change!¡± What a joke! On the first day Shi Man came to their base, she beat them up. At that time, she still held back, so they were used as warm-up tools. If Shi Man really used all her strength, they would probably lose their arms and legs! Shi Man looked at their expressions in amusement and raised her eyebrows playfully. ¡°What are you afraid of? Didn¡¯t I ask you to train according to my method? It¡¯s time for me to check the results.¡± Sean and the others looked at each other and felt that they had to kneel down and kowtow a few times to escape. Shi Man looked at the time, put away her teasing mood, and briefly told them the whole story. Sean was relieved. So his boss wanted them to cooperate in an act! Wasn¡¯t that easy? They were already used to acting! Chapter 160 - 160 Eavesdropping 160 Eavesdropping After Shi Man explained her plan, she got up to return to school. Sean and the others sent her off reluctantly. Then, they continued to stay in the hotel to enjoy their ¡°retirement¡±. In the school, during the lunch break after Shi Man left, the school had already posted an important message on the school notice in front of the teaching building. The annual student union recruitment and club recruitment event was about to begin. This year¡¯s Student Union Bureau was about to graduate, so not only could newcomers enter the Student Union to build a good relationship with the old members in advance, but they could also take the opportunity to try to run for president. Those who were capable might be chosen by the president to be nurtured as his successor. Shi Man had heard Shi Mu talk about this more than once, so it was not news to her. She only glanced at it briefly before walking into the classroom. The originally noisy class instantly fell silent because of Shi Man¡¯s arrival. The students who wanted to continue discussing the Student Union and club could only secretly communicate through messages on their phones. Seeing that she had finally returned, Su Tang warmly handed her the food she had specially brought back from the canteen. She smiled and said, ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s hot. They¡¯re all your favorite dishes.¡± In a short period of time, Su Tang actually figured out most of her preferences. The dishes in the lunch box were indeed her favorites. Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but smile and tease, ¡°If it were in the past, you would really be my greatest weakness.¡± Su Tang didn¡¯t understand what she meant and thought that the dishes she picked today didn¡¯t suit her taste. She hurriedly said guiltily, ¡°If you don¡¯t like them, don¡¯t eat them. I¡¯ll buy you something else.¡± Their voices were neither loud nor soft, so the students who were closer could hear them. The students who were further away saw the shocked gazes of the others and scratched their hearts and lungs curiously. They quickly created a new group and pulled those people into the group to ask, ¡°What are they talking about? Tell me quickly!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m really curious about how Su Tang usually interacts with Shi Man. Their relationship looks super good!¡± The student who heard the conversation couldn¡¯t help but reply in the group chat in disdain, ¡°What kind of relationship do you have? Isn¡¯t Su Tang just Shi Man¡¯s sidekick? I¡¯ll broadcast what they¡¯re talking about here.¡± Seeing Su Tang say that she wanted to buy a new meal for Shi Man, many students revealed disdain. Their fingers quickly typed on the screen, ¡°I knew it. What kind of identity does Shi Man have? Why is she willing to be friends with Su Tang? So Su Tang had earned it through bootlicking! She¡¯s so attentive! Why isn¡¯t anyone willing to run errands for me and buy me food?¡± Shi Man turned her head slightly and glanced at the students who were behaving abnormally. Her expression turned cold as she said softly and coldly, ¡°No need. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Su Tang was relieved and poured her another cup of hot tea. She smiled and said, ¡°This is freshly brewed tea. Try it. I¡¯m not used to drinking tea usually, but you seem to like it very much, so I tried it. The tea leaves are also newly bought. If you drink it, I¡¯ll make tea for you every day in the future.¡± The student sitting at the table in front of the two of them wished she could stuff her head into the stomach of the table. She lowered her head and quickly typed in every word Su Tang said in the chat box. Then, she heaved a long sigh and said proudly, ¡°See, I told you she¡¯s bootlicking, right? She¡¯s used to being a nanny!¡± Shi Man glanced coldly at the expressions of the people around her and narrowed her eyes. Her tone couldn¡¯t help but become cold. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel tired doing this?¡± Her original intention was to let Su Tang not worry about doing so much for her, but perhaps because her tone was not good, it sounded like she despised her. Su Tang¡¯s face turned pale. Her deliberately low voice suddenly sounded as soft as a mosquito. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t do it anymore. However, if you need anything, you can tell me at any time.¡± The student in the front seat typed even more enthusiastically. Why hadn¡¯t she realized that Su Tang had such a bootlicking side in the past? In the past, Su Tang¡¯s academic results were very good and she was the class monitor. She always prioritized the interests of the entire class. Usually, even if she was deliberately bullied, she would swallow her anger. She was strangely obedient, but she looked very dignified and principled. But now, she had accidentally overheard another side of Su Tang. She immediately typed excitedly in the group and sent Su Tang¡¯s words to the group. She wished she could tell everyone about her discovery so that she could take the opportunity to enjoy the feeling of being at the center of attention. The girl sitting in front of Su Tang, who was excitedly bitching to her classmates in the group, did not notice that there had been no sound behind her for a long time. It was only when her deskmate gently pushed her arm that she suddenly got up. She followed her deskmate¡¯s horrified gaze and realized that an arm had been placed on her shoulder. She immediately turned around and met Shi Man¡¯s faint smile. Chapter 161 - 161 Avenging Su Tang 161 Avenging Su Tang After her deskmate gave her a look, she quickly lay on the table and pretended that it had nothing to do with her. The girl waved at Shi Man timidly and quickly stuffed her phone into the table. She was so embarrassed that she wished she could find a hole to hide in quickly. Shi Man slowly retracted her arm and asked with a smile, ¡°What are you talking about? Why are you so serious?¡± The girl stammered and shook her head. ¡°No, we didn¡¯t talk about anything.¡± Cold sweat had already begun to slide down her forehead. The girl suddenly thought of the scene of Fang Han being taught a lesson by Shi Man and couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill down her spine. Her fingers trembled slightly. Shi Man raised her chin and pointed at her table. She was so angry that she looked like a bully in school. ¡°Let me see your phone.¡± Seeing that the atmosphere between the two of them was a little strange and scary, Su Tang hurriedly grabbed Shi Man¡¯s arm and advised, ¡°Manman, why do you suddenly want to look at someone else¡¯s phone? Why don¡¯t I lend you my phone and you let this student off?¡± Shi Man sighed and looked at Su Tang as if she was a little fool. She said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m avenging you.¡± ¡°Avenging me?¡± Su Tang widened her eyes in disbelief. Ever since her relationship with Shi Man improved, no one had come to find trouble with her for a long time. Why did Shi Man say that she wanted to take revenge for her? What happened? Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Shi Man gave up on explaining to her. She reached out and moved her fingers, looking at the girl in front of her disdainfully. ¡°Give it to me. I don¡¯t want to say it a third time.¡± The students who were discussing intensely in the group just now all felt that something was wrong. They left the group one after another. In just a few seconds, only the girl was left in the group. The girl still wanted to struggle, but when she saw Shi Man¡¯s increasingly cold gaze, her eyes turned red from fear. She closed her mouth a few times, but she did not dare to reject her. She took out her phone from the bottom of the table aggrievedly and placed it in her palm. Shi Man took the phone and leaned back in her chair coldly. She slid open the screen and saw the girl¡¯s unfinished words. ¡°This Su Tang is really good at currying favor. Why didn¡¯t I see that she had such a despicable face in the past? Shi Man is also stupid. She¡­¡± The girl clearly thought of what her unfinished words were. She immediately broke out in cold sweat, her face flushed red, and her eyes flickered with tears of fear. After Shi Man finished reading, she sneered and scrolled through the chat history. She raised her phone and glanced at the class with a deeper smile. ¡°Who scolded Su Tang in the group? Are you going to stand up yourself, or wait for me to find you one by one?¡± ¡°Manman.¡± Su Tang grabbed her arm nervously and realized what had just happened. She swallowed and couldn¡¯t help but persuade her, ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat first? The students didn¡¯t mean it. Let¡¯s forget it.¡± Shi Man glanced at her and said coldly, ¡°Chen Wei, come.¡± Because Chen Wei had been openly standing on Shi Man¡¯s side recently, the students who had pulled the group just now had selectively ignored him. Now, he was still sitting in his original position in a daze, not understanding what had just happened. Hearing Shi Man call him, Chen Wei hurriedly ran over and asked curiously, ¡°Sister Man, what¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Shi Man handed the phone over and said slowly, ¡°Find everyone in the group who insulted Su Tang and smash their phones.¡± The entire class couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Everyone present was either rich or noble. They all cared about their reputation. Even if the Shi family was the real deal, they could not be so domineering! Immediately, some unconvinced students stood up and resisted. ¡°On what basis can the Shi family bully others and do whatever they want?¡± Shi Man sneered and said, ¡°I¡¯m taking the opportunity to correct Class F. You were talking about your classmates behind their backs and insulting the class monitor. Even if you want to complain to the principal, you have to consider what you said just now.¡± The unconvinced student was immediately so guilty that he couldn¡¯t say anything. He had scolded the most just now, so he was the first to stand up in a hurry and be the foolish one. Now that he was rebuked by Shi Man in public, he immediately felt embarrassed. His face turned purple and he looked extremely ugly. He still wanted to forcefully restore his dignity. ¡°I don¡¯t believe the Shi family can do whatever they want in school. Smash it! When the time comes, all of us will join forces to complain to the principal. Even if you¡¯re in the right, the principal will definitely punish you. None of us can have a good time!¡± With that, he looked at Shi Man proudly, thinking that she would definitely not be able to do anything to him. However, he had clearly underestimated Shi Man¡¯s methods of dealing with people. Before he could be satisfied, Shi Man suddenly chuckled and said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your reminder. That¡¯s good. Chen Wei, take note of all the names and let them smash their phones themselves. This way, they won¡¯t be able to blame me.¡± This time, the student could not say anything else. He did not expect Shi Man to be so unwilling to let go of them because of Su Tang. He could not help but say angrily, ¡°I won¡¯t listen to you! Let¡¯s see what you can do to me!¡± Chapter 162 - 162 Lesson 162 Lesson Su Tang understood the ins and outs of the matter from their words and hurriedly advised, ¡°Manman, forget it. Don¡¯t blow things up. It will affect you.¡± Shi Man¡¯s exam results were so good that she would definitely be able to get a scholarship at the end of the semester. Even if Shi Man did not need this money at all, this was a special honor. If she was punished by the school at this time, the scholarship she was about to get would be lost. Su Tang was unwilling to let her lose this honor for her. Chen Wei took his phone and flipped through the chat history carefully. He already knew who had insulted Su Tang. Now, it was up to Shi Man to decide if she wanted to attack. To be honest, he was not afraid of offending anyone at all. Instead, he was excited to follow Shi Man and show off. This was an opportunity. Shi Man looked up coldly, her tone still calm. ¡°Smash it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Chen Wei rubbed his palms together excitedly. He walked up to the boy and reached into his pocket to take out his phone. The boy¡¯s eyes turned red from anxiety. He glared at him fiercely and said, ¡°Chen Wei! Don¡¯t go overboard! We were good brothers in the past!¡± Chen Wei did not think that he was a close brother. Everyone was just putting on a show when they came out to hang out together. Who would sincerely make friends with anyone? Seeing that Chen Wei was unmoved, the boy immediately turned to Shi Man and shouted, ¡°If you smash my phone today, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Shi Man glanced at him in annoyance and casually grabbed the pen on the table that was not covered. She threw it over. The neutral pen flipped a few times in the air before sliding past his neck accurately and falling to the ground, leaving a black line on his skin. The boy was immediately frightened out of his wits and almost sat on the ground in embarrassment. The moment the tip of the pen touched his neck, he had no doubt that if this was a small knife, he would have died on the spot. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. The boy wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and nodded in panic. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll smash it myself.¡± Only then did Shi Man narrow her eyes and smile in satisfaction. Seeing him smash the phone with his own eyes, the people who had been noted by Chen Wei consciously followed his actions and smashed their phones to the ground, shattering the screen. Chen Wei glanced at everyone carefully. After confirming that no one had escaped, he walked back and stood beside Shi Man with a fawning smile. ¡°Sister Man, I¡¯ve already done as you instructed.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man waved her hand, indicating the phone in his hand. ¡°Take a photo of the chat record and ask her to do the same.¡± The girl in the front seat was already so frightened that her limbs went limp. She threw her phone a few times but it did not shatter. She looked at the unfriendly Shi Man in horror. She suddenly had an idea and took the initiative to walk to the window. She endured her heartache and threw her phone out. After dealing with everyone, Shi Man looked at the pale Su Tang and curled her lips in amusement. ¡°You only have this bit of guts. No wonder you¡¯ve been bullied.¡± Su Tang slowly shook her head and said, ¡°Manman, don¡¯t do such a thing for me in the future. I don¡¯t want you to become enemies with too many people because of me.¡± Shi Man glanced at everyone indifferently. Wherever she looked, the students lowered their heads in fear. She retracted her gaze and glared at the soft-hearted Su Tang aggrievedly. She couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°I¡¯m helping you.¡± Su Tang¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as if she was frightened by the scene of everyone throwing their phones. Her eyes were even more aggrieved than the students who had just been taught a lesson by Shi Man. Shi Man¡¯s lips twitched speechlessly. She sat up and ate the rice in her bowl impatiently. ¡°Alright, alright, I understand. It won¡¯t be like this in the future.¡± Only then did Su Tang smile through her tears. She poured another cup of tea, which was cold by now, for her. ¡°Make do with it first. I¡¯ll change it for you to try next time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Shi Man was reprimanded for doing a good deed and replied to her coldly. Su Tang immediately felt happy. Her efforts were finally not in vain. As long as the food entered Shi Man¡¯s mouth, she would feel satisfied. The entire class pricked up their ears to listen to the commotion here. They heard the conversation between the two of them with their own ears. Looking at Shi Man¡¯s attitude towards Su Tang, even a fool could understand that those who claimed that Su Tang was bootlicking were spreading rumors. How was Su Tang trying to please Shi Man? This was clearly the two of them doting on each other! If not for the fact that Shi Man was also a woman, they would really suspect that the two of them had that kind of relationship! The students who had personally smashed their phones could not help but resent the girl who had taken the opportunity to incite their emotions and maliciously guide them to insult Su Tang. If not for her instigation, they would not have been targetted by Shi Man and had to smash their phones! After school, Su Tang followed Shi Man out of the class. After the students of Class F saw Shi Man¡¯s ruthlessness again, they automatically made way for her as if they were avoiding a demon. No one dared to get on the wrong side of Shi Man again. Chapter 163 - 163 Fight 163 Fight Before Shi Man could reach the school gate, she was indeed pestered by Shi Mu. Shi Mu¡¯s heart was filled with hope that his sister could enter the Student Union and inherit his position. He would definitely choose a suitable assistant for his sister personally and not let her work too hard. Seeing that he was here, Su Tang wanted to say goodbye to Shi Man and go home. Unexpectedly, Shi Man suddenly grabbed her hand this time and smiled evilly. ¡°Why are you leaving? Have you forgotten that we just agreed to go shopping together at noon?¡± Su Tang looked quizzically at Shi Man. When had the two of them agreed on such a thing? Why didn¡¯t she have any impression of it? Caught off guard by Shi Mu¡¯s suspicious and dissatisfied gaze, Su Tang suddenly understood what Shi Man meant. She nodded blankly and said, ¡°Yes, look at my memory. I actually forgot such an important agreement with Manman. Then let¡¯s go now.¡± After Shi Mu heard her words, he immediately looked at his sister aggrievedly. ¡°Manman, Brother has something very important to discuss with you. Let¡¯s not shop today and go home together, okay?¡± At noon, he went to look for Shi Man. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t see her anywhere. Afraid of disturbing Shi Man¡¯s studies, he endured it in class for the entire day. Now that he had finally seen his sister, how could he let her leave with someone else? He still had to regale her with the benefits of joining the Student Union. Perhaps she would suddenly be interested and agree to join? Shi Man guessed what her brother was thinking and smiled faintly. ¡°No, Mom said that I can¡¯t go back on my word easily. I promised Su Tang first, so I can¡¯t renege on my promise. Brother, if you have something on, go home and wait for me first. Anyway, I can go back soon.¡± Seeing that he couldn¡¯t force her to stay, Shi Mu could only sigh helplessly and continue to ask, ¡°Then where are you going? Do you want me to send you there?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shi Man grabbed Su Tang¡¯s arm and smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll take a taxi over. Brother, go back and wait for me first.¡± ¡°Alright, be careful on the way.¡± Shi Mu watched Shi Man leave before driving home with a dejected expression. After walking for a distance and confirming that the person behind her was not following, Shi Man let go of her arm and said, ¡°I¡¯ll hire a car for you. I¡¯ll pay the fare. Go back first.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Su Tang¡¯s intuition told her that she was going to do something very dangerous. Otherwise, she would not have gone through so much trouble putting on this show in front of Shi Mu. Shi Man did not answer her question. She hailed a taxi and carefully opened the door for her, and was about to stuff her into the car. Su Tang was worried about her and refused to go in. She still asked persistently, ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be a burden if you go.¡± Shi Man wanted to scare her and make her retreat. After forcefully stuffing her into the car, she told the driver the address and asked him to send her home. In the Yi family¡¯s villa, Su Tang had just reached the door when she encountered Yi Zheng¡¯s car. She hurriedly rushed up and knocked on the backseat door. The car window beside the front passenger seat slowly rolled down, and Tang Zhe¡¯s helpless face appeared. ¡°Miss Su, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Su Tang knew that this person was following Yi Zheng, so it was as if she had found a life-saving straw. Her eyes turned red as she begged Tang Zhe, ¡°Hurry up and help Manman. She said she was going to fight, but she didn¡¯t let me go with her. I¡¯m worried that something will happen to her. Can you help her?¡± ¡°Miss Su, don¡¯t be anxious.¡± Tang Zhe, who had seen Shi Man¡¯s skills, was not worried that she would suffer at all. She was someone who could sneak into the Hellgate alone and even injure the boss unscathed. How could she be easily injured just because of a small fight? Glancing at his expressionless master in the backseat, Tang Zhe understood and softened his tone. He asked, ¡°We can help, but you have to tell me where Miss Shi went first.¡± Su Tang couldn¡¯t answer. She lowered her head and blushed. ¡°I, I don¡¯t know.¡± Tang Zhe thought about it and guessed that in order to ensure Su Tang¡¯s safety, Miss Shi Man might not tell her the location of the fight. He pondered for a moment and asked in a different way, ¡°Then did she say who she was going to fight?¡± Su Tang¡¯s head was still lowered, and tears were about to come out of her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know either.¡± Tang Zhe sighed deeply and looked helplessly at his master, who was sitting steadily in the backseat, wanting to ask him for his opinion. Yi Zheng didn¡¯t even look at Su Tang, who was aggrieved outside the car. He frowned and stared at Tang Zhe, as if he was wondering where Shi Man would go. After thinking for a while, his furrowed brows suddenly relaxed. Yi Zheng smiled and said a name coldly, ¡°Ruihua Hotel.¡± There was no need to think carefully to know that if Shi Man wanted to cause trouble, the best choice was in his territory. The Ruihua Hotel was where he had accomodated Sean and the others. Chapter 164 - 164 Trouble 164 Trouble Yi Zheng was right. Shi Man was indeed planning to cause trouble in his territory. At the same time, she could take revenge on him for scheming against her last night. Shi Man found a coffee shop closer to the hotel and sat down. She turned on her phone and quickly hacked into the hotel¡¯s surveillance cameras. All that was left was to wait for night to fall. After avoiding the surveillance cameras all the way to the hotel, Shi Man took out a mask from her bag and put it on. Having disguised her identity, she carried her gun and swaggered into the hotel lobby. She slammed the gun on the marble table at the front desk and shouted fiercely, ¡°Ask Immaculate and the other cowards to come out and see me!¡± The young ladies at the front desk were frightened by her. They trembled and wanted to pick up the phone to call the police. Shi Man was quick and shot over. The bullet brushed past the little girl¡¯s hand and entered the wall behind. The young lady was shocked and let go of the phone with trembling hands. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Get the Immaculate people to come out and see me!¡± Shi Man stared coldly at the few people in the hall who did not know the inside story and shouted. She wanted to make the commotion bigger. Otherwise, how could the people from Hellgate be willing to give her money so easily? When the manager heard the commotion, he hurriedly rushed over. Trembling, he hid a few frightened employees behind him. He opened his arms and took a deep breath. He mustered his courage to negotiate with her. ¡°Miss¡­ I don¡¯t know what grudges you have, but we really don¡¯t know who Immaculate is. Can you not make things difficult for us?¡± Shi Man frowned and said coldly, ¡°Did someone named Sean check into your hotel?¡± The young lady at the front desk, who had seen Sean and the others check in last night, seemed to have grabbed onto a life-saving straw. She was afraid that Shi Man would lose her patience and attack them if she could not find them. She nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Why don¡¯t I call them for you now?¡± Shi Man was not in a hurry when she heard this. She found a sofa and sat down before looking at the front desk calmly. ¡°Call their room and say that someone is looking for them downstairs.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The young man nodded as if she had been pardoned. A trace of relief flashed across her eyes, and she wanted to take the opportunity to call the police. The manager reacted quickly and pressed her hand. He frowned and said worriedly, ¡°Let me do it. You¡¯re a young lady. Don¡¯t get involved in these things.¡± The young lady found it strange, but she did not dare to question the manager¡¯s decision at this time. She retracted her hand in embarrassment. After reporting the room number to the manager, she stood at the side and watched the manager make a call. In her heart, she wanted to remind the manager that she could take the opportunity to call the police, but she never found an opportunity. She watched helplessly as the manager made the call according to that person¡¯s instructions, but he had no intention of calling the police. She could not help but feel anxious. How could she know that the manager had come late just now because he had received Tang Zhe¡¯s order not to call the police no matter what happened tonight? Although he did not understand what Tang Zhe meant, he did not dare to ask. He had been waiting on tenterhooks until now. Finally, something big happened. His purpose of staying behind was to watch his employees. They must not disobey the orders of the higher-ups and must not call the police. When Sean and the others received the call, they knew that it was time for them to appear. To be on the safe side, they put on their bulletproof vests and wore jackets to cover the traces of the bulletproof vests before taking the elevator downstairs with solemn expressions. Although they were going to act tonight, Boss had said that she would take the opportunity to test their training results tonight. If their performance was not satisfactory, they would have to train harder than others in the future! In the lobby, everyone handed in their phones in succession and placed them on the coffee table in front of Shi Man. The girls had not experienced any storms and were so frightened that their limbs went limp. They supported one another to prevent themselves from falling to the ground. It was not until they heard the ding of the elevator door behind them that they hurriedly turned around to look at Sean and the others as if they had seen their savior. Sean walked out of the elevator and saw Shi Man sitting lazily on the sofa. He looked at the pale faces of the staff beside him and thought to himself that they had made a big scene this time. He hurriedly got into character and scolded coldly with a straight face and a hoarse voice, ¡°Who are you? How dare you openly provoke Immaculate! Do you know who our backer is?¡± Shi Man sneered and couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her breath on him. She stood up and shot out a bullet. Then, she flipped over the coffee table, grabbed the nearest person¡¯s arm, and twisted it ruthlessly. That person¡¯s reaction was also very fast. Relying on his height advantage, he turned his body according to her strength and cleverly dodged the bad luck of having his arm dislocated by her. This was in line with the training that Shi Man had arranged for them. The goal was to teach them how to defend themselves when someone approached them at a critical moment, and not to let them only learn gunmanship. Although weapons were reliable, they often had to rely on true ability at critical moments to prevent their inflexible movement techniques from becoming their fatal weakness. Shi Man let go and looked at him appreciatively. She immediately changed her target to Sean. Sean didn¡¯t disappoint her. His marksmanship had improved a lot. Several times, he hit precisely where she had stopped a second before. Chapter 165 - 165 Identity Revealed 165 Identity Revealed Shi Man conserved her strength and fought with them. In the exchange, only two people did not meet her expectations. Seeing that the sky had completely darkened and it was getting late, she prepared to end the battle and go home for dinner. Without hiding her strength, she pulled the trigger and fired a few quick shots. Every bullet hit Sean. The little girl hiding behind the sofa screamed in fear. Seeing him fall with her own eyes, Shi Man sneered and scolded arrogantly, ¡°Immaculate is nothing!¡± The mission was completed and the stage curtains could be drawn. She glanced at the manager thoughtfully, then turned and walked out of the hotel. She only took off her mask at the alley not far away. After removing her disguise, she wanted to go around to the main road and call a taxi home. Tang Zhe smiled bitterly and waited at the intersection. Seeing that Shi Man had indeed come out of here, he praised his master¡¯s guess in his heart. He smiled at Shi Man. ¡°Miss Shi, Master said that you worked hard just now. He wants to send you back personally.¡± Shi Man pursed her lips speechlessly. Without thinking, she knew why Yi Zheng was there. She followed Tang Zhe to the low-key black car and let him open the door to the backseat for her. She lowered herself into the car. Shi Man glanced coldly at the man staring at her with a faint smile and curled her lips mockingly. ¡°President Yi, you really have to do everything yourself. How can I trouble you with such a small matter?¡± Yi Zheng restrained his aura in amusement and smiled faintly. ¡°How can your matter be a small matter?¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Shi Man smacked her lips unaccustomedly and looked at him as if he was a monster. ¡°Not all men with flowery words are likable. Some can be considered greasy.¡± Tang Zhe sat in the front row and wished he could faint completely to prove that he had not heard anything just now. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression did not change, but the smile on his lips faded. He said coldly, ¡°That hotel is under my name.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Of course, Shi Man knew about this. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have planned to attack openly there. She thought that this man would coldly tell her some useless logic. At the very least, he would use this to threaten her or fall out with her. Unexpectedly, after Yi Zheng heard her affirmative answer, he suddenly chuckled and said in a light tone, ¡°Since you know, it¡¯s easy. You borrowed my place so I¡¯m involved.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shi Man glared at him sinisterly, intuiting that what he was about to say would not be what she wanted to hear. Sure enough, Yi Zheng opened his thin lips and slowly spat out a few words that could make a calm person like Shi Man vomit blood. ¡°Pay the appearance fee.¡± So was he here to ask for money? Was the Yi family still short of money? Shi Man stared at him suspiciously and couldn¡¯t help but wave in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing a mask today?¡± Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°You didn¡¯t wear it today either.¡± Very good, so the two of them knew each other¡¯s true identities, but they were still acting here! Shi Man was speechless. ¡°In order to get some appearance fees, you don¡¯t even want your alias?¡± Yi Zheng seemed to have found the key to communicating with her. He held back his laughter and nodded solemnly. ¡°An alias is not as important as money. I should take it.¡± He seemed to have finally found the second thing that interested Shi Man: money. To be precise, it should be earning money. The Shi family was not short of money to spend, but Shi Man was clearly very passionate about earning money. Since she refused to pay attention to him, Yi Zheng had to do the opposite and let her know that only he could keep up with her. Other than him, there was no one else who was more suitable to be on par with her. This move was very effective. At least for now, it still attracted Shi Man¡¯s attention. She narrowed her eyes dangerously and stared at Yi Zheng¡¯s nonchalant expression. She sneered and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the dignified CEO of the Yi family to be so greedy. I¡¯ll transfer the money to you.¡± Yi Zheng achieved his goal and sat up straight calmly. He said evenly, ¡°You¡¯re welcome to continue borrowing my place next time, my alliance.¡± Very good. If not for the fact that she could not defeat him, she would have long decapitated him in the car! As Shi Man cut Yi Zheng into pieces in her heart fiercely, her face was so dark that ice could form. Tang Zhe, who was sitting in the front row, patted his fragile heart in fear. He thought to himself that the president had actually taught himself the art of pursuing a girl. However, he really wanted to tell his master that this was not how one wooed girls! Although he wanted to cry, Tang Zhe could still maintain a proper smile on his face. He turned to look at Shi Man, who was at daggers drawn in the backseat, and said slowly, ¡°Miss Shi, we¡¯ve arrived at the Shi family¡¯s manor.¡± Shi Man did not wait for the driver to come over. She opened the car door and walked into the house without looking back. Hearing the calm footsteps behind her, she turned around coldly and glared at Yi Zheng, who was following her neither close nor far. She couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me all the time even if you want money, right?¡± Yi Zheng was not angry. Instead, he smiled and walked to her side casually. He looked down at her and said, ¡°Aunt Shen agreed to let me come to our house for dinner today.¡± Chapter 166 - 166 Strict Father 166 Strict Father Shi Man was speechless. She snorted and turned to walk into the house. Shi Mu had been waiting for her in the courtyard early. It was not easy for him to wait for his sister to return on an empty stomach. From the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw Yi Zheng, who was following behind openly. He immediately frowned and said angrily, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows and looked at Shi Man¡¯s straight back. His meaning was very obvious. Shi Mu immediately widened his eyes in disbelief and asked in shock, ¡°No way? Sister, were you with him just now? Didn¡¯t you say that you were going shopping with Su Tang?¡± Shi Mu was aggrieved like a little wife who had been abandoned by her husband. Shi Man couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She shook her head and explained to him helplessly as she walked, ¡°He insisted on following me back for a free meal. He even said that Mom had agreed. Have you heard Mom mention it?¡± Shi Mu frowned and thought about it carefully. He said uncertainly, ¡°I think she said that someone is coming to eat with us today, so we waited until now.¡± Seeing the faint smile on the person behind him, Shi Mu immediately said angrily, ¡°If I had known that he was the one who¡¯s coming, I would have eaten everything!¡± As soon as he pushed open the door and walked into the villa, Shi Mu couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°Mom, why didn¡¯t you say that the person who came today was actually Yi Zheng? Why are we waiting for him to eat together?¡± Shi Zhong looked at his wife affectionately and ate the fruit she had personally fed him. After finishing it happily, he looked up and glared at Shi Mu. ¡°Even if Yi Zheng and Manman canceled the engagement, he¡¯s still an important guest of our family. How can you say that? You¡¯ve embarrassed the Shi family.¡± Shi Zhong¡¯s words were harsher when he lectured his son than when he lectured Shi Man. Fortunately, Shi Mu was already used to it and completely ignored his father¡¯s words. He glared at Yi Zheng, who had taken off his coat and was sitting on the sofa. ¡°Eat all you want. You¡¯ll choke to death in a while.¡± ¡°Tsk, Xiao Mu.¡± Shi He saw his father¡¯s darkening expression and quickly smacked his lips. He reached out and pulled him to his side. Although he didn¡¯t want to please Yi Zheng, he still forced out a good word with a fake smile on account of his father watching. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. Father especially got someone to make a lot of dishes according to your taste because he knew you were coming.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you, Uncle Shi.¡± Yi Zheng smiled appropriately and personally helped Shi Zhong sit at the head of the table. He sat at the next seat, opposite Shi Man. Shen Xian sat beside Shi Zhong and smiled as she picked up food for Shi Man. ¡°Manman must be starving. Eat more. If there¡¯s anything else you want to eat, tell the chef and ask them to cook for you now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spoil her too much.¡± Shi Zhong always liked to put on a stern expression in front of the children, so every time Shen Xian doted on Shi Man, he would interrupt. Sure enough, when Shen Xian heard this, she immediately put down her chopsticks unhappily and glared at him unhappily. ¡°Our daughter was shopping outside and is only eating now. So what if I let her eat more of her favorite dishes? Do you have to fuss over such a small matter with the child? It¡¯s not like our family can¡¯t afford it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Shi Zhong realized that he had accidentally said something wrong again. He couldn¡¯t care less about eating and hurriedly put down his chopsticks to apologize to Shen Xian. Shen Xian did not want to make things too ugly in front of Yi Zheng. She could only roll her eyes and continue to pick up food for Shi Man, but no matter what Shi Zhong said, she refused to pay attention to him. Shi Man had no feelings for Shi Zhong, her useless father. She just did not want Shen Xian to suffer. Fortunately, even if Shi Zhong did not like her, he still held his mother in his heart, saving her from worrying about the love between her parents. Yi Zheng saw that she didn¡¯t care and persuaded her helplessly, ¡°Aunt Shen, don¡¯t be angry. Uncle Shi is also doing this for Manman, but I really want to know what Manman usually likes to eat. In the future, when she goes to the Yi family, I¡¯ll get the family to prepare it in advance.¡± Shi Zhong frowned and understood what he meant, but he did not want to ruin the family¡¯s mood by mentioning it at the dining table. After all, the matter between Shi Man and Yi Zheng had been going on for a long time. The biggest reason why the two children had become like this was actually because of their daughter. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. I¡¯ll let your Aunt Shen tell you slowly after dinner.¡± After secretly watching this drama, Shi Mu nudged his sister with his elbow and lowered his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Yi Zheng is here to officially propose marriage?¡± The marriage between the two families was originally decided by their mothers. However, if Yi Zheng really mentioned this to Shi Zhong, it could only mean that he really wanted to marry Manman because Shi Zhong was publicly acknowledged by the two families to be single-minded. Once he decided on something, he could not go back on his word. If Yi Zheng and Shi Zhong really discussed the engagement, no matter who went back on their word, Shi Zhong would fall out with them. Even if it was the Yi family whose strength was a mystery, Shi Zhong would not hesitate at all. The two families would definitely break up. Chapter 167 - 167 Agreeing to Make It Public 167 Agreeing to Make It Public Shi Man did not know what was wrong with Yi Zheng now. He was no longer the male lead in her impression. Could it be that he really liked her? But what exactly did he like about her? Shi Man had no clue. To be fair, after she came to this world, she basically did not have much contact with Yi Zheng. Other than treating Yi Zheng¡¯s affliction on time every once in a while, she spent the rest of her time at home and school. Was he determined to carry her to bed just because she had looked at his bare chest? Thinking of the naked scene with Yi Zheng, Shi Man¡¯s expression immediately turned cold, and a chill ran down her spine. Instead of sleeping with Yi Zheng, it was better to stay in the same dormitory as Su Tang. She couldn¡¯t figure out why the male protagonist was suddenly obsessed with her. She could only attribute his liking to a man¡¯s common problem¡ªhe was extremely possessive. Perhaps it was because the original host was too clingy to him that he felt it was refreshing when confronting her cold face, but this feeling must not be love. Shi Man secretly devised a plan. Since the male protagonist liked the type that he could not get even if he pursued her relentlessly, why didn¡¯t she return to her original appearance and disgust him to drive away? However, if she wanted to woo a man like before, Shi Man had to go through a lot of mental preparation. She decided to see what Yi Zheng wanted to do tonight. Everyone had their own thoughts during the meal. Shi Man was not in a hurry to return to her room to rest after the meal. Instead, she found a corner and sat down alone to drink tea. From time to time, she would glance at the male lead to observe his subtle expression. Shi Yu personally washed some fruits for her. Then, he stood beside her and followed her gaze to Yi Zheng. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sister, have you not completely let go of him?¡± He still remembered how much his sister liked Yi Zheng in the past, so he couldn¡¯t be blamed for his guess. No one could completely let go of someone they loved in a short period of time. Unless his sister didn¡¯t really like Yi Zheng in the past. Shi Man looked up at him. Thinking that he was on good terms with Yi Zheng, she suddenly pulled him to sit beside her secretively and asked in a low voice, ¡°Second Brother, tell me, based on your understanding of Yi Zheng, does he like me now?¡± Shi Yu did not expect her to ask this. He looked at Shi Man with an ¡°as expected¡± expression and thought that his guess was really right. His sister had not completely let go of Yi Zheng. Otherwise, she would never ask him such a question. Shi Man also knew that it would be easy for others to misunderstand if she asked like this, but shaking off Yi Zheng, an explosive that would detonate at any time, was the key. She couldn¡¯t care less. It was not that she panicked because Yi Zheng was the male lead. In the end, it was because she did not have any feelings for him. The root cause was that she did not like Yi Zheng. Shi Yu could see his sister¡¯s anxious gaze. He composed himself and analyzed for her seriously, ¡°According to his current behavior, he should like you.¡± After saying that, he stared fixedly at his sister¡¯s expression, but he did not see any joy on her face. Instead, he saw a deep resentment. What was going on? Could it be that his sister was resenting Yi Zheng for changing his mind too late? Shi Man did not know how far Shi Yu had gone in his hypothesis. She let out a long sigh. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with determination. He watched helplessly as Shi Man stood up and suddenly walked to Yi Zheng¡¯s side. She raised her fair hand and placed it intimately on his shoulder. Her waist became especially soft as she leaned on his shoulder in front of everyone. Her voice was terrifyingly delicate. ¡°Brother Yi Zheng, I knew you must like me. I¡¯ll put on my favorite pink top and tight green pants tomorrow and look for you at your company, okay? We¡¯ll immediately publicize our relationship!¡± One could only hear the sound of crickets. Shen Xian looked at her daughter in shock. She wished she could dig out her eyes and throw them on the ground. Shi Man had already returned to her normal state. Why did her illness suddenly flare up again? Shi Zhong pulled a long face and felt that Shi Man was extremely embarrassing! Even if her results had improved now, she had not shaken off her useless personality! The brothers hurriedly pounced over and surrounded Shi Man tightly, dragging her back to her room. Their sister must be tired and hallucinating. After resting for a while, she would definitely return to normal tomorrow morning! ¡°Wait.¡± Yi Zheng suddenly reached out and accurately grabbed Shi Man¡¯s wrist in the crowd. He pulled her to his side with a faint smile. Seeing her pretend to be charming, he did not push her away in disgust like before. Instead, his smile deepened as he stared into her eyes. ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She had tried her best to disgust him, but he actually said that he had agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the company tomorrow.¡± Yi Zheng made the final decision. Seeing Shi Man¡¯s stunned expression, he suddenly smiled dotingly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to wear your favorite pink top and green tights. As long as you come, I¡¯ll make it public immediately.¡± Chapter 168 - 168 Believe in Shi Man 168 Believe in Shi Man After Yi Zheng finished speaking, he did not wait for Shi Man to come back to her senses. As if he was afraid that she would regret it, he stood up and politely bade farewell to Shi Zhong and his wife. After sending Yi Zheng off, Shi Zhong turned around and stared at Shi Man fiercely. ¡°What happened to you just now? I thought you had already become better. I didn¡¯t expect you to reveal your true colors after a little goodwill from Yi Zheng. I¡¯m warning you, you¡¯re not allowed to go to Yi Zheng¡¯s company tomorrow. Don¡¯t embarrass me!¡± Shen Xian was worried that Shi Zhong¡¯s words would make her daughter sad. She hurriedly hugged Shi Man and coaxed her. ¡°Baby, although your father¡¯s words are unpleasant, you have to listen to your family this time. Don¡¯t go to Yi Zheng¡¯s company to see him tomorrow. If he really likes you and wants to remarry you, he will definitely think of a way himself.¡± She was not afraid that her daughter would embarrass herself and her family. She was just worried that her daughter would be looked down upon by outsiders. In the past, when Shi Man chased after Yi Zheng, Shen Xian would always hear some rumors. At the thought that those people would use the most vicious words to attack her daughter, she felt like her heart was being pricked by needles. Shi Yu felt guilty, thinking that his words had suddenly given Shi Man hope and made her forget herself. He quickly squatted down and looked up at the stunned Shi Man. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s all Brother¡¯s fault just now, but Father and Mother are right. You really can¡¯t go tomorrow.¡± Especially when she was wearing such a set of clothes¡­ Shi Ke¡¯s gentle face was also a little serious. He, who had always had a good temper in front of his family, could not help but be angry about what had just happened. However, the reason why he was angry was not because of Shi Man¡¯s rashness, but because he suspected that Yi Zheng had ulterior motives for Shi Man. If it were any other man who really liked Shi Man, he would not have such a playful and frivolous reaction just now. If his love for her during this period of time was faked to deceive his precious sister, he, Shi Ke, would definitely not let him off! Shi He and Shi Mu had completely different thoughts. Shi He kept thinking about what style would be suitable for the colors his sister had mentioned just now. He wanted to do his best to fulfill his sister¡¯s wish. Even if it might be for nothing in the end, he was willing to try his best to leave her with no regrets. Shi Mu¡¯s thoughts were very direct. He held Shi Man¡¯s shoulder, his eyes filled with disgust for Yi Zheng. ¡°Sister, you deliberately disgusted him just now and wanted him to get lost quickly, right? I knew that you had the same thoughts as me.¡± Everyone looked at Shi Mu in surprise and saw that Shi Man had a reaction. They looked up at Shi Mu in surprise and were suddenly enlightened. All the strange feelings in their heart just now were suddenly explained. Shi Yu heaved a sigh of relief and couldn¡¯t help but smile gently. ¡°I was wondering why my sister would repeat the same mistake. So that¡¯s what it means.¡± A smile appeared on Shi Ke¡¯s cold face. Afraid that Shi Zhong did not understand and reprimanded his sister again, he hurriedly explained on her behalf, ¡°Sister meant to chase Yi Zheng away just now and not let him say anything about the engagement. You¡¯ve wronged Sister.¡± Shi Zhong also thought of this possibility, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to admit his mistake. He deliberately put on a suspicious attitude and asked coldly, ¡°Shi Man, tell me yourself, is that really the case?¡± Shen Xian looked at her precious daughter hopefully, waiting for her to admit it so that she could feel at ease. Shi Man sighed deeply and understood that she had misjudged Yi Zheng¡¯s shamelessness tonight. She nodded and said, ¡°I never thought of marrying him.¡± Shen Xian hurriedly hugged her daughter with tears of joy and glared at Shi Zhong as she complained, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault for saying such harsh words to her without asking for the reason. You must be smart to be able to guess my daughter¡¯s thoughts. My baby was wronged by you tonight. Hurry up and apologize to my baby. Otherwise, my daughter and I will ignore you in the future.¡± How could Shi Zhong dare to go against Shen Xian? He quickly squatted down and spoke to Shi Man kindly for the first time. ¡°Daughter, I wronged you just now. Forgive me, okay?¡± Shi Man was in a terrible mood and was not in the mood to deal with Shi Zhong. After nodding casually, she used the excuse that she was tired and wanted to go back to her room to rest. In fact, she wanted to think about her next countermeasure. In the living room, Shi He suddenly patted Shi Mu¡¯s shoulder and couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Xiao Mu, you¡¯re finally smart this time. You did well. Continue to work hard in the future.¡± Shi Mu dodged to the side in frustration and scolded hatefully, ¡°Who asked you not to believe in your sister? In my heart, Manman is the smartest and most transparent girl. How can she still miss Yi Zheng? You don¡¯t know Manman at all!¡± Shi Mu¡¯s words woke them up completely. Shi Man had changed so much that before they could react, she had already become vastly different from before. The brothers fell into deep self-reproach. They felt that they had not interacted with their sister much recently, so they lost to Shi Mu today. Chapter 169 - 169 Taking Turns 169 Taking Turns Therefore, the three elder brothers decided that from now on, they would take turns picking up their sister from school. Shi Mu widened his eyes in disbelief as he looked at his brothers, who had easily reached a consensus without even asking him. He roared unhappily, ¡°How can you do this? It wasn¡¯t easy for me to send my sister to school, but you even want to snatch this!¡± Shi He placed his hand on Shi Mu¡¯s shoulder with a serious expression and said seriously, ¡°This is also the best opportunity for us to be alone with our sister. You have to consider the overall situation and not monopolize it alone.¡± The family gathering ended amid Shi Mu¡¯s wails. Shi Man knew nothing about what they had just decided downstairs. She was thinking about how to completely dispel Yi Zheng¡¯s thoughts. After thinking about it, she felt that the reason why she did not disgust Yi Zheng tonight was that it was only words and no action. It did not have a violent impact on his vision. Recalling the appearance of the original Shi Man in the book, Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill run down her spine. The night passed quietly as Shi Man wondered if she should imitate the original body. In the morning, Shi Man went downstairs expressionlessly and saw that everyone was in the dining room. Seeing her come down, Shi Mu was the first to rush to her. He pulled her to the empty seat beside him and sat down. Then, he personally spread jam on the bread in front of her. ¡°Sister, Brother will send you to school after you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Shi Mu.¡± Shi Ke glared at him in dissatisfaction. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the order of seniority? It should start with me.¡± Shi Mu was filled with anger, but he did not dare to contradict his brother publicly. He could only eat his breakfast dejectedly and did not dare to retort. Seeing Shi Mu¡¯s defeated expression, Shi He was relieved. He explained to Shi Man in a good mood, ¡°The few of us discussed it. From today onwards, each of us will take turns sending you to and from school.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shi Man stared at them in confusion. Could it be to prevent her from really wearing that embarrassing outfit to see Yi Zheng? Shi Ke sighed and personally heated a glass of milk for her. He placed it in front of her. ¡°After what happened last night, we feel that we know too little about the current you, so we want to take this opportunity to communicate with you. We really want to understand the current Manman.¡± Shi Man could not say that she was not moved. Looking at her family, who were always sincerely thinking for her, she could not reject them no matter what. She could only compromise helplessly. ¡°Alright, you can arrange it yourselves.¡± The few of them immediately looked happy. Shi Yu wiped his hands after his meal and smiled as he touched the top of Shi Man¡¯s head. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to work first. I¡¯ll send you to school tomorrow.¡± ¡°Me too! It¡¯s me the day after tomorrow!¡± Shi He rubbed Shi Man¡¯s hair happily. Shi Man took his hand away from her hair with a cold expression and smoothed her hair that they had messed up. She reminded him, ¡°It¡¯s the weekend the day after tomorrow. I don¡¯t have to go to school.¡± Shi He lowered his eyes regretfully. After a moment, he perked up again and said, ¡°That¡¯s even better. I¡¯ll try my best to make time to bring you out to play the day after tomorrow!¡± ¡°Anything is fine.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t bear to dispel her brothers¡¯ enthusiasm for her. She could only try her best to cooperate with them and be a sensible and obedient sister. Seeing that the people at the dining table had already left one after another, but Shi Mu was still leaning against Shi Man with a smile, Shi Ke could not sit still anymore. He could not help but frown and ask, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving? Doesn¡¯t the Student Union have daily meetings in the morning?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Mu nodded matter-of-factly with a sly smile on his face. ¡°But why should I drive to school myself? I want to go with Manman! Brother, it¡¯s not impossible for you to drive with another person, right?¡± Seeing Shi Ke¡¯s cold expression, Shi Mu was even more proud of his intelligence. What was so good about them fighting to send Shi Man to school? He was going to the same school as Manman now. Surely they wouldn¡¯t refuse to even bring him to school along the way, right? Thinking about it carefully, he would the most time with Manman every day! But before he could be satisfied, Shi Ke dispelled his wishful thinking. ¡°The driver is driving, and I have to bring my assistant. There¡¯s no room for you.¡± Shi Mu cursed himself for being careless. How could he have forgotten about this? Big Brother was busy running the company now. There was a driver driving him everywhere and an assistant accompanying him. There was really no place for him! After Shi Ke finished speaking, he looked up at Shi Mu expressionlessly. ¡°So you need to drive to school yourself. Can you leave now?¡± Shi Mu was angry, but he did not dare to flare up. He could only snort aggrievedly. In the end, he looked reluctantly at his sister, who was still eating and walked out of the house with a sad expression. Finally, there was no one else in the dining room to disturb them. Shi Ke stood up and sat beside Shi Man. After careful consideration, he suddenly asked, ¡°What other plans do you have for Yi Zheng?¡± Chapter 170 - 170 Love 170 Love Shi Man finished the last bite of bread and looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to Yi Zheng¡¯s company at noon.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve thought it through?¡± Shi Ke stared at his sister in disbelief. ¡°Wearing a pink¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Shi Man quickly interrupted him from reciting that strange outfit again and denied it. ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. Why should I wear that to see him?¡± Shi Ke was relieved and followed his sister out of the Shi family manor. He personally opened the car door for her to get into the car before continuing to ask worriedly, ¡°Then have you thought of what you want to say? I¡¯m afraid Yi Zheng won¡¯t give up easily.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it.¡± Shi Man suddenly had an idea just now and remembered that someone might be able to help her. Seeing his sister¡¯s confident look, Shi Ke was slightly relieved. After sending her to the school gate, he instructed carefully, ¡°If anything happens, contact me at any time. I¡¯ll rush over immediately to help you.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Shi Man nodded lightly and turned to walk into the teaching building. The morning¡¯s class passed slowly in boredom. As soon as the lunch break bell rang, Shi Man asked Su Tang to go to the canteen alone to eat without waiting for her. Then, she rushed out of the classroom alone and quickly walked to the door of the next school building, quietly waiting for the person who walked out. Yuan Yi did not expect Shi Man to wait for him here personally. He was flattered and walked up to her. He narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°Manman, do you miss me especially because you didn¡¯t see me for the entire day yesterday?¡± Shi Man sneered, grabbed his arm, and walked out. Yuan Yi followed her in confusion. Sensing the curious gazes of the students around him, he suddenly felt possessive. He deliberately leaned close to Shi Man¡¯s ear and lowered his voice, pretending to be intimate. ¡°You¡¯re openly tugging at me in public. Can¡¯t wait to tell everyone that you¡¯ve fallen for me?¡± Shi Man stopped in her tracks and looked at the especially thick-skinned man in front of her speechlessly. She said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t like you, but the way you spoke just now was not bad.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Before Yuan Yi could be saddened by her decisive denial, he was confused by the latter half of her sentence. ¡°What way of speaking?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Yi saw her curl her finger at him. He couldn¡¯t help but lean over. Only then did Shi Man lower her voice and imitate him with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. No matter who you see later, you have to talk to me like this, understand?¡± Yuan Yi raised his eyebrows and stared at Shi Man meaningfully. ¡°Manman, are you willing to be close to me?¡± Shi Man ignored him. The more this person ignored him, the more he would take advantage of her. She simply grabbed his arm and dragged him to the parking lot. ¡°Which car is yours?¡± Yuan Yi innocently pointed at a silver-white car in the middle. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shi Man looked up at him expressionlessly. ¡°Drive and accompany me to Yi Zheng¡¯s company.¡± ¡°Give me a reason?¡± Yuan Yi thought that she might really need him now. He slowly walked to the car but refused to open the door. Shi Man did not mind his attitude. After all, she should make things clear before asking someone for help. Hence, she stared at him coldly and said, ¡°I want Yi Zheng to give up. You don¡¯t have to do anything. You just have to speak like before.¡± Yuan Yi was instantly overjoyed. He nodded in realization. ¡°Manman, are you making him think that we¡¯re already in love and retreat? You should have said so earlier! Leave this to me. I¡¯ll definitely make Yi Zheng disappear from your sight!¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes slightly, feeling that while she was dealing with a problem, she had inadvertently gotten herself into another one. However, Yuan Yi was better than Yi Zheng. At the very least, he would not easily destroy the entire Shi family. Along the way, Yuan Yi asked Shi Man excitedly about her opinion of Yi Zheng. After receiving her answer that she didn¡¯t like Yi Zheng, his long and narrow eyes were filled with smiles. Shi Man really didn¡¯t know what he was so happy about. Didn¡¯t she say that she didn¡¯t like him just now? However, in order to ensure that the effect would be better after a while, Shi Man did not make a sound to dispel his enthusiasm. She tolerated his noise and drove to Yi Zheng¡¯s company. In the hall on the first floor, it was lunchtime. There were only a few people left in the company. The young lady at the front desk was wearing the company¡¯s uniform and scrolling through her phone in boredom. She was caught off guard when she heard footsteps at the door. She thought that it was a colleague who had returned to change shifts, but when she looked up, she saw Shi Man who had completely changed her appearance! Even if Shi Man had been unreasonable in the past and many people looked down on her in private, she was not someone an ordinary employee like her could afford to offend. Therefore, no matter how unwilling she was, she could only stand up obediently and say respectfully, ¡°Hello, Miss Shi. The CEO is working. Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll help you contact Secretary Tang.¡± Chapter 171 - 171 Creating Trouble 171 Creating Trouble Tang Zhe had long received instructions from his master. After receiving instructions from the receptionist downstairs, he immediately took the elevator downstairs to pick up Shi Man. However, when he reached the VIP room on the first floor, he realized that Shi Man was not alone. She even brought a man with her! Tang Zhe stared at Shi Man in disbelief. He did not see the pink top and green tights that his master had mentioned. Shi Man was wearing a pure white dress. She looked pure and cute as if she was a little princess who did not know anything about the world. Unfortunately, this little princess¡¯s essence was not as pure and flawless as she looked. She was clearly a devil who had specially come to torture his master! ¡°Miss Shi.¡± Tang Zhe kept telling himself to calm down. He barely calmed down before frowning at Yuan Yi, who was sitting very close to Shi Man. ¡°This person is not included in my master¡¯s invitation. Please forgive me for not letting this gentleman enter the CEO¡¯s office privately.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows casually and looked at Yuan Yi innocently. ¡°Then it seems that we can only go back. Since you can¡¯t go in, I¡¯ll be afraid alone.¡± Yuan Yi immediately placed his hand on her shoulder and looked at Shi Man with heartache and affection. ¡°Be good, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll bring you back now.¡± Tang Zhe watched the two of them being intimate with his own eyes. The veins on his forehead bulged. He couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Miss Shi, although this is a VIP reception room, there are surveillance cameras installed.¡± In other words, Yi Zheng might already know what she had done with another man here. Tang Zhe wanted to warn Shi Man to keep a distance from other men. After all, she was about to be publicly announced by Yi Zheng as his engagement partner. However, she did not expect Shi Man to burrow into Yuan Yi¡¯s arms even more aggrievedly. There was a panic on her face that made people unable to help but pity her. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s so scary! I don¡¯t want to be peeped at. Yuan Yi, let¡¯s go back now!¡± Peeping? The veins on Tang Zhe¡¯s forehead became even more obvious, and his temples suddenly hurt. He wished he could immediately go up and separate the two people who were stuck together. However, due to etiquette, he could only try his best to remind her not to forget the purpose of coming to the Yi Group this time. ¡°Miss Shi, didn¡¯t you say that you would come to the company to get engaged to my master today?¡± Shi Man blinked at him strangely, looking innocent and cute. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I said that I wanted to come here and announce our relationship immediately.¡± Publicize their relationship? Publicize her relationship with another wild man? Publicize that she had cheated on the president? Tang Zhe started to have a headache again. It had been a long time since this Missy had caused trouble in front of him, catching him off guard. ¡°Miss Shi, my master is still waiting for you upstairs. Since you¡¯re already here, why don¡¯t you follow me upstairs to meet him?¡± Tang Zhe did not know what Shi Man¡¯s motive was for causing this scene, but he knew that if he did not bring her to the CEO personally, he would probably become the unluckiest punching bag in the entire incident. Therefore, no matter what, he had to bring Shi Man to the office. Even if Yi Zheng was going to flare up in the end, it was impossible for him to vent his anger on him. Shi Man rolled her eyes slightly and glanced at the surveillance camera that was always aimed at her. She felt that it was about time and took the initiative to leave Yuan Yi¡¯s arms. She walked to Tang Zhe and said benevolently, ¡°Alright, lead the way.¡± Yuan Yi stood up decisively and grabbed her arm worriedly. ¡°Can you do it alone? Why don¡¯t you let me accompany you?¡± Without waiting for Shi Man to answer, Tang Zhe turned around and glared at him with a fake smile. ¡°Sir, please wait. My master only invited Miss Shi up. Please stay here for a moment.¡± Shi Man almost couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She coughed lightly to hide the smile on her lips, and the cute and aggrieved love on her face retreated. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Hearing that she did not continue to make unreasonable requests, Tang Zhe heaved a sigh of relief. After leading her into the elevator, he realized that his back was already drenched in sweat. He had no doubt that his master had already seen everything in the VIP room just now. However, the ancestor beside him did not have the slightest sense of impending disaster. Instead, she stood beside him with a calm expression. Tang Zhe stole a few glances at her. Finally, before the elevator door opened, he couldn¡¯t help but remind her softly, ¡°Miss Shi, if Master is angry later, don¡¯t fight with him. Don¡¯t blame me for being nosy. If you really like that gentleman just now, you shouldn¡¯t have brought him to the Yi Corporation.¡± With Tang Zhe¡¯s understanding of Yi Zheng, it was impossible for him to tolerate his love rival coming to his territory to behave atrociously. After this commotion just now, no matter how powerful that person¡¯s family was, they would probably be devoured by Yi Zheng¡¯s ruthless methods. However, what Tang Zhe did not know was that the Yuan family was not a family that the Yi family could touch easily. Otherwise, Yuan Yi would not have the confidence to accompany Shi Man to cause trouble under his nose. Chapter 172 - 172 Publicity in the City 172 Publicity in the City Shi Man glanced at him and smiled indifferently. ¡°There¡¯s never a need to hide who I like. The Shi family has the ability to protect him.¡± Tang Zhe stopped talking. He lowered his eyes and led her out of the elevator. They walked through the exquisitely decorated corridor and arrived at the innermost office. The dark brown wooden door was right in front of him. Tang Zhe raised his hand and knocked gently. After hearing the voice inside, he opened the door and reached out to invite Shi Man in while he waited outside. In the office, Yi Zheng sat on the sofa expressionlessly. There was lunch prepared on the coffee table in front of him. Perhaps it had been placed there for too long, the fragrance of the dishes had already dissipated. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s cold gaze stared straight at her. When his gaze landed on her shoulder which had been touched by another man, his gaze became even more vicious. ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with him. She found a seat far away from him and sat down. Then, she crossed her legs and looked at Yi Zheng indifferently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to make it public? How do you plan to make it public? Or do you no longer want to make it public and don¡¯t want to be engaged to me?¡± Yi Zheng smiled coldly. ¡°I thought you would continue to use yesterday¡¯s theme.¡± After saying that, he glanced at her clothes regretfully, his meaning very obvious. Shi Man was not to be outdone. She said calmly, ¡°Now your employees should know that I have a new lover, right?¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s hand, which was tapping lightly on his thigh, suddenly paused. He couldn¡¯t help but frown. When he looked up again, there was only indifference in his eyes. ¡°In order not to get engaged to me, you didn¡¯t hesitate to ruin yourself to this extent?¡± ¡°How can it be considered ruining?¡± Shi Man spread her hands disapprovingly. ¡°I think he¡¯s quite good-looking and has a good relationship with my brother. He¡¯s a very suitable candidate to date.¡± Yi Zheng wanted to say that he had a good relationship with her brothers, but when he thought of Shi Mu¡¯s attitude towards him, he rubbed his eyebrows in frustration. ¡°You forced me to do this.¡± He wanted to listen to Tang Zhe and treat her well step by step. He wanted to take care of her meticulously and pay attention to her movements at all times. Before she liked him again, he would not force her and try his best to move her heart. However, this did not mean that he could watch her be with someone else! He had not been waiting for this outcome! ¡°What do you want?¡± Shi Man felt that something was wrong. She couldn¡¯t help but stand up and look at the man who was filled with hostility. ¡°You¡¯ll know in a while.¡± Yi Zheng took out his phone and made a call. Before the other party could answer, they heard a sudden explosion outside. Shi Man walked to the window in shock and saw that all the mall screens near the company were playing the news that the two of them had decided to get engaged. The entire G City seemed to be enveloped in the words ¡°Yi Zheng and Shi Man are publicly engaged¡±. There was even a pattern with red hearts beside it. Shi Man swore that she really noticed Yi Zheng¡¯s strong disdain when he saw these words and pictures. However, a moment later, he immediately put away his dissatisfaction and turned to look at Shi Man calmly. ¡°I promised you that I would announce to everyone that we are engaged.¡± No! This exaggerated understanding was too ridiculous! That was not what she said! Shi Man was immediately anxious. She was so anxious that she forgot the difference in strength between the two of them and attacked him. ¡°You forced me!¡± In the office, the two of them fought. Outside, Tang Zhe heard the sound of something being smashed from time to time. He covered his face in pain. Every item in the office was priceless! What a waste! After fighting for a while, just as Tang Zhe¡¯s heart ached so much that he could not help but rush in to stop the fight, Shi Man suddenly kicked the door open with a bang. She glared at Tang Zhe with bloodshot eyes, then turned around and walked into the elevator with a cold expression. Tang Zhe was shocked by her fierce gaze. He quickly composed himself and timidly walked into the office to check on Yi Zheng. At this moment, it was already a mess inside. Everything that could be seen on had been smashed into pieces by the two of them. Yi Zheng leaned on the sofa and rubbed his eyebrows tiredly. When he heard Tang Zhe¡¯s footsteps walk in, the corners of his mouth suddenly curled into a crazy smile. ¡°I won. Now that everyone in the city knows that she¡¯s mine, let¡¯s see who still dares to marry her!¡± Tang Zhe didn¡¯t dare to say a word. He lowered his eyebrows and started to clean up the things on the ground, not daring to make a sound. Yi Zheng smiled for a while before a hint of depression suddenly appeared on his face. He opened his eyes fiercely and looked at him. ¡°Where¡¯s that man? I want to know who he is!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tang Zhe did not dare to delay. He went out and called the cleaner to clean up the mess in the room while he went to investigate something more important to his master. In less than an hour, Yuan Yi¡¯s detailed information was placed on Yi Zheng¡¯s table. Tang Zhe couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°This is the person who gave Miss Shi the umbrella in the classroom. They should have met at that time.¡± Chapter 173 - 173 Friendship and Love 173 Friendship and Love ¡°I know.¡± Yi Zheng lowered his head and finished reading the information in his hand. He snorted and said, ¡°The Yuan family? So it¡¯s that youngest son who has long been sent overseas. Their family has always had special channels to contact hidden forces. No wonder they dare to behave atrociously in my company!¡± Tang Zhe lowered his head slightly and asked carefully, ¡°Master, how do you plan to deal with it?¡± Yi Zheng threw the stack of documents on the table and leaned back in his chair casually. ¡°I remember that their family has been doing import and export business recently?¡± Tang Zhe recalled carefully and nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes, the Yuan family sent Yuan Yi overseas back then with the intention of expanding the overseas market. In recent years, the Yuan family has been doing well overseas. I heard that they¡¯re going to let Yuan Yi handle this part of the business completely after he graduates. After all, he¡¯s more familiar with the business communication method there.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng nodded and said, ¡°Check the largest transaction order of the Yuan family in the past few days and get the customs to detain all the goods. They don¡¯t have to care about what happens next.¡± Tang Zhe was slightly stunned and immediately went down to make arrangements according to his instructions. The Yi family could not touch the Yuan family easily because the Yuan family had a deep foundation in G City and had a complicated network. However, this did not mean that Yi Zheng could not do anything to them. The economic lifeline of the entire city was in Yi Zheng¡¯s hands. If they wanted to develop trade under his nose, they had to be tactful. Otherwise, they should not blame him for cutting off the wealth that their family had painstakingly built for many years! After walking out of Yi Zheng¡¯s company, Yuan Yi still followed Shi Man noisily. He kept talking along the way. ¡°Manman, how is it? Did Yi Zheng almost die of anger? Have you completely gotten rid of him?¡± Shi Man turned around and looked at him coldly. She did not speak. Instead, she raised her hand and pointed at the big screen of a mall not far away. Yuan Yi looked in the direction she was pointing in confusion. The words suddenly entered his eyes and he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Yi Zheng still intends to marry you? Didn¡¯t he see what we did downstairs just now? From what his secretary said, he should have seen it.¡± ¡°He saw it,¡± Shi Man replied firmly. Then, she turned around and sat in the front passenger seat gloomily. Yuan Yi followed closely behind. He got in and drove to a nearby restaurant for a meal. He asked the waiter for a private room and was about to ask what had happened in the office. However Shi Man¡¯s phone suddenly rang. When she picked up the phone, she realized that Shi Mu had seen the words on the big screen and was anxiously looking for her to verify it. Shi Man complained to her brother expressionlessly, ¡°No, he wanted to ruin my innocence and got someone to put it up.¡± Shi Mu was instantly furious when he heard this. He gritted his teeth in hatred. The phone was filled with the sound of him grinding his teeth. ¡°Just wait, I¡¯ll avenge you! This shameless Yi Zheng, I¡¯ll go to his company to settle scores with him now!¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless to settle the score.¡± Shi Man frowned slightly and persuaded him with a headache. After hanging up, she was still rubbing her eyebrows in frustration. Yuan Yi stole a glance at her expression. Coincidentally, the waiter came in to serve the dishes. He hurriedly called her to eat and handed her the disinfected chopsticks. ¡°Fill your stomach first before thinking of how to deal with him. Don¡¯t worry, the Yuan family will always be on your side.¡± Only then did Shi Man put down her hand and look at him steadily. In the book, Yuan Yi only appeared when the Shi family was about to be destroyed. His main purpose was to protect Shi Mu. However, not only did he enter Yi Zheng¡¯s sight in advance, but he also became a thorn in Yi Zheng¡¯s side before the Shi family did. Yet, this person was still saying that he would always support her. It would be a lie to say that she was not moved, but Shi Man knew that this was not love. She sighed slightly and looked up seriously to return his sincere gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t participate in this matter first. You know my strength. I will do everything to protect you and the Yuan family.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yuan Yi nodded carelessly. He picked up a piece of vegetable and put it in his mouth. He narrowed his eyes in enjoyment and said, ¡°The culinary skills of this restaurant are really not bad. Try it quickly. Now that our two families are in the same boat, are you afraid that we won¡¯t be able to deal with Yi Zheng?¡± Shi Man was infected by him and the huge rock in her heart relaxed a little. She picked up her chopsticks and started eating. She was not afraid of Yi Zheng¡¯s revenge. She just found it unbelievable. The male protagonist in the original book was domineering and obsessed with faithfulness in relationships. She had already been intimate with another man in public, but she did not expect Yi Zheng to tell everyone that he wanted to marry her. Was he really crazy? Shouldn¡¯t he like the gentle and understanding female lead? She didn¡¯t seem to have anything similar to Su Tang! To be honest, Shi Man, who had gone to his office with the intention of annoying Yi Zheng, was completely shocked by Yi Zheng¡¯s reckless methods. After the shock, she actually felt a little strange. Chapter 174 - 174 Angry 174 Angry Everyone in the city knew about Yi Zheng¡¯s feat. After Shi Man and Yuan Yi returned to school, everyone in the same grade knew Shi Man¡¯s temperament and did not dare to approach her, but the students of the other grades did not know. They surrounded the entrance of the teaching building and waited for her to appear so that they could ask her personally. Seeing Yuan Yi following Shi Man from afar, the crowd was slightly stunned before they hurriedly pounced over. ¡°Shi Man, did you really succeed in wooing your love? Or is this another trick of yours?¡± ¡°Shi Man, did you create so many billboards? Aren¡¯t you afraid that Yi Zheng will be angry if he finds out?¡± ¡°Why did you come back from outside the school with another boy? Did you arrange for the entire city to announce it just now?¡± The noisy discussion around almost drowned Shi Man. The direction of the crowd gradually changed from guessing that the two of them were really engaged to this new trick of Shi Man¡¯s to woo Yi Zheng. Shi Man wanted to laugh when she heard this. She was angry and her lips naturally curled into a cold smile. ¡°This is a trick Yi Zheng made to woo me.¡± ¡°What? You said Yi Zheng pursued you?¡± ¡°How is this possible? He doesn¡¯t like you at all!¡± The crowd, who had been discussing and preparing to scold Shi Man, suddenly fell silent for a moment before erupting with even crazier screams. A series of questions hit her face mercilessly. Shi Man couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Just as she was about to flare up, she saw Shi Mu angrily bringing the Student Union to maintain order. After finally squeezing to the front, Shi Mu shielded Shi Man behind him and glared at the students who were spitting at her. ¡°Are you all crazy? Why didn¡¯t you ask Yi Zheng what he did? Why did you come and make things difficult for my sister? Are you bullying the Shi family? Huh? All the credits of everyone present today will be deducted by ten points. If anyone causes trouble again, they will be severely punished!¡± The noisy crowd immediately quietened down. A few unconvinced people were quickly stopped by their classmates. Only then did they regain their rationality. Although Shi Man did not have a good reputation outside and everyone treated her as a lunatic, the Shi family behind her was not to be trifled with. Even if they were either rich or noble, not many of them were qualified to be taken seriously by the Shi family. The crowd that had surrounded Shi Man just now immediately scattered like birds and beasts. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared completely. Shi Mu heaved a sigh of relief, his face filled with anger. ¡°This Yi Zheng is really wicked. I¡¯ve already told the family about this. Manman, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll definitely help you.¡± Shi Man nodded expressionlessly; her mood was already extremely bad. Shi Mu wanted to send his sister back to the classroom personally in case anything happened again, but when he saw Yuan Yi standing on the other side, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Why are you with Manman?¡± Yuan Yi could hear the vigilance in his tone and helplessly told him what he had just done with Shi Man. Only then did Shi Mu know how much Yuan Yi had sacrificed to help his sister get rid of Yi Zheng. He quickly hugged his shoulder gratefully and said, ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for my unfriendly tone just now. I have to be especially careful during critical times. Brother, our Shi family owes you a favor this time. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal another day.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yuan Yi looked at the time and consciously left space for the siblings. ¡°Then send Manman back first. I have to go back to class. I¡¯m probably going to be pestered by my classmates who will be asking about what happened just now.¡± Shi Mu felt even more guilty when he heard that. He waved at him and promised that he would hold a banquet to thank him. Then, he walked back to the classroom with Shi Man. Along the way, many students secretly looked in Shi Man¡¯s direction. After being glared at by Shi Mu, they quickly put away their curiosity which would cause trouble for them. At the classroom door, Shi Man gently looked up at him with a calm expression. ¡°Brother, go back first. We¡¯ll talk when we get back tonight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Mu nodded and added worriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t leave after school. Wait for Big Brother and me to pick you up. Then the three of us will go back together.¡± After what happened today, Shi Ke would definitely come no matter how busy he was. Shi Man agreed softly and walked into the classroom expressionlessly. Su Tang looked at Shi Man¡¯s unhappy expression worriedly and asked carefully, ¡°Manman, what¡¯s going on between you and Brother Yi? Are you really getting engaged?¡± Shi Man was not too frustrated, but for some reason, when she heard Su Tang ask her this, an evil fire began to run through her body. She suddenly looked up, narrowed her eyes, and smiled evilly. ¡°He was in a hurry to get married and insisted on dragging me down with him. Why don¡¯t you marry him for me? Anyway, he will like you very much in the future.¡± ¡°He will like me very much?¡± Su Tang looked at her in confusion, her heart pounding. It was not the possibility that Yi Zheng would fall for her that made her nervous, but Shi Man¡¯s current expression did not look normal. She touched Shi Man¡¯s arm worriedly. ¡°You don¡¯t like Brother Yi very much and don¡¯t want to marry him at all, right?¡± Chapter 175 - 175 Public Abducting 175 Public Abducting ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded without hiding anything and smiled nastily. ¡°Why? Do you really want to marry him for my sake?¡± Su Tang frowned slightly. She rarely revealed such an expression. The expression on her face was always gentle, and she looked at people with a hint of cowardice. However, this time, she frowned tightly, as if she was carefully distinguishing the feasibility of this method. Seeing Shi Man staring at her without blinking, she nodded slightly and said, ¡°If this can completely free you from Brother Yi¡¯s entanglement, I¡¯m willing.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Shi Man suddenly frowned at her. The inexplicable frustration in her heart seemed to have been gently soothed by a pair of hands, and the teasing feeling in her heart completely changed. She held Su Tang¡¯s arm tightly in disbelief, as if she was afraid of losing something, or as if she just wanted to see if there was an unshakable determination in her eyes. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about? Say it again?¡± Su Tang gently pushed her hand away. This was the first time she was determined to go against Shi Man. Her gentle eyes were filled with determination that shocked Shi Man. ¡°I¡¯ll marry him to release you. Manman, you don¡¯t know me well enough. Actually, in my heart, I¡¯ve long treated you as my best friend. For you, I¡¯m even willing to marry a beggar, let alone Brother Yi.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± This time, it was finally Shi Man¡¯s turn to panic. She suddenly interrupted her and lost the mood to attend class. She grabbed her arm and walked out. Su Tang staggered behind her. Seeing her anxious appearance, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Manman, where are you taking me? Class is starting soon!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to treat your brain!¡± Shi Man turned around and glared at her before pulling her arm and continuing to walk out. Su Tang began to struggle violently behind her. She had long known that Shi Man was very strong, but she didn¡¯t expect her to be unable to move at all. She could only beg helplessly, ¡°Why are you taking me to the hospital for brain treatment? I¡¯m not going to the hospital. It¡¯s very expensive to go to the hospital. I¡¯m not insured yet, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with my brain. Manman, Manman, let go of me quickly. Let¡¯s go back to class quickly. When the teacher comes back and sees us skipping class, she will definitely punish us!¡± Shi Man did not stop. Unaffected, she continued to drag her towards the stairs. Class F was located at the furthest end of the corridor. From their classroom to the stairs, they had to pass through all the classes in the cohort. The commotion caused by the two of them was not small. Almost every class¡¯s door was filled with heads. All of them stared curiously at the two of them who seemed to have fallen out. The surrounding discussion was not small. When they passed Class D, in order to protect her image as the eldest daughter of the Shi family, Shi Jing deliberately took a step forward, but she did not dare to stand in front of Shi Man. She only relied on the commotion behind her to control her volume and persuade her, ¡°Manman, this is school. Don¡¯t mess around.¡± Shi Man turned a deaf ear, or rather, she did not notice Shi Jing at all. Now, she was filled with anger and only wanted to teach Su Tang a lesson. Su Tang was also focused on Shi Man. She nagged to persuade Shi Man not to bring her to skip class, so she naturally did not see Shi Jing. The two of them ignored her completely. Shi Jing was not embarrassed at all. Instead, she frowned slightly as she watched them leave. ¡°Manman is getting more and more lawless. She will definitely be beaten up again when she gets home.¡± ¡°Beat up?¡± When the students in Class D heard her muttering to herself, they couldn¡¯t help but interrupt and ask, ¡°Shi Man actually gets beaten up at home? Is that true? Tell us in detail!¡± Shi Jing immediately pretended to be worried as she looked at her classmates. She made up a story about how Shi Man was not liked by Shi Zhong at home and even told them about Shi Man begging for mercy. The surrounding students were stunned and could not associate Shi Man, who did whatever she wanted in school, with the weak and useless Shi Man she spoke of. After a while, all the students in the school knew that Shi Man had openly abducted her classmate and taken her away during class. The principal was furious. He even stopped Class F and immediately asked Geng Hui to come to the office to explain the situation to him. Geng Hui had just found out about this matter, so he naturally couldn¡¯t come up with a reason. Seeing that he was stuttering and still wanted to protect his student, the principal immediately ran out of patience. Just as he was about to punish Shi Man, someone suddenly knocked on the office door. Shi Mu walked into the principal¡¯s office expressionlessly. As the president of the Student Union of the entire Cassel Academy, he had the right to ask about the rewards and punishments relating to the students. He came this time to explain the situation to the principal and ask him not to interfere in this matter and leave it to him. No matter what rumors were spreading in the school, Shi Man still brought Su Tang to the parking lot. After finding the car Shi Mu had driven in the morning, she stuffed her into the front passenger seat and warned coldly, ¡°If you dare to run, I¡¯ll cut ties with you in the future!¡± Chapter 176 - 176 Fiancée 176 Fianc¨¦e Su Tang, who still wanted to resist, seemed to have her Achilles¡¯ heel instantly pinched. She sat in the front passenger seat without daring to move and watched helplessly as Shi Man walked around the front of the car, got into the driver¡¯s seat, and drove out of the school. Su Tang, who had held her breath for too long, was a little breathless. She looked up at Shi Man¡¯s cold and pale side profile and secretly heaved a sigh of relief. After taking a breath, she asked timidly in a low voice, ¡°Manman, where are you taking me?¡± Shi Man drove straight ahead and replied casually, ¡°I¡¯m bringing you to the Yi family.¡± ¡°Why are we going to the Yi family?¡± Su Tang asked in surprise. Could it be that she was going to be engaged to Brother Yi so soon? Although she was not ready, if it was Shi Man¡¯s wish, she would not have any objections. Shi Man did not answer her stupid question. A cold and terrifying smile appeared on her lips, so cold that Su Tang immediately did not dare to ask again. She obediently gripped the seatbelt in front of her chest and lowered her eyes in thought. When she arrived at the Yi family residence, Shi Man opened the car door and got out. Just as she was about to walk into the garden in front of the porch, she suddenly sensed that there were no other familiar footsteps behind her. She turned around impatiently and looked at the dark car window. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get out of the car or are you waiting for me to invite you?¡± Shi Mu¡¯s car was made of excellent anti-peeping glass. Although Shi Man could not see Su Tang from the outside, Su Tang could clearly see the extremely impatient expression on her face. Su Tang gritted her teeth and resigned herself to fate. She walked out of the car and walked to Shi Man generously. ¡°Manman, let¡¯s go find Uncle Yi and Aunt Lu now.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows in admiration and turned to walk into the Yi family without saying a word. Su Tang was right about one thing. Shi Man was here to look for Lu Xiang, but she was not here to get Su Tang and Yi Zheng engaged. She wanted to take Su Tang away and get Lu Xiang to agree to leave Su Tang in the Shi family. Anyway, the Shi family did not require her presence. In the living room, Lu Xiang and Su Tang were shocked to the extreme when they heard Shi Man¡¯s words. After looking at each other, Lu Xiang regained her composure and couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Su Tang was entrusted to Yi Zheng by her uncle. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t make the decision for Yi Zheng.¡± Shi Man smiled and pretended to be intimate as she sat beside Lu Xiang. ¡°Auntie, I believe you know what happened at noon, right? I¡¯m Yi Zheng¡¯s fianc¨¦e now. Can¡¯t I even make the decision for this? Don¡¯t you dote on me the most?¡± Lu Xiang was completely manipulated by her grievance and intimacy. She couldn¡¯t care less if Yi Zheng would be angry if he found out. She nodded and made the decision. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you. As long as you¡¯re willing to marry Yi Zheng, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Shi Man looked up at Su Tang in satisfaction, her eyes filled with smugness. ¡°Then quickly pack your things. Leave the heavy ones for the servants to take.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. We¡¯ll listen to Manman¡¯s arrangements.¡± Lu Xiang was extremely happy. She couldn¡¯t wait for the two of them to get married on the spot. Naturally, she agreed to whatever Shi Man said and even took the initiative to instruct the servants to tidy up. Su Tang did not have many personal items. She only needed to take two boxes. Shi Man glanced at it and turned to look at the Yi family¡¯s butler. ¡°Please move her things to my car.¡± ¡°Alright, Miss Shi.¡± The butler really did not expect the situation to change so quickly. In the blink of an eye, Miss Shi, who had once been hated by President Yi, had actually changed and become the future mistress of the Yi family. Thinking of the last time he stopped her in the Yi family, he immediately served her even more respectfully. Seeing that she was almost done packing, Lu Xiang hurriedly held Shi Man¡¯s hand and asked with a smile, ¡°Then when do you plan to hold the engagement ceremony?! Let me tell you, we women might only be able to hold it once in our lives. You can¡¯t just do it perfunctorily. If Yi Zheng is too busy and has anything he can¡¯t take care of, tell me. I¡¯m experienced and I¡¯ll definitely satisfy you. Tell me what conditions you have.¡± Shi Man lowered her eyes and replied in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about this. I still have to go back and understand it in detail. I¡¯ll tell Auntie after I think about it.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. You¡¯re welcome anytime!¡± Lu Xiang was so excited that she almost danced. She quickly got someone to bring the family bracelet over. Shi Man hurriedly stopped her. Seeing Lu Xiang¡¯s puzzled gaze, she explained seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not engaged to Yi Zheng yet, so I naturally can¡¯t ask for such an expensive thing from the Yi family first. Wouldn¡¯t it be more appropriate for you to hand it to me personally at the engagement ceremony?¡± Lu Xiang agreed deeply. She happily got someone to put away the things and held her arm. ¡°Our Manman is so thoughtful. Look, Auntie is so happy that she¡¯s confused. Oh right, you should be going to school today, right? Why did you suddenly come over?¡± Shi Man nodded calmly and said, ¡°I took leave and specially came to look for you. It¡¯s fine to be absent from class for the entire afternoon.¡± Thank you for reading on https://www.novelhall.com Chapter 177 - 177 Enemy 177 Enemy ¡°How can that do? Go back to class quickly. Come and see Auntie when you have time in the future.¡± Lu Xiang knew that Shi Man¡¯s results were good now and did not dare to disturb her studies. She was afraid that she would feel disappointed if she did not do well in the next exam, so she hurriedly urged the two of them to leave. After getting into the car, Shi Man finally felt relieved. The iciness on her face when she came had finally melted. She narrowed her eyes and drove home easily. Su Tang looked at Shi Man in surprise, unable to figure out what her series of actions were for. She actually asked her to leave the Yi family and be placed with the Shi family. Could it be that she thought that it would be difficult for her to get married to the Yi family in the future and wanted the Shi family to become her maiden family? With doubts in her mind, Su Tang saw she was in a good mood. She carefully stuck her head out and asked, ¡°Why did you say that you were Brother Yi¡¯s fianc¨¦e just now? Do you want to marry him?¡± Hearing her mention the man¡¯s name again, Shi Man frowned angrily. She stepped on the brakes and parked the car by the roadside. She turned to look at her coldly. ¡°Why? Do you think I stole your man? Are you jealous?¡± Su Tang widened her eyes in disbelief, her face instantly flushed red, and she felt so stupid that she couldn¡¯t say a word for a long time. Shi Man saw that she was silent and did not know what was wrong with her mind. She suddenly thought that she had hit the nail on the head. She was angry that she had taken the initiative to get her out of the Yi family and delayed her marriage to Yi Zheng. The more she thought about it, the more warped she became. Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but snort coldly and say frivolously, ¡°I originally thought that Yi Zheng could become your good home, but today, I completely saw through that man. You¡¯re not allowed to like him. Even if you already like him, take your heart back immediately! You¡¯re not allowed to like him anymore!¡± Su Tang blinked in shock. It took her a while to understand what she meant. She nodded blankly and said, ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t like him.¡± Seeing Shi Man¡¯s cold gaze, Su Tang suddenly thought of something and said again, ¡°I don¡¯t like him to begin with, and I don¡¯t want to marry him. Manman, don¡¯t misunderstand me.¡± Her soft tone seemed to be able to calm the anger in her heart instantly. Shi Man raised her eyebrows like a deflated ball and turned around to drive again, but the corners of her mouth seemed to curl up to her ears. ¡°At least you have good taste. That kind of man is not worth marrying.¡± Since this despicable person dared to scheme against her, she would kidnap his future wife and let him die alone! Su Tang also sat up straight. This time, she knew what she meant and became a little bolder. She raised her voice slightly and said, ¡°You brought me out of the Yi family because you were afraid that I would really propose to marry Yi Zheng?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The smile on Shi Man¡¯s face faded slightly. She turned the steering wheel in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t mention his name to me. It¡¯s annoying.¡± Shi Man had always been an emotionless killing machine. She had never hated someone so much. However, the other party was not a man she could kill casually, so she hated him to the core but could not do anything about it. It had to be said that after Yi Zheng¡¯s series of actions, Shi Man, who originally only wanted to stay away from him, seemed to have her blood ignited. She only wanted to personally pull this man down from the platform and see him fall into the dust in an extremely sorry state. The way to prevent the male lead from destroying the entire Shi family was not to stay away from the male and female leads at all. Instead, she had to occupy the female lead and destroy the male lead to prevent future trouble! After thinking it through, Shi Man¡¯s frustrated mood improved a little. She hummed along the way and brought Su Tang home. She instructed the servants to move Su Tang¡¯s things into the guest room and went to find her mother to explain today¡¯s situation. The announcement of the engagement had caused a storm in the city. Someone like Shen Xian, who loved to worry for her, must have been extremely anxious. Sure enough, in the bedroom, Shen Xian was anxiously calling various television stations, wanting to remove the news of Shi Man¡¯s engagement from the screen. She was negotiating with someone in frustration. When she looked up and saw Shi Man standing in front of her, she immediately hung up and hugged her daughter tightly. ¡°Mom¡¯s darling, quickly tell Mom what happened today.¡± Shen Xian pulled her daughter to sit down worriedly. Shi Mu called at noon to explain that this matter was not voluntary by Shi Man, but he did not know why Yi Zheng suddenly went crazy. In the end, she could only ask Shi Man, one of the parties involved. Shi Man told Shen Xian everything that had happened at Yi Zheng¡¯s company today. She frowned and said unhappily, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to be so unscrupulous. I underestimated the enemy. Leave this matter to me.¡± Shen Xian sighed softly and couldn¡¯t help but rub the top of Shi Man¡¯s soft head. She said slowly, ¡°Yi Zheng is afraid that you¡¯re really with someone else, but he really didn¡¯t consider your feelings. He was in the wrong. I think I¡¯ll talk to him about this and clarify it.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be clarified.¡± Shi Man frowned stubbornly. She had never been tricked like this before. She had long treated Yi Zheng as a once-in-a-lifetime opponent. How could she let him go so easily? Chapter 178 - 178 Warm Family 178 Warm Family Seeing that she couldn¡¯t persuade her, Shen Xian was anxious and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Manman, what do you plan to do?¡± Shi Man smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll beat him at his own game.¡± After helping Su Tang tidy up her room, Shi Man brought her downstairs for dinner and officially introduced her to her family. ¡°In the future, she will be placed in our house. I will be responsible for her tuition, living expenses, and all other expenses.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shen Xian was usually generous. How could she bear to let her daughter pay for it herself? In the room just now, she had heard from Shi Man that Su Tang was willing to marry a man she did not love for her daughter. When Shen Xian heard this, her heart was moved. She looked at Su Tang with love, as if she was looking at another daughter. ¡°Tangtang, stay at home in peace. I will hand over the tuition fees to the school on time together with Manman¡¯s. I will transfer the living expenses to this bank card every month.¡± Shen Xian took out the card she had prepared from her pocket and stuffed it into Su Tang¡¯s hand. Su Tang didn¡¯t dare to take it and quickly shook her head to reject it. ¡°No, I can¡¯t take it. Auntie, I can work to earn money for my daily expenses. I¡¯m already very grateful that you can help me pay my tuition fees. I won¡¯t take more money from you.¡± ¡°Just take it.¡± Shen Xian had also heard that Su Tang had worked outside when she was in the Yi family. She pitied her even more. ¡°You¡¯re the same age as Manman. How can you work to earn money at such a young age? You should study hard at your age.¡± Su Tang still did not dare to take it. She looked up at Shi Man for help. Shi Man chuckled and took the initiative to stuff the bank card into her hand. ¡°Take it. If you¡¯re really uneasy, you can return it to my mother when you earn money in the future.¡± When Su Tang heard that this money could be considered a loan from the Shi family, she relented and took the bank card. She nodded solemnly and said, ¡°Auntie, Manman, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll return this money as soon as possible.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Shi Man pulled her to sit beside her and scooped a bowl of soup for her. There were even a few pieces of pork ribs in it. Su Tang was too thin. She should have eaten more in the first place. If she didn¡¯t scoop it for her, she would probably be too embarrassed to reach out. If she went hungry because of this thought, it wouldn¡¯t be worth it. Su Tang lowered her head with a red face and took the soup bowl from Shi Man. If not for commitments that kept them from the dinner table, they would often eat together. The family sat around, and the scene was lively and intimate. It was a warmth she had not felt in a long time. The Yi family would also sit and eat together, but Yi Zheng¡¯s expression was too cold. No matter how warm the atmosphere was, it would be frozen into ice. Shi He was very happy that his sister had found a good friend. He smiled and said to Shen Xian, ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t know, but Tangtang knows how to design clothes! I¡¯ll get her to design a set for you another day!¡± ¡°Really? You studied fashion design?¡± Shen Xian looked at her in surprise. Su Tang nodded shyly. ¡°I only learned a little from my aunt. I can design clothes for you tonight. What style do you like?¡± Shen Xian happily discussed the style of the new clothes with her. Shi Man sat at the side and listened, feeling that time had passed peacefully. Shi Mu was not in the mood to listen to this. Now, his heart was filled with the fact that his sister had been tricked by Yi Zheng. He gritted his teeth and ate, wishing he could chew the chopsticks in his hand. Shi He saw this and looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°Even if you eat this table, it won¡¯t affect Yi Zheng at all!¡± Only then did Shi Mu look up and glare at him. ¡°Then what do you think we should do now? Our mother has already contacted the television station. They said that they signed a contract with Yi Zheng. It will take an entire week to replace it with another advertisement. A week! It¡¯s enough to spread throughout the country!¡± Shi He sighed and glanced at Shi Man¡¯s calm face. He muttered softly, ¡°I wonder how Second Brother and Yi Zheng are communicating.¡± Shen Xian had sharp ears. She was discussing the design of the clothes with Su Tang. When she heard him say this, she immediately looked up and said, ¡°Your second brother went to look for Yi Zheng?¡± She actually didn¡¯t know about this? Shi He hurriedly explained to her, ¡°Second Brother went to talk to Yi Zheng as soon as he was done in the afternoon. He hasn¡¯t returned yet. He should still be with Yi Zheng, right?¡± Shen Xian looked at Shi Man happily. ¡°Your second brother and Yi Zheng have been on good terms since they were young. Perhaps he can really persuade Yi Zheng to change his mind?¡± Shi Man was not so optimistic. She finished the last mouthful of pork ribs and narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. ¡°Why would Yi Zheng be willing to listen to Second Brother?¡± If he was really so obedient, the Shi family would not have been destroyed in the book. Only then did Shen Xian think of this. She lowered her eyes and said dejectedly, ¡°When your father comes back from work, I¡¯ll tell him about this and ask him to help you think of a way so that he won¡¯t misunderstand you and think that this was your idea.¡± Shen Xian knew Shi Zhong the best. He really felt that this was another trick by Shi Man to force Yi Zheng to submit, but Shi Ke denied his guess. Chapter 179 - 179 Two Fathers 179 Two Fathers When he sent his sister to school in the morning, he specially asked her what she planned to do. Now that he saw this situation, he immediately understood that this was Yi Zheng¡¯s method of acting first and reporting later. After Shi Ke told Shi Zhong his guess in detail, Shi Zhong believed that his daughter really did not want to marry Yi Zheng. She was not even willing to agree to the other party¡¯s blatant proposal. It could be seen that she really did not have Yi Zheng in her heart. While he heaved a sigh of relief, Shi Zhong couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was a pity for his daughter. He still liked Yi Zheng very much. Even if his methods of wooing Shi Man were wrong, he did not dislike him much. He even felt that this child was decisive, which was why he became the CEO of the Yi family at such a young age. Since this matter was a game between the two children, there was no need for him to interfere. Instead, he asked Yi Zheng¡¯s father, Yi Long, to play golf and handed the company¡¯s piled-up documents to his eldest son, Shi Ke. The two men came together and their conversation naturally touched on the marriage of the two children. Yi Long patted Shi Zhong¡¯s shoulder apologetically and said, ¡°Yi Zheng didn¡¯t do it appropriately this time, but I can also tell that the child must have been forced into a corner. If Manman can like Yi Zheng again, that child will be very happy.¡± Shi Zhong snorted and said in confusion, ¡°I wonder why Yi Zheng suddenly likes my daughter again to this extent. If he had agreed earlier, wouldn¡¯t there not be so much trouble?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Yi Long swung out and watched as the golf ball accurately shot into the hole. He immediately said in surprise, ¡°Let them handle their matters themselves. As long as they don¡¯t go overboard, we don¡¯t need to interfere.¡± ¡°You have the stomach for risk.¡± Shi Zhong waved his hand indignantly, but this time, the golf ball rolled not far from the hole. ¡°Back then, you actually dared to hand such a huge family business to Yi Zheng, who has no management experience. It¡¯s all thanks to this child¡¯s hard work. Otherwise, would you have the time to practice golf in this place?¡± Yi Long laughed nonchalantly and said, ¡°Old Shi, are you jealous that I¡¯m playing better than you now? Why don¡¯t we compete again?¡± ¡°So be it!¡± Shi Zhong lost his temper. The two of them were sweating profusely on the course and completely forgot about Yi Zheng and Shi Man¡¯s marriage. In the private room, Yi Zheng personally poured a glass of red wine for Shi Yu. He lowered his eyes and said calmly, ¡°This is between Manman and me. Don¡¯t interfere.¡± No matter how gentle Shi Yu was and how good-tempered he was, he could not tolerate it when it involved his sister¡¯s reputation. He frowned tightly and glared at him with an unfriendly expression. ¡°I¡¯m her biological brother. Of course I have the right to interfere in her matters. Yi Zheng, my sister doesn¡¯t like you now. Stop pestering her and quickly remove those advertisements.¡± ¡°No.¡± Yi Zheng sat up straight and said coldly, ¡°I want Shi Man to marry me willingly, and she can only marry me.¡± Shi Yu glared at him incredulously and said, ¡°Why? Why did you suddenly insist on Manman? If you feel disappointed because she suddenly stopped chasing after you, then I¡¯ll tell you seriously that this is not love at all. You should let go as soon as possible and not waste her life.¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows and looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°How do you know I don¡¯t really like her? I like her very much now.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Shi Yu clenched his fists in disbelief and asked with a dark expression, ¡°Okay, then tell me, what exactly do you like about Manman?¡± Yi Zheng suddenly chuckled, his eyes shining. ¡°I like her secret that only I know.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shi Yu frowned at him in confusion. Seeing that he was unwilling to explain, he asked anxiously, ¡°What secret is it? You actually said that you¡¯re the only one who knows?¡± He and his sister had lived under the same roof for more than twenty years and had not discovered any secrets about Manman. How dare Yi Zheng say that only he knew? Jealousy surged in his chest uncontrollably. A hint of danger flashed across Shi Yu¡¯s gentle eyes. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Yi Zheng. Even if you really like Manman, please pursue her in a gentler way. Don¡¯t do what you did today again.¡± ¡°She forced me to do this.¡± The light in Yi Zheng¡¯s eyes was dim. Thinking of the intimate couple he saw from the surveillance camera at noon, he felt uncomfortable. ¡°How did she force you?¡± Shi Yu asked in confusion. Yi Zheng didn¡¯t want to answer his question. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t say that Shi Man was hugging another man. It seemed that if he said it, it would be as if Shi Man was really with another man. Shi Yu looked at his suddenly gloomy and silent expression. Suddenly, his patience ran out. He stood up in frustration and stared down at his former best friend. ¡°If you do anything to make things difficult for Manman again, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Chapter 180 - 180 Opening Her Mind 180 Opening Her Mind When Shi Zhong returned at night, he saw his wife sitting alone on the sofa sighing. Shi Zhong put down his bag with heartache and walked to Shen Xian¡¯s side to pull her into his arms. He comforted her carefully. ¡°Xianxian, why are you unhappy?¡± ¡°What else? Of course, it¡¯s about our precious daughter!¡± Shen Xian frowned with heartache. She turned around and threw herself into Shi Zhong¡¯s arms. ¡°Hubby, can you help Manman think of a way? Manman really doesn¡¯t want to marry Yi Zheng!¡± Shi Zhong sighed softly. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you thinking of a solution?¡± Shen Xian grabbed his arm and shook it. She was so angry that she looked like a twenty-something-year-old girl. No one could imagine that she was a mother of five just by looking at her well-maintained appearance. Shi Zhong doted on his wife the most and couldn¡¯t bear to see her anxious. However, this time, he didn¡¯t agree immediately. Instead, he patted her back and coaxed her in a gentle voice, ¡°Listen to me slowly. Old Yi has already apologized to me regarding this matter. Moreover, he¡¯s right about one thing. We should the two children solve their own problems. If we interfere, we¡¯ll blow this matter up completely.¡± ¡°But Manman can¡¯t be bullied like this. She¡¯s already been labeled as Yi Zheng¡¯s fianc¨¦e. If the marriage doesn¡¯t succeed in the end, who will want to marry Manman in the future!¡± Shen Xian was really worried about her daughter¡¯s future. She didn¡¯t want a man to easily ruin her lifelong happiness. Shi Zhongyi thought that her daughter¡¯s reputation had long been ruined by her. Was there a need for this? However, he could not say this. He reached out and poured a cup of hot tea for his wife to calm down. Then, he gently patted her back and slowly explained to her like he was coaxing a child. ¡°Actually, Yi Zheng is really a good choice for our Manman.¡± Shen Xian put down her teacup and looked up at him seriously. ¡°Do you really think so? You know how he embarrassed our daughter in the past.¡± ¡°Yes, I know all this, but he¡¯s clearly pursuing Manman now.¡± Shi Zhong still knew men better than Shen Xian. In the past, Manman had chased after him and he refused to take her. Now that he came back to his senses and wanted to chase Manman back, wasn¡¯t this the time for him to suffer? ¡°Think about it. Manman suffered so much for him in the past. Don¡¯t you want him to experience all the pain and embarrassment? This is the best opportunity to stand up for Manman. He will still be willing and not complain at all. Moreover, we¡¯ve seen this child since he was young. We know each other¡¯s backgrounds. Isn¡¯t that the best way forward?¡± Shi Zhong broke down the logic and sorted it out for her bit by bit, trying to get her to look at this matter differently. Shen Xian¡¯s anxious heart suddenly calmed down after hearing his words. After thinking about the cause and effect, she nodded in realization. ¡°That¡¯s right, why didn¡¯t I think of it? Even if Yi Zheng took the worst move, that¡¯s his determination to marry Manman. Why don¡¯t we let them do it themselves and let Yi Zheng suffer a little? At that time, whether he moves Manman or gives up will depend on his own efforts.¡± ¡°Yes, my wife is so smart,¡± Shi Zhong praised at the right time. Shen Xian felt relieved. Her heart, which had been blocked by a huge rock, suddenly lit up. She stood up and stretched. She smiled and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go back to sleep quickly! I still have to wake up early tomorrow!¡± ¡°Why are you up early?¡± Shi Zhong asked in confusion. She was now idle at home enjoying life. If there was nothing important, she should have sufficient sleep before getting up. Shen Xian smiled at him mysteriously. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, do you? I have to get up before Manman so that I can take the opportunity to tell her not to agree to Yi Zheng¡¯s pursuit too quickly. I have to let him suffer some hard knocks and not let him succeed easily.¡± Shi Zhong couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He stood up and hugged his wife¡¯s shoulder dotingly. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Then I¡¯ll wake you up tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Then why are we wasting time? Hurry up and go upstairs to sleep!¡± Shen Xian was energetic. She grabbed Shi Zhong¡¯s hand and walked up the stairs. Poor Shi Zhong could only complain innocently behind him. ¡°Honey, I haven¡¯t eaten yet!¡± The next morning, Shen Xian indeed went downstairs early to personally prepare breakfast for Shi Man. She made a pot of thick shrimp porridge to nourish her family. When Shi Man went downstairs, the others were already waiting for her. The gloominess from yesterday was swept away from Shen Xian¡¯s face. She happily held Shi Man¡¯s hand and sat at the dining table. She smiled and said, ¡°Hurry up and try Mom¡¯s porridge. Is it better than the ones outside?¡± Shi Man looked up at her in surprise. After transmigrating for so long, this was the first time she knew that Shen Xian could cook. Curious, she picked up the soup spoon and tasted it. A smile suddenly appeared on her habitually stiff face. ¡°Mommy¡¯s porridge is the best.¡± The generous praise made Shen Xian¡¯s heart tremble. She stroked Shi Man¡¯s hair even more lovingly. ¡°Eat more if you like. Mom has something to tell you later.¡± Chapter 181 - 181 A Womans Perfume 181 A Woman¡¯s Perfume Shi Man obediently finished her meal, put down her bowl and chopsticks, and looked at her mother calmly. Shen Xian put away the smile on her face and looked at Shi Zhong. Taking advantage of the fact that her sons were around, she directly said the outcome of the her discussion with their father last night. Shi Man listened quietly and suddenly smiled. ¡°You want to persuade me not to agree to him easily and let me delay it for a while more as revenge for his previous attitude, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what Mom means.¡± Shen Xian was very happy that her daughter could understand her unfinished words. She waited for her reaction expectantly. Shi Man nodded slightly. Facing the probing gazes of the surrounding people, she smiled calmly and said, ¡°I think you¡¯re thinking too much. I won¡¯t agree to marry Yi Zheng. I¡¯ll never marry him and this has nothing to do with revenge and tests.¡± Shen Xian could also expect Shi Man to say this. She just wanted to remind her daughter so that she would not suddenly soften and let Yi Zheng succeed easily in the future. After Shi Man finished eating, she didn¡¯t care what the others thought. She looked down at Su Tang, who was still eating porridge, and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in the car. Eat slowly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done eating!¡± Su Tang quickly finished the porridge in her bowl in a few mouthfuls and bowed apologetically to Shen Xian and Shi Zhong to say goodbye. Then, she jogged after Shi Man, who had walked out of the house. Today, it was Shi Yu¡¯s turn to send the two of them to school. However, Shi Yu came back the last night and reeked of alcohol. Shen Xian was worried about him driving, so she changed it to Shi He for the time being. Seeing that his sister had already left, Shi He could not taste his food. At this moment, he had an excuse not to eat breakfast. He hurriedly put down his chopsticks, said goodbye to his parents and brothers, and stood up to chase after her. Shi Mu looked enviously at Shi He, who was so happy that he was about to fly. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh resentfully. ¡°Yesterday, Big Brother didn¡¯t let me hitch a ride because the secretary was still in the car. Today, it was Third Brother who sent her off, and he has a manager to occupy the seat. Will it still be Second Brother tomorrow? Won¡¯t I have to wait another day before I can go to school with Manman?¡± Shi Yu looked at his watch and reminded him in amusement, ¡°If you don¡¯t finish eating soon, you¡¯ll be late.¡± ¡°Second Brother, why did you drink so much last night? The Guan family even said that you vomited!¡± Shi Mu looked at his gentle brother at home with a worried expression. He really couldn¡¯t imagine that a person like him would get drunk. Shi Yu lowered his head, his long eyelashes blocking the emotions in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do this again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize!¡± Shi Mu thought that he was doing this because of his words. He quickly waved his hand and said in a panic, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re all men. What¡¯s wrong with going out to drink occasionally?¡± Shi Zhong coughed lightly and reminded her sternly, ¡°You haven¡¯t graduated and are still a student. You can¡¯t drink outside!¡± Shi Mu closed his mouth in embarrassment and looked at his mother for help. Shen Xian¡¯s heart ached for her son. She asked the chef to cook a bowl of hangover soup for Shi Yu. ¡°Drink this so you won¡¯t feel uncomfortable. Don¡¯t drink so much alcohol in the future. It¡¯s not good for your health.¡± ¡°I understand, Mom,¡± Shi Yu agreed quietly. After drinking the soup, he got up to bid farewell to the two of them and went to work alone. Shi Mu stared at his back for a long time. When he walked out of the house, he suddenly turned to look at his parents. ¡°When Second Brother came back last night, I helped the Guan family support him. I smelled a woman¡¯s perfume on him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, right?¡± Shen Xian frowned tightly. She really couldn¡¯t imagine this serious and gentle son of hers doing such a thing. She subconsciously looked at her husband. ¡°Old Shi, did our son make a mistake after he got drunk?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too much first.¡± Shi Zhong glared at Shi Mu and said angrily, ¡°Why do you trust him so much? He doesn¡¯t have a dog¡¯s nose. If he¡¯s really so good at sniffing out everything, I¡¯ll send him to the police force tomorrow. He can be of use there.¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to suffer!¡± Shi Mu wailed and refused. He lowered his head and quickly finished the porridge in his bowl. Then, he picked up his bag and rushed out of the house, afraid that his father would really act on it if he was a step late. Shi Zhong only wanted to scare him. After they left, he continued to comfort his worried wife. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much before the matter is investigated clearly. Moreover, what else can he do when he was drunk last night? Didn¡¯t he come home clean?¡± Only then did Shen Xian heave a sigh of relief. She couldn¡¯t help but hold Shi Zhong¡¯s hand and say, ¡°It¡¯s still the Hubby who can comfort me. When will these children make me completely relieved?¡± Shi Zhong patted her back in amusement and coaxed, ¡°Alright, alright. Leave it to me. Don¡¯t worry about Shi Yu. I¡¯ll definitely find out.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Shen Xian leaned against the man¡¯s broad chest and suddenly felt tired. It was sometimes not a good thing to have too many children. Everyone made her worry. Chapter 182 - 182 Marrying Into the Family 182 Marrying Into the Family Ever since Shi Man got into the car, Shi He had been nagging her about how overboard Yi Zheng had been this time. He showed her the apology texts sent by the various brands last night with an indignant expression. His dark brown hair was already burning with anger. ¡°He occupied all the advertising brands. The advertisements I filmed a while ago were taken off the shelves at the same time. Now, the outside world is saying that Yi Zheng is targeting me! Even my fans are asking if there¡¯s any conflict between the two of us!¡± Shi Man held back her laughter and patted his shoulder righteously. ¡°Tell them that in the future, when Yi Zheng marries into our family, he would have to call you Third Brother. Brother is the most important. He has to be respectful to you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shi He suddenly restrained his anger and looked at Shi Man in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Yi Zheng is marrying into our family? Do you want Yi Zheng to be a live-in son-in-law? Then won¡¯t he be embarrassed to the point that the entire country knows? Would he agree?¡± Shi He¡¯s manager, Ning Hui, sat in the front passenger seat and turned around in shock. ¡°Little Princess, don¡¯t teach my Hehe such things. He will take it seriously!¡± Others might not know, but Ning Hui knew best how bad the little princess was at this moment. Who dared to believe everything she said? It was only because the Shi family treated her as an innocent girl that Shi Man, who was already smart, liked to tease people even more. Shi He did not think that Shi Man was joking with him. Instead, he thought about the pros and cons of this matter seriously. After a while, he slapped his thigh and said in realization, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so smart. If Yi Zheng becomes our family¡¯s live-in son-in-law, you won¡¯t have to leave the house after getting married. Wouldn¡¯t that be no different from now? You don¡¯t have to worry about being bullied in the Yi family!¡± Shi Man smiled at him and nodded gently. ¡°Yes, Brother¡¯s analysis is right.¡± Shi He immediately became proud. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Ning Hui proudly. His eyes seemed to be saying, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything. My sister is the smartest and most capable person in the world.¡± Ning Hui did not want to speak at all. The only thing he could do now was to swear that he could not give his phone to Shi He, lest he really be attacked online after making such an shocking announcement. Anyone who had not gone crazy knew that Yi Zheng would never be someone¡¯s live-in son-in-law and live a life under the nose of others. Putting aside the fact that the Yi family had unfathomable strength and huge financial resources, no one would think that Yi Zheng was a cold person who was willing to compromise because of love, right? Shi Man did not think so. She had no intention of experiencing life after marriage, so she was not too interested in marriage. However, if she had to find someone to marry, it had to be someone she really liked. Why would she find a man like Yi Zheng, who did not please her and was unwilling to wrong himself? Was she looking for trouble? The car quickly arrived at the school gate. Only then did Ning Hui heave a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that Shi Man would say something shocking later and completely lead Shi He, who was slow to react, astray. He hurriedly got out of the car and sent the little ancestor away. Ning Hui wiped his sweat and sat back in the car to educate Shi He. At the school gate, Shi Man looked at the bodyguards blocking the way expressionlessly with Su Tang. Her thin lips curled up into a mocking smile. ¡°Did Yi Zheng ask you to come?¡± The man nodded slightly and cupped the large bouquet of flowers in his hand in front of her. ¡°Miss Shi, my master said that there¡¯s something you¡¯re interested in here. Please be patient and take a look.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shi Man had no intention of reaching out to take it. At this moment, there were already people coming and going at the school gate, but no one was willing to enter the school. They were all loitering at the door as if they wanted to witness this good show with their own eyes. The bodyguard also knew that Shi Man was difficult to deal with. He touched the back of his head awkwardly and frowned. ¡°Open it yourself and take a look. Master said that you must like it very much.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Shi Man held Su Tang¡¯s hand and was about to walk around him into the school. The man panicked and blocked her way in a panic. ¡°It might be a check. I didn¡¯t see it clearly. Miss Shi, why don¡¯t you take a look yourself?¡± ¡°A check?¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t figure out why he was giving her money for no reason. She didn¡¯t lack money to spend, but on second thought, she suddenly remembered what she had promised him that night. She snatched the flowers from his hand and glanced at one of the flowers that revealed a corner of the paper. She took out the check expressionlessly. Just as Shi Man had expected, this was indeed the remaining commission that the other party should have sent her after she put on a show for Hellgate. However, the number here was wrong. Thinking of Yi Zheng¡¯s self-righteous manner when he asked her for the venue fee that night, Shi Man sneered in her heart. She threw the check to him and said, ¡°Bring it back to your master and say that I don¡¯t want it anymore. Keep it as a betrothal gift for him to marry into the Shi family. Tell him to prepare the dowry well. Otherwise, I¡¯ll break off the engagement.¡± Chapter 183 - 183 Raising a Daughter 183 Raising a Daughter The people at the door were dumbfounded. Only Su Tang looked at the Yi family¡¯s bodyguards who were in a dilemma with a calm expression and followed Shi Man into the school in silence. Outside the classroom, Yuan Yi was waiting at the door. When he saw Shi Man walking over, he jogged a few steps to her. ¡°Manman, how was the discussion with your family? Do you have a countermeasure for Yi Zheng?¡± Shi Man turned her head and gestured for Su Tang to return to the classroom first. Then, she looked up at him indifferently and said, ¡°I won¡¯t agree to marry him. If he insists on getting engaged, then he can marry into the Shi family. Otherwise, there¡¯s no need to talk about anything.¡± Yuan Yi widened his eyes in shock. He thought that Shi Man would think of some other ideas to force Yi Zheng to give up, but he never expected it to be such a¡­ indescribable method. It really suited her indifferent style. Yuan Yi was silent for a moment. He suddenly calmed down and took the initiative to suggest to her, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s another way that won¡¯t trouble you and can make Yi Zheng give up completely.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows playfully and smiled. ¡°Tell me.¡± Yuan Yi clenched his fists. When he thought of the first time he hugged her shoulder yesterday, his heart raced. He knew that if he didn¡¯t work hard now, it would probably be even harder for him to have a chance in the future. Then, he mustered his courage and said, ¡°You can marry¡­¡± ¡°Sister! I finally found you!¡± Before he could finish, Shi Mu ran over from the end of the corridor, panting. After taking a deep breath, he saw Yuan Yi and casually waved his hand as a greeting. Then, he slowly said to Shi Man, ¡°Did you send the application to join the Student Union this morning?¡± Yuan Yi immediately stared at her curiously. Shi Man nodded calmly and said, ¡°It was me. I didn¡¯t expect you to be reading emails on the way. I thought you wouldn¡¯t notice until you arrived at school.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve really decided to join the Student Union! Sister! That¡¯s great! I can pass my position to you!¡± Shi Mu held his sister¡¯s hand happily and was about to bring her back to the Student Union office for surprise training. He was ready to hand the heavy burden to her. Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She let him hold her, but her footsteps didn¡¯t move. ¡°Brother, I still have class. I¡¯ll look for you during lunch break.¡± Only then did Shi Mu realize that his sister was not a student who was about to graduate. She still had to attend her daily classes. He could only let go awkwardly and lower his head regretfully. ¡°Alright then, but you must come and look for me during your lunch break. I¡¯m waiting for you to have lunch with me.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Shi Man agreed readily. Yuan Yi smiled as he watched the siblings¡¯ cute interaction. He suddenly asked curiously, ¡°Why do you suddenly want to join the Student Union? I remember you said that you weren¡¯t interested.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly and met two pairs of equally curious eyes. She smiled frankly and said, ¡°Because the Student Union has the right to punish students. It doesn¡¯t look useless.¡± This was true. The student unions of other schools were at most a bridge between teachers and students. They were usually in charge of doing hard work that others did not like to do. However, the Student Union of Cassel Academy held the right to punish the students of the entire school. They could punish the students according to the school rules without the approval of the teachers. Speaking of which, this right was fought for by Shi Ke when he was the president of the Student Union, so it had been used until now. Shi Mu also felt that this was the only benefit of being the president. He patted Shi Man¡¯s shoulder casually and said, ¡°I heard that Class F has even become disciplined after Sister came. Now, because Sister is ranked top, the average score of the entire class has been raised. Sister deserves to be the president. Don¡¯t worry, Brother will definitely let you have your wish.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man did not need his comfort because she was not worried that what she liked would be snatched away by others. Even if someone came to snatch it, it would only add some seasoning to her boring life. After living an ordinary life for a long time, she really needed a competitor. Yi Zheng was one of them. During the lunch break, Shi Man acted on her promise to Shi Mu in the morning and brought Su Tang to the canteen to meet Shi Mu. When Shi Mu saw Su Tang, an idea suddenly occurred to him. He took the initiative to suggest to her, ¡°Manman is going to join the Student Union. Why don¡¯t you accompany Manman? You and Manman are so close. In the future, when I¡¯m not in school, you can take care of each other.¡± Su Tang looked at Shi Man in surprise. As she was surprised that she suddenly agreed to join the club, she nodded without hesitation. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go wherever Manman goes.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± Shi Mu personally gave her a big drumstick as a reward. Su Tang was flattered and hurriedly thanked him. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I actually don¡¯t need a reward. Why don¡¯t you let Manman eat it?¡± As if feeling that she had thought of an impressive plan, Su Tang stared at Shi Man expectantly. Shi Man glanced at her speechlessly, her eyes indifferent and calm. ¡°Su Tang, sometimes I really suspect that you¡¯re raising me like a daughter.¡± Chapter 184 - 184 The Untouchable Immaculate 184 The Untouchable Immaculate Su Tang opened her mouth to deny it, but she thought of how she would think of Shi Man first when she had delicious food; she would habitually bring a portion for Shi Man when she needed to prepare things. When she couldn¡¯t see her, she would often worry. When she saw her by her side, she would be in a good mood. This was really like raising a daughter. Su Tang couldn¡¯t help but snicker. She threw the untouched drumstick on the plate into Shi Man¡¯s bowl and imitated Shi Mu¡¯s actions just now. She smiled dotingly and said, ¡°Be good and eat more.¡± Shi Man looked at her speechlessly and suddenly began to reflect on whether she had been too good to her usually. That was why she dared to tease her like this. However, no matter how she criticized in her heart, she still ate the drumstick obediently. Su Tang and Shi Mu looked at each other and smiled. Shi Mu was increasingly satisfied with Su Tang. In his heart, he even hoped that Su Tang could stay with the Shi family to accompany Manman. She was better than the previous Shi Jing. At least Su Tang was sincerely thinking for Shi Man and would consider her interests at all times. Such an honest child was rare now. He really did not know if Yi Zheng had eyes in the past. He actually ignored such a good child. However, when he thought of how blind Yi Zheng was when he didn¡¯t like Shi Man, he felt relieved. In the office, the man stared at the sweating bodyguard in front of him without blinking. His fingers tapped on the table from time to time, and it was unknown what he was thinking. The bodyguard felt that the soft sound of his fingers knocking on the table was like a death warrant. He had not done a good job and had let so many people hear that Shi Man wanted Yi Zheng to marry into the family. This matter would probably not be easy. Unexpectedly, Yi Zheng smiled instead of being angry. After thinking for a moment, he called Tang Zhe over and instructed indifferently, ¡°Give Uncle Shi the land that he didn¡¯t snatch from the Yi family previously. Draw up an agreement and consider it a betrothal gift.¡± Tang Zhe was dumbfounded as he looked at the President who was about to give away the fat meat in his mouth. He wanted to remind him that Miss Shi had asked him to prepare a dowry, not a betrothal gift. However, even if Miss Shi dared to say this, he would not be able to say it even if he had ten thousand guts. He could only nod in agreement and go through the transfer procedures bitterly. The bodyguard was still standing in the office, sweating profusely as he waited for the guillotine above his head to fall so that he could receive a quick death. Yi Zheng did not plan to deal with him. He gently leaned back in his chair and stared at him with an obscure gaze. ¡°Have you hidden the few people from Immaculate?¡± ¡°Master, we¡¯ve already arranged for them to stay in the base. It¡¯s impossible for the people from Hellgate to discover anything,¡± the bodyguard replied seriously. Yi Zheng nodded and continued to instruct, ¡°Give Sean the ordnance and supplies you snatched from the Nighthawk yesterday. This person is reliable and is Immaculate¡¯s second-in-command. Don¡¯t have a conflict with him.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The bodyguard received the order and could finally go down to do something. He was glad to be able to temporarily distance himself from Yi Zheng, who was always emitting low pressure. Last night, their men had mobilized and disguised their identities to snatch the Nighthawks¡¯ military supplies to support Hellgate. There were a total of 30 boxes of guns and various medicines. It seemed that the two families were prepared to join forces to completely eliminate Immaculate¡¯s other accomplices from G City. However, what they did not expect was that Yi Zheng had long sent people to keep an eye on their movements. When they met, they swarmed forward. Everything that was taken out was put into the car and transported away, not leaving a single bullet for the Hellgate. Thinking of how he had caught them off guard last night, the bodyguard¡¯s blood was still boiling. If Miss Shi could see that bandit enter the village and rob everything on the surface, she would definitely be able to have fun! Now, in their eyes, Immaculate was no longer just a simple alliance, but the ancestor of their entire blood oath. Even their master did not dare to provoke it, let alone the group of henchmen under them. They naturally served it carefully and did not dare to offend Immaculate at all. As he walked out, an even more impressive figure walked over. The bodyguard quickly lowered his head and stood to the side to make way for him. When he was far away, he patted his chest in shock. Oh no, this was their master¡¯s father-in-law! Fortunately, he had subconsciously walked slowly when he was thinking about something just now. If he accidentally bumped into this old man, wouldn¡¯t their master swallow him alive? Shi Zhong did not even look at him. He walked straight into the President¡¯s office and ignored Tang Zhe¡¯s obstruction. He raised his hand and said impolitely, ¡°Go out first. I have something to say to Yi Zheng alone.¡± Tang Zhe looked at his master tentatively. After receiving an affirmative answer, he apologized to him fawningly and tactfully closed the office door for the two of them. Yi Zheng had always been polite in front of his elders, and this time was no exception. He stood up and walked out from behind his desk. He personally invited him to sit on the sofa and poured him a cup of hot tea. Then, he asked unhurriedly, ¡°Uncle Shi, what¡¯s the hurry? Tell me slowly. I¡¯ll do my best to help you.¡± Chapter 185 - 185 Mysterious Girlfriend 185 Mysterious Girlfriend Shi Zhong did not stand on ceremony with him. He drank a cup of hot tea and looked at him sternly. ¡°Did Shi Yu come to look for you yesterday afternoon?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng had nothing to hide. After nodding slightly to admit it, he asked curiously, ¡°Is there a problem? What happened?¡± Shi Zhong¡¯s eyes were deep as he stared at him with an unfriendly expression. ¡°Do you know that Shi Yu has a girlfriend?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± This time, even Yi Zheng was shocked. He was stunned for a moment before asking in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Shi Yu has never told me these things. Uncle, how did you know?¡± How else could he know? Could he say that Shi Mu smelled it? He had only followed the clues to reassure his wife, but he had really found some telltale signs. However, he did not expect the other party to be the Fang family¡¯s daughter. At the mention of this, Shi Zhong was furious. ¡°I won¡¯t stop him from having a girlfriend, but how can he hook up with that girl? That¡¯s Fang Han, who was expelled from the academy after slandering and framing Manman!¡± Yi Zheng frowned tightly. Hearing his sigh, he immediately patted his back to calm him down. ¡°Uncle Shi, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll ask Shi Yu about this first. Perhaps there¡¯s a misunderstanding. Shi Yu cares a lot about Manman. She won¡¯t find a classmate who doesn¡¯t get along with her to be his girlfriend.¡± Shi Zhong let out a long sigh. ¡°I hope so. In any case, I won¡¯t agree to let that girl enter the family!¡± Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he refilled his cup of hot tea. ¡°Uncle Shi seems to be especially strict with Manman, but he still cares about her.¡± Shi Zhong looked up at him and said earnestly, ¡°I only have one daughter in my life. How can I not dote on her? In the past, she was too mischievous, so I restrained her severely and disciplined her because I was afraid that she would go astray. But now that Manman is finally sensible, I also hope that she can have a good home. My daughter should be worthy of the best man in the world. Otherwise, my Shi family would rather raise her for the rest of her life. Do you understand?¡± Yi Zheng nodded obediently and took the opportunity to promise him, ¡°I¡¯ll treat Manman well. My sincerity will be greater than any man¡¯s.¡± Shi Zhong had nothing else to say. He stood up and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s it then. I¡¯ll leave first. I¡¯ll leave Shi Yu to you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yi Zheng stood up and sent him off respectfully. Then, he turned around and dialed Shi Yu¡¯s number. ¡­ At that time, in front of the white bed, the man suppressed his anger and silently confronted the woman who refused to get up. ¡°Fang Han, I definitely didn¡¯t do anything last night. Don¡¯t pester me.¡± When Fang Han heard this, she lifted the blanket angrily, revealing bruises all over her body. Anyone who saw her would know that something must have happened to her last night. But now that Shi Yu denied it, what should she do about her innocence? Thinking of this, Fang Han rushed over and hugged Shi Yu¡¯s waist. With tears in her eyes, she said, ¡°You can¡¯t be irresponsible. Even if I didn¡¯t have a good relationship with Shi Man in the past, this isn¡¯t an excuse you can be irresponsible! This is my first time. Don¡¯t even think about letting it go!¡± Shi Yu could not defend himself because the surveillance camera showed that he had indeed entered this hotel with Fang Han last night. After he woke up, there was indeed a naked girl lying beside him, but there was a gap in his memory. He only remembered drinking too much until someone gently whispered in his ear that she was taking him home. He was so drunk that he couldn¡¯t see who it was at all. He only heard the word ¡°home¡± and followed her. Who knew that this person was Fang Han? Shi Yu pushed her away impatiently. He closed his eyes and touched the bed a few times before grabbing the blanket and wrapping it tightly around her naked body. ¡°I¡¯m not irresponsible, but I really don¡¯t remember what I did last night unless you go to the hospital with me for a checkup. If it can really be proven that I did it, I¡¯ll definitely marry you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Fang Han shook her head in panic, tears streaming down her face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital. What am I if I go to the hospital? Shi Yu, I heard that you know the law. You should know under what circumstances you need to be in to go to the hospital for such a checkup!¡± Shi Yu closed his eyes silently and said coldly, ¡°Then what do you want?¡± If she didn¡¯t go to the hospital for a checkup, he wouldn¡¯t be able to convince himself to marry a woman who had an extremely bad relationship with his sister. However, he couldn¡¯t easily pretend that nothing had happened and leave her alone in the hotel. If he really did it, he would be worse than a beast! Fang Han stopped crying, looking pitiful. Unfortunately, Shi Yu was destined not to be in the mood to appreciate her delicateness, let alone spend time coaxing her. The only thing he could do now was to let Fang Han offer a price. After he compensated, the two of them would have nothing to do with each other and not meet again. Fang Han had been crying for too long, and her throat had already begun to dry. She could only swallow her saliva to moisten her throat and say carefully, ¡°Can you let me go back to school?¡± Chapter 186 - 186 Returning to School 186 Returning to School Shi Yu frowned and stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Impossible! If I let you return to school so quickly, wouldn¡¯t that make my sister suffer? You did something wrong, so you have to bear the consequences yourself!¡± Fang Han threw the blanket away and pounced on him. Her naked body wrapped tightly around the man¡¯s thin body, and her strength was so strong that Shi Yu could not breathe. ¡°No! If you don¡¯t agree to this, you can only marry me! I can¡¯t give my clean body to you for nothing. If I don¡¯t have an education anymore, it won¡¯t be easy for me to get married in the future!¡± That was the truth. The daughters of rich families all held high degrees and brought glory to their families. Only she, Fang Han, had been expelled from the famous Cassel Academy. If the person she was going to be engaged to in the future found out why she had been expelled in the past, he would definitely despise her and refuse to accept her. A rich young lady who had lost the value of marriage was destined to be abandoned by her family and be a useless pawn. She would be helpless no matter what others did. Fang Han did not want to live such a life. Last night, she had eavesdropped on her family¡¯s conversation, so she came out to drink in frustration. She did not expect to accidentally bump into the drunk Shi Yu. This was a godsend opportunity for her! As the second son of the Shi family, Shi Yu¡¯s status was second only to Shi Ke. He controlled a famous law firm in the country and could be said to be handsome and rich. He instantly captured Fang Han¡¯s heart. As long as she seized this opportunity, she might be able to become the first daughter-in-law of the richest family. At that time, even if Shi Man didn¡¯t like her, the Shi family might not hold it against her anymore. At that time, all the love that belonged to Shi Man might fall on her! With this thought in mind, Fang Han bewitched Shi Yu to get a room. However, he fell asleep after entering the room. She could only make a bad move and bear the pain to leave bruises on her body, pretending that the two of them had done something. She had spent so much effort. She had to walk away with something! Whether it was to help her return to Cassel Academy or simply marry her, Shi Yu had to choose one! Shi Yu stood rooted to the ground, stunned and speechless. If he really did it, he could not sit back and do nothing. The hangover headache attacked him again. He tentatively reached out to touch Fang Han¡¯s bare shoulder and said gently, ¡°Alright, I promise you. Put on your clothes first.¡± ¡°Are you agreeing to marry me?¡± Fang Han was delighted and stared at her expectantly. Shi Yu frowned tightly and shook his head in resistance. ¡°No, I¡¯ll let you return to Cassel Academy to continue your studies, but you have to remember that you¡¯re not allowed to mention this to anyone in the future. Nothing happened between us.¡± ¡°Alright! I promise you! Shi Yu, you¡¯re really a good person!¡± Fang Han was a little disappointed that she did not get the spot to be the first daughter-in-law of the Shi family. However, she quickly turned her worry into joy and sighed proudly in her heart. This way, the discussions about the Fang family in the outside world would be much softer. Her days at home would not be like walking on thin ice, waiting for the fate of being married off at any time. Seeing that she had agreed readily this time, Shi Yu¡¯s headache eased a little. He turned to leave, but his arm was suddenly grabbed by the girl behind him. Sensing the man¡¯s tense body and disgusted expression, Fang Han tactfully retracted her hand and coughed lightly. ¡°Um, Brother Shi Yu, can you let me return to my original class? My learning progress is different from other classes. I won¡¯t be able to keep up if I go to another class.¡± Shi Yu knew that her sister¡¯s Class F was the last in the entire grade, and Fang Han¡¯s results were the last. If she was really arranged to be in another class, she would probably have to repeat the grade or be expelled not long after. Hence, he did not refuse and nodded in agreement. Before leaving, Shi Yu still felt uneasy. He couldn¡¯t help but turn his head and close his eyes to avoid looking at her body. He suddenly asked, ¡°I owe you too much this time. You can ask for anything at once. This way, we won¡¯t have to interact again.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It would be a waste not to take advantage of him! Fang Han smiled and put on her clothes. After jumping out of bed, she rubbed her hands nervously and said, ¡°Can you make sure Shi Man does not target me in the future? I really want to study hard this time! If I do anything to dissatisfy her, can you ask her not to be calculative with me?¡± Noticing Shi Yu¡¯s suspicious gaze, Fang Han hurriedly raised her hand and promised, ¡°I won¡¯t take the initiative to provoke her! If I need her help in any way, please ask her to help me for the sake of what happened today. This way, I won¡¯t have to go over to look for you and cause you trouble.¡± Shi Yu thought about it and felt that it was feasible. However, he would have to trouble his sister this time. He had to explain it to her when he got home later. Chapter 187 - 187 Multiple Investigations 187 Multiple Investigations When Shi Man returned home at night, she saw Shi Yu loitering at the door with a hesitant expression. She couldn¡¯t help but take a few quick steps and ask with a frown, ¡°Why is Second Brother here? Why aren¡¯t you going home?¡± Seeing her return, Shi Yu hurriedly held her hand and led her to a quiet pavilion in the manor. As soon as Shi He got out of the car, he saw his sister being pulled away. He stomped his feet in anger and glared at Ning Hui, who was standing at the side. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Second Brother today? He actually came to snatch his sister from me! What happened to the rotation? I just said that I wanted to bring his sister to watch my new movie!¡± Ning Hui stood speechlessly at the side and listened to Movie King Shi¡¯s crazy ridicule of his brother. After a while, when his mouth was dry and had calmed down, Ning Hui slowly advised, ¡°You have to speak less recently. The television drama that starts tomorrow has to be recorded live and voice actors are not allowed. If your voice is hoarse, the effect of the recording will be greatly reduced.¡± He did not care why Shi Yu suddenly wanted to look for Shi Man. Anyway, that person was the little princess¡¯s biological brother. How could he abuse her? What he was most concerned about now was Shi He¡¯s next movie. If he successfully won the Best Actor award again, he would win all the awards in the country. Shi He knew the importance of his voice now. He held back his words and let Ning Hui go back first. He returned to the living room with the script and reviewed his lines while waiting for his sister to return. In the pavilion, Shi Yu wanted to say something but hesitated as he looked at his expressionless sister opposite him. He, who had always been good with words, found it difficult to speak this time. Shi Man waited for him for a long time, but he did not say a word. She immediately knew that he had encountered something big. She frowned and asked, ¡°Second Brother, what¡¯s so serious? You can tell me directly. Just like how I would come to you for help if I encountered any problems in the past, there¡¯s no need for hesitation between siblings. Just say it.¡± Shi Yu thought of how the little sister who only knew how to give him bad ideas in the past had really grown up now. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh and say, ¡°Speaking of this, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Shi Man frowned and asked, ¡°What exactly is it?¡± Shi Yu told Shi Man about his conversation with Fang Han today. Then, he carefully looked up at her expression. He did not see any different emotions on her expressionless face. Shi Yu did not know if he should be worried or relieved. Just as he was hesitating to ask his sister for her opinion again, Shi Man suddenly interrupted him thoughtfully. ¡°Brother, are you sure you really did it?¡± It was definitely not a proud situation to be asked such a question by his sister directly. Shi Yu¡¯s face turned red, and his fair face was filled with innocence. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but when I woke up, there was indeed only Fang Han by my side. Moreover, she¡­¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t dressed yet?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and said the rest of his words. Shi Yu was immediately shocked. He looked around guiltily and did not sense anyone approaching. Only then did he feel relieved and could not help but lecture her, ¡°How can a little girl know this? Sister, you can¡¯t say such things again.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there not to say?¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t think much of it. She retracted her gaze and looked at the purple flower at the side. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Even if there are any traces on her body, it can¡¯t prove that you did it. Why didn¡¯t Brother verify it before agreeing to her?¡± Shi Yu sighed helplessly and told her about Fang Han¡¯s unwillingness to check. Actually, he could understand Fang Han¡¯s feelings. If word got out that she had been brought into the hospital by a man to check her private parts, she might really not be able to face the world anymore. As a man, he just had to bear the consequences of his mistakes. He really didn¡¯t have to implicate her and let her suffer many criticisms that she shouldn¡¯t have. Shi Man did not think so. No matter how she thought about it, she felt that it was Fang Han¡¯s trap. However, seeing her brother¡¯s determined look, she decided to agree for the time being. As for the truth, she would investigate for her brother and definitely find out what happened that night! At the same time, Yi Zheng was also investigating what happened that night. The surveillance footage showed that Fang Han had indeed taken the initiative to approach Shi Yu, but Shi Yu had also taken the initiative to put his arm on her shoulder and was half dragged and half carried into the hotel by Fang Han. It was impossible for there to be a surveillance camera in the room, but this video did not prove anything. Fang Han could totally claim that she had seen Shi Yu drink too much, so she kindly sent him to the hotel to rest. If he did not get the most important evidence and attacked rashly, Fang Han would only catch him in the wrong and make even more threats. Of course, Shi Man could also find out about this. However, what was different was that she had cleverly investigated the sphere of influence of this hotel. She did not expect it to be a good friend of Hellgate; this was a subordinate hotel of Nighthawk. She called Sean, who was hiding in the dark, and found out that the boss of Nighthawk was actually a lustful playboy. Shi Man felt even more confident. Chapter 188 - 188 Enemies On A Narrow Road 188 Enemies On A Narrow Road Late at night, Shi Man booked the room Shi Yu and Fang Han had slept in last night. While everyone in the family was asleep, she secretly sneaked out of the Shi family¡¯s manor and checked into the hotel. Seeing that she had come alone late at night and was young, the woman at the front desk advised kindly, ¡°You must remember to lock the door of the room at night. If there are strangers knocking, don¡¯t open it easily. Our staff won¡¯t disturb your rest so late, so please don¡¯t open the door for anyone.¡± Shi Man accepted her kindness. When she paid, she gave her a few more bills as a tip. The woman at the front desk was shocked. She didn¡¯t expect this little girl to be a rich person at such a young age. She immediately nodded gratefully and said, ¡°If there¡¯s anything, call Auntie using the room phone.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man nodded, took the room card, and turned to walk into the elevator. Along the way, she paid attention to the hotel¡¯s surveillance cameras. The distance from the lobby to the elevator was within the surveillance cameras¡¯ line of sight. However, other than that, the hotel might not have installed surveillance cameras to protect the privacy of its customers. However, thinking of the rumors about the boss of Nighthawk that she had heard from Sean, Shi Man did not believe that he would be so kind as to think for the customers. Sean had said that Nighthawk¡¯s boss, Zhu Meng, had just taken over the business. If his father had not died too early, it would not have been his turn to inherit the family business. Come to think of it, if not for the fact that Zhu Meng was brainless, he wouldn¡¯t have given Hellgate so many resources at once. It could only be said that he was stupid and rich. It seemed that Nighthawk would be screwed over by him sooner or later. Finally, she reached the door. After Shi Man took out her room card and swiped it open, she habitually paid attention to the movements behind her. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she walked into the room and locked the door. However, she was not in a hurry to plug in the room card and light up the room. Instead, she took out her phone and switched on the ultraviolet light to carefully search every socket in the room. The first to be investigated was the television opposite the bed. Shi Man was bending down and carefully shining the light on every place where the cameras would be hidden when she suddenly heard a soft sound from the door behind her. She immediately turned off the light on her phone and hid her aura and figure in the darkness. She narrowed her eyes to adapt to the darkness and waited for the person at the door to walk into her trap. The person outside first gently tugged at the door handle. Seeing that there was no movement inside, he took out a bank card from his pocket a moment later. After cleverly swiping open the door lock, he stared at every corner of the room with a sharp gaze. After confirming the approximate location of the person hiding inside, he suddenly stepped into the house. The door creaked behind him. The two of them held their breaths and stared at each other silently in the darkness. The man¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. After his eyes quickly adapted to the darkness in front of him, he walked toward the end of the bed. The moment the palm beside him slashed over, he raised his hand and grabbed her wrist tightly, pulling her into his arms. A familiar aura assaulted her. Shi Man sneered in her heart as she pretended not to recognize him. She continued to exchange blows with him mercilessly until he was cornered and could not retreat. Only then did she arrogantly press her arm against his neck and tease him with a smile, ¡°President Yi, you lost to me this time.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Yi Zheng smiled evilly. Not only did he not push her, but he also casually placed his hand on Shi Man¡¯s waist and hugged her to comfort her. ¡°Alright, then even if you won, I didn¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°Hooligan!¡± Shi Man glared at him and retracted her hand in boredom. She distanced herself from him and turned to insert the room card into the position of the circuit master control. The room instantly lit up. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yi Zheng stood up and straightened his wrinkled clothes. He smiled matter-of-factly and said, ¡°Uncle Shi asked me to investigate this matter. What about you?¡± Shi Man rolled her eyes speechlessly. ¡°You know the answer. Of course, I¡¯m here to help my brother investigate.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Yi Zheng walked to her side without changing his expression. He suddenly looked down at her innocently and said, ¡°But Uncle Shi shouldn¡¯t know that her daughter came to the hotel to get a room in the middle of the night, right?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Shi Man looked at him coldly, feeling inexplicably frustrated. This man indeed knew how to make her angry. In this aspect, no one in her two lifetimes could be his match. Yi Zheng smiled indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t report it to Uncle Shi. The premise is that we investigate together.¡± Shi Man was already used to Yi Zheng¡¯s pestering and could even guess his thoughts. She continued angrily, ¡°And then place all the results I found on you, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng looked at her angry expression in amusement. It turned out that this girl would unintentionally reveal such a cute expression. He couldn¡¯t help but want to continue teasing her. ¡°After all, you ran out secretly, but I¡¯m doing it openly.¡± Chapter 189 - 189 Pranking and Being Pranked 189 Pranking and Being Pranked Shi Man looked at the bank card that he had just stuffed into his pocket to unlock the door and sneered. ¡°You call this open and aboveboard? President Yi, it isn¡¯t honorable for you to secretly open a room using a bank card in the middle of the night, right?¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± Yi Zheng found a comfortable seat and sat down. He looked at her calmly and said, ¡°You booked this room in your own name. If word gets out, won¡¯t outsiders say that you sneaked out in the middle of the night to get a room with your fianc¨¦?¡± Shi Man took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She repeatedly warned herself why she was here this time and not to be angry at this thick-skinned man in front of her. ¡°Alright, then sit here and wait.¡± Yi Zheng smiled and nodded. Then, he watched as Shi Man pulled out the room card expressionlessly and picked up her phone again. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Shi Man¡¯s hearing was especially sensitive in the darkness. She immediately turned around and glared at him in an unfriendly tone. The ultraviolet light shone mercilessly on his face. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Yi Zheng turned his head slightly to avoid the light. Shi Man smiled smugly as she thought to herself that she might as well blind him. As she let her imagination run wild, she searched the room for the camera. After spending a lot of effort, Shi Man finally saw the hidden camera emitting a red light in the charging jack under the television. She quickly turned off the ultraviolet light and dodged to the side to work with her phone. Soon, she hacked into the interior of the camera and pulled up the surveillance video footage that had not been destroyed. As soon as the scene was played, a couple was doing something inappropriate on the bed. Yi Zheng strode over almost instantly and snatched her phone away. After turning off the video, he glared at Shi Man fiercely. ¡°Why are you looking at this, young lady? Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting sore eyes?¡± Unfortunately, the room was too dark. The deterrence in his eyes did not reach Shi Man at all. She seemed to have suddenly discovered something interesting. She leaned against the wall with a smile and asked in an ambiguous tone, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to be so conservative at your age. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t seen it before?¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s face was burning. Fortunately, there was no light in the room and Shi Man could not sense it at all. He heaved a sigh of relief and said as calmly as possible, ¡°This is not something you should ask. If you really care, I don¡¯t mind you trying it with me personally. After all, we¡¯re already engaged.¡± Shi Man sneered and suddenly took a step closer with evil intentions. She gently placed her fingers on his shoulder and instantly ignited the ambiguous sparks in the room. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid President Yi is ignorant. Why don¡¯t you watch the film and learn from it?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the room fell into a long silence. Just as Shi Man thought that he would not speak, an arm suddenly reached over her. Before she could guard herself, it dragged her to a corner where no cameras could shine. His heavy breathing exploded in her ears. ¡°You don¡¯t have to learn. You can try now.¡± ¡°Yi Zheng! How dare you!¡± Shi Man glared fiercely at the man in front of her who had suddenly become a beast. She raised her leg and was about to kick his crotch. Unfortunately, he was already prepared. Not only did he not let her succeed, but he also grabbed her thigh tightly and pressed her against the wall. ¡°So you like this? Shi Man, you should have told me earlier.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Shi Man did not show mercy this time. She slashed out with her hand, and the man had no choice but to let go of her thigh and take a few steps back. After she tidied her messy clothes, Yi Zheng calmly clipped the room card he had just taken out of her pocket and inserted it back into the main power source. The lights in the room immediately lit up, illuminating Shi Man¡¯s bright red face. Yi Zheng only took a glance before hurriedly looking away. He lowered his head and fiddled with her phone screen a few times before throwing it back to her. ¡°I¡¯ve added it. Remember to send it to me later.¡± He shook his phone. He had just added Shi Man¡¯s contact number. Thinking of how he had deleted her contact number because he despised Shi Man for being too noisy, he couldn¡¯t help but find it funny. He did not expect himself to really be mesmerized by her in such a short period of time. Moreover, he could clearly feel his bottom line lowering step by step for her. If this was in the past, it would definitely not have happened. Shi Man caught the phone and was speechless to see the contact information he had added. She wanted to send the most critical piece of evidence to his phone, but when her fingers touched the send button, she suddenly paused. A brilliant idea quietly appeared in her heart. After making up her mind, she controlled her expression and reached out to take the room card away before opening the door expressionlessly. ¡°I¡¯ll send it to you when I get home. Don¡¯t say a word about what happened today, or I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Chapter 190 - 190 Embarrassed 190 Embarrassed How could it be so easy to get something from her? Shi Man sneered and sat on it. She added some of her own things to the video file she sent to Yi Zheng. In order not to be discovered by Yi Zheng, she specially set up layers of encryption for that small piece of information. After arranging everything, she went to the bathroom to take a shower and came back to lie down. Just as she closed her eyes, the phone beside her pillow suddenly rang. Shi Man opened her eyes in frustration and picked up the phone to look. She saw Yi Zheng replying to her in the chat box with a short ¡°goodnight¡±. Shi Man pursed her lips and put down her phone indifferently, not planning to reply. Yi Zheng stared at the message on the screen as he sorted out the documents, waiting for Shi Man¡¯s reply. Someone knocked on the study door from outside. Lu Xiang carried the coffee to the chair opposite him and sat down. She asked carefully, ¡°Son, I heard that Old Shi went to your company to look for you today. Did he want you to break off the engagement with Manman?¡± Yi Zheng put down the document and stared at his mother in surprise. ¡°Why would you think that? Didn¡¯t Dad tell you that Uncle Shi doesn¡¯t plan to interfere in my relationship with Manman?¡± ¡°Ah? Your father didn¡¯t tell me!¡± Lu Xiang slapped the table angrily and gritted her teeth. ¡°Alright, this old thing actually didn¡¯t tell me after reaching a consensus with Old Shi? I was on tenterhooks for the entire day! This old fart! I¡¯ll go deal with him!¡± Yi Zheng didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he took the coffee and took a sip. He advised helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t blame my father. If my father hadn¡¯t convinced Uncle Shi, Uncle Shi might have really come to break off the engagement with me today.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Only then did Lu Xiang calm down. She blinked and couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Then why did he look for you?¡± ¡°Shi Yu¡¯s matter has been resolved. Mom, don¡¯t worry.¡± Yi Zheng put down the coffee and walked around the desk to massage her shoulders. ¡°No one can stop me and Manman. Even if Manman doesn¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll persist until she agrees.¡± Lu Xiang knew that once her son decided on something, he would not let go easily. She could only sigh and say, ¡°I don¡¯t know why Manman wanted to take Su Tang the last time she came. Do you think she¡¯s still unwilling to marry you?¡± These words were too hurtful. Yi Zheng pursed his lips and said in a low voice, ¡°Mom, even if she¡¯s unwilling now, I have a way to make her willing. Leave this matter to me.¡± ¡°Of course, you have to deal with it yourself!¡± Lu Xiang let out a long sigh. She brushed his hand away and looked up at him seriously. ¡°She¡¯s your future wife. If you don¡¯t settle it, who will? Moreover, if she really agrees to you this time, you can¡¯t ignore her like before. If I find out that you¡¯re just acting out of curiosity, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t¡± Yi Zheng promised her. He would not say too many good things to coax her, but anyone who knew him would know what weight these three simple words contained. Hearing his words, Lu Xiang was no longer worried. After instructing her son to rest early, she rolled up her sleeves and went out to settle scores with Yi Long. The study fell silent again. Yi Zheng sat back in the soft chair in silence. He picked up his phone and saw that it was still empty. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and smile bitterly. The next day, Yi Zheng booked a restaurant and invited Shi Zhong to lunch. Shi Zhong guessed that he might have found out about his second son. He gladly threw his work to his eldest son, Shi Ke, and went to the appointment himself. In the private room, after Yi Zheng personally poured him wine, he slowly took out the video under Shi Zhong¡¯s hopeful eyes. In the video, Shi Yu was already drunk when he entered the room. After Fang Han struggled to move him onto the bed, she started to take off his clothes. Shi Yu was stripped naked by her while he was unconscious. Fang Han still felt that it was not enough. She stroked Shi Yu¡¯s hard abs obsessively before taking off her clothes. The next scene was a little unbearable. No matter how Fang Han struggled on the bed, Shi Yu did not react. She could only fall back onto the bed in dejection. After thinking for a while, she began to pinch her waist and neck, not letting go of every part of her thigh that could be easily touched by a man. After doing all this, she shrank into Shi Yu¡¯s arms and pulled the blanket over the two of them. She waited for Shi Yu to wake up and realize that he had slept with a woman after getting drunk. Shi Zhong was furious. Just as he slapped the table hard and before he could curse, the camera on Yi Zheng¡¯s phone changed and played the scene of a man and woman enjoying various positions on the bed. Their lewd cries immediately resounded throughout the private room. Yi Zheng¡¯s face turned green. He had always been abstinent and cold. He had never been so embarrassed. Chapter 191 - 191 Ambiguity 191 Ambiguity Shi Zhong was also dumbfounded. He could not imagine that this kid, who usually looked like he did not get close to women, would actually watch such things behind his back. Yi Zheng didn¡¯t want to explain, nor could he. He could only snatch the phone and turn off the video as calmly as possible. He explained to him innocently, ¡°Uncle Shi, this should be the virus I accidentally received when I copied the hotel video footage last night.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Zhong nodded absent-mindedly. It was as if he had not recovered from the shock just now. He could only take a big sip of wine awkwardly and say, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Uncle didn¡¯t see anything. Let¡¯s eat.¡± In school, Shi Man looked at the pause signal of the video she had received on her phone and immediately laughed. She had long heard from her brother that her father was going to eat with Yi Zheng at noon. She guessed that they would play the video at that time, so she quietly unlocked the clip and placed it at the end of the video. Even if Yi Zheng turned off the video in advance and did not see the ending, she had a way to control the video remotely. Thinking of how Yi Zheng had embarrassed himself in front of his future father-in-law, Shi Man¡¯s appetite improved a lot. The displeasure in her heart completely disappeared. Su Tang looked at Shi Man, who was suddenly holding her phone and laughing, in confusion. She asked worriedly, ¡°Manman, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Shi Man shook her head, restrained her laughter, and continued to eat with her head lowered. She was extremely smug. A mere Yi Zheng actually wanted to defeat her. It was really a fool¡¯s dream! This time, he would suffer in silence! In the corner of the canteen, Fang Han sat alone eating, but she kept glaring at Shi Man. In the morning, she finally returned to class and was about to be smug with Shi Man. She did not expect Shi Man to not take her seriously in public! She secretly cursed Shi Man in her heart. She planned to complain to Shi Yu after school when Shi Yu came to pick Shi Man up today. She would say that Shi Man did not abide by the agreement at all and let the people in school see that she, Fang Han, was not easy to bully! She wanted people to know that not even Shi Man could touch her!! After making up her mind, she followed Shi Man sneakily after school. Shi Man had long sensed that someone was following her. She was afraid that Fang Han did not have the guts to confront her in public. The corners of her mouth could not help but curl into a mocking smile. She turned her head and said to Su Tang, ¡°There¡¯s a good show to watch later. Are you looking forward to it?¡± ¡°What show?¡± Su Tang blinked curiously and asked her. Seeing the mocking smile on her lips, she suddenly thought of something and blurted out, ¡°Is it related to Fang Han?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows in surprise and nodded with an approving smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to become smart so quickly.¡± Su Tang glared at her unhappily and couldn¡¯t help but defend herself. ¡°I¡¯ve never been stupid.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shi Man looked at her distrustfully and suddenly asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re not stupid, why did you let them bully you in the past?¡± Su Tang was slightly stunned. Seeing that Shi Man indeed looked like she wanted to know the whole story, she sighed and resigned herself to fate. ¡°In the past, I felt that I had taken everyone¡¯s resources for nothing, so I volunteered to be the class monitor and serve the students. You know that Cassel Academy is funded by a family like the Shi family. I¡¯m an outsider and am incompatible with everyone. If I don¡¯t take the initiative to do something, even I will feel that I¡¯m not worthy of studying in this school.¡± Shi Man frowned and stopped in disapproval. She looked at her seriously and said, ¡°Then what about now? Do you still think that way now?¡± Su Tang frowned and thought for a while as if she was very troubled. She shook her head hesitantly and said, ¡°The Shi family is paying to sponsor my studies now. I owe this to the Shi family, so I just have to serve the Shi family in the future.¡± Shi Man was amused by her serious look. She shrugged helplessly and said, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to think that way.¡± ¡°No!¡± Su Tang refuted her without thinking. ¡°I can¡¯t take your family¡¯s things for nothing. Manman, although I don¡¯t have money, I still have my own ability. I can definitely earn money in the future and repay the tuition and living expenses you paid in advance for me!¡± Shi Man was about to be defeated by her confident and cute appearance. She reached out helplessly and flicked her forehead. ¡°Stupid, what I mean is that you don¡¯t have to serve everyone in the Shi family. Just serve me. Anyway, it¡¯s all on me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Tang looked up at her in a daze, her face suddenly turning red under her especially serious gaze. When Shi Man saw her expression, she realized that her words were too ambiguous. She hurriedly coughed awkwardly and tried to salvage the situation. ¡°I¡¯m saying that you just have to take care of me in the future. You don¡¯t have to treat yourself as a slave of the entire Shi family.¡± Su Tang smiled faintly and looked at her beautiful side profile. She nodded solemnly and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll hand over the money I earn in the future to you.¡± Chapter 192 - 192 Questioning in Public 192 Questioning in Public Shi Man immediately felt that her words were even more ambiguous. She wanted to deny it, but when her gaze met her sparkling eyes, she swallowed her words. Forget it, forget it. She would take it that she had handed all the money to her for safekeeping. In the parking lot, Shi Yu was standing in front of the car and smiling politely as he spoke to the female students around him. When he saw Shi Man and the others, he hurriedly apologized to the girl beside him. Then, he approached Shi Man with an indulgent smile. ¡°Sister, how was school today? Um, did Fang Han make things difficult for you?¡± ¡°Brother.¡± Shi Man stopped in her tracks and glanced behind her. She suddenly raised her voice and said, ¡°Why do you want me to take care of Fang Han? I don¡¯t want to!¡± Her voice was not soft. The female classmates who were surrounding Shi Yu just now immediately looked over in shock, thinking in disbelief that they had unintentionally found out the secret of the Shi family. So Shi Yu actually asked Shi Man to specially take care of Fang Han, who had violated the school rules and was forced to take a leave of absence? Did Shi Yu like such a woman? Su Tang had been warned by Shi Man in advance and knew that there would be a big show soon. However, she did not expect it to be for this. She quickly grabbed her arm and persuaded, ¡°Manman, let¡¯s go home and talk.¡± If Shi Man insisted on making things clear with Shi Yu here, the entire school would know that the Shi siblings had openly quarreled over Fang Han in the parking lot! Shi Yu thought so too. He still didn¡¯t know that she had found the key evidence. He hurriedly lowered his voice and said, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sorry. If Brother made things difficult for you, Brother will apologize to you. Let¡¯s go home first, okay?¡± ¡°Not good!¡± Shi Man pretended to be unreasonable and shrewish. She pointed at the female students who had raised their phones to record and shouted, ¡°You¡¯ve all recorded it. Fang Han used dirty methods behind my brother¡¯s back to force my brother to smooth things over for her and let her return to school. Now, she actually asked me to take care of her. How shameless!¡± The more she scolded, the more students gathered around. The news of Fang Han publicly framing Shi Man in the practical base had already spread to everyone. When everyone heard that she had actually returned to school for class, they were shocked and looked at Shi Yu. However, Shi Yu did not want to blow this matter up at all. If this matter spread, he would probably have to marry Fang Han! ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go home. I¡¯m begging you, okay?¡± In the corner, Fang Han watched as Shi Man and the others were surrounded by the crowd. When she heard the discussions of the onlookers, she felt even more smug. She thought that Shi Man had improved, but she did not expect her to be so stupid. Since Shi Man liked to make a big fuss out of this matter, she would help. In any case, if this matter spread, it would only be beneficial to her! She wanted to see what other reason Shi Yu would use to reject marrying her! After finally squeezing into the crowd, Fang Han pinched her arm and squeezed out a few tears. She stood beside Shi Yu pitifully and looked at Shi Man with tears in her eyes. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t cause trouble here. This matter was discussed by your brother and me. If you¡¯re dissatisfied, you can tell us in private. Don¡¯t cause trouble here, okay?¡± Even Su Tang couldn¡¯t help but glare at her. This woman was so shameless. Although Su Tang didn¡¯t know what had happened, she could guess from her expression, so she felt even more indignant for Shi Man. ¡°Brother Shi Yu, what does Fang Han mean? What do you mean by the discussion? What¡¯s your relationship?¡± Her question was naturally what the surrounding crowd of people had on their minds. When everyone heard that someone had taken the initiative to ask for them, they immediately rubbed their hands excitedly and waited for Shi Yu¡¯s answer. Actually, they already understood most of it. From the looks of it, Fang Han had probably confirmed her relationship with Shi Yu. However, because Shi Man and Fang Han had a grudge, she could not tolerate this sister-in-law. At the thought that Shi Yu would like such a bimbo, everyone felt as uncomfortable as if they had eaten a fly. Shi Yu did not expect things to come to this. He did not blame his sister. He only blamed himself for drinking that day. He was silent for a long time before finally reaching out to push Fang Han¡¯s arm away. He walked up to Shi Man and held her shoulder. He looked at her quietly and said, ¡°Brother did something wrong, so he needs to make up for it. Sister, Brother won¡¯t force you. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Seeing that Shi Yu¡¯s sparkling eyes had dimmed, Shi Man pursed her lips and ruthlessly brushed his hands away. ¡°Brother, I know your attitude. It¡¯s my turn to talk to Fang Han now. Don¡¯t interrupt first.¡± The more he said, the more mistakes he made. This scene was ultimately for Fang Han. She should let her finish speaking. Shi Man turned around and stared at Fang Han sinisterly. Her lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°Tell me, what happened between you and my brother?¡± Chapter 193 - 193 One-sided Words 193 One-sided Words As soon as she asked this, the surrounding people immediately gasped. Was Shi Man a fool? Was there a need to ask carefully what had happened between the two of them? Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that their relationship was definitely not ordinary. Some enthusiastic viewers who were watching the commotion couldn¡¯t help but remind her as they recorded on their phones, ¡°Shi Man, don¡¯t ask about this. If you ask again, we won¡¯t be able to broadcast this video!¡± Fang Han blushed and lowered her head nervously to rub her hands. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t ask. Brother Shi Yu won¡¯t want to publicize this matter. Anyway, it¡¯s already the truth. Just accept it.¡± Shi Man sneered and took a step forward with a powerful aura. She walked in front of Fang Han and lifted her chin. She asked relentlessly, ¡°Tell me what happened. If you dare to say it in public, I¡¯ll let my brother marry you right away.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Shi Yu turned around to look at her in disbelief. He had never thought of marrying Fang Han because he did not like this woman at all. However, at this point, once the matter blew up, he might really have to marry Fang Han. Didn¡¯t his sister hate Fang Han? Why did she say such things now? In a flash, he suddenly remembered that his sister had deliberately raised her voice when she spoke just now. It was obvious that she had deliberately let the surrounding people hear the commotion. Could it be that his sister already knew something and had a solution? Shi Yu frowned tightly. In the past, he would probably leave with Shi Man immediately. However, when he thought of Shi Man¡¯s recent changes, he suddenly felt lucky. He wanted to try trusting her for once and believe that she really had a way to clean up for him. Seeing that Shi Yu stopped talking, Fang Han could only shake her head helplessly. ¡°No, I can¡¯t say it. Brother Shi Yu will be angry after I say it.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t want to marry my brother?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and continued to tempt her. Fang Han was indeed tempted by her suggestion. She subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. After thinking about it repeatedly, she quickly pretended to be aggrieved and gathered tears in her eyes. She looked pitifully at the cameras around her and said, ¡°Since Sister Shi Man insisted on me saying it, I can only say that I already have a relationship with Brother Shi Yu. That night, we were at the hotel¡­ He said that he would be responsible for me.¡± ¡°What? This is actually true?¡± ¡°No way? Brother Shi Yu, quickly deny it! Tell me that¡¯s not the case!¡± A few girls among the surrounding students who were watching the commotion liked Shi Yu very much in private. When they heard Fang Han say this in public, their hearts shattered into pieces. They looked at Shi Yu in disbelief. But what answered them was destined to be a long silence. The last layer of modesty was completely removed by Fang Han. Shi Yu closed his eyes in pain, his face turning pale. This was the mistake he had made when he was drunk. What was there to feel heartache about? Wasn¡¯t it all because he had done it himself? Forget it, he would marry Fang Han. At most, he would not go home in the future! Now that things had come to this, Fang Han had nothing to be afraid of. Shi Man could also tell that her skin was visibly thickening. Under everyone¡¯s shocked gazes, she raised her eyebrows calmly and continued to ask, ¡°You have to tell me everything. You should tell me what you and my brother did in the hotel that night. My brother drank too much that day. Could it be that you just took care of him for the entire night and bullied him until he woke up and couldn¡¯t remember anything? You¡¯re spouting nonsense here!¡± Shi Man¡¯s words easily changed the direction of the discussion around her. ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t I think of this possibility!¡± ¡°So Brother Shi Yu drank too much. Then did this Fang Han take advantage of him? Otherwise, how could my Brother Shi Yu like her?¡± ¡­ ¡°No!¡± Seeing that the malicious intent of the onlookers was getting stronger, Fang Han panicked. She hurriedly pulled down her collar, revealing the red mark on her neck for them to see. ¡°This was left behind by Brother Shi Yu. He saw it with his own eyes. There are also marks on my body, arms, and thighs!¡± In order to convince everyone and marry Shi Yu, Fang Han even pulled up her sleeves and pants in public for them to see. Most of society was open now. When everyone saw such traces, they naturally knew what had happened that night. They hurriedly took photos of her in shock. Some even took the initiative to ask, ¡°Then did you resist? Or did you want to do that with Shi Yu?¡± Fang Han blushed and tidied her clothes. She shook her head and said, ¡°I drank too much that night, so¡­¡± ¡°I see!¡± There was an uproar around them. It seemed that the two of them were willing. They really did not know how Fang Han could be so lucky to meet Shi Yu after drinking too much. She even took the opportunity to climb into his bed! ¡°Alright, Fang Han, I believe everyone has recorded your words.¡± Hearing Fang Han finish, Shi Man smiled smugly and looked at the camera. ¡°Then does everyone want to hear the version I know?¡± Chapter 194 - 194 Diverting the Trouble 194 Diverting the Trouble ¡°Could there be another version?¡± The student holding her phone and recording the entire process immediately felt that she had profited. He couldn¡¯t help but cheer. ¡°Shi Man, tell me what other version there is! I knew Brother Shi Yu wouldn¡¯t like such a tasteless woman!¡± ¡°Who are you calling tasteless?¡± Fang Han blushed and glared at Shi Man in a panic. ¡°What other version? Shi Man, don¡¯t spread rumors if you don¡¯t have evidence. Your brother personally admitted what happened between me and your brother. How can I lie?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true!¡± The surrounding students were completely interested in Shi Man¡¯s words. They did not want to hear Fang Han continue her useless argument. Clearly, they wanted to know what fatal evidence Shi Man had to dare to publicize so openly. Even Shi Yu looked at his sister in shock and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Manman, what do you know?¡± Su Tang also looked at Shi Man curiously. She had a feeling that everyone would be shocked by what Shi Man was about to take out. Shi Man did not disappoint her. She asked Fang Han for the name of the hotel they went to that night in public. Then, she turned on her phone and played the surveillance video in the room in public. Fang Han was on the other side of Shi Man and could not see the exact content on the screen, but from the shock in the other students¡¯ eyes, she could tell that it must be something extremely disadvantageous to her. She could not help but shout, ¡°Don¡¯t believe her. This must be fake!¡± ¡°Your face can be seen clearly. How can it be fake?¡± The surrounding students hurriedly aimed at her phone and recorded it. The crowd standing at the back, who could not see the scene, was so anxious that they were jumping. They were waiting for the people in front to finish watching it before squeezing to the front to take a look. However, Shi Man did not have the time to wait for them to finish watching them one by one. Anyway, the video had been recorded. She put away her phone and raised her eyebrows to look at Fang Han with a smile. ¡°If you want to know what I showed them just now, ask them for it yourself. I¡¯m going home to eat. By the way, Yi Zheng got this video. If you want revenge, take it out on him!¡± Let him be anxious to snatch credit. This time, the entire world knew that Yi Zheng had obtained this surveillance video. She would see if he could continue to be smug! Leaving the stunned Fang Han behind, Shi Yu drove the two of them home. As soon as they entered the Shi family manor, Shi He and Shi Mu rushed out and said in shock, ¡°Second Brother! We didn¡¯t know that such a thing had happened to you! Why didn¡¯t you tell us? It was so hard for us to be kept in the dark!¡± Shi Mu looked at Shi Man and Shi Yu sadly. After school in the afternoon, he knew that Shi Yu¡¯s car would not take him along, so he came back early to wait for his sister to finish school. Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, he accidentally saw the live broadcast in the school parking lot on the Internet. Only then did he know that his brother had suffered so much. He immediately held back his anger. Fortunately, Manman took out such crucial evidence in the end. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t Fang Han keep threatening Second Brother with this matter? Shi Mu smiled and patted Shi Man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sister, you did well this time. But why did I hear you say that this is a video Yi Zheng found? Are the two of you actually in contact in private?¡± His sister had been obediently staying at home for the past few days. She should not have had the time to see Yi Zheng. When did those two contact each other? Moreover, he seemed to remember that his sister had once cried to him that Yi Zheng had long deleted her contact information. Shi Man knew what he cared about. She shook her head calmly and said, ¡°No, he took the initiative to add my contact number and sent me the video. I only agreed because I saw that this matter was related to my brother. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have added him as a friend.¡± Su Tang was amused by her explanation and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Seeing Shi Man raise her eyebrows and glance at her, she pursed her lips and blinked innocently. Shi Mu put on an ¡°as expected¡± expression and hugged her shoulder with admiration. ¡°You¡¯re really ruthless. Not only did you help Second Brother cut off his bad romance, but you also attracted hatred to Yi Zheng. If they really pursue the matter, it really doesn¡¯t seem to have much to do with you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shi Man smiled sarcastically. ¡°Some people are happy to take this credit, so let¡¯s hand it all to him.¡± ¡°Sister.¡± Shi Yu, who was following behind them, suddenly spoke. He hesitated and said, ¡°Thank you for everything you did for Brother. That night¡­ I really didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Shi Man knew that he had not seen the contents of the screen clearly just now. He was just trusting her unconditionally. She looked up at Shi Yu¡¯s clear and clean eyes seriously, and a trustworthy smile appeared on her lips. ¡°How can my brother be that kind of person? I¡¯ll send you the video. You and Fang Han are innocent. Brother, you don¡¯t have to feel guilty for her.¡± Chapter 195 - 195 Taking the Blame 195 Taking the Blame ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Shi Yu¡¯s tense shoulders relaxed and he heaved a sigh of relief. Shi He could see the fatigue in his second brother¡¯s eyes and smiled considerately. ¡°Go in first. Mom is still waiting for you to come back. She also saw the news on the trending searches and is still worried about Second Brother.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Yu nodded heavily. Although this matter had been resolved and he had completely gotten rid of Fang Han, who was threatening him, it was inevitable that it would affect the Shi family negatively. Shi Yu did not want his mother to worry about her and was anxious to go in and comfort her. Unexpectedly, in the living room, Shen Xian was happily chatting on the phone with someone. She didn¡¯t even notice that they had arrived. She was talking happily by the window about what she had just seen on the Internet. ¡°I knew it. Our Manman is especially powerful now. She can even resolve such an obvious matter with a few words. Your Yi Zheng will marry my baby in the future and wait for his career to prosper!¡± The siblings stood behind their mother speechlessly. Now, they knew who their mother was talking to. When Shi Mu heard the last sentence, he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He anxiously interrupted the mother who was still bragging about her daughter, indicating that his second brother and sister had returned. The moment Shen Xian saw the two of them, her eyes lit up. She said proudly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll hang up first. My baby is back. Let¡¯s meet another day.¡± Putting down her phone, Shen Xian smiled and held their hands, letting them sit on the sofa on both sides. She couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°Son, why didn¡¯t you tell Mom about such a big thing? Xiao Mu has a sharp nose. That day, he smelled perfume on you. That¡¯s why your father said that he would investigate clearly. At first, we thought that you had a girlfriend, but later on, we found out that the other party was actually that evil Fang Han!¡± At the mention of this person, Shen Xian couldn¡¯t help but feel angry. ¡°How can this young lady be so shameless? Not only is she unwilling to bear the consequences of doing something wrong, but she also came up with such a rotten idea to achieve her goal. She can even forget the lowest level of shame. I¡¯m afraid such a person won¡¯t be able to survive in the Fang family in the future.¡± Shi Yu pursed his lips. Thinking of how she had hugged him naked in the hotel, he felt disgusted from the bottom of his heart. His frown deepened. ¡°Yes, a girl still has to have self-respect and love. Fang Han deserves it now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Yi Zheng this time!¡± Shen Xian smiled with emotion. ¡°This child is really smart. He actually thought that there might be pinhole cameras hidden in such an informal hotel. I¡¯ve really troubled him.¡± Shi Man listened quietly at the side and couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s troubled, but what will really trouble him is still to come.¡± ¡°What else?¡± Shi Mu was interested at the mention of Yi Zheng. He quickly craned his neck and asked curiously. Shi Man shook her head in amusement. ¡°What else could it be? Of course, the hotel will be investigated thoroughly and the boss behind it will find trouble with him.¡± Shi Mu pursed his lips indifferently and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid this can¡¯t touch Yi Zheng, but it¡¯s good to cause more trouble.¡± Shi Man smiled and did not say anything. This matter was more than a little troublesome. What Shi Mu did not know was that the person operating that hotel was Nighthawk¡¯s lecherous boss, Zhu Meng. Although Nighthawk¡¯s strength could not be compared to Yi Zheng¡¯s, it was enough to give him a headache. On the top floor of the Yi Group, Yi Zheng looked down at the video on his phone without saying a word. Tang Zhe, who was standing at the side, was sweating profusely. ¡°Miss is really bold. Does she not know Nighthawk¡¯s strength?¡± That was an old underworld family that was much stronger than the rising Immaculate. Even Yi Zheng was not 100% sure that he could make them disappear completely. Yi Zheng smiled helplessly. ¡°She knows, that¡¯s why she said that.¡± Tang Zhe was stunned. Then, he recalled Miss Shi Man¡¯s attitude towards his master and couldn¡¯t help but shiver. This really looked like something that little ancestor would do. It seemed that she had already spared no effort to cause trouble for her master. He really admired the current Shi Man. She was daring, smart, and wise. Compared to the silly little girl in the past, she was simply reborn. Thinking of this, Tang Zhe couldn¡¯t help but shiver. Could it be that Miss Shi Man had deliberately pretended to be crazy to pursue his master in the past? But it didn¡¯t look like it. After Yi Zheng finished watching the recording, he put down his phone and looked up at him quietly. He asked coldly, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Tang Zhe hurriedly came back to his senses. Seeing his master¡¯s happy expression, he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. He could only shake his head and say, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Master. I¡¯m afraid Nighthawk will come looking for trouble. I¡¯ll go down and make arrangements first to prevent any mistakes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng nodded gently. He thought of something and called Tang Zhe back. ¡°If Nighthawk¡¯s people come to deliver the goods again, remember to call Immaculate and ask them to pick something for their boss.¡± Chapter 196 - 196 Making Use of Each Other 196 Making Use of Each Other Fang Han¡¯s failure this time made Shi Jing feel even more uneasy. Now that Shi Man was getting more and more famous in the school, she was worried that someone would use this momentum to investigate her. This way, they would discover that not only had she been chased out of the house by Shi Man, but they would also find out that she was working at the nightclub. That way, the noblewoman persona she had painstakingly built would completely collapse. Shi Jing would never allow this to happen. She urgently needed someone to help her quickly escape her predicament. Zhu Wen was the best target she had been eyeing for a long time. This person was famous for being a hooligan in school, but his family was secretive. Even if he offended Shi Mu, he did not receive much punishment. Therefore, many boys in the school were willing to follow him. Recently, Zhu Wen had been expressing goodwill to her. She thought that her appearance was not bad. Although she was not devastatingly beautiful, she was still considered above average in school. Most importantly, she had been in the nightclub for a long time and knew how to capture a man¡¯s heart. This would make her stand out among the noble ladies. That was what Zhu Wen liked about her. He liked Shi Jing¡¯s charming temperament very much. Recently, he had been waiting at the door of her class on time after school. There had been many rumors between the two of them. Shi Jing looked at the new expensive bag on her phone and sent a screenshot to the social media app. After school at night, Zhu Wen came to see her with the new bag. Many girls in Class C also took a fancy to this limited edition bag, but they had no way to get it. Now that they saw that a man was actually willing to hand the bag to Shi Jing, they immediately congratulated her with envy. ¡°Jingjing, you¡¯re really lucky! Young Master Zhu is so good to you. If I could have such a handsome and generous boyfriend, I would wake up laughing in my dreams!¡± Shi Jing blushed shyly and said with a smile, ¡°He, he¡¯s not my boyfriend yet.¡± Zhu Wen pretended to be gentle in front of the girl. He nodded and smiled gentlemanly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still pursuing Miss Shi Jing. I hope she will agree.¡± The surrounding people immediately let out ear-piercing screams at his blatant confession. Shi Jing enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by people, but she did not want Shi Man to discover her recent situation. She had to catch Zhu Wen first before dealing with Shi Man. She reached out to take the bag from him and hugged him. She smiled shyly. ¡°You, don¡¯t spout nonsense in front of your classmates. Let¡¯s leave quickly.¡± Zhu Wen thought that she was shy. He raised his eyebrows and obediently followed her downstairs. At night, Zhu Wen specially booked a candlelight dinner at the hotel. Under the ambiguous atmosphere created by the lights, Shi Jing officially agreed to confirm her relationship with him. Outside the penthouse suite, the sound of water came from the bathroom. Zhu Wen stood in front of the window and looked at the bustling streets outside. He called Zhu Meng. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll get it soon, but are you sure the Shi family will help us deal with Yi Zheng?¡± On the other end of the phone, Zhu Meng was hugging a naked beauty. He smiled and kissed her on the lips before saying with a cynical expression, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, since Shi Man dared to expose Yi Zheng¡¯s name in public, doesn¡¯t this mean that there¡¯s already a rift between the two families? Take down Shi Jing and let her convince the Shi family to join forces with us to deal with Yi Zheng. With the help of the richest man, will our Nighthawk be afraid of not being able to deal with Yi Zheng?¡± ¡°Brother, I¡¯m afraid Yi Zheng isn¡¯t that easy to deal with. We can¡¯t let our guard down.¡± Zhu Wen frowned slightly. When he heard the sound of water behind him stop, he hurriedly said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll continue to get people to investigate who snatched the goods that were supposed to be sent to Hellgate. Brother, you have to keep an eye on Yi Zheng and see if there are any unknown forces behind him.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Zhu Wen hung up the phone and turned around to take the red wine from the waiter. He personally brought it into the room. When he saw the beautiful girl, his cold heart suddenly moved, and his dark eyes darkened. ¡°Jingjing, has anyone told you that you¡¯re really beautiful?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Shi Jing tidied her long hair and thanked him with a shy smile. ¡°If you weren¡¯t here, I¡¯m afraid I would have gone out today to embarrass myself.¡± She had deliberately spilled the wine on herself just now to give Zhu Wen a reason to bring her to a hotel room. She could not wait to use him to deal with Shi Man. Shi Jing was not a naive person. She knew very well what price she had to pay to completely control a man. Fortunately, she could afford this price and enjoyed it. After all, selling it to one man could allow her to live a carefree life. It was much better than working hard at the nightclub and serving countless men. Zhu Wen thought that she was shy and smiled gently. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? You¡¯re my girlfriend now. I¡¯m just helping you solve a little problem. Isn¡¯t this what I should do?¡± He took her hand and sat on the sofa. He smiled and stuffed the wine glass in her hand. ¡°Try it? This is the red wine my brother stored in the shop. If it wasn¡¯t to celebrate our relationship, he wouldn¡¯t be willing to take it out.¡± Chapter 197 - 197 Cold 197 Cold ¡°Thank you.¡± Shi Jing kept her distance from him. She knew very well that to men, what they could not get was always the best. Most of the things that were too easy to obtain would soon be thrown to the back of their minds and become abandoned trash. Zhu Wen also enjoyed this, so he was quite happy with her. His tense heart was also slightly relaxed. Seeing her raise her chin, revealing her slender and fair neck to drink, Zhu Wen suddenly felt very thirsty, and the room became stuffy and hot. He raised his hand to take off his coat and smiled embarrassedly. ¡°It¡¯s a little hot. You don¡¯t mind, right?¡± Shi Jing shook her head and blinked innocently. ¡°Do you want to turn on the air conditioner?¡± ¡°No need. You just took a shower and will catch a cold.¡± Zhu Wen had had many girlfriends and knew very well what girls liked to hear. As expected, Shi Jing blushed slightly at his words. Actually, even if she wanted to use Zhu Wen, this was the first time she had a boyfriend. She was a little helpless. ¡°Then, it¡¯s getting late. Do you want to go back first?¡± Zhu Wen narrowed his eyes and leaned closer in dissatisfaction. He sniffed the faint fragrance on her hair and suddenly smiled. ¡°You smell so good. According to what I read online, if you like someone, you can smell their body fragrance. Is that true?¡± ¡°Stop fooling around.¡± Shi Jing reached out to push his head which was getting closer and closer. His breath was on her collarbone, making her itchy and uncomfortable. Zhu Wen gently pulled her hand down to his mouth and kissed it. ¡°It¡¯s very late outside. Can I stay?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Shi Jing¡¯s heart raced. She pretended to be surprised and widened her eyes. She said hesitantly, ¡°But there¡¯s only a bed and a blanket here.¡± ¡°I want to hug you to sleep. It¡¯s good to do nothing.¡± Zhu Wen looked at her watery eyes in a daze, his heart itching as if it had been gently scratched. Other than the fact that this girl was not the Shi family¡¯s biological daughter, he was very satisfied with the rest of her. He was different from his eldest brother, Zhu Meng. He was especially unable to resist such an innocent girl. In the past, every girlfriend of his had been in this style, and Shi Jing was clearly more to his liking than all the previous ones. Shi Jing looked away shyly with a red face. ¡°Can I believe you?¡± ¡°Of course, you can believe me, because I¡¯m your boyfriend.¡± Zhu Wen pinched her nose in amusement and reached out to carry her when she wasn¡¯t looking. Shi Jing was shocked and hugged his neck tightly in fear. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Zhu Wen raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s very late? Of course, I¡¯m going to sleep!¡± He tucked her under the covers and leaned over to press against her. Smiling, he scraped the tip of her nose. ¡°Sleep like this, okay?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re too heavy.¡± Shi Jing reached out to push him, but the man suddenly got off her. He lifted the blanket and crawled in like a slippery loach. Then, he hugged her fragrant body, which had just taken a shower. ¡°Then sleep like this.¡± Zhu Wen curled his lips slightly, and a certain part of his heart softened. Shi Jing was obediently held in his arms and did not dare to move, but she knew very well how to pique a man¡¯s interest. She gently brushed away the long hair on her face. She suddenly moved her upper body and complained clingily, ¡°You¡¯re pressing on my hair.¡± Zhu Wen couldn¡¯t take it anymore and turned over to press against her. The blanket was filled with her rich fragrance, and her warm and soft body was in his arms. He felt that he wouldn¡¯t be a man if he continued to endure it. He lowered his head and kissed her lips deeply. Smoke gently floated out of the bed. Zhu Wen leaned against the pillow and narrowed his eyes as he recalled the pleasure just now. With the numbness of the cigarette, he extended this comfort again. When he stubbed out his cigarette and turned around to hug the sleeping girl beside him, he suddenly thought of something. He frowned and reached out to touch the bedsheets below. Anger from being deceived rose spontaneously. This was not Shi Jing¡¯s first time. Zhu Wen was sure. He had slept with too many women, many of whom were willing to give their precious first time to him, so he knew the difference. He thought that Shi Jing was such a clean and pure girl. That was why she was especially patient with her while using her. He did not expect him to be deceived by her. At the thought that the woman he had treated as a treasure had been enjoyed by another man in the past, the satisfaction from before completely dissipated. Zhu Wen stared at the sleeping face of the girl beside him with a dark expression. After a long time, he got up and put on his clothes before leaving the hotel. In the darkness, Shi Jing slowly opened her eyes and looked at the silent room for a long time. After confirming that he would not return, she slowly turned on the bedside lamp and sat up. She picked up the cigarette that Zhu Wen had dropped and held it in her mouth, thinking about her next plan alone in the room. However, to her surprise, ever since this night, Zhu Wen had clearly become much colder to her. He had never come to pick her up from school again. If she didn¡¯t take the initiative to look for him, he wouldn¡¯t call her. Chapter 198 - 198 Teasing 198 Teasing Shi Jing¡¯s deskmate looked at the empty classroom door with a cold glint in her eyes. ¡°Jingjing, why isn¡¯t your boyfriend waiting for you at the door?¡± Shi Jing¡¯s hand that was packing her bag paused. She glanced coldly at her deskmate and mocked with a fake smile, ¡°Why are you paying more attention to my boyfriend than me?¡± ¡°Aiyo, don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Her deskmate pursed her lips and smiled sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m worried. Your boyfriend doesn¡¯t even come to pick you up from school. Could it be that you¡¯ve already broken up?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. We¡¯re fine.¡± Shi Jing rolled her eyes at her and walked out of the classroom arrogantly. Her deskmate pursed her lips in disdain behind her and couldn¡¯t help but complain to her best friend beside her, ¡°Look at her arrogant appearance. She really thinks she¡¯s a golden phoenix! I think Zhu Wen ignored her because he was tired of playing with her. She¡¯s still pretending in front of us!¡± At the school gate, Shi Jing saw Zhu Wen and a few boys leave from afar. She quietly quickened her pace and patted his shoulder. Seeing him turn to look at her in confusion, Shi Jing immediately looked at him pitifully and said, ¡°I have something to ask you for help with.¡± Zhu Wen glanced at the boys beside him who had teasing expressions and said coldly, ¡°You guys leave first. I¡¯ll contact you later.¡± ¡°Sure! Brother Wen doesn¡¯t want us anymore after having a girlfriend!¡± The few of them often played together and joked a lot. Now that they saw Shi Jing, they all knew what was going on. Zhu Wen kicked the butt of the nearest person in amusement. ¡°Get lost quickly. Don¡¯t make a fuss here. I¡¯ll find you guys to play later.¡± Shi Jing blushed at their teasing and lowered her head shyly, waiting for him to ask her first. Zhu Wen looked down at the shy little girl in front of him and suddenly felt his heart soften. He pulled her hand into the car and turned around to ask, ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡± He still needed Shi Jing, so he naturally would not refuse to help her. He had deliberately neglected her these few days because he felt uncomfortable and wanted her to feel uncomfortable too. However, when he really saw such a delicate little girl lowering her head to beg him, he naturally could not put on a cold face. Shi Jing raised her head slightly and looked at him in the car. She pursed her lips as if she was in a dilemma. Just as Zhu Wen¡¯s patience was about to run out, she suddenly leaned close to his lips and raised her head to kiss him. Then, she said coquettishly with red ears, ¡°I want you to help me relieve my longing. It¡¯s over now. Go play with them.¡± Zhu Wen narrowed his eyes, his expression uncertain for a long time. Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and reached out to hug her. His cold lips brushed against her ear. ¡°Who asked you to be so seductive, huh?¡± Shi Jing knew that her method had succeeded again. She held back the smugness in her heart and pretended to struggle shyly. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t flirt with you. I just missed you too much.¡± ¡°Shi Jing.¡± Zhu Wen took a deep breath and sniffed the faint fragrance of the girl in the car. He suddenly laughed softly. ¡°When did you miss me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Shi Jing shyly pushed away his arms and was about to get out of the car when her arm was grabbed tightly by Zhu Wen. ¡°Don¡¯t leave. I¡¯ll bring you out to play.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Shi Jing blinked innocently at the man who had fastened his seatbelt. Zhu Wen snapped his fingers at her, indicating that she should put on her seatbelt herself, before driving her to an entertainment club. When she reached the door, Shi Jing was cold. Because this was none other than the nightclub bar where she used to work. She pretended to be afraid and grabbed Zhu Wen¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to go anymore. Take me home.¡± Previously, she had explained to Zhu Wen that she had moved out to live independently. Zhu Wen was not suspicious. After all, Shi Jing must have been instructed by the Shi family to attend this school. Otherwise, she would not even be able to enter Cassel Academy. Zhu Wen thought that she had never been to such a place before and immediately had the intention to tease her. He pulled her arm and dragged her into the shop. ¡°What are you afraid of? I¡¯m protecting you. Who can bully you? Today, it¡¯s just a few of my friends. You¡¯ve seen them just now. I¡¯ll send you back after playing for a while.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d better go back myself.¡± Shi Jing continued to struggle with all her might. Zhu Wen finally sensed something amiss. He stopped in his tracks and stared at her strangely for a long time. Suddenly, he asked calmly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to go in? Could it be that you¡¯re afraid of meeting someone you know?¡± ¡°What acquaintance?¡± Shi Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she still pretended to be innocent. ¡°My mother said that girls can¡¯t go to a bar. It¡¯s very dangerous. Moreover, that¡¯s not a place decent girls go to.¡± Zhu Wen was amused by her and laughed. The doubts in his heart completely disappeared. He hugged her slender waist and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m around. You¡¯re my girlfriend. Let¡¯s see who dares to touch you! You don¡¯t have to be afraid that no one will want you after this gets out. Anyway, you¡¯re already mine.¡± Chapter 199 - 199 Angry 199 Angry At this point, if Shi Jing still refused to enter, Zhu Wen would definitely feel embarrassed. It was even possible for him to humiliate her in public. Helpless, she could only be pulled in by him obediently. Along the way, she did not dare to look up. She kept her head lowered and leaned against his chest shyly. Zhu Wen felt very comfortable being relied on by a woman like this. He happily led her into the private room that he had reserved in advance. When Shi Jing entered, she realized that Zhu Wen had lied to her at the door. It was obvious that the people who came to the gathering were not only the few people she had seen at the school gate just now but also many other men and women. The worst thing was that she saw President Zhang, whom she had once served. Facing President Zhang¡¯s murderous gaze, Shi Jing braced herself and greeted Zhu Wen¡¯s friends. Then, her heat seemed to have been sucked away in an instant. She sat on the sofa with him in a daze and drank the red wine he handed her. ¡°Your alcohol tolerance is really not bad.¡± A neutral voice suddenly sounded in her ear. Shi Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked up and met Zhu Wen¡¯s playful eyes. She followed his gaze to the wine glass in her hand. Shi Jing immediately felt a headache and explained with an awkward smile, ¡°I, I¡¯m not familiar with them. I don¡¯t know what to do, so I can only drink.¡± Zhu Wen looked at her deeply and did not investigate her strange behavior from the beginning. He picked up his glass and gently clinked it with her before asking, ¡°Do you like to sing?¡± Shi Jing shook her head and saw Zhu Wen¡¯s bored expression. She forced herself to swallow her saliva and said softly and awkwardly, ¡°Can I sing it for you alone when I go back? There are too many people here. I don¡¯t dare to sing.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zhu Wen was very satisfied with her careful fawning over him, and the discomfort in his heart gradually faded. Actually, he was not a man who cared much about a woman¡¯s first night. It was just that he had taken a fancy to Shi Jing¡¯s youthful and beautiful appearance from the beginning. Naturally, he thought that she had never had another man before, so he found it difficult to calm down when he realized the truth. Now that he saw that Shi Jing still looked innocent and cute, he suddenly felt that that matter was nothing. Who didn¡¯t have a past? So what if she had a history with another man? In the future, he would be the only one. This was what Zhu Wen thought, so when his gaze met the aggressive Zhang Cheng, that little bit of joy disappeared again. His expression darkened, and he smashed the wine glass in his hand in public, scaring everyone who was still playing around to hold their breaths. Among them, Zhu Wen had the most background, so they naturally followed his lead. Now that their boss had turned hostile, who would continue to sing and dance like a monkey? All of them were silent like cicadas in winter, their eyes darting back and forth between Zhang Cheng and Zhu Wen. ¡°Who called you here?¡± Zhu Wen didn¡¯t give him any face at all. His expression was so cold that it seemed like ice could seep out. Zhang Cheng raised his eyebrows slightly and leaned forward to look at him in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did you cause trouble?¡± Zhu Wen kicked the coffee table in front of him. The expensive red wine on the table shattered, and the ground was instantly in a mess. ¡°I¡¯m f*cking asking who asked you to come!¡± ¡°Brother Wen, it was me.¡± The thin Yuan Dong raised his hand shakily, like a primary school student who had been suddenly asked a question by a teacher in class. Zhu Wen¡¯s ruthless eyes immediately swept toward him with a strong murderous aura. ¡°Who is he to you? Why did you bring him here?¡± ¡°He, he¡¯s my cousin. When he heard that we were going out to play, he wanted to come along. He usually socializes in the company. I thought Brother Wen would like him too.¡± Yuan Dong¡¯s voice became softer and softer until it was almost inaudible. However, Zhu Wen still heard it clearly. The veins on his forehead immediately jumped out. ¡°Like him my ass. For your own sake today, tell him to get lost and never appear in front of me again. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you up too!¡± Yuan Dong was so frightened that he was about to cry. He didn¡¯t know what had suddenly happened just now, causing Zhu Wen, who usually liked to make friends, to suddenly frown at his cousin, whom he had just met for the first time. However, he didn¡¯t dare to offend Zhu Wen at this time. He hurriedly bowed and apologized as he reached out to tug at his cousin¡¯s sleeve, asking him to quickly leave with him. Zhang Cheng had been working for so many years and had accompanied many leaders and influential people. This was the first time he had been disrespected like this. However, when he heard that the other party¡¯s family was a mafia family and that his brother was the insufferably arrogant Zhu Meng, he could only hold back his anger and stare at Shi Jing, who was trembling beside Zhu Wen. If he was not wrong, the reason why Zhu Wen made such a fuss now was because of the woman beside him. Thinking of how Shi Jing had once roamed under him, the corners of Zhang Cheng¡¯s mouth couldn¡¯t help but curl into a smug smile. He stood up slowly and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first. See you next time.¡± The second half of the sentence was directed at Shi Jing. She understood, so she lowered her head and hid behind Zhu Wen pitifully. It looked like she was an innocent girl who had been frightened. Chapter 200 - 200 Opening 200 Opening Yuan Dong did not dare to delay and quickly pulled Zhang Cheng out of the entertainment club before returning to apologize to Zhu Wen. In the end, this matter was not Yuan Dong¡¯s fault. Zhu Wen knew very well that they had been brothers for a few years after all. After drinking a glass of wine, this matter was over. The private room resumed its liveliness. Zhu Wen got someone to bring another wine glass and filled Shi Jing¡¯s glass comfortingly. ¡°Baby, did I scare you just now?¡± Shi Jing shook her head in horror. She was already scared silly by his series of actions just now. She was afraid that Zhang Cheng would not be able to stabilize himself and tell all about their past. If that happened, all her previous hard work would be wasted. Although Zhang Cheng¡¯s words were filled with warning, he did not expose her in the end. Even if he would use this to threaten her in the future, he had saved her life at this moment. Zhu Wen saw that she was clearly frightened, but she pretended that nothing had happened. He liked her even more and couldn¡¯t help but pull her into his arms and coax her. ¡°That person actually dared to look at you like that in front of me just now. If I don¡¯t teach him a lesson, I can¡¯t guarantee that he won¡¯t have any crooked thoughts in the future. I¡¯m protecting you, understand?¡± Shi Jing nodded obediently and accidentally brushed her lips against the side of his neck, causing the man to stiffen. Zhu Wen¡¯s eyes were filled with lust. It had been a few days since the last time, and he had long reached his limit. At this moment, he could not resist her easily. After drinking the red wine in his glass, he suddenly picked her up and was about to walk out of the private room. A few friends who were closer to Zhu Wen immediately teased him. ¡°Aiyo, Brother Wen, why are you in such a hurry to bring Sister-in-law to the bridal chamber? Why don¡¯t you play with us for a while!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so fun about it with you?¡± Zhu Wen glared at him angrily and kicked him away. ¡°A good dog doesn¡¯t block the way.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Have fun. Are you coming back later?¡± The brothers teased behind them. Zhu Wen smiled and kicked open the door of the private room. Without looking back, he said, ¡°Not necessarily. If I come back to play, I¡¯ll contact you.¡± If he wanted to bring Shi Jing to the hotel on the top floor and get a room, he had to take the elevator. Outside the reflective elevator door, two figures were kissing each other. Shi Jing gradually fell into his skilled and seductive kissing skills. Just as she was in a daze, she suddenly saw a figure behind the corner from the corner and her body trembled. Zhu Wen naturally sensed her reaction and couldn¡¯t help but smile lecherously as he pressed her against his body. ¡°Why? You can¡¯t take it anymore?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Jing wheedled with him, but she kept paying attention to the commotion in the corner. In addition to the figure of a man, there was also a room card. She bit her lower lip and felt uneasy. Fortunately, the elevator door suddenly opened. Zhu Wen carried her into the elevator and went straight to the top floor. The two of them sank into a wonderful comfort for an unknown period of time. It was only when the sky outside was dark that they gradually woke up. Zhu Wen kissed the tip of the person¡¯s nose dotingly. ¡°Do you still have the strength to go down and play?¡± Shi Jing shook her head gently and looked up at him with wet eyes. ¡°Go down and play with them. I¡¯ll rest here for a while. If I¡¯m not asleep, I¡¯ll look for you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zhu Wen put on his clothes and walked back to the bed. He kissed her forehead again. ¡°Call me if you want to play. I¡¯ll pick you up. Don¡¯t go down alone. It¡¯s not safe here, understand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Jing nodded obediently. After he left, she stood up and slowly put on her clothes. She walked out of the room with a dark expression and came to the door next door. Her fingers hesitated before she knocked on the door. The person inside seemed to have been impatient for a long time and reacted almost instantly. Zhang Chengy narrowed his eyes at the woman with the ambiguous red mark on her neck at the door. His eyes were filled with disdain. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a while. So you¡¯ve hooked up with Zhu Wen. I was wondering why you forgot your job.¡± Shi Jing bit her lower lip in humiliation and lowered her head to ask pitifully, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What do I want?¡± Zhang Cheng lifted her hair ambiguously and wrapped it around his fingertips. His other hand touched her smooth and tender face. Seeing her turn her head away and not let him touch her, he was instantly furious. ¡°I didn¡¯t expose your past in public just now. Shouldn¡¯t you come in and thank me?¡± ¡°Zhang Cheng!¡± Shi Jing stared at the man in front of her, but she was quickly defeated by his playful smile. She compromised and unbuttoned her clothes. ¡°Then hurry up. I¡¯m afraid Zhu Wen will find out later.¡± The dark corridor was like a lurking wolf. Zhang Cheng¡¯s lust rose, and his hand, which was about to move, was glared at by a sinister person. He immediately did not dare to move. Shi Jing took off her coat impatiently and urged with a frown, ¡°What are you waiting for? Didn¡¯t I tell you to hurry up? Zhu Wen will be back in a while.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Shi Jing heard a creepy voice behind her. ¡°I¡¯m back. What will happen?¡± Chapter 201 - 201 Murder 201 Murder Shi Jing suddenly had goosebumps all over her body. She turned around in disbelief and saw Zhu Wen¡¯s gloomy eyes flickering with a dark light. She was so frightened that she immediately pounced on Zhang Cheng. Zhu Wen¡¯s face was extremely dark. He wished he could tear this promiscuous woman in front of him into pieces. He clenched his fists by his side and stared coldly at Shi Jing. His voice was sinister and terrifying. ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with him?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not related!¡± Shi Jing answered quickly. Seeing that Zhu Wen was about to raise his fist to hit her, she quickly let go of Zhang Cheng¡¯s hand and denied in a panic, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯re really not related. It¡¯s not what you think. I was forced by him just now! I had to take off my clothes to see him! Really, you have to believe me!¡± Zhu Wen sneered and pulled her to his side. He pinched her chin and said angrily, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool or deaf? Shi Jing, I was wrong about you.¡± He flung Shi Jing away fiercely and watched her fall to the ground with his own eyes. Then, he spat in disgust and turned around to throw her down. Zhang Cheng looked expressionlessly at Shi Jing, who was covered in another man¡¯s saliva. Suddenly, he lost interest and retreated to his room to close the door. Shi Jing suddenly grabbed the door and her ferocious face pierced through the gap. ¡°You want to leave after hurting me like this?¡± Zhang Cheng frowned slightly and crossed his arms casually as he laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to do you like this. Shi Jing, you¡¯re really disgusting.¡± Shi Jing suddenly laughed out loud at the door. When she was done laughing, she got up from the ground in a sorry state, pulled open the door, and rushed in. At first, Zhang Cheng thought that she was overestimating herself, but when her nails scratched his face, he felt afraid. He imitated Zhu Wen and pushed Shi Jing away fiercely, but this time, she seemed to have gone crazy. She was so strong that he was helpless. He could only wail and scream as she beat him up. Zhang Cheng¡¯s face and arm that was protecting his head were quickly scratched. The bleeding wound was so painful that he could not help but gasp. His anger reached its peak as she hit and scolded him. He suddenly panted heavily and forcefully flipped Shi Jing onto the bed. Then, he reached out and grabbed her neck, his hands slowly tightening. On the white bedsheets, the woman¡¯s face was red from being unable to breathe for a long time. Her struggles became weaker and weaker and became like a cat¡¯s claw that had its spikes pulled out. She slapped Zhang Cheng¡¯s arm, but it did not hurt or itch. It was not threatening at all. Seeing that the woman under him was gradually closing her eyes, he exerted more strength. The door was kicked open from the outside, and the door slammed into the wall with a loud bang. When Yuan Dong saw what was going on inside, he was instantly shocked. In a panic, he pushed away Zhang Cheng, who was still holding Shi Jing¡¯s neck and refusing to let go, and slapped Shi Jing¡¯s red face hard. ¡°What should we do? Brother Wen, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to make it!¡± Yuan Dong was at a loss as he randomly pressed on Shi Jing¡¯s chest, trying to resuscitate her as he remembered. However, the girl on the bed did not move at all. He suddenly realized something and retracted his hand. He took a few steps back and hid in the corner. Trembling, he took out his phone and called the emergency number. Zhu Wen had been watching coldly from the side as the woman¡¯s face gradually turned from bright red to blue and then from blue to pale. Just as everyone thought that he would continue to be indifferent, he suddenly leaned over to the woman and lowered his head to put his lips to hers, trying his best to breathe in her mouth. Yuan Dong looked at the scene in front of him in disbelief. He even forgot to answer the hospital¡¯s question on the phone. It was only when the paramedics in the emergency center were worried that something had happened here that he regained his senses. He quickly reported the address and explained the general situation at the scene. Then, he hung up the phone and walked to Zhu Wen¡¯s side in a daze. ¡°Brother, what, what are you doing? Shi Jing is very likely dead!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not dead,¡± Zhu Wen replied almost confidently, then continued to repeat all the first-aid measures he could think of. Yuan Dong did not know what the basis of his words was. He only knew that his brother had already gone crazy, and the culprit was his cousin who was so scared that he wet his pants. Yuan Dong grabbed Zhang Cheng¡¯s collar and dragged him out of the door, pressing him against the wall. ¡°Do you know what you were doing just now? Cousin, you killed someone!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Zhang Cheng¡¯s eyes widened in horror. His fingers pinched his arm hard, leaving a few deep finger marks. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone. That woman hit me! Can¡¯t you see? My face and arms are covered in injuries!¡± ¡°Who allowed you to touch her?¡± Yuan Dong almost shouted and cursed. He never thought that Zhang Cheng would actually covet Zhu Wen¡¯s woman. Who was Zhu Wen? He was Zhu Meng¡¯s younger brother! He was the leader of the gangsters! To put it bluntly, Zhang Cheng was just a white-collar worker in the company. He had no money or power, yet he still dared to cause such huge trouble! Chapter 202 - 202 Rescue 202 Rescue However, at this point, it was useless to say anything else. He could only pray that the woman was really not dead so that he could try his best to protect his cousin. Yuan Dong ruffled his hair in frustration. The phone in his pocket suddenly rang. He walked to a corner to answer it, only to find out that Zhu Meng had called his brother and couldn¡¯t get through. Yuan Dong did not dare to speak carelessly. He only said that there was an accident here. The woman Brother Wen brought with him was injured and was about to be sent to the hospital. On the other end of the line, Zhu Meng¡¯s brows were tightly knitted together as he asked anxiously, ¡°Woman? What woman? Is her name Shi Jing?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her name.¡± Yuan Dong asked in surprise, ¡°Big Brother, is this woman very important?¡± ¡°Of course she¡¯s important!¡± Zhu Meng gritted his teeth and ordered, ¡°Tell me which hospital you¡¯re going to later. Keep in touch with me on the phone at all times, or I¡¯ll break your legs if we lose contact!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Yuan Dong did not dare to lower his guard anymore. Although he was on the other end of the phone, he still bowed deeply to the wall, as if this was the only way to express his loyalty to Zhu Meng. When the call ended, he felt a chill in his heart. Yuan Dong turned around at a loss, only to find that his cousin, who had just fallen to the ground, had already disappeared without a trace. He smiled bitterly, put away the phone, and walked back to his room. Zhu Wen was still mechanically resuscitating the woman, who was either dead or unconscious. He turned a deaf ear to what had just happened outside the door. ¡°Brother Wen,¡± Yuan Dong called out worriedly. Then, he slowly walked to a distance that was neither close nor far away from the two of them, but he did not dare to take another step closer. In his opinion, Zhu Wen was no different from giving artificial respiration to a corpse. The scene was terrifying. Zhu Wen¡¯s hand moved slightly as he pressed her chest. His voice was terrifyingly hoarse. ¡°My brother called?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yuan Dong scratched his fingers in fear and stammered, ¡°The ambulance should be here soon. Brother Wen, I didn¡¯t call the police.¡± Although he and Zhang Cheng were not too close, they were still blood-related cousins. In addition, he had personally brought him over. If something happened, he still wanted to protect Zhang Cheng. Otherwise, he would be sad when the elders in the family were involved. Fortunately, Zhu Wen did not seem to have thought of calling the police to arrest Zhang Cheng. He retracted his hand tiredly and wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve. He panted heavily and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Shi Jing asked for it.¡± ¡°Brother Wen¡­¡± Yuan Dong was still a little worried. He tentatively glanced at the motionless girl on the bed, but when he saw her pale face, he immediately retracted his gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell Brother Meng the truth just now. I only said that something happened and caused the woman you brought to be injured.¡± Zhu Wen was silent for a moment. Then, he sat on the ground dejectedly and stared blankly at the motionless woman on the bed. ¡°That¡¯s good too. When Shi Jing wakes up, there won¡¯t be anything serious. There¡¯s no need to tell my brother.¡± Yuan Dong endured it and wanted to tell Zhu Wen that Shi Jing might really be dead, but he swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth. At this moment, Zhu Wen¡¯s mood was clearly not normal. If he still did not know what was good for him and added fuel to the fire, when the fire burned him, it would not be fun! Zhu Wen and Zhu Meng were able to control so many businesses in G City at such a young age not only because they had a good father, but also because they were ruthless and had endless methods. Rapid footsteps came from the corridor. Yuan Dong quickly went to open the door and asked the medical staff to bring Shi Jing back to the hospital for emergency treatment. During the journey from the suite to the ambulance, Yuan Dong had been holding Zhu Wen¡¯s arm because he was worried that if he let go, the lifeless man beside him would not even be able to stand steadily. He suddenly could not help but wonder if Zhu Wen had really fallen in love with a woman like Shi Jing who would cheat on him. If that was the case, Zhu Wen would probably find trouble with Zhang Cheng when he came back to his senses! Yuan Dong felt a headache when he thought of his cousin who was lustful and did not know what was important. However, Zhu Wen was sitting beside him now, and he had yet to find a chance to inform his family. The Zhu family¡¯s power was immense. At this time, the best solution might be to turn himself in at the police station. Being sentenced to manslaughter by the law was better than being in the hands of the Zhu brothers. However, time did not allow him to let his imagination run wild. The ambulance drove very quickly on the road and arrived at the hospital in a short while. Yuan Dong worked with the medical staff to carry Shi Jing¡¯s stretcher out of the ambulance and put her on the bed. Then, he reached out and pulled Zhu Wen, who was still in a daze behind him. He coughed dryly and said, ¡°Brother Wen, if you can¡¯t take it anymore, you can go back first. Brother Meng is looking for you.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Zhu Wen woke up and followed the team heading to the emergency room with a dark expression. It was not until the operating lights lit up that he fell into a chair as if he had lost all his strength. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. No one knew what he was thinking. Chapter 203 - 203 Whose Girlfriend 203 Whose Girlfriend Yuan Dong mustered his courage and sat beside him. He rubbed his nose a few times before he could not help but say, ¡°Brother Wen, do you want to return Brother Meng¡¯s call? I think he might come over later.¡± Zhu Wen opened his eyes slightly. He glanced sideways at Yuan Dong. ¡°Are you afraid that my brother and I will find trouble with that kid?¡± Yuan Dong scratched his head awkwardly after his intentions were exposed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brother Wen, but no matter what, I¡¯m definitely on your side. If you want to hold him accountable, I have no objections!¡± Zhu Wen still glanced at him expressionlessly without any expression. Yuan Dong immediately raised two fingers and swore, ¡°Brother, you should know my loyalty to you. Today, it¡¯s my brother, Zhang Cheng, who has let you down. If you want him to pay with his life, I won¡¯t stop you!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the empty emergency room suddenly fell silent. Yuan Dong wiped his tears and was about to kneel down to Zhu Wen with red eyes. This time, Zhu Wen finally reacted. He slowly held Yuan Dong¡¯s arm and pulled him closer to him. Then, he curled the corners of his lips and said with a wicked smile, ¡°I was just teasing you. Why are you so nervous? Shi Jing is just a woman I¡¯m tired of playing with. Compared to her, of course, brothers are more important!¡± Yuan Dong blinked and stood beside him, not knowing what to do. He could not tell if his words were true or not. It was really because Zhu Wen¡¯s performance along the way was too strange. It was so strange that Yuan Dong thought that he had really fallen in love with Shi Jing. However, looking at his nonchalant appearance now, Yuan Dong could not help but suspect that it was all his imagination. No matter how he thought about it, he could not come up with a single clue. Yuan Dong simply stopped thinking about anything and pretended to be relaxed as he sat beside him and said with a smile, ¡°With Brother Wen¡¯s words, I must follow you for the rest of my life! In the future, I will go all out for you without any complaints!¡± Zhu Wen patted Yuan Dong¡¯s shoulder with a gentle expression and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°But you¡¯re not wrong about paying with your life. If Shi Jing really died at your cousin¡¯s hands today, you know what to do, right?¡± ¡°I know!¡± Yuan Dong nodded repeatedly to show his loyalty. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If he really did it, I¡¯ll send him to the police station immediately!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Zhu Wen leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes to rest. However, the arm holding the armrest of the chair inexplicably bulged with veins, causing the space between his eyebrows to twitch. After midnight, the lights in the emergency room finally turned off. The doctor took off his mask and walked out. He gently glanced at the two men sitting outside and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the patient¡¯s family?¡± Zhu Wen suddenly didn¡¯t want to answer this question. He turned his head and gave Yuan Dong a look. Yuan Dong was a smart person. He immediately understood and rushed over. He pretended to be anxious and said, ¡°Doctor, I am. How is the patient now?¡± The doctor glanced at Zhu Wen, who was too lazy to even raise his head. He frowned and said to Zhang Cheng, ¡°She¡¯s already out of danger. You can go downstairs and settle the hospitalization procedures for her now. There will be a nurse to do some basic checkups for her later.¡± Only then did Yuan Dong feel that the stone that had been hanging in his heart had finally been released. He was so happy that he could not suppress the smile on his face. When he turned around and met Zhu Wen¡¯s scrutinizing expression, the smile on his face immediately froze. He coughed awkwardly and nodded obediently. ¡°Alright, thank you, doctor. I¡¯ll go and settle the procedures now.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± The doctor suddenly called out to Yuan Dong, who was about to turn around and leave. He frowned and asked, ¡°If you go to settle the procedures, what about the patient?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yuan Dong clearly had no experience in this area. He subconsciously went to Zhu Wen for help. However, before he could speak, he heard the doctor make arrangements behind him. ¡°The person on the chair is your friend, right? You can let him go through the procedures while you guard your girlfriend. Although her life is not in danger now, she can¡¯t wake up for the time being. In order to avoid any accidents, she has to have someone with her.¡± The doctor thought that he was being very responsible, but he did not expect it to become a death warrant for Yuan Dong. At this moment, even if Yuan Dong did not turn around to look at Zhu Wen, he could feel the gaze on the back of his head that was about to pierce through him. He quickly shook his head and waved his hand. ¡°No, no, no. Doctor, she¡¯s not my girlfriend. You¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± The doctor looked at him strangely and muttered as he walked with a puzzled expression, ¡°You¡¯re really stubborn. You were so anxious just now but now you actually said that she¡¯s not your girlfriend!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Yuan Dong wanted to say something to save his precious life, but this time, Zhu Wen took the initiative to say, ¡°Go and settle the procedures. I¡¯ll stay here and see if she¡¯s dead or not.¡± Yuan Dong thought to himself that the doctor had already said that she was out of danger. How could Shi Jing die? However, he did not have the guts to say it out loud. Zhu Wen¡¯s words instantly became an order in his ears. He ran into the elevator as fast as he could, as if he would die if he stayed on this floor for another second. Chapter 204 - 204 No Family 204 No Family After Yuan Dong finished all the procedures and returned, he saw Zhu Wen sitting by the bed, reaching out to strangle Shi Jing. Yuan Dong was so frightened that he immediately threw away the things in his hand. He hurriedly rushed over and hugged Zhu Wen¡¯s arm, unwilling to let go. ¡°Brother, Brother, don¡¯t be rash. We sent her to the hospital to save her. Even if you¡¯re angry and want to hit her, you can¡¯t do it here!¡± Zhu Wen looked up at him expressionlessly and silently retracted his hand. He glanced at the lunch box on the ground and asked coldly, ¡°You knocked over the food. What should I eat?¡± Yuan Dong was stunned for a moment. Then, he hurriedly cleaned up the dusty food on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brother Wen. I¡¯ll go buy another set now.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Zhu Wen had no intention of staying by this woman¡¯s side for the entire night. With an indifferent expression, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go out to eat. I¡¯ve already called the Shi family and asked them to send someone to take care of her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine too.¡± Yuan Dong quickly cleaned up the ward and carefully followed behind Zhu Wen. He felt that Brother Wen¡¯s mood was already extremely bad. Zhu Wen took him to a nearby barbecue shop to eat a few bites before walking to the corner to answer a call. This call was from the nurse on duty at the hospital. As she saw that there was no family member accompanying the patient in the ward, she was worried that something would happen to the patient, so she specially called him to ask if the hospital should step in to hire a nurse. Zhu Wen looked thoughtfully at Yuan Dong, who was still wolfing down the food behind him, and then said indifferently, ¡°No need. Her family will come to the hospital to take care of her later. If you want to hire a nurse, you can ask her family for their opinion.¡± Zhu Wen replied coldly and hung up to settle the bill. With a mouthful of noodles in his mouth, Yuan Dong raised his head and asked incoherently, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re not eating anymore? Where are you going?¡± ¡°Home.¡± He got into his car without looking back, but he was so irritated he wanted to smash something. There was no doubt that Shi Jing had betrayed him, but when he saw that she was about to be strangled to death, his heart softened. He should not have pitied a woman who would betray him. He should have let her fend for herself. He drove the car home in frustration. On the way, he was still thinking stingily that when he saw the Shi family in the future, he would definitely get them to pay for the hospitalization fees today! Chapter 205 - Chapter 205 Ugly Photo Chapter 205 Ugly Photo Shi Man picked up the call personally. 1 She had the habit of waking up in the morning for morning exercise. She had just returned after running around a few times when she heard her phone ring. Zhu Wen was slightly stunned when he heard the crisp female voice on the other end of the phone. He suddenly asked as if he had sensed something, ¡°Are you Shi Man?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shi Man took the towel from the butler and wiped her sweat. Then, she drank the cold tea in the cup in one gulp, and the heat emitted from her body lessened a little. Zhu Wen felt inexplicably nervous. Thinking of Shi Man, whom he had seen in school, he coughed dryly and said, ¡°Your sister is hospitalized. Aren¡¯t you going to visit her? Her life has just been saved and she needs someone to take care of her.¡± Shi Man casually threw off her slippers and lay on the sofa. She adjusted her posture and said slowly, ¡°What does it have to do with me? Isn¡¯t she still alive? Even if she¡¯s dead, I won¡¯t go over and collect her corpse!¡± Zhu Wen did not expect Shi Man to have such an attitude. He suddenly realized the reason why the Shi family did not go to the hospital to see Shi Jing. It was not that they had other arrangements as he had imagined, but that they had no intention of going at all! But what was going on? Hadn¡¯t Shi Jing been placed in the Shi family for many years? Moreover, it was rumored that Shi Man was very obedient to Shi Jing. Why did it seem like that was not the case now? He quickly digested the shock in his heart and reorganized his words. ¡°Shi Man, Shi Jing was almost killed last night. The surgery has just ended in the hospital. If you don¡¯t have time, you can send a nurse over first. Are the others in your family around? Don¡¯t they want to see Shi Jing?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you annoying?¡± Shi Man threw the towel on the table impatiently and said sternly, ¡°I said I¡¯m not going. Shi Jing has nothing to do with our family anymore. Don¡¯t call me in the future. Since you¡¯re so enthusiastic, why don¡¯t you be a good person and hire a nurse for her?¡± With that, she hung up decisively and threw the receiver on the table. She closed her eyes in frustration. When Su Tang washed up and went downstairs, she happened to see her in an extremely bad mood. She silently walked to her side and bent down to put away her slippers. Then, she took the towel to the bathroom to wash it before coming back to pour her a cup of hot tea. ¡°Don¡¯t always drink cold water. You just came back from training. Your body is hot. If you drink cold water again, it¡¯ll easily cause problems.¡± Shi Man opened her eyes calmly and saw Su Tang sitting quietly at the side, looking at her. She nodded expressionlessly and sat up to take the teacup from her. After blowing on it to cool it down, she drank it all. ¡°Why are you up so early today? It¡¯s finally your day off. Don¡¯t you want to sleep a little longer?¡± Su Tang slowly shook her head, her eyes filled with smiles. ¡°Last night, I learned a new dish. I want to make it for you to try. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Why did you suddenly learn to cook?¡± Shi Man could not help but smile. However, she still nodded happily and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave breakfast to you today.¡± When Shi He yawned and went downstairs with Shi Mu, he saw the two young ladies walking into the kitchen happily. Shi He immediately came to his senses and hurriedly ran downstairs to follow the two of them. He rubbed his hands in anticipation and said, ¡°My good sister, why are you so interested in cooking this morning? It looks like I can eat your cooking again!¡± Shi Man glanced at his greedy expression and waved her hand mercilessly. ¡°I¡¯m not doing it. Su Tang wanted to do it. I¡¯m just going in to help.¡± Shi He immediately wilted. The sleepiness that he had just chased away returned. He yawned and curled up on the sofa to sleep. He slept soundly and even smelled the rich fragrance of food in his dream. Then, the scene changed and he saw an entire table of food that Shi Man had meticulously prepared in front of him. It was so delicious that he wanted to swallow the table. Seeing that Shi He was drooling in his sleep, Shi Mu chuckled and took away the plate that was placed in front of his nose. He took out his phone and took a photo of his silly sleeping face. ¡°I¡¯ve earned it, I¡¯ve earned it. Let him scold me all day. This time, I have something on him!¡± ¡°Be careful. Xiao He will chase after you when he wakes up.¡± Shi Yu looked at his naughty brother in amusement as he slowly ate the food in front of him. Not only was Shi Yu gentle like jade, but he also looked like a gentleman. Even his upbringing was carved into his bones. Even when he was eating at home, he would not stretch out his arm to pick up the dishes that were far away. He would always eat the dishes in front of him. He ate quietly, making people subconsciously follow the rules. On the other hand, Shi Mu was the complete opposite of Shi Yu¡¯s personality. He had a lively demeanor and knew how to put on airs as the President of the Student Union when they were eating outside. However, when they were at home, he had always been nonchalant. Shi Zhong had even criticized his upbringing many times. Every time this happened, Shen Xian would help them. In this family, other than not allowing her husband to teach her daughter a lesson, she would not let her sons do as they pleased. Chapter 206 - Chapter 206 Brothers Fighting Chapter 206 Brothers Fighting Fortunately, Shi Mu was thick-skinned enough. Even if Shi Zhong lectured him ten thousand times, he would not take it to heart. 1 His eldest brother, Shi Ke, had been quietly finishing the food on his plate. He took the tissue from the nanny and wiped it clean. Then, he looked at Su Tang earnestly. ¡°Although our family sponsored your schooling, we don¡¯t need you to contribute anything to the family. Therefore, you don¡¯t have to learn to do things that take time and effort like cooking.¡± ¡°I only do it because I like it,¡± Su Tang explained softly and looked at Shi Man for help. She knew that Shi Ke was saying this out of goodwill, but she could not help but want to correct this. She was not doing this to repay the Shi family. Instead, she simply treated them as her family. After all, other than her uncle and aunt, only the Shi family would treat her so well. Unfortunately, she was not good at expressing herself. She was afraid of letting Shi Ke down, so she could only mutter softly and did not dare to speak nonsense. Shi Man swallowed the food in her mouth and nodded with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. I like it very much. If I still want to eat next time, can you help me make it?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Su Tang agreed without thinking. Shi Ke looked at the two girls getting along well and did not say anything else. As long as his sister was happy, he could let them do whatever they wanted. Shi Mu¡¯s mouth was full of food, but he did not forget to interrupt. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Sister Su Tang¡¯s cooking is really too good. It would be a pity if we can¡¯t eat it in the future!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t open your mouth when you¡¯re eating,¡± Shi Zhong scolded coldly. Then, he put down his chopsticks and pretended to get up. Shi Mu was so frightened that he shivered. He even swallowed the unfinished food in his mouth. Then, he rushed to the side and stared at his father warily, afraid that he would beat him up in the presence of the family. Shi Zhong was not that free. He lectured his son early in the morning. When he saw Shi Mu cowering, he snorted and rolled his eyes at him. Then, he brought his eldest son, Shi Ke, out to discuss business. Only then did Shi Mu feel relieved. He sat back in his seat and scratched his head with an embarrassed smile. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Let¡¯s eat. It¡¯ll get cold soon.¡± Shi Man smiled in amusement. Then, she lowered her head and continued to fill her stomach before leaving with Su Tang. Today, the two of them had agreed to choose a suitable fabric to make clothes. Su Tang was anxious to make the clothes based on the design, so the two of them did not waste any time and drove straight to the mall. Shi He was the most miserable. When he woke up, the food on the table was almost finished. Just by smelling it, he knew how delicious this breakfast was. He immediately sat at the table with a worried expression and wailed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me to eat with you? I was clearly sleeping on the sofa in the living room next door just now!¡± Shi Yu finished his meal slowly. He stood up and started spouting nonsense with a smile. ¡°Xiao Mu told us not to wake you up. If you have anything to say to him, you can tell him.¡± ¡°Hey! Second Brother! You set me up!¡± Shi Mu raised his head in disbelief. Caught off guard, he met Shi He¡¯s green eyes. He picked up the plate and rushed out of the dining room. ¡°These are all mine. Don¡¯t even think about snatching them away!¡± ¡°Shi Mu!¡± Shi He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He glanced at the remaining food on the table and his eyes immediately locked on the only plate in his hand. ¡°Hand over the food! You¡¯re eating my portion!¡± ¡°Who said it¡¯s yours? It¡¯s mine after I eat it!¡± Shi Mu chewed on the food in his mouth proudly. Shi He was so angry that he stomped his feet. He reached out to grab Shi Mu and teach his naughty brother a lesson. Unexpectedly, just as he reached out his arm, he saw him placing the phone in front of him. Shi Mu smiled slyly and showed him the ugly photo he had taken just now. He could not help but tease, ¡°If I post this photo of you drooling in your sleep online, your fans will be very excited, right?¡± ¡°Shi Mu! You¡¯re dead meat!¡± Shi He finally could not take it anymore. He rushed forward recklessly to snatch Shi Mu¡¯s phone. The two brothers caused a commotion in the living room. Shen Xian held her forehead speechlessly. She really could not figure out how she had given birth to these two clowns. No matter how she thought about it, she could not come to a conclusion. She simply put on her coat and left the house to find Mrs. Zhang next door to play cards. The butler did not know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at the cushions that had been thrown to the ground by the two of them in the living room. With a long face, he stood between the two of them and begged, ¡°Young Masters, please be magnanimous and stop fighting. I¡¯ll get the kitchen to make a new meal for Third Young Master, okay?¡± Shi He was so angry that his eyes widened. His brown curly hair also stood up. He pointed at Shi Mu, who was still stuffing food into his mouth, and said angrily, ¡°Eat, eat, eat. You¡¯ll choke to death sooner or later!¡± Shi Mu shook his head proudly. He picked a sofa that was not affected by the battle earlier and sat down. He continued to enjoy the breakfast that he had snatched. Chapter 207 - Chapter 207 Hero Saving the Beauty Chapter 207 Hero Saving the Beauty During the few days that Shi Jing had been hospitalized, the Shi family had not shown their faces at all. 1 Zhu Wen, who was standing by the bed and staring at Shi Jing, fell into deep thought. Shi Jing carefully looked up from the bowl of porridge and stole a glance at the man¡¯s expression. She remembered that the nurse had said that this person often came to the hospital to see her. Although he only stayed for a while before leaving, he should still care about her, right? For the last bit of hope in her heart, she slowly put down her bowl and chopsticks, pursed her lips, and coquettishly said, ¡°Thank you for saving me. How should I repay you?¡± The expressionless Zhu Wen sneered. He suddenly wanted to see how long this woman would continue acting. ¡°While you were unconscious, I contacted the Shi family.¡± Shi Jing¡¯s shy smile froze on her face. She suddenly lowered her head, and uneasiness and fear gradually spread in her heart. ¡°Then, what did Aunt Shen and Uncle Shi say?¡± Zhu Wen hooked a chair over with his foot and sat on it casually. ¡°They told you to recuperate in peace.¡± Shi Jing heaved a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to say something to change the topic, she heard Zhu Wen continue with gritted teeth, ¡°But I paid for the medical fees.¡± Shi Jing was slightly stunned and lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯ll return the money to you.¡± Zhu Wen added, ¡°I also paid for the caregiver.¡± Shi Jing looked up at him in disbelief. She could not see anything in his calm eyes for a long time. She could only deliberately turn red and say aggrievedly, ¡°I¡¯ll return everything to you.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good.¡± Zhu Wen made these two things clear and stood up to leave. Shi Jing stopped him indignantly from behind. ¡°Are you still resentful that I went to see Zhang Cheng that day? I¡¯ll tell you the truth. He¡¯s actually my ex-boyfriend. He used this to threaten me to go over and see him. I never thought of really having anything to do with him!¡± Zhu Wen couldn¡¯t take it anymore and turned to glare at her. His tone was filled with impatience. ¡°Don¡¯t treat everyone as a fool!¡± He took a deep breath and saw that the woman on the bed was still a little pale. He said with annoyance, ¡°I won¡¯t come to see you again. Think of a way to return the money to me. If you dare to run, you should know the consequences.¡± Shi Jing watched helplessly as the duck in her hands flew away. She was so indignant that she wished she could bang her head against the wall and die in the hospital so that this cold-blooded man would feel guilty. Unfortunately, she did not have the courage to face the pain of death. She could only punch the bed weakly. After this incident, Zhu Wen had completely seen through this woman¡¯s true colors. Not only was she disgustingly hypocritical, but she was also very good at lying. She had lied to everyone in school. For her own vanity, she had made everyone think that she was still the adopted daughter of the Shi family. Little did they know that the Shi family had long chased her out of the house and did not even care about her life. Such a person was useless to Zhu Wen¡¯s plan, so he could not take this lying down. He had taken a detour to take Shi Jing down in order to build a good relationship with the Shi family. He did not expect to be used by a woman. Sooner or later, he would have to get back at Shi Jing for this humiliation. However, the most important thing now was to get close to the Shi family. Since he could not do it with Shi Jing, he could only start with Shi Man herself. Zhu Wen made up his mind and asked the people guarding near the Shi family to immediately follow Shi Man, who was driving out. After knowing that she had entered a mall, he immediately drove over anxiously. ¡°Brother Wen, it¡¯s on the third floor.¡± Yuan Dong had been staring at Shi Man¡¯s movements. When he saw Zhu Wen finally arrive, he immediately reported Shi Man¡¯s current location to him as if he was asking for credit. ¡°Tell the brothers to retreat first. I can take care of this myself.¡± He patted Yuan Dong¡¯s shoulder, indicating for him to leave first with the brothers who were squatting around to avoid unnecessary advance and investigated Shi Man¡¯s deeds in school clearly. Yuan Dong leaned close to his ear mysteriously and whispered, trouble. However, Yuan Dong clearly did not think so. In order to make up for his previous mistakes, he had specially done his homework in advance and investigated Shi Man¡¯s deeds in school clearly. Yuan Dong leaned close to his ear mysteriously and whispered, ¡°Brother Wen, I¡¯ve already investigated. This woman beside Shi Man is called Su Tang. In the past, she was always bullied by the class. Later, Shi Man helped and the two of them became good friends.¡± Zhu Wen stared coldly at his sneaky expression and asked rather impatiently, ¡°So what? What exactly do you want to explain?¡± Yuan Dong coughed dryly and said carefully, ¡°I think Shi Man might be a very warm-hearted person. If Brother Wen can save the damsel in distress for once, perhaps Shi Man can become good friends with you?¡± When Zhu Wen heard this, he immediately felt that it was true. He looked thoughtfully at Shi Man, who was chatting and laughing with the girl next to her in the shop in front of him, and nodded solemnly. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. However, make sure your acting skills are good. Don¡¯t expose yourselves!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Big Brother. I guarantee that this matter will be done for you!¡± After obtaining Zhu Wen¡¯s approval, Yuan Dong immediately went to meet up with his other brothers excitedly, thinking about how to tease the girl in public later. Chapter 208 - Chapter 208 Acting Chapter 208 Acting Shi Man accompanied Su Tang to many shopping malls and finally found the fabric she wanted. 1 Su Tang happily raised the cloth in her hand for Shi Man to see. ¡°How about using this black cloth as your coat? Do you like it?¡± ¡°Anything is fine.¡± Shi Man was not particular about these things. It was all up to Su Tang¡¯s preferences. The shop assistant noticed that the two of them seemed to have chosen what they wanted to buy. She immediately smiled and walked over. ¡°If the two ladies like this model, you can tell me the exact size you want. I¡¯ll get someone to cut it for you.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you the size.¡± Su Tang happily discussed with the shop assistant how long the cloth should be. When she turned around, she realized that Shi Man was standing at the side expressionlessly with a serious expression. She got the assistant to cut the sizes she had set. Then, she walked to Shi Man¡¯s side in confusion and asked carefully, ¡°Are you too bored? Why don¡¯t I accompany you to the movie first? I¡¯ll buy it myself after we¡¯re done playing.¡± Shi Man looked up at her indifferently and suddenly smiled. She curled her fingers slightly and pulled her into her arms when she was close. ¡°Someone followed us all the way. Will you act with me later?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Su Tang wanted to scream in fear, but Shi Man quickly covered her mouth. She could only try her best to digest this reality and nod in a daze. Only then did Shi Man let go of her. She hugged her shoulder and whispered, ¡°We¡¯ll act according to the situation later. It¡¯s not easy for a group of blind people to come knocking on my door. I can practice my skills.¡± Su Tang knew Shi Man¡¯s ability, so she was not worried that Shi Man would be injured at all. However, she looked at the crowded shops around her and shook her head in disagreement. ¡°Isn¡¯t it bad to fight here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Shi Man let go of her hand and let her continue to look at the fabric. She then strolled around the shop casually, deliberately leaving a loophole for the group of people. When Yuan Dong saw that the other party was alone, he thought that his chance had come. He immediately called his brothers and swarmed forward, walking straight in Shi Man¡¯s direction. Su Tang watched in shock as this group of people with dyed hair rushed into the shop and targeted Shi Man. Her heart instantly rose to her throat. Fortunately, with Shi Man¡¯s instructions, she could still remain calm. She quietly followed behind this group of people and slowly approached them. She took out her phone and found a safe place to record the entire process. Shi Man looked up at them casually with a faint smile. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yuan Dong pretended to be a hooligan and wiped his mouth. His face was filled with a strange smile. ¡°Little girl, you look pretty good. Do you want to go upstairs with us for a cup of milk tea?¡± Shi Man¡¯s eyes revealed a trace of mockery as she said in a light tone, ¡°What if I say no?¡± For some reason, after she finished speaking, Yuan Dong¡¯s eyes instantly shone with the light of success. He rubbed his hands wretchedly and deliberately approached Shi Man, trying to let this young lady know fear. ¡°Then don¡¯t blame us for being impolite!¡± The few people Yuan Dong brought with him also let out wretched laughter at the same time. Shi Man looked at them coldly and suddenly knew what these people wanted to do. She deliberately provoked them and said, ¡°Then how do you want to be rude?¡± Yuan Dong did not expect this little girl to be so bold. Seeing that more and more people were gathering around the shop, he was afraid that the police would come if he delayed any longer. He could only end the battle quickly and say, ¡°Then come with us!¡± With that, he reached out to grab Shi Man¡¯s arm. However, before he could touch her, a man suddenly rushed out of the crowd and stood between the two of them righteously. ¡°Stop! How dare you create trouble in the mall? You¡¯re simply lawless!¡± Yuan Dong silently praised his righteous big brother in his heart. Then, he continued to keep a straight face and pointed at his nose with a bold expression. ¡°Who are you? How dare you meddle in my business? Are you tired of living?¡± Zhu Wen¡¯s expression turned cold. Although he knew that this was an act, he was really angry when his underling said that. ¡°I think you¡¯re tired of living!¡± Of course, Yuan Dong could hear the anger in his tone, and his heart instantly thumped. He hurriedly stopped while he was ahead and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you off this time. Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he decisively fled with his brothers behind him. After leaving the mall, he spent a lot of effort to barely shake off the police. After this trip, they were a little exhausted. Now, they only hoped that their big brother could work hard. The method just now was really effective. In the mall, the boss of the fabric shop rushed over when he heard the news. When he saw Shi Man, he first apologized to her and promised that she could choose a piece of fabric for free in the shop today. Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly. Wouldn¡¯t she be a fool if she didn¡¯t take advantage of him? She reached out and found Su Tang. She raised her chin and pointed at the fabric on the top floor of the shop. ¡°What do you think of that? The boss said he¡¯s willing to give it to us.¡± Chapter 209 - Chapter 209 Picking Up A Fool for Nothing Chapter 209 Picking Up A Fool for Nothing The boss¡¯s face darkened. He was just being polite because there were too many customers in the shop just now. He was afraid that it would affect the shop, so he said it casually. Unexpectedly, this young lady actually asked for something exorbitant. His expression instantly turned ugly. The boss smiled hesitantly and said, ¡°Young lady, that piece of fabric was booked by a famous designer in the country. It can¡¯t be given to you. Why don¡¯t you take a look at the ones below? They¡¯re very suitable for beginner designers like you to practice with.¡± Shi Man smiled faintly and did not care about the gazes of others. She smiled and said, ¡°You were the one who said that we could choose a fabric for free, right? Why? Are you going back on your word so soon?¡± The boss was a little embarrassed in front of everyone. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and lowered his voice to persuade her. ¡°Young lady, you have to stop while you¡¯re ahead. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be in the right if this matter blows up.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows with interest. Su Tang hurriedly tugged at her sleeve. ¡°Manman, forget it. This boss is just being kind. If you like it, I can buy it for you.¡± ¡°Do you have money now?¡± Shi Man turned to look at her in amusement, but this time, she did not pester her. Originally, she did not lack the money to buy fabric. With the bank card in her hand, not to mention buying an expensive fabric, she could even buy the entire shop. She only wanted to test if the shop owner was in cahoots with those people. Zhu Wen, who had been silent all this while, felt that if he continued to remain silent, he would have done his heroic act in vain through Shi Man¡¯s buffoonery. He quickly interrupted, ¡°Boss, this girl was frightened just now. Since she likes that fabric, why don¡¯t you take it off? I¡¯ll pay for it as a way to calm this girl down.¡± Su Tang looked at Zhu Wen in disbelief. Was this person stupid? Who would take the initiative to spend a huge sum of money to calm people down after doing a heroic deed? Was he both stupid and rich? A smile suddenly appeared in Shi Man¡¯s eyes. She turned around and looked at Zhu Wen for the first time. Her dark eyes swept across him gently with a heart-shaking pressure. ¡°Alright, thank you in advance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Zhu Wen was overjoyed. This time, the boss did not say anything else. The reason why he said that the designer had reserved it was that he did not want to give it away for free. Since someone was willing to pay, he naturally took advantage of the situation. After handing over the money and the goods, Zhu Wen took the initiative to carry the two bags. He walked to Shi Man¡¯s side and smiled warmly. ¡°My name is Zhu Wen. What¡¯s your name?¡± Shi Man glanced at him with a faint smile and ignored his obvious question. She brought Su Tang to the next shop. Su Tang was still not used to having an additional person around. She had been carefully avoiding Zhu Wen and felt that this person was not as sunny and enthusiastic as he looked. Shi Man did not care at all. With a laborer who carried bags for free and a fool who fought to pay, why not? The three of them shopped the entire floor before Shi Man reached out to Zhu Wen. ¡°Give it to me. We¡¯re going home.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He really couldn¡¯t imagine what this woman thought of him. A wave of anger suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart, but he suppressed it. ¡°Why don¡¯t I treat you to a movie upstairs? You must be tired after shopping for so long.¡± Shi Man turned her head to look at Su Tang, who had been swallowing her saliva. She remembered that she had mentioned watching a movie just now and nodded easily. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± Zhu Wen immediately felt that he had succeeded halfway. He even began to regret taking the wrong path in the past. He should have known that even if Shi Man had already set up an engagement with Yi Zheng, their relationship might be extremely bad according to his brother¡¯s guess. In that case, Shi Man might not directly refuse a boy who took the initiative to approach her! If he had known that it would be so easy to get close to Shi Man, why would he have been deceived by Shi Jing? Zhu Wen cursed Shi Jing in his heart while thinking about how to get Shi Man. At the same time, Yi Zheng, who was far away in the office, was looking at the surveillance video in the mall expressionlessly. Tang Zhe had discovered a video of a hooligan teasing a young girl in public on the Internet. Only then did he suddenly realize that the female lead of the incident was actually his future Madam. He did not dare to waste any time and immediately sent the surveillance video to the CEO¡¯s office. However, what happened next would surprise everyone. Was his future wife shopping with another man in public? Did they even walk into the cinema together? Tang Zhe secretly looked up at his master, whose face was as black as the bottom of a pot. His fragile little heart could not help but beat faster. Was it too late to snatch the surveillance video back? Chapter 210 - Chapter 210 The Scene Chapter 210 The Scene Shi Man accompanied Su Tang to watch the movie she wanted to see, so she pulled her to the milk tea shop opposite. She had never shopped idly with her friends like this before. For a moment, it was quite novel. She simply did not have anything urgent to do now and wanted to have fun before going home. Zhu Wen thought that he had successfully made Shi Man accept him. He ran into the milk tea shop with a smile and took a seat. After putting the things away, he took the initiative to order three cups of milk tea and a few desserts from the front desk. While he was away, Su Tang quietly leaned close to Shi Man¡¯s ear and asked, ¡°Do we really have to keep bringing him along? I keep feeling that he has ill intentions!¡± Of course, Shi Man knew in her heart. She had long seen that the group of people who had teased her in public had something to do with Zhu Wen. However, she did not expect Su Tang, this little white flower, to take the initiative to suspect others. She was immediately interested and asked in amusement, ¡°Why are they up to no good?¡± ¡°He was unaccountably solicitous. He¡¯s definitely up to no good,¡± Su Tang whispered in her ear. As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Zhu Wen return with a tray with a smile. He sat opposite the two of them and asked, ¡°What were you talking about just now? Did you have a good chat?¡± If he was not wrong, Shi Man, who had been looking at him with a straight face, seemed to have smiled at Su Tang very lightly just now. Although that smile was fleeting, it was like a short-lived flash of light, temporarily releasing the best side of her. Zhu Wen suddenly felt that the cute girlfriends he had dated in the past were simply vulgar compared to Shi Man. If he could really obtain Shi Man! Zhu Wen couldn¡¯t help but be tempted, but he was called back to his senses by the continuous exclamations in the milk tea shop. Everyone in the shop suddenly looked at the door in unison and stared in amazement at the cold-faced but handsome man. They had lived for so many years, but they had never seen such a good-looking man! This face was incomparable in those in the entire entertainment industry. If he really debuted, this person would probably become a top celebrity just based on his looks. Zhu Wen naturally noticed the man at the door. The cup of milk tea in his hand was about to be crushed. The cold juice was squeezed out of the cup and dripped onto the back of his hand, but he was unaware. Why was Yi Zheng here? Was it just a coincidence or was he here to see Shi Man? As soon as this thought appeared in his mind, it instantly ignited the fire of doubt in his heart. He turned around to look at the expression on Shi Man¡¯s face. He thought that he would see the same infatuation on her face as others. However, he did not expect that the only two people in the entire milk tea shop who did not have feelings for Yi Zheng were sitting opposite him. Shi Man acted as if nothing had happened. She casually fiddled with the small things in the cup and picked them up with a straw for Su Tang to see, asking her to tell her what these things were. Zhu Wen was suddenly speechless. After that, he couldn¡¯t help but rejoice. It seemed that her brother¡¯s analysis was right. Shi Man did not like Yi Zheng. At this moment, she must be thinking of ways to break off the engagement with Yi Zheng. That meant that he really still had a chance! Thinking of this, he suddenly felt that there was nothing to care about in regard to Yi Zheng. Zhu Wen smiled and patiently explained to Shi Man what the small ingredients in the milk tea were. He even enthusiastically introduced the other flavors of milk tea in the shop to her, wanting her to try more. Shi Man was clearly very interested in his suggestion. She had indeed never drunk these things. Now, it seemed that she still had too many things to learn from ordinary young ladies, so she simply ordered a glass of everything. Anyway, Zhu Wen was the one paying. Yi Zheng stood at the door and was clearly not used to such a small shop. He frowned and searched the shop. Finally, he saw Shi Man in the corner. His face was already showing signs of turning black and purple. Even his eyebrows could not help but tremble. He stood beside Shi Man and suppressed the anger in his heart, but his tone was still not warm. ¡°Are you on a date?¡± When Yi Zheng first appeared at the entrance of the milk tea shop, he was already eye-catching enough. Now that he took the initiative to walk to a girl, the first thing he said was actually a question. The people in the shop immediately sized up the girl and Yi Zheng with probing gazes before finally landing on the man opposite them. Zhu Wen knew that he should protect Shi Man at this moment. He quickly stood up and reached out to stop the two of them. ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t disturb us, okay?¡± He deliberately made it sound ambiguous. The surrounding people immediately pricked up their ears to eavesdrop on the commotion and guessed what the relationship between these people was! Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes and sneered mockingly. ¡°I¡¯m her fianc¨¦. Do you think I¡¯m disturbing you?¡± The surrounding people gasped. They were so shocked that they almost bit off the straw of the milk tea. Zhu Wen¡¯s expression was calm as he stood between them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Even if you¡¯re her fianc¨¦, you have to respect her wishes.¡± Chapter 211 - Chapter 211 Living Bodhisattva Chapter 211 Living Bodhisattva Yi Zheng turned around and faced Zhu Wen expressionlessly. The cold air around him was even colder than the air conditioner in the shop. ¡°What right do you have to speak to me on her behalf? Your name is Zhu Wen, right? Have you resolved the matter of your brother¡¯s hotel illegally installing cameras?¡± ¡°You!¡± Zhu Wen wanted to say something, but because there were too many people at the scene, he didn¡¯t say it. He could only sit down again and look at Shi Man hopefully. ¡°Do you want me to stay and continue playing with you, or let this so-called fianc¨¦ accompany you?¡± This question was too straightforward! This time, not only did the surrounding people start to treat him differently, but they also admired his courage to say this in front of the main character. Even Su Tang felt that he was brave. She had just found out that the person in front of her was actually the brother of the hotel owner who had secretly taken videos of Shi Yu! In that case, did this person have ulterior motives for suddenly sticking to Manman? The more she thought about it, the more she felt that Zhu Wen had ill intentions. Su Tang gently tugged at Shi Man¡¯s sleeve under the table, telling her not to agree to Zhu Wen. Although Yi Zheng was very annoying to Shi Man, he was still much safer than this scheming Zhu Wen! Manman must not choose Zhu Wen! Shi Man looked in amusement at her sleeve which kept shaking. She took a bite of the straw and drank half a cup of milk tea in one go. Then, she stood up with a satisfied expression and said, ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯ll go home first. You guys can take your time to argue here. There¡¯s no need to follow me.¡± Her tone was frivolous and casual. Clearly, she did not take the two men seriously. The other customers in the milk tea shop immediately looked at her in a different light. They originally thought that this young lady would be in a dilemma because she was sandwiched between two men. Now, it seemed that she was very decisive! She had not taken a fancy to any of them from the beginning! They didn¡¯t know what kind of background this young lady had to make such a handsome man jealous. After the kitchen finished making all the milk tea she had just ordered, they sent three to four shop assistants to barely carry them to the lobby in front. Seeing that she was about to leave, they immediately stopped her anxiously. ¡°Miss, you haven¡¯t paid for your milk tea. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want these?¡± ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡± Shi Man took out a bank card from her bag and went to the front desk to pay. After paying the bill, she instructed the shop assistant, ¡°The two of us can¡¯t take this much. Put them on the table. I¡¯ll get someone to come and take them later. Also, get someone to take the things we bought. Don¡¯t lose them.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes, yes!¡± This was the first time they had met such a generous customer in the long time they had opened the milk tea shop. Not to mention helping look after things, there was nothing wrong with letting them run around the building once! Shi Man was satisfied with his sensible attitude. She grabbed a few bills from her bag and stuffed them into the supervisor¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a little fee for your hard work. Take it and split it.¡± ¡°Thank you! If you like it, you can come to the shop often in the future!¡± Now, the entire staff of the milk tea shop worshipped Shi Man like a god. After nodding and bowing to send her off, they even looked at her as she left. They all hoped that Shi Man could come to their shop often. Shi Man left without looking at Yi Zheng. The two men were forgotten in the shop at the same time. Yi Zheng snorted and turned around to chase after them. Zhu Wen thought about it and decided to go home and discuss the future countermeasures with his brother. Anyway, Shi Man clearly didn¡¯t like Yi Zheng now, so he didn¡¯t have to worry that Yi Zheng would snatch her away. At the Shi family¡¯s house, Shi Man¡¯s car stopped steadily at the door. After getting out of the car, Su Tang got out of the front passenger seat and jogged around the front of the car. She pulled Shi Man¡¯s sleeve with a conflicted expression. ¡°Manman, Brother Yi is following us.¡± Not far from where they parked, Yi Zheng opened the car door and walked out. He looked over with a cold expression. Shi Man couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at him. She held Su Tang¡¯s hand expressionlessly and walked into the manor. ¡°He can follow me as he likes. Let¡¯s see how long he can follow me.¡± Su Tang hesitated for a moment before turning around to look at Yi Zheng. Then, she was deliberately pulled away by Shi Man. She came back early today. The other family members were busy with their own things. Only Shi Yu was reading the newspaper at home. Seeing her return, Shi Yu immediately put down the things in his hand and went up to her. ¡°I thought you would play for a while longer. Where are the things you bought?¡± ¡°I got someone to take them from the shop. We couldn¡¯t be bothered to carry them,¡± Shi Man replied indifferently. Then, she sat on the sofa and poured herself a cup of tea. ¡°Brother, Yi Zheng is here.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Shi Yu¡¯s hand moved slightly as he pressed the remote control. His slender fingers were slightly pale. ¡°There.¡± Shi Man pouted in the direction of the door. As expected, he was respectfully invited in by the butler. At this moment, he was changing his slippers at the entrance. Shi Yu frowned and stood up to welcome him. In the end, it was all thanks to Yi Zheng¡¯s help the last time. Therefore, even if his sister did not welcome him, the Shi family still had to give him the necessary etiquette. Chapter 212 - Chapter 212: Cooperation Chapter 212: Cooperation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Xiao Zheng.¡± When he saw Yi Zheng again, Shi Yu suddenly felt a little awkward. Thinking of how the two of them had parted on bad terms over Shi Man last time, and how he had relied on Yi Zheng¡¯s help to escape trouble, he suddenly did not know what expression to face him with. Yi Zheng smiled as usual and said, ¡°All Yu, is the Fang family still looking for trouble with you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Yu shook his head and invited him into the living room. Shi Man continued to look at Su Tang¡¯s design in her hand without looking up. She was totally treating Yi Zheng as air. It was only when Shi Yu took the initiative to remind her that she reluctantly looked up and said angrily, ¡°You must be thirsty after following me all the way. Drink some water yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little thirsty.¡± He sat casually opposite her, his expression so calm that no emotions could be seen. ¡°I¡¯m not like Miss Shi who just drank a large cup of milk tea in the shop.¡± ¡­.. Shi Yu frowned slightly and looked at the two of them strangely. For some reason, he smelled strong gunpowder in the air and looked at Su Tang, who was sitting at the side with an innocent expression. Su Tang lowered her head guiltily. How should she say that Manman drank milk tea with a shameless guy and was caught by Brother Yi? Shi Yu saw that she was embarrassed to speak and immediately found it strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the two of you? Didn¡¯t you just meet?¡± Yi Zheng laughed ambiguously and leaned back on the sofa. His expression was noble as he said with a serious expression, ¡°All Yu, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know that Manman made a new friend, right? He¡¯s not a good person. As her brother, you should interfere.¡± ¡°Manman made a new friend. What friend?¡± Looking at Yi Zheng¡¯s strange posture, could it be that she had a boyfriend? Shi Yu thought in horror as she continued to ask Su Tang. Su Tang, who was forced into a corner and was afraid that the matter would make things worse, had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, ¡°It¡¯s not a friend. It¡¯s just someone we met by chance today.¡± She told Shi Yu everything that had happened in the fabric shop today from beginning to end. Then, she explained reluctantly, ¡°Manman actually knew long ago that he had ulterior motives. She was just beating him at his own game. Brother Yi, don¡¯t misunderstand Manman.¡± Shi Yu raised his eyebrows in understanding and glanced at Yi Zheng with a smile in his eyes. It seemed that it was really because of another man. No wonder Yi Zheng was forced to this extent. He even rushed to her house! He coughed lightly and prepared to explain on his sister¡¯s behalf. ¡°Manman isn¡¯t an easy girl. She¡¯s very cautious and loyal to relationships. You should know this.¡± As soon as he said this, Yi Zheng¡¯s mood suddenly improved. Even his eyebrows, which had been trembling from anger, were raised. He smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I do know that Manman is very loyal.¡± ¡°But 1 don¡¯t like you anymore.¡± Shi Man bluntly ruined his good mood. She made up her mind not to let him walk out of the Shi family with a smile. Yi Zheng smiled indifferently this time. He took out an invitation from his pocket and placed it on the table. ¡°It¡¯s my mother¡¯s birthday next week. If you don¡¯t mind, you can come to my house for a meal.¡± ¡°Of course, we have to go to Auntie¡¯s birthday.¡± This was the custom of the two families. It was not difficult. Shi Yu put away the invitation without hesitation. Shi Man recalled that she had yet to give Lu Xiang an explanation for defrauding her and taking Su Tang away. She immediately felt a headache. This time, she would probably be treated as Lu Xiang¡¯s future daughter-in-law. Lu Xiang might even take the opportunity to matchmake her and Yi Zheng! ¡°I have something on next week, so I won¡¯t go.¡± Shi Man refused bluntly and returned the design plan to Su Tang. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my room to take a nap first. I won¡¯t accompany you anymore.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go too!¡± Su Tang nodded apologetically at Shi Yu and Yi Zheng, then jogged up the stairs after Shi Man. ¡°Wait!¡± Yi Zheng stopped her from behind and said with a smile, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to see me, you have to give an explanation for lying to my mother. It¡¯s not your style to hide like this.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Shi Man turned around and glared at him fiercely. Her intuition told her that this man definitely did not have anything good to say. He might have dug another hole and was waiting for her to jump into it! As expected, Yi Zheng¡¯s next words made Shi Man roll her eyes in anger. He spread his hands matter-of-factly and said, ¡°No matter what difficulties you have for lying to your elder, I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t get past Uncle Shi. Therefore, why don¡¯t we cooperate? I¡¯ll help you get past my mother. How about that?¡± Shi Man glared at him expressionlessly. She already knew what evil tricks he had up his sleeves. Yi Zheng still had that calm smile on his face. In fact, because Shi Man¡¯s gaze lingered on him for a little longer this time, his smile became wider and wider. ¡°I can help you act and pretend that the part where you lie is true.. As long as you successfully pass, I won¡¯t ask for anything else, okay?¡± Chapter 213 - Chapter 213: Competition Chapter 213: Competition Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the blink of an eye, it was Lu Xiang¡¯s birthday. For this matter, Shen Xian applied for leave on Shi Man¡¯s behalf early in the morning and brought her to the stylist¡¯s office to do her hair. Shi Man was unwilling to be harmed by Shen Xian alone and dragged Su Tang along. However, Su Tang rejected her righteously. The reason was that someone had to take notes in class because she still had to read them later. Shi Man had no choice but to let Shen Xian bring her to the styling room. After an entire day of torture, just as she was sleeping soundly, she was suddenly awakened by Shen Xian pushing her arm. ¡°Manman, open your eyes and see how beautiful you are now!¡± Shen Xian¡¯s voice was gentle and magical, comforting her emotions that had suddenly arisen because someone had woken her up. She obediently opened her eyes and looked at the beautiful girl in the mirror. Her long hair naturally fell to her shoulders. She reached out and pinched her face. ¡­.. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t touch it! Be careful not to rub off your makeup!¡± Shen Xian pushed her hand away and held her shoulder as she stood behind her. She smiled and leaned close to her daughter¡¯s ear. ¡¯¡¯My precious daughter is indeed beautiful. You will definitely be the most dazzling focus tonight.¡± Shi Man looked curiously at the cute girl in the mirror who looked like a Barbie doll. The makeup on her face covered the hostility on her body very well, as if it had softened all the corners. She looked as beautiful and dazzling as a princess in a castle. The stylist brought over the custom-made gown that Shen Xian had custom-made earlier and held it in front of Shi Man with a smile. ¡°This dress suits Miss Shi¡¯s makeup tonight. Do you want to try it on now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try it.¡± Shen Xian smiled and took the gown. She shook open the fishtail-shaped skirt and gently patted her expressionless daughter. ¡°Why are you in a daze? Are you so stunned by your own beauty that you can¡¯t look away? Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be even more beautiful in this dress later!¡± Shen Xian had a good taste in choosing clothes. This fishtail dress perfectly highlighted her curvaceous figure, making her look pure and sexy. It was as if the princess just now had instantly turned into a mermaid chasing freedom in the sea. She was so beautiful that no one could find any fault with her. After packing up, Shen Xian swiped her card to settle the bill in satisfaction and brought Shi Man to the Yi family for a banquet. Not only did Lu Xiang invite the Shi family to this birthday banquet, but she also invited many of the Yi family¡¯s good friends. When Shen Xian brought Shi Man to the Yi family, Yi Zheng was waiting at the door. A breeze blew gently, lifting the hair on his head. The man, who always had a gloomy expression, looked especially gentle at this moment. He recognized Shen Xian¡¯s car at a glance and immediately welcomed her with a smile. He personally opened the car door for her. ¡°Aunt Shen, my mother is waiting for you inside. I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± He walked around the front of the car and opened the door for Shi Man on the other side of the backseat. The President, who had always been high and mighty, had become an usher in charge of welcoming guests in the presence of the mother and daughter. Shi Man got out of the car with a straight face and glared at him fiercely before turning to walk into the Yi family residence. Unexpectedly, Yi Zheng suddenly grabbed her arm and whispered into her ear with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re very beautiful today. Can you only wear it for me to see in the future?¡± ¡°In your dreams?¡± Shi Man rolled her eyes at him and turned around arrogantly to leave. Yi Zheng followed with a smile. He consciously held her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. He lowered his eyes and said righteously, ¡°The etiquette of a lady¡¯s banquet is to appear with her partner. Don¡¯t you know?¡± Of course, Shi Man knew. In the past, many of her missions were to assassinate a certain target at the banquet. Thinking of this, she suddenly smiled sinisterly and tightened her grip on Yi Zheng¡¯s arm. ¡°Of course, I know. I¡¯ll hold you tightly.¡± She deliberately emphasized the last few words. The meaning of the threat was very obvious. However, Yi Zheng smiled calmly, as if it didn¡¯t hurt. He brought her to Shen Xian¡¯s side without changing his expression. ¡°Aunt Shen, let¡¯s go in now. After you.¡± Shen Xian looked at her daughter with a strange expression as she suddenly took the initiative to hold Yi Zheng¡¯s arm. However, it was not appropriate to ask since there were people coming and going at the door. She could only smile and nod. ¡°Alright, as long as you young people have fun, you don¡¯t have to worry about me being beside you.¡± The moment she stepped into the banquet hall, Shi Man could clearly feel everyone¡¯s gazes suddenly on her. She had killed people in the past and had lingering symptoms of occupational hazards. When she was stared at in public, her hands would itch and she subconsciously tightened her grip on Yi Zheng¡¯s arm. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression did not change. He brought her to his mother and smiled. ¡°Mom, Manman and Aunt Shen are here.¡± ¡°Aiyo, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡± Lu Xiang excitedly grabbed Shen Xian¡¯s arm and asked her to sit down beside her. The people who were fawning over her just now were instantly pushed away by Shen Xian. There was a clear distinction between closeness and indifference, but they did not dare to say anything; no one dared to provoke Shen Xia given her identity and background.. Chapter 214 - Chapter 214: Reward Chapter 214: Reward Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What surprised everyone was Shi Man¡¯s appearance today. There were rumors outside that Shi Man had endless methods to woo Yi Zheng. Seeing her meticulous style today, everyone immediately felt that the rumors were true. However, in the next second, Lu Xiang¡¯s reaction shocked everyone. She looked at Shi Man, who was holding her son¡¯s hand intimately. The more she looked at her, the more she liked her. She held her hand and warmly let her sit on the other side of her. She smiled kindly and said, ¡°I¡¯m really happy that you came to celebrate my birthday. By the way, let me introduce you to everyone. This is our Yi family¡¯s future daughter-in-law.¡± Shi Man glared at Yi Zheng unintentionally as she endured the looks of the people sizing her up. At this point, Lu Xiang was flaunting Shi Man at will in front of others. Yi Zheng found it funny now that she had to endure it. Seeing that her smile was about to disappear, he quickly pulled her to his side. ¡°Mom, sit with Aunt Shen first. I¡¯ll bring Manman around.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. The two of you have fun!¡± Lu Xiang was naturally willing for the two of them to have more time and space to communicate. ¡­.. Shen Xian looked thoughtfully at Shi Man, who had been taken away obediently. She vaguely suspected that her daughter had really changed her mind. The two of them walked all the way to the quiet garden before Shi Man shook off Yi Zheng¡¯s hand. She took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands with a cold and disgusted expression. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression changed. He suddenly rolled up his sleeves. Just as Shi Man thought that he was going to fight her here, she saw him raise his bruised arm expressionlessly in front of her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shi Man¡¯s suspicious eyes floated up and down. She looked at his expression one moment and then at his arm guiltily. Yi Zheng still had his arm out in midair. ¡°You pinched me.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Man took another look before looking away. She turned her head away and said, ¡°So what?¡± Who asked him to threaten her to cooperate with him today to show off their love? Did he know how much this had hurt her psychologically? Also, she pinched him hard because he had been expressionless. She thought that she did not hurt him, but who knew that she had already pinched him into a ball of seaweed? Yi Zheng moved his arm and stretched it out in front of her again. ¡°Put down my sleeve.¡± Hey! Who was he ordering? Shi Man was about to refuse when she heard Yi Zheng smile maliciously. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell Aunt Shen that you lied to your elders. I ll take Su Tang back.¡± Shi Man smacked her lips unhappily and glared at him impatiently. ¡°So be it!¡± She reached out and reluctantly rolled down his sleeve, then fastened his cuffs under his gaze. Only then did Yi Zheng retract his hand in satisfaction and pat her head smugly. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll give you a reward, but there is a condition.¡± Shi Man stared at him expressionlessly. Her intuition told her that he was not about to offer anything good, but she still asked, ¡°What reward?¡± Yi Zheng curled his lips and smiled. ¡°Half of the management rights of the black market.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and smiled with interest. ¡°Then what¡¯s the condition?¡± ¡°Marry me,¡± Yi Zheng said as he looked at her intently. The smile that Shi Man had just revealed instantly froze on her face. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared without a trace, leaving only a sullen face. ¡°In your dreams.¡± She didn¡¯t want to talk to this man anymore. She turned around and walked back to the crowded place, but she happened to hear the woman¡¯s ear-piercing and sharp voice behind the flowers. ¡°Who are you? Why are you so blind? I specially custom-made this dress to see Brother Yi Zheng. How can I face anyone if you dirty it now?!¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± The apology was slightly weaker, and her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible, but Shi Man could still tell that the owner of this voice was Su Tang. She walked around the flowers and stood between the two of them with a cold expression. She looked down at the shattered wine glass on the ground and the red wine that had spilled all over the ground. Then, she turned her gaze to the timid girl at the side. ¡°Are you alright?¡± When Su Tang saw her, it was as if she had seen her savior. There were tears in her eyes as she shook her head aggrievedly and pitifully. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Manman. I didn¡¯t mean to bump into her just now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Shi Man asked with a frown. From the beginning to the end, she did not look at the girl with an ear-piercing voice. ¡°I¡­¡± Su Tang was about to speak when she was interrupted by a dissatisfied shout. The girl placed her hands on her hips and said righteously, ¡°Hey! Who are you? What has this got to do with you? Why are you meddling in other people¡¯s business!¡± As Shi Man looked up at her calmly, her voice was cold and calm. ¡°I¡¯m her friend.¡± ¡°Friend?¡± The girl sized up Shi Man¡¯s outfit, her eyes filled with jealousy. ¡°Who are you to dare to come to the Yi family dressed like this? Are you trying to seduce Brother Yi Zheng? Let me tell you, Brother Yi Zheng won¡¯t look at you!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows. Her gaze drifted across the flowers before landing on her slowly.. ¡°Then does he like to look at you?¡± Chapter 215 - Chapter 215: Brave Chapter 215: Brave Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The girl stuck out her figure proudly and raised her head arrogantly. ¡°Of course! Brother Yi Zheng will definitely like me when he sees me! I¡¯m much better looking than that Shi Man!¡± Su Tang pursed her lips and wanted to explain that Shi Man was right in front of her, but Shi Man gently grabbed her arm. The commotion here alarmed many people. The girl¡¯s voice was not low when she spoke, attracting the attention of many guests. Seeing that the girl was teaching someone a lesson, her friends who were usually on good terms with her also surrounded her. ¡°Aiyo, Minmin, why is your dress dirty? This is a custom-made design by a foreign designer, right?! Who was so blind as to dirty your clothes!¡± Flattered, Chen Min raised her head even more arrogantly and pointed at Su Tang rudely. ¡°It¡¯s her! She splashed red wine on my clothes!¡± ¡°Oh my god, look at what she¡¯s wearing. Why is she wearing casual clothes to the banquet? Could she be a waiter here?¡± The sound of laughter attracted more and more people¡¯s gazes. They sized up the two of them fearlessly. ¡­.. Su Tang was so frightened that she was about to cry. She hurriedly pulled Shi Man¡¯s arm and advised with averted eyes, ¡°Manman, don¡¯t worry about me. I can handle it myself.¡± ¡°Tell me what happened first.¡± Shi Man glanced coldly at every face around her and imprinted their mocking faces in her heart. At this point, only Shi Man would ask about the truth. Su Tang sniffed aggrievedly. She didn¡¯t want to implicate Shi Man and let her down. She swallowed nervously and actually bravely took the initiative to explain, ¡°I was just looking for someone here. This lady bumped into me with a wine glass. My back was facing her, so I couldn¡¯t see anyone behind me!¡± Su Tang¡¯s words immediately made everyone turn to look at Chen Min. The girl¡¯s face suddenly turned red. She pointed at Su Tang arrogantly and scolded unreasonably, ¡°She¡¯s talking nonsense! She was clearly the one who bumped into me just now. Look, the red wine was all over me. There¡¯s not a single drop on her! Don¡¯t believe her!¡± ¡°Minmin, don¡¯t be anxious. Of course, we believe you.¡± The girl beside her gently persuaded Chen Min, who was about to panic, and glared at Su Tang. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at shirking responsibility. Who brought you here? Compensate Minmin for her clothes and apologize to her and 1¡¯11 ask Minmin to let you off!¡± Su Tang looked at Shi Man helplessly. Just as she was about to nod in agreement, Shi Man pulled her behind her. Su Tang had a good temper and didn¡¯t care about her face. Shi Man was not so tolerant as to spoil these unreasonable women. She stared at Chen Min and the woman beside her with a cold gaze and sneered. ¡°What if we don¡¯t compensate? What can you do?¡± Chen Min stomped her feet in exasperation. ¡°You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you! Then don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± Shi Man seemed to have heard a huge joke. She raised her eyebrows casually and said, ¡°How do you want to be rude? Do you want your Brother Yi Zheng to stand up for you?¡± Song Zhi heard this when she rushed to the Yi family. Her eyes immediately glanced over sharply because she felt that the voice was a little familiar. As expected, she immediately saw Shi Man, who was surrounded by the crowd but still stood out. She walked closer in a hurry. After seeing Shi Man¡¯s outfit today, Song Zhi gritted her teeth. She had attended class for the entire day before she had the time to go to the stylist to put on makeup and change. The gown was only an outdated style. Compared to Shi Man¡¯s, it was simply worlds apart. She could not be compared to Shi Man at all. When she thought of how Shi Man had curried favor with her in the past, her heart instantly twisted. She could not wait for Shi Man to embarrass herself in public. Chen Min was so angry that her eyes were red. She was as aggrieved as a little princess who had been bullied. Unfortunately, she did not have the life of a princess. At this moment, the prince she had been longing for was standing behind the flowers and watching the commotion. He had no intention of attacking. Shi Man sneered and continued to say aggressively, ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to be rude to me just now? Why did you lose your aura so quickly?¡± Chen Min widened her eyes and saw Song Zhi at a glance. She hurriedly pounced on her pitifully. ¡°Sister Song, this woman bullied me and splashed red wine on me. Help me teach her a lesson!¡± Song Zhi¡¯s expression was very ugly. She was actually not too familiar with Chen Min. She had just stood at the periphery of the crowd to watch the commotion surrounding Shi Man, but now that she was hugged by this foolish girl, everyone¡¯s gazes instantly landed on her. She could only smile awkwardly and extricate herself from the girl. She looked at Chen Min, who was still complaining to her, and squeezed out a forced smile at Shi Man.. ¡°Shi Man, did you really splash the red wine on her?¡± Chapter 216 - Chapter 216: Performing Tea Arts Chapter 216: Performing Tea Arts Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Who¡¯s Shi Man?¡± Chen Min looked around in confusion and did not find the woman with a strange aesthetic sense. A trace of confusion flashed across her face. ¡°Sister Song, are you going to say that she¡¯s Shi Man?¡± The noisy crowd instantly fell silent. Everyone looked at Shi Man and sized her up from head to toe. They could not associate her with the woman who dressed strangely in their minds. Song Zhi rolled her eyes speechlessly at the sky and pretended to be calm as she asked again, ¡°Did you really splash red wine on Minmin just now? Why did you do this?¡± Su Tang couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She had just mustered her courage to tell the truth. Now, she recounted what had happened again, afraid that if she delayed for a second, Song Zhi would find another reason to stir trouble with Shi Man. She made it very clear that this matter had nothing to do with Shi Man. She didn¡¯t mean to bump into Chen Min. On the contrary, if she had to be calculative, it was Chen Min who was too busy talking to someone and didn¡¯t see clearly that there was someone in front of her and bumped into her. When Song Zhi heard this, her face turned red. She thought that she could take the opportunity to smear Shi Man¡¯s reputation, but she did not expect to have caused trouble while the other party was still safe and sound. She brushed Chen Min¡¯s hand away angrily and said, ¡°You can¡¯t blame anyone else for this. How can you twist the truth and spout nonsense?¡± ¡­.. ¡°1 didn¡¯t!¡± Chen Min was extremely aggrieved. She had never been so embarrassed in public. She was used to being surrounded by people. When she suddenly met a tough opponent, she lost her mind and only knew how to ask Song Zhi for help. ¡°Sister Song, don¡¯t listen to her. I¡¯m the victim. Father specially custom-made my dress from overseas for me. She dirtied it just like that!¡± Song Zhi sighed softly, but her eyes looked around shrewdly. She realized that she basically knew all the young ladies of the aristocratic families who were watching. Although she did not have much of a relationship with some of them, compared to Shi Man, she was still able to communicate with them. She immediately had crooked thoughts in her heart and looked at Shi Man seriously. ¡°Although Su Tang isn¡¯t fully responsible for this matter, she¡¯s half responsible. Minmin¡¯s dress is indeed very precious. She dirtied it, so she should compensate.¡± Song Zhi only dared to pester her because everyone around her was watching the show. No one would speak up for Shi Man. As long as she could embarrass Shi Man, she would still be the little sister Yi Zheng doted on in the eyes of outsiders. Her status in the noble circle could be secure. However, no matter how much she thought about it, she missed the fact that Shi Man was not someone to be trampled on. No one provoked her, but Shi Man already had to hold it in for someone she didn¡¯t like, let alone people like Song Zhi and Chen Min who argued unreasonably. She pulled Su Tang behind her to protect her. Her cold gaze was bone-chilling. ¡°Chen Min bumped into Su Tang herself and you want us to compensate her? Is framing others the traditional virtue of your two families? How much is this dress worth? Is it worth you trying to bite her? Is this all your two families have?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go overboard, Shi Man. Don¡¯t think that you can do whatever you want just because your family is the richest. This is the Yi family!¡± Chen Min roared angrily. Now, she had long lost the cuteness and innocence she had affected. After a round of argument, she had completely become an unreasonable shrew. Everyone had their own comments about her. Song Zhi did not want to get too involved and cause trouble at Lu Xiang¡¯s birthday banquet. However, seeing that Shi Man was smug, she was unwilling. She stomped her feet aggrievedly, and Song Zhi¡¯s eyes were red as if she had been bullied. ¡°Shi Man, you have to watch your words. I¡¯m Yi Zheng¡¯s sister. My family and the Yi family are old friends. Don¡¯t forget how you tried your best to please me in order to woo Brother Yi Zheng!¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly and said frivolously, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m still the same as before?¡± Song Zhi was about to retort when she suddenly recalled everything in the past. She suddenly lost her confidence, but in front of so many people, she still forced herself to say, ¡°Are you any different from before? No one here doesn¡¯t know your feelings for Brother Yi Zheng. You offended me today, so don¡¯t even think about letting Brother Yi Zheng look at you again in the future!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shi Man deliberately dragged out the expression and looked casually at the other side of the garden. ¡°Have you looked enough? Your little sister said she would not let you look at me again.¡± Song Zhi was slightly stunned. Before she could react to whom Shi Man was talking, she heard a familiar male voice behind her. Yi Zheng slowly walked around the flowers and walked over with a smile. ¡°Are you asking me for help? My fiancee.¡± Shi Man was so disgusted by his clingy way of addressing her that she almost vomited her morning tea. She glanced at him coldly and smiled cooperatively. ¡°Ah Zheng, did you hear what your little sister said about me just now?¡± ¡°Brother Yi Zheng.¡± Song Zhi wanted to explain in a panic, but after being glared at by him, the blood drained from her face and the words in her mind turned blank.. Chapter 217 - Chapter 217: Support Chapter 217: Support Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Don¡¯t call me Brother.¡± Yi Zheng stood beside Shi Man and made his position clear. The smile on his lips kept magnifying because of the way she called him just now. Song Zhi suddenly paused. She was so embarrassed that she wished she could find a hole to hide in. ¡°Brother Yi Zheng, I¡¯m not slandering Shi Man. Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. If you don¡¯t let me call you Brother, what should 1 call you? It¡¯s only right that I call you Brother!¡± She thought that Yi Zheng would at least leave her some dignity in front of so many people, but she did not expect him to be so heartless. Yi Zheng stood opposite her and explained to her seriously, ¡°The Yi family and the Song family are actually not very close. If 1 have to say, Aunt Shen from the Shi family has the best relationship with my mother. Moreover, Shi Man is already my legitimate fiancee. 1 won¡¯t allow anyone to bully her under my name.¡± Song Zhi stared at Yi Zheng in disbelief and was speechless for a long time. In the past, she could still follow behind Yi Zheng and call him brother sweetly. Then, she could use his prestige to lord over others and become the princess of the school. But now that their statuses were worlds apart, there was suddenly only that woman in his heart. Song Zhi could not understand how Shi Man could make Yi Zheng care for her willingly. ¡­.. Tears of grievance gathered in her eyes. In order to protect her last bit of dignity, before her tears fell, Song Zhi covered her mouth and ran into the garden in a panic, not wanting anyone to see her like this. Chen Min stood awkwardly in the middle of the crowd and was baptized by everyone¡¯s gazes. The girls who had helped her just now had long seen that the situation was not right and secretly retreated to the periphery. At this moment, they could no longer be seen. She had tasted being isolated and helpless today. When she thought of how she had bragged about her relationship with Yi Zheng in front of everyone just now, her face turned from red to pale. One moment, she felt her face hurt, and the next moment, she felt her entire body turn cold. Shi Man did not know what it meant to quit while she was ahead. She only knew that she had to return the favor. She would take revenge on Chen Min for bullying Su Tang just now. She slowly walked forward and tugged at Chen Min¡¯s dirty skirt. She sneered and said, ¡°In order to prevent people from wanting to bite in the future, it¡¯s better to make things clear here today. Do you still need us to compensate for your dress?¡± Chen Min widened her eyes in fear. For the first time, she felt suffocating pressure from Shi Man. She did not want to show her fear in front of the crowd, but Shi Man¡¯s aura was too strong, making it difficult for her to even stand firm. ¡°Do you want us to pay?¡± Shi Man asked again. This time, her voice was colder. Chen Min hurriedly shook her head and muttered with a trembling mouth, ¡°There¡¯s no need to compensate. Can I¡­ leave?¡± ¡°You want to leave?¡± Shi Man slowly let go of her skirt and looked past her at the crowd walking over and Song Zhi, who was at the end. She sneered. ¡°Everyone is here to celebrate Auntie Lu¡¯s birthday. Where are you going to?¡± Chen Min inexplicably felt that she did not want to say the latter sentence because her fierce gaze just now was clearly saying, ¡°Leave your life if you want to leave.¡± However, with a way out, Chen Min still nodded and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Auntie Lu¡¯s birthday. I¡¯ll go look for Auntie Lu first!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± As they spoke, Lu Xiang and Shen Xian had already walked over with a group of noblewomen. They had long noticed the commotion outside through the glass in the living room. They had not come because Yi Zheng had not moved. However, seeing that the situation was clear, Lu Xiang brought people over and held Shi Man¡¯s hand in front of everyone. ¡°My precious daughter-in-law, did someone bully you just now?¡± Lu Xiang was obviously here to support Shi Man. Regardless of whether Shi Man could retaliate against this group of people, this was the Yi family. If Shi Man was bullied here, she would not have the face to see Shen Xian again. Chen Min now completely understood how stupid she was just now. However, she was the one who started the matter. If she got off easily, the Chen family would probably be targeted by the Yi and Shi families in the future. At that time, she would not be the only one who would be affected, but the entire family would be implicated by her. When she came back to her senses, she hurriedly wiped her tears and walked to Lu Xiang to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Auntie Lu. 1 caused you trouble. 1 didn¡¯t mean to target Shi Man. I was wrong in this matter. Please don¡¯t hold it against me, okay?¡± Shen Xian raised her eyebrows and looked at Chen Min in surprise. She did not expect her to be so sensible. Her gaze landed on Song Zhi slightly. She remembered that Song Zhi seemed to have participated just now. At this point, personal pride was no longer important. Since Lu Xiang and Yi Zheng had interfered in this matter, it could not be settled peacefully. Song Zhi bit her lower lip in humiliation and slowly moved in front of everyone. She bowed deeply to Lu Xiang and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Auntie Lu. I shouldn¡¯t have sided with Chen Min without knowing the ins and outs of the matter just now. I¡¯m sorry for affecting your birthday party..¡± Chapter 218 - Chapter 218: Feeling Good Being Scolded Chapter 218: Feeling Good Being Scolded Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lu Xiang did not answer. Instead, she lowered her eyes to seek Shi Man¡¯s opinion and treated her well in front of everyone. She already looked like she was supporting her daughter-in-law. If Shi Man really planned to marry Yi Zheng, she should be very happy to have a mother-in-law who doted on her like this. But now, she felt that things had completely escaped her control. Her expression darkened as she turned to look at Su Tang, who she had hidden behind her. ¡°Do you accept their apology?¡± Su Tang looked up in a daze. She did not expect Shi Man to value her thoughts at this moment. She was delighted and nodded happily. ¡°I accept. Today is Auntie Lu¡¯s birthday banquet. Let¡¯s not ruin her mood.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shi Man turned to look at Chen Min and Song Zhi again. ¡°In the future, bullying Su Tang will be making things difficult for me. 1¡¯11 forget about it this time. You won¡¯t be so lucky next time.¡± Chen Min and Song Zhi shivered at the same time and hurriedly nodded in agreement before leaving the Yi family residence. After this incident, it was officially confirmed that Shi Man was Yi Zheng¡¯s fiancee. It was as if she had suddenly been labeled by Yi Zheng. No matter where she went, people would come and call her ¡°Madam Yi¡±. ¡­.. However, they did not know that Shi Man would have a heart attack every time she heard this title. After hearing it for the thirtieth time, she was prepared to escape with Su Tang and never come to this place that hurt her young heart again. Yi Zheng had long expected her to do this. He sent people to guard various positions and forcefully turned the house into an airtight iron bucket. Shi Man held back her anger and kept a straight face until the end of the banquet. Yi Zheng felt good when he saw her defeated expression. He smiled and sent them to the car under Lu Xiang¡¯s instructions. On the way, he whispered into her ear, ¡°Do you want to consider the reward I said 1 would give you just now?¡± In the car, Shi Man rolled down the window and hooked her finger for Yi Zheng to lean over. She stared at him expressionlessly and said, ¡°Consider my ass. Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he watched the car drive away. He was still reminiscing about Shi Man¡¯s cute expression when she scolded him just now. It seemed that she felt she had really been bullied by him. If not for Aunt Shen, she would have scolded him long ago. Lu Xiang sized up her son¡¯s infatuated expression curiously and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What did Manman say to you just now?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yi Zheng came back to his senses and thought of Shi Man¡¯s words. He shook his head in amusement and said, ¡°Nothing. She said that she had a good time today.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lu Xiang stared at him suspiciously. After thinking for a while, she still nagged, ¡°I can tell that Manman¡¯s attitude towards you has softened a lot this time. Work hard and don¡¯t always put on the smelly airs of a President. If you neglect your wife, you won¡¯t even have a place to cry!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Yi Zheng smiled. After sending his mother back to her room to rest, he sat on the sofa and texted Shi Man. I Are you home?] There was no response for a long time. Yi Zheng frowned and thought for a while before slowly sending another line of words. I My father¡¯s birthday is coming up soon.] This time, Shi Man replied quickly. I Get lost.] The simple message made Yi Zheng hug his cell phone and laugh for a long time. The next day, just as Shi Man and Su Tang arrived at the school gate, someone walked over with a smile and hit on them. After Zhu Wen returned that day, he discussed it with Zhu Meng and decided to change his strategy to take Shi Man down directly. Therefore, he specially arrived an hour early this morning to pretend to bump into Shi Man at the school gate. ¡°Manman!¡± Zhu Wen chased after her with a smile and walked into the school with her. ¡°Manman, why are you ignoring me? Have you forgotten me so soon?¡± Zhu Wen nagged in her ear. Shi Man was extremely annoyed. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore and stopped in her tracks to glare at him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I never told you my name. Zhu Wen, do you really think I don¡¯t know who you are and why you¡¯re pestering me?¡± Zhu Wen was stunned. By the time he reacted, the two of them had already walked far away. He quickly ran a few steps and chased after them. He explained nervously, ¡°I just want to be friends with you. Moreover, 1 don¡¯t like Yi Zheng. We can join forces.¡± ¡°Oh, then go and shoot him. I¡¯ll be friends with you.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at him as she walked towards the teaching building. Zhu Wen did not expect Shi Man to be so cold to him. Although his looks were not the best, it was obvious that many girls in school would like his type. He looked gentle, but there was an uncontrollable wildness in his bones. This personality and appearance made him win over many girls. Today, he had been rejected by Shi Man. He thought for a moment and continued to fight for himself. ¡°You don¡¯t want to marry Yi Zheng, right? 1 have a way to help you!¡± Shi Man did not stop.. Just as she was about to walk into the school building, Zhu Wen roared, ¡°If you marry me, you don¡¯t have to marry Yi Zheng!¡± Chapter 219 - Chapter 219: Cheating Chapter 219: Cheating Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man felt that this man was quite amusing. She turned around with a playful expression and crossed her arms with a sneer. ¡°Do you think marrying you is a good choice? Don¡¯t take yourself too seriously.¡± ¡°You!¡± Zhu Wen didn¡¯t expect her to not give him any courtesy in public. He gritted his teeth fiercely and said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t regret it!¡± It was impossible for Shi Man to regret it. However, when Zhu Wen blocked the door of Class F on time after school, she still regretted not beating him up this morning. She looked up lazily and tilted her head to glare at him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I was too agitated about what happened this morning. 1 want to treat you to dinner to apologize.¡± Zhu Wen apologized sincerely. The classes next door had long noticed the anomaly here because they had never seen the students of Class F carefully walk along the wall after school, like a row of ants afraid of being trampled to death. ¡­.. In order not to let her classmates notice her abnormality, Shi Jing returned to school before her throat had fully recovered. She only put on a silk scarf to cover the scars on her skin that had yet to fade. When she saw Zhu Wen, her eyes widened and she hurriedly rushed over in a panic. Just as she was about to say something, she realized her voice was still hoarse and she could not make a sound. The scene of the three of them confronting each other was too rare. Many people mustered their courage and peeked at the door of the classroom next door. Shi Man ignored him and pulled Su Tang away, but Shi Jing straightened her arm and stood in front of her. ¡°Move.¡± Shi Man¡¯s tone was as calm as possible, but one could still hear her impatience. Shi Jing straightened her chest domineeringly with Zhu Wen present. Her hoarse voice was unpleasant and ear-piercing. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave. Tell me honestly. Why are you with my boyfriend?¡± Su Tang looked at her throat in shock. ¡°What happened to your throat?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Shi Jing hated talking the most now. Every time her vocal cords made a sound, her throat hurt like it was being torn apart. However, Shi Man had offended her at this moment. She would not let go of this opportunity no matter what. ¡°Why are you asking her? Wasn¡¯t she almost beaten to death?¡± Shi Man stared at her with a cold smile. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± This was a great humiliation to Shi Jing! Now that there were so many students eavesdropping around, she didn¡¯t want anyone to know what happened that night! ¡°You know very well if I¡¯m talking nonsense.¡± Shi Man restrained her smile and her face turned cold. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Move aside.¡± Shi Jing was still a little afraid when she saw her like this, but at the thought that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she mustered her courage again and said, ¡°No!¡± ¡°You asked for this.¡± Shi Man did not have the patience to waste time with her. If she did not let her go, Shi Man would fling her away herself. Today, it was Second Brother¡¯s turn to pick her up. Shi Man had to bring Su Tang to the school gate to meet her brother as soon as possible. Shi Jing¡¯s palm scraped against the ground for a distance, and a piercing pain came from the wound. Seeing that she had been pushed down in public, but Zhu Wen did not react, Shi Jing immediately complained loudly, ¡°Shi Man, you¡¯re shameless! It¡¯s fine if you seduced my boyfriend, but you actually hit me! I want to go to the Principal¡¯s office with you to reason with the teacher!¡± Zhu Wen frowned and glanced impatiently at the crazy woman on the ground. He scolded, ¡°Why are you crying? I¡¯ve had nothing to do with you long ago. Don¡¯t disturb Manman!¡± ¡°Manman?¡± Shi Jing looked at the two of them in disbelief. She suddenly sneered and got up from the ground in a sorry state. Half of her hair had already spread out. ¡°Students from Class D should know that Zhu Wen was my boyfriend two days ago. He actually came to Class F to pick Shi Man up after school today. If she didn¡¯t snatch my boyfriend, what was she doing?¡± Whispers immediately sounded in the corridor. In the morning, Zhu Wen shouted for Shi Man to marry him near their school building. Many students had heard it. Today, many students were mocking Shi Jing during class. They did not expect this matter to blow up so quickly! Shi Man glanced at her coldly and glanced at Zhu Wen disdainfully. ¡°Only you will treat such a man as a treasure. 1, Shi Man, don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhu Wen couldn¡¯t stand her repeated mockery. His face darkened, and his eyes were filled with gloom. ¡°Manman, if you care about me dating Shi Jing, I can tell you clearly that I have nothing to do with her now!¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly and continued with a smile, ¡°Is that so? But how can 1 believe you?¡± Zhu Wen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Even if he vaguely felt that Shi Man was using him, he wanted to take this opportunity to clarify his relationship with Shi Jing as soon as possible. He hurriedly said, ¡°We¡¯ve really broken up for a long time.. Manman, I¡¯ll only like you in the future and treat you well, okay?¡± Chapter 220 - Chapter 220: Exposed Chapter 220: Exposed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Zhu Wen, what right do you have to treat me like this?!¡± Shi Jing originally thought that Zhu Wen was just angry at her and blamed her for meeting Zhang Cheng behind his back that day. That was why he had not gone to the hospital to see her for so many days. However, she never expected Zhu Wen to have taken a fancy to Shi Man during this period of time and even throw her away like trash. She had lost to Shi Man again. How could she take this lying down? She immediately pounced over crazily, wishing she could tear Shi Man¡¯s usually calm face apart. Zhu Wen stood between the two of them in shock. His cheek was scratched by her and immediately turned into a bloody mark. Seeing the blood under her nails, Shi Jing was stunned. Only then did her rationality return. Realizing what she had just done, she immediately retracted her hand in fear and shook her head helplessly and pitifully. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I¡¯m sorry, don¡¯t blame me. You forced me. You forced me.¡± ¡°Shi Jing, get lost!¡± Zhu Wen cursed angrily. He reached out to wipe the blood off his face and grimaced in pain. ¡­.. Shi Man hugged her shoulders and watched the show calmly, not regarding herself as the female lead of the event. Shi Jing hated Shi Man behaving this way the most. She did not know what was wrong with her. Ever since she committed suicide, she suddenly seemed to have become a different person. She always had a high and mighty attitude and no longer looked silly when facing others. Instead, she was so intelligent that no one could discover her thoughts. However, now that Shi Jing had made a fool of herself in front of so many people, she only wanted Shi Man to pay the price no matter how afraid she was. At the end of the day, as long as Shi Man lived well, Shi Jing would never be able to feel good. An innocent tear fell from the corner of her eye. She slowly turned around and was about to leave in a panic and helplessness. Like a victim, she tried her best to gain the sympathy of the surrounding students. Indeed, many people were blinded by her acting skills and really thought that Shi Man had bullied her sister and snatched her sister¡¯s boyfriend. They immediately took out their phones indignantly and took a photo of the three of them standing together, waiting to post it online with a condemning post later. Shi Man saw her thoughts and leaned against the wall of the corridor with a smile. ¡°Shi Jing, do you know Zhang Cheng?¡± Shi Jing, who was still immersed in the sad atmosphere, suddenly stopped in her tracks. A trace of fear flashed across her eyes. ¡°1,1 don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shi Man smiled calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really think I haven¡¯t investigated why you were hospitalized? If you want to gain sympathy so much, why don¡¯t you take off your scarf and let everyone know why you didn¡¯t come to school some time ago?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Shi Jing looked up in fear and met pairs of probing and teasing eyes. It was undoubtedly the stupidest behavior to show your vulnerability in front of strangers with no empathy. It was not a good idea to seek sympathy from others to stabilize her position because sympathy was always a term used by a superior to an ant below. No matter how pitiful Shi Jing appeared, she was just a joke in the eyes of others. Shi Man did not intend to let her off this time. She walked slowly to her side and pulled off her silk scarf. The bruises and purple marks on Shi Jing¡¯s neck were immediately exposed to everyone. ¡°Heavens, did she get beaten up? Could it be that Zhu Wen abused her?¡± ¡°I think she must have done something shameful for someone to take revenge, right?¡± ¡°Hey! I know that Zhang Cheng Shi Man was talking about. I remember that he¡¯s Yuan Dong¡¯s cousin. We had dinner together in the past!¡± The voices around her entered her ears without hesitation. Shi Jing¡¯s face turned pale. She was afraid that others would know about her and Zhang Cheng. Under her nervousness, she suddenly thought of the night she was almost strangled to death by Zhang Cheng and screamed uncontrollably. The ear-piercing and sharp shouts were magnified in the corridor. Someone couldn¡¯t take it anymore and shouted something, but it was covered by Shi Jing¡¯s voice. It was not until she was tired of screaming that she fell to the ground in exhaustion and panted heavily. ¡°Are you done?¡± Shi Man¡¯s patience had run thin. The phone in her pocket vibrated. She knew that her brother must have been waiting anxiously. She grabbed Su Tang¡¯s hand and walked to Shi Jing¡¯s side with a cold expression. She warned her mercilessly in a voice that everyone could hear clearly, ¡°You¡¯ve long been chased out of the Shi family. You were fooling around with Zhang Cheng and other men outside. You have nothing to do with me or the Shi family. To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t like Zhu Wen. If you like him, keep him well and stay far away.¡± With that, she walked down the stairs without looking back, leaving the students looking at one another. There was too much information in those few words just now. They could not help but widen their eyes and stare at Shi Jing. It turned out that this person had actually been chased away by the Shi family long ago and had nothing to do with the Shi family anymore.. Then wouldn¡¯t her previous arrogance in front of them be akin to deceiving her classmates like they were fools? Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: Things Got Serious Chapter 221: Things Got Serious Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhu Wen could not stand the judgmental gazes of the surrounding people anymore. He raised his leg and was about to chase after Shi Man, but Shi Jing grabbed his arm tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t leave. You can¡¯t leave. Zhu Wen, I know I¡¯ve let you down, but tell everyone clearly that Shi Man wasn¡¯t telling the truth just now. You know that, right? Tell everyone, please. You clearly still care about me!¡± Her attitude was extremely humble and completely different from the high and mighty side she had shown in front of others in the past. Shi Jing¡¯s deskmate had been enjoying this show not far away. She had always disliked Shi Jing, but because of the Shi family¡¯s power, she did not dare to say anything. Now, she could finally gloat and add insult to injury. ¡°Aiyo, 1 thought you were the eldest daughter of the Shi family. It turns out that you¡¯ve long become a stray dog!¡± ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Shi Jing glared at her fiercely and turned around to continue begging Zhu Wen pitifully. ¡°Help me say something. Shi Man doesn¡¯t like me. We have a grudge, but 1 wasn¡¯t chased out of the Shi family. 1 really wasn¡¯t! Didn¡¯t you say that you helped me contact the Shi family when 1 was hospitalized? The Shi family even asked me to take care of my health!¡± It would have been fine if she hadn¡¯t mentioned this matter. At the mention of this, Zhu Wen¡¯s heart was filled with anger. He had been deceived by this woman time and time again. He had long wanted to settle this score with her. ¡°Alright, do you want me to say it?¡± He shook off her hand in anger and said coldly, ¡°Then 1¡¯11 say it. After you were sent to the hospital that day, 1 contacted the Shi family, but they didn¡¯t want to care about you at all. If 1 hadn¡¯t spent money to pay for your medical expenses and hire a nurse, you would have been lying in the morgue!¡± ¡­.. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. You¡¯re in cahoots with Shi Man!¡± Shi Jing covered her ears crazily. It was as though, by doing so, no one would hear what Zhu Wen had just said. Unfortunately, all the students in the cohort heard him clearly. Shi Jing¡¯s deskmate walked over proudly with a few girls and mocked with a smile, ¡°Why are you still dreaming of being the eldest daughter of the Shi family? The Shi family only has Shi Man as their precious daughter. It has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just someone who was placed in the Shi family. Do you really think you¡¯re the master of the Shi family? From what I see, you¡¯re just a wild dog that they casually abandoned after they got tired of raising you!¡± The mocking faces shook her until she felt dizzy. She could not hold on anymore and leaned against the wall. However, her weakness could no longer garner any sympathy. It would only make the mocking sounds around her grow louder. Soon, the commotion on this floor attracted the attention of the teachers. The Dean frowned and walked into the crowd solemnly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why aren¡¯t you home after school?¡± ¡°Teacher, there¡¯s a liar here. Our Cassel Academy can¡¯t have such a student!¡± Her deskmate exaggerated what had just happened here to the Dean. In the end, she didn¡¯t forget to add, ¡°Look at the wound on her neck. It was caused by a man! She has an unclear relationship with many men. This is too bad for the school!¡± The Dean walked up to Shi Jing expressionlessly. Thinking of how this student had cheated in the past, his expression immediately turned ugly. ¡°Tell me, is what she said true?¡± ¡°No!¡± Shi Jing grabbed the Dean¡¯s arm pleadingly and complained tearfully, ¡°This is all Shi Man¡¯s scheme. She deliberately harmed me. 1 didn¡¯t. 1 really don¡¯t have an unclear relationship with many men!¡± ¡°You said that someone harmed you?¡± The Dean had taught so many students and had long habitually turned a blind eye to their relationships. However, what happened to Shi Jing today was no small matter. Since she kept saying that someone had harmed her, the Dean had to investigate thoroughly. ¡°The impact of this matter is serious. 1¡¯11 report to the principal and call the police to help us investigate. You have to be careful with your cooperation.¡± ¡°No!¡± Shi Jing, who should have been relieved that someone had acted on her behalf, suddenly screamed when she heard the words ¡°call the police.¡± Then, she grabbed the Dean¡¯s arm and begged humbly, ¡°Don¡¯t call the police. You can¡¯t call the police!¡± If she let the police participate in the investigation, then everyone would definitely know that she had slept with different men in order to maintain her luxurious life. Then, she would be too ashamed to study at Cassel Academy again. The Dean frowned and guessed that there was something hidden about this matter. He immediately took out his phone and called the Principal to explain the situation. Then, he grabbed Shi Jing¡¯s arm to prevent her from taking the opportunity to escape. ¡°The others can disperse first. Everyone will know when the matter is investigated.¡± Her deskmate looked at the helpless Shi Jing proudly and smiled obediently. ¡°Thank you, Teacher and Principal. We¡¯ll go home first. We won¡¯t stay and cause trouble for the teachers.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Dean was very satisfied with her tact. He exerted a little force and pulled Shi Jing, who was struggling to pull back, in front of him. ¡°Follow me to the Principal¡¯s office first. The principal wants to ask you in person..¡± Chapter 222 - Chapter 222: Feeding Chapter 222: Feeding Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the end, Shi Jing¡¯s matter blew up because when she came to the principal¡¯s office, she suddenly changed her words and said that the wound on her neck was accidentally self-inflicted. The principal felt that there was something hidden about this matter because she had a record of being saved and hospitalized. In addition, this matter had already caused an uproar. Many students had heard her say that this injury was related to Shi Man and Zhu Wen, so she simply called the police and handed this matter to the professionals to take over the investigation. When Shi Jing heard the principal¡¯s decision, she was stunned on the spot, her face as pale as a piece of white paper. That night, the police came to the Shi family to interview Shi Man as part of the usual procedures. As a lawyer, Shi Yu was very familiar with their process. After bringing her to the sofa in the living room, he turned around and comforted his sister. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid. Shi Jing¡¯s matter has nothing to do with you. Just tell her the truth.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man was not nervous, to begin with. This matter had nothing to do with her. It was Shi Jing who insisted on dragging her into it. The police were aware of the Shi family¡¯s status, so they were especially careful when they asked. ¡°Shi Man, Shi Jing had a conflict with you after school today. Why?¡± ¡­.. Shi Man took a bite of the apple. ¡°Because her boyfriend came to look for me.¡± The police officer continued to ask with an amiable smile, ¡°Then can you tell us why her boyfriend went to look for you and made her so angry?¡± Shi Man glanced at the police officer from the corner of her eye and her tone suddenly turned cold. ¡°1 don¡¯t know why that woman suddenly went crazy. Zhu Wen was there to build a relationship with our family. He thinks that if he woos me, he can cozy up to the Shi family. Are you satisfied with this answer?¡± The police officer looked at each other and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Shi Man, we don¡¯t have any ill intentions. Do you and your family know that Shi Jing was injured?¡± ¡°1 know. Zhu Wen called.¡± She restrained her expression and continued to curl up on the sofa and bite her apple. Shi Yu listened to the entire conversation quietly at the side. After understanding what had happened in school, he had an idea. ¡°To be honest, Shi Jing actually has had nothing to do with our family since long ago, so we don¡¯t know much about her. If there are any clues, we will take the initiative to contact you.¡± This was an order to leave. The police were already used to this modern society. They would be disliked wherever they went, so after asking all the questions they wanted to ask, they stood up and left. After the outsiders left, Shi Yu closed the door and returned. He stared at his sister with a serious expression. ¡°Do you know anything else?¡± Shi Man was slightly stunned. She threw away the apple core in her hand, wiped her hands, and asked with a smile, ¡°Second Brother, what else should 1 know?¡± Shi Yu took out his phone and showed her a video of her confronting Shi Jing in the corridor. The camera recorded her clearly mentioning Zhang Cheng and Shi Jing¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Shi Man raised her eyebrows meaningfully and asked, ¡°So Brother knew about this before the police came. It seems that you¡¯ve already handled it for me.¡± ¡°Before this video spread online, I found the person who posted the video and asked to delete it.¡± Although he did not know how Shi Jing was behind this, he would not stand by and do nothing as long as it involved his sister. Using the convenience of his position, he found out about the student who had posted the video. Shi Mu hadn¡¯t understood the situation since just now, but this didn¡¯t stop him from seeing the truth at a glance. ¡°Maybe it was posted by someone related to Shi Jing. Otherwise, anyone with a slightly normal IQ.would know not to offend our family.¡± Shi Man smiled and nodded exaggeratedly. ¡°Third Brother makes sense.¡± ¡°Sister, are you making fun of me?¡± Shi Mu sat down beside her aggrievedly was he pouted. ¡°If 1 had known earlier, I would have picked you up at the door of your class today. It¡¯s all Yuan Yi¡¯s fault. He insisted on dragging me to buy some gifts after school. Otherwise, Brother would never have let you suffer so much.¡± He looked so pitiful that he was about to cry. His heart ached for his sister. ¡°Alright, alright. Even if you were there today, she will think of a way to slander me.¡± Shi Man had the least resistance to tears. She did not want a grown man to sit beside her and cry. She quickly coaxed him softly. Su Tang took the initiative to go to the kitchen to cut some fruits and sat on the sofa opposite her. ¡°Shi Jing is really in trouble this time. Since the police have already interfered, the secrets she hid will be dug up.¡± ¡°How long do you think she can hide it?¡± Shi Man smiled indifferently and stuffed the entire plate of cherries into Su Tang¡¯s hand. ¡°Eat them all. My brother and the others don¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°Who said 1 don¡¯t?¡± Shi Mu had just opened his mouth when he saw his sister give him a look. He swallowed his words. ¡°Yes! 1 don¡¯t like it! Eat these. Otherwise, it will be a waste..¡± Chapter 223 - Chapter 223: Exposure Chapter 223: Exposure Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios During the time Su Tang lived with the Shi family, Shi Man gradually found the joy of feeding her. When Su Tang first came to the house, she didn¡¯t dare to speak casually, nor would she take the initiative to eat. She only ate it in small bites when someone placed it in front of her. Therefore, Shi Man simply took something to feed her. After a long time, she could finally let go and gradually become cheerful. In the beginning, she would take the initiative to join her family¡¯s chat. Even if she didn¡¯t speak, she would listen to them. Sometimes, when she talked about fun things, there would be an unconcealable smile on her face. Shi Mu had always been a passionate and proactive person. He was the first to accept Su Tang¡¯s existence. Just like now, when he occasionally received Shi Man¡¯s instructions, he would take the initiative to help Shi Man treat her well. In fact, he treated her as another sister in his heart. When Su Tang heard the two of them say this, she looked up at Shi Yu to verify. In her impression, this second brother always had a smile like the spring breeze and spoke gently. He did not look like a lawyer, but like the kind of teacher who could easily become friends with his students on campus. ¡­.. Shi Yu naturally understood what Shi Man meant and would not snatch a bite from Su Tang. Pushing the plate in front of her, Shi Yu coughed dryly and adjusted his glasses. ¡°Eat it. This is Sister¡¯s good intentions for you. To be honest, I¡¯ve never seen Sister treat anyone so well before you.¡± That was the truth. In the past, Shi Man had grown up under the unconditional love of her family. After she grew up, she started to chase after Yi Zheng. She would not even look at unrelated people, let alone take the initiative to bring her classmates home and give them delicious food. Su Tang could not refuse her kindness. Only then was she willing to obediently reach out, pick up a cherry, and throw it into her mouth. She smiled at Shi Man from the bottom of her heart. Seeing that she liked it, the satisfaction in Shi Man¡¯s heart swelled to the extreme. She grabbed some walnuts and handed them to her. ¡°It¡¯s really hard on you to draw designs until late at night every day. You have to eat more walnuts to nourish your brain.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Su Tang and Shi Man became more and more familiar. Gradually, she stopped saying thank you and secretly remembered all her kindness to her. Back to the main topic, Shi Yu still refused to let Shi Man get away with it easily. He had to investigate until the end and make her tell him about Shi Jing before he was willing to stop. He was worried that his sister would hide it from her family again and shoulder the matter alone, so he planned to make her explain things clearly when he was free tonight. Ever since Shi Jing was chased out of the Shi family, she had actually been secretly paying attention to Shi Jing¡¯s movements. Shi Jing thought that she had hidden her secret well, but Shi Man had long known it. However, knowing was one thing, and whether she could say it out loud was another. She hid some of the nasty things and only said something unimportant vaguely. ¡°1 only saw Shi Jing and Zhang Cheng together occasionally. I also know that Zhu Wen was entangled with Shi Jing some time ago, so I mentioned him on that occasion to agitate Zhu Wen. I didn¡¯t mean anything else.¡± ¡°Is that really all?¡± Shi Yu stared at her suspiciously. Shi Man showed it to him openly. When she was done, she smiled and said, ¡°Otherwise, what else can 1 know? I¡¯ve never contacted her in school. I just met her a few times and realized that she can always own the latest luxury bags.¡± ¡°Where did she get the money to buy those things? I remember that she spends all the living expenses our family gave her every time. It¡¯s impossible for her to have any savings!¡± Shi Mu keenly smelled something unusual. Suddenly, he thought of something and his expression gradually twisted. ¡°Could she be relying on changing boyfriends frequently to satisfy her vanity?¡± Shi Man wanted to tell him that the answer was very close, but she restrained her smile and slowly blew on the cold tea. Shi Jing was such a big secret. Of course, she had to wait for the police to dig it out themselves. Moreover, she believed that there must be many people targeting Shi Jing now. Even if the police deliberately protected her privacy, the results of the investigation would be known by everyone without anyone knowing. Shi Man¡¯s guess was right. Because this case involved the reputation of Cassel Academy, the police investigated overnight and took out all of Shi Jing¡¯s assets. However, their dossier had just been tidied up. Before the officers left the police station to arrest Shi Jing, the people outside magically knew that Shi Jing was suspected of illegal activities such as prostitution. Many hotels had surveillance cameras recording her frequent visits with different men. The evidence was conclusive, but after the matter blew up, Shi Jing seemed to have evaporated into thin air and disappeared without a trace. The police could only apologize to the school while sending people to search the entire city for Shi Jing. At the same time, they brought the men who were involved with Shi Jing back to the police station for investigation.. Chapter 224 - Chapter 224: Suspecting Love Chapter 224: Suspecting Love Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios News about Shi Jing spread like wildfire. At first, Su Tang was worried that Shi Man would be implicated, but after a day, no one came to find trouble with her. Only then did Su Tang heave a sigh of relief. She quietly bumped Shi Man, who was looking down at her notes seriously. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± She raised her eyes slightly to look at the girl who wanted to say something but hesitated. She leaned against the wall and waited patiently. Only then did Su Tang nervously show her the design plan. ¡°If you don¡¯t like anything, you must tell me. I¡¯ll take it back and modify it.¡± Shi Man pursed her lips and smiled. After putting away the notebook, she reached out to take her design. She deliberately teased, ¡°If you really become a fashion designer in the future, don¡¯t say this to your clients.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Su Tang blinked in a daze. Didn¡¯t designers have to try their best to satisfy customers? Shi Man laughed at her for being silly. Seeing that she still didn¡¯t understand, she kindly explained to her, ¡°If you say this, your clients might repeatedly raise all kinds of strange requests. Some even look like they¡¯re looking for trouble. When the time comes, they¡¯ll ask you to change the blueprint that you painstakingly drew.¡± ¡­.. ¡°But this is my job!¡± Su Tang frowned deeply as if she had already engraved the famous saying that customers were God into her bones. However, Shi Man would never think that way. She did not think that fashion design was a job that served others. If the design was just to please, it would erase most of the inspiration of the designer behind it and she would be restrained when drawing the blueprint. She thought that this was an era where the strong were respected. As long as the designer was good enough, even if they designed a pile of sh*t, everyone would fight to buy it. She valued Su Tang¡¯s design talent very much. Although Su Tang had just started, she had completed the design drafts well these few times. In time, she would definitely become a popular and valued. However, she did not hope that Su Tang would treat other customers so well. Su Tang was a fashion designer that she had groomed single-handedly, so she should have her own temper. If anyone dared to pick on Su Tang, she would make that person scram immediately. However, if she said this to Su Tang now, she would probably not be able to get her approval. Shi Man simply shut up and looked at the blueprint seriously. Then, she returned it to Su Tang without changing it. ¡°I like it very much. Just do it as you¡¯ve designed.¡± ¡°Then 1¡¯11 make it as soon as possible! 1¡¯11 use the material we bought at the mall previously!¡± Su Tang smiled sweetly. The dimples at the corners of her mouth were shallow, but they were very attractive. Shi Man stared at her smiling face for a while before suddenly taking out a piece of candy from her pocket. She removed the candy wrapper and stuffed it into Su Tang¡¯s mouth, but her eyes were smiling as if she was the child who had eaten the candy. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have clothes to wear. Take your time. Don¡¯t always stay up late.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Su Tang couldn¡¯t help but blush. She sat up straight shyly, and the tips of her ears turned suspiciously pink. Chen Wei sat in the last row and watched the intimate interaction between the two of them in surprise. His heart skipped a beat. No matter how one looked at it, the way the two of them interacted looked like a couple in love. Sister Man looked at Su Tang with a deep gaze, and Su Tang also looked shy. Could it be that these two were really in a relationship? In this society where everything was possible, almost nothing was impossible, but not everything was so easy to accept. Chen Wei was the kind of person who was very resistant to this and felt disgusted. Thinking of how Shi Man had firmly rejected Zhu Wen and the previous few times she had looked down on Yi Zheng, he suddenly realized that Su Tang was at the scene almost every time. It was just that she was too quiet and obedient that he had always disregarded her. Now that he thought about it, he realized more clues. Out of curiosity, he suddenly stood up and walked to Shi Man¡¯s side in a daze. He scratched his hair in a daze. ¡°Um, Sister Man, 1 have something to tell you. Can you come out for a while?¡± Shi Man looked at the clock on the wall speechlessly and replied impatiently, ¡°Class is in a minute. Tell me what you want to say now.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you during the lunch break. It¡¯s very important!¡± He secretly looked at Su Tang¡¯s expression and made up his mind. ¡°And I can only tell you alone!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Man looked up and stared at him for a while. She could only see that he was quite nervous and indeed looked like he had something urgent. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, wait for me on the rooftop after lunch. I¡¯ll only give you ten minutes to make things clear.¡± ¡°Alright! Sister Man!¡± Chen Wei heaved a sigh of relief. Before he left, he glanced at Su Tang¡¯s expression again. He had a plan in his heart and could not care less about the consequences if Shi Man found out.. Now, he only wanted to test their true relationship personally! Chapter 225 - Chapter 225: Failed Confession Chapter 225: Failed Confession Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the cafeteria, after Shi Man and Su Tang finished eating, she let Su Tang return to the classroom first. She did not know what urgent matter Chen Wei wanted to speak to her about. Now that she was free, Shi Man planned to go to the rooftop to meet him. Su Tang was a little worried and insisted on following. However, Shi Man sent her back to the classroom and deliberately warned her to stay in her seat obediently and not run around. Su Tang could not dissuade her and could only listen. She watched Shi Man walk up the stairs alone, but she kept feeling a little flustered. Coincidentally, at this moment, a boy in a white shirt was standing at the door of the classroom. Su Tang recognized him and her eyes lit up as she told him her worries. On the rooftop, Chen Wei was in a daze the entire afternoon. He had only taken two bites of his meal before sitting here. When he heard the iron door of the rooftop being pushed, he hurriedly stood up. He got up suddenly and felt a little dizzy. ¡°What is it?¡± Shi Man walked into the shadows and stood there, looking up at Chen Wei expressionlessly. ¡­.. Chen Wei scratched his head. He was so nervous that even his breathing rhythm was disrupted. His chest was so stuffy that he could not breathe. ¡°I, Sister Man, I wanted to ask you¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shi Man waited for a while more. Seeing that he was still hemming and hawing, she smacked her lips impatiently. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, 1¡¯11 go back to sleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, 1¡¯11 tell you!¡± Chen Wei steeled his heart and suddenly closed his eyes. He threw caution to the wind and asked, ¡°1 want to ask if you like anyone!¡± The surrounding air seemed to have fallen silent in an instant. Chen Wei waited for a long time but did not receive a response. He carefully opened a crack and saw that Shi Man had quietly walked in front of him. ¡°Sister Man¡­¡± Chen Wei called out guiltily, then tactfully shut his mouth under her glare. ¡°Is this what you mean by important?¡± Shi Man smiled coldly. Her narrow eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of mischief. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°Because 1¡­¡± Chen Wei looked at the beautiful face that was suddenly magnified in front of him. He suddenly swallowed nervously and his throat tightened. ¡°Because I like¡­¡± ¡°Manman!¡± With a bang, the door to the rooftop was kicked open from the outside. Yuan Yi rushed in with sweat all over his face. When he saw Shi Man, who was extremely close to Chen Wei, his pupils constricted. He hurriedly ran over and hugged her shoulder. ¡°Are you alright? Why did you suddenly come to such a dangerous place on the rooftop?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± The ambiguous atmosphere that Chen Wei had just created was suddenly broken. The nervousness and joy in his heart turned into uncontrollable anger. ¡°Who asked you to come here?¡± Yuan Yi pulled Shi Man behind him and glared at Chen Wei expressionlessly. ¡°I still want to ask who you are and why you called Man Man here.¡± Chen Wei choked. Thinking of what he had almost said just now, his face burned. He asked Shi Man for help in a panic. ¡°Sister Man, 1 really don¡¯t have any ulterior motives! Hurry up and let this person go. I haven¡¯t finished speaking!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to say anything else.¡± Shi Man¡¯s expression darkened as she pushed Yuan Yi away. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend not to hear what you said just now. Don¡¯t say it again.¡± ¡°Sister Man! It¡¯s not like that. Let me explain, okay?!¡± Chen Wei was anxious now. He had failed to probe and was even misunderstood by her. When he panicked, his mind turned blank again, and he couldn¡¯t even think clearly about what he wanted to say. Yuan Yi raised his hand to stop Chen Wei, who was about to follow him, and said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Manman clearly? She doesn¡¯t want to hear you now. Please don¡¯t pester Manman in the future.¡± ¡°No, who are you? What right do you have to order me around?¡± Chen Wei was indignant and glared at Yuan Yi angrily. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t interfere in my relationship with Sister Man. Otherwise, 1¡¯11 teach you a lesson!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Even the usually gentle Yuan Yi was a little angry at this moment. ¡°How do you want to teach me a lesson? Manman doesn¡¯t like you. 1 advise you to stay away from her. She¡¯s not someone you can provoke.¡± ¡°I¡¯m her classmate! Don¡¯t I know her better than you? Why are you so nosy? Who are you?¡± Chen Wei rolled up his sleeves indignantly. Seeing that Shi Man had already disappeared around the corner of the stairs, he was no longer anxious. He stood rooted to the ground and confronted the man in front of him, wanting to compete with him. Yuan Yi couldn¡¯t be bothered to fight with someone like him. He said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m her fourth brother¡¯s good friend. We¡¯ve known each other since we were young. You¡¯re just classmates. How can you compare to a childhood sweetheart?¡± Chen Wei suddenly lost his confidence. He looked at Yuan Yi in a daze and sized him up. His aura weakened. ¡°Then if you can stop me once, can you stop me a second time?¡± ¡°Go ahead and try,¡± Yuan Yi said calmly. Then, he left the rooftop without looking back and caught up with Shi Man.. Chapter 226 - Chapter 226: Ambiguous Chapter 226: Ambiguous Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Tang had indeed been waiting for her in the classroom obediently. Shi Man went back and confirmed that she was not running around through the window on the door. Only then did she stop and look at Yuan Yi, who was chasing after her. ¡°How did you know that 1 was on the rooftop?¡± ¡°Su Tang was worried about you, so she asked me to help take a look.¡± Yuan Yi stuffed the two cups of milk tea he had bought when he passed by the cafeteria just now to her. ¡°Take it with Su Tang. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Shi Man tightened her grip on the bag in her hand. Seeing him sweating profusely, her heart suddenly softened and she took out a tissue from her pocket. ¡°Wipe your sweat. You¡¯ll catch a cold easily if you¡¯re exposed to the wind.¡± Yuan Yi¡¯s eyes lit up. He happily took the tissue and wiped the sweat on his face. ¡°Thank you. Can I take your car to your house for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°My third brother will come and pick me up tonight. There shouldn¡¯t be any seats,¡± Shi Man replied calmly. Yuan Yi lowered his eyes in disappointment and nodded. ¡°Alright, 1¡¯11 leave first.¡± ¡­.. ¡°Wait.¡± Shi Man smiled helplessly. ¡°But I still remember that the two of us are in the same boat now. You can take my fourth brother¡¯s car and go back with him.¡± Yuan Yi, who was about to turn around and leave, immediately widened his eyes and smiled in disbelief. ¡°Alright, 1¡¯11 see you tonight!¡± When Chen Wei returned, he happened to see the two of them smiling at each other. A part of his heart suddenly seemed to be blocked and he suddenly felt a little stifled. He slowed down and deliberately pretended not to see anything. He looked out of the window. Yuan Yi was the first to see him. The polite words he wanted to thank her suddenly changed. ¡°Manman, I have a gift for you tonight. Wait for me tonight.¡± Chen Wei suddenly raised his head and looked at the smiling Yuan Yi in shock. His gaze landed on Shi Man unnaturally. Then, he saw her glance at him lightly with his own eyes. Then, he pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you tonight.¡± Chen Wei suddenly understood how ridiculous his misunderstanding in the morning was. It turned out that Su Tang was really just Shi Man¡¯s good friend, and the person in front of her was the person she liked. He couldn¡¯t tell if he felt relieved or disappointed. Chen Wei walked back to the classroom under the wall with mixed feelings. When he passed by Su Tang, he even apologized to her very softly. Su Tang watched in confusion as he quickly returned to his seat. She looked anxiously at the door, but she did not see Shi Man. A bad feeling rose in her heart. Could it be that Chen Wei had done something to hurt Shi Man? Otherwise, why was he the only one who came back from the rooftop? Why did he apologize to her? At the thought of this, she couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She stood up from her seat and rushed out of the classroom in a panic, only to bump into someone. Shi Man¡¯s chest hurt from her collision and she frowned in frustration. ¡°Where are you going? Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay in the classroom?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hearing a familiar voice from above, Su Tang covered her forehead and looked over. Seeing that Shi Man was safe and sound, the grievance on her face immediately turned into joy. ¡°Manman, so you¡¯re fine! You¡¯re not injured, right?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and deliberately teased her. ¡°My chest might be injured.¡± Su Tang blushed and rubbed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. 1 was in a hurry just now and didn¡¯t see the way clearly. Are you in pain? Do you want to take a look in the washroom?¡± ¡°What do you think? Are you going to help me check?¡± She crossed her arms in amusement as she watched the girl blush. She realized that Su Tang had been blushing in front of her from time to time recently. This shy expression was quite seductive. No wonder she was the female lead in the novel. Thinking of the plot in the original book, Shi Man felt a headache. The plot had already deviated to this extent. Even the male protagonist, Yi Zheng, who had killed her entire family, was pursuing her relentlessly. She did not know if there would be an even more unexpected plot twist in the future. However, as long as Yi Zheng had no intention of destroying the Shi family, she could be considered to have changed the tragedy in the book in a strange way and barely completed the mission. Su Tang did not know what she was thinking. She only felt that Shi Man had been saying ambiguous things from time to time recently, making her flustered. However, this shouldn¡¯t be the case. The two of them were girls. How could she blush and heartbeat because of Shi Man¡¯s casual words? Thinking of this, she pouted angrily and rebuked unhappily, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. If it hurts, go take a look yourself. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Did she even throw a tantrum? Shi Man smiled helplessly and quickly chased after her to coax her softly. ¡°I¡¯m not spouting nonsense. We¡¯ve all both slept on the same bed. It¡¯s fine for you to take a look, right? Don¡¯t you have everything I have?¡± ¡°You!¡± Su Tang had never seen such a shameless Shi Man. She suddenly stomped her feet and sat back in her seat without looking back, not daring to look at the cheeky Shi Man again.. Chapter 227 - Chapter 227: Missing Chapter 227: Missing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Tang ignored Shi Man for the entire afternoon. Even after school, she was still throwing a tantrum. Shi Man was puzzled, not understanding why she was so angry over this small matter. However, she could only coax her patiently. ¡°Don¡¯t be unhappy, okay? 1 was wrong.¡± ¡°You!¡± Su Tang glared at her and took a bite of the straw. ¡°Why are you still drinking this milk tea for the entire afternoon? Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll buy you a new one!¡± Shi Man raised her arm slightly and hugged her shoulder before dragging her to the canteen. The cafeteria after school was especially deserted. Only a few classmates would come here to buy things. Most of them had been picked up by their drivers from home early on. No matter how good the things in school were, they could not compare to the things outside. However, Shi Man did not think so. She quite liked the milk tea in this shop and felt that it was even better than the one she had drunk in the mall last time. She asked Su Tang to wait at her seat while she went to the bar to order two cups of warm milk tea. Then, she swiped her cell phone in boredom and waited. Sensing the footsteps gradually approaching behind her, Shi Man turned off her phone screen vigilantly. She narrowed her eyes dangerously and turned around with an imposing aura. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡­.. Yuan Yi was shocked by her sudden action and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Then, he deliberately patted his chest aggrievedly and said, ¡°You scared me to death. Manman, why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Shi Man had been watching the people on the school forum discussing Shi Jing. It was said that she had not come to school all day. Even the police had not found her. Shi Man did not care about this. She was just inexplicably worried that Shi Jing would hide in the dark. If she could not deal with her, she would transfer her anger to the people around her. That way, she might not be able to guard against her, so she paid special attention to the movements around her. Yuan Yi took two cups of milk tea for her with a smile. ¡°1 saw that your brother was not waiting for you at the school gate, so 1 came back to look for him. I didn¡¯t expect to really meet you here. Hey, why did you buy two cups? Is the other cup for me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for Su Tang.¡± Shi Man snatched the milk tea from his hand without hesitation, but when she turned around, she didn¡¯t see Su Tang in the same position. Her heart skipped a beat and she looked around the dining room in panic. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuan Yi had never seen her so nervous before. A bad feeling arose in his heart, and he could not help but ask, ¡°What are you looking for? Shall 1 help you look?¡± ¡°Su Tang! Did you see her when you came over the last time? I asked her to sit there and wait for me!¡± Shi Man pointed at a table very close to the door, but there was no one there now. ¡°No, there was no one there when I came in!¡± Yuan Yi looked at his watch in confusion. ¡°Could she have gone home at this time?¡± ¡°No! She lives at my house. She won¡¯t leave alone without waiting for me!¡± Shi Man threw the milk tea to Yuan Yi and ran out of the cafeteria to look at the empty campus. At this moment, there were not many students in the school. If Su Tang was taken away, she would probably not be discovered. She cursed her carelessness in her heart and took out her phone to call Shi Mu. ¡°Brother, are you at the school gate? Did you see Su Tang?¡± ¡°Su Tang? No? Third Brother and I have been waiting for you at the door. Why aren¡¯t you here yet? Oh right, Yuan Yi went over to look for you. Did you see him?¡± Shi Mu held a leaf from the tree in his mouth casually and subconsciously looked at the crowd walking past. ¡°Yes, but Su Tang is gone!¡± Shi Man pursed her lips. The more critical the situation was, the calmer she became. Since she couldn¡¯t get any useful information from Shi Mu, she hung up. Fortunately, there were cameras installed on the corridor pillar opposite the cafeteria. She hurriedly used her phone to hack into the surveillance cameras system. Just as she was about to pull up the recent surveillance cameras records, someone suddenly patted her shoulder. Su Tang stood behind her with a blank expression. Looking at her empty hands, she asked in a daze, ¡°Is the milk tea not ready?¡± Shi Man turned around in disbelief and saw the innocent-looking Su Tang. While her heart fell back into her stomach, her anger surged. ¡°Where did you go?¡± At this moment, she was feeling frustrated. She did not control her tone well and her attitude was fierce, scaring Su Tang. Su Tang took out a tissue to wipe the water off her hands. She lowered her head aggrievedly and said, ¡°1 suddenly wanted to go to the washroom just now¡­¡± Her voice was so weak that it was almost indistinct. She looked so pitiful that tears were about to fall. However, Shi Man still glared at her angrily and said in a harsh tone, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to run around? Why didn¡¯t you listen to me?¡± Su Tang shed an aggrieved tear and nervously stirred the tissue in her hand. Her voice was muffled and sobbing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to go to the washroom. I didn¡¯t run around..¡± Chapter 228 - Chapter 228: Escrow Company Chapter 228: Escrow Company Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Manman, are you alright?¡± Yuan Yi had run outside to help look for her. Now that he came back and saw Su Tang crying, he thought that something had happened to her. Shi Man shook her head and said expressionlessly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go.¡± She held Su Tang¡¯s hand and led her to meet her brother, who had been waiting at the school gate for a long time. As Shi He was a celebrity, it would probably cause another uproar if he got out of the car. Therefore, he could only wait obediently in the car. When he heard Shi Mu mention Su Tang¡¯s possible disappearance just now, he was also extremely anxious. Now that she saw them return safely, her heart relaxed. ¡°Sister!¡± He could not wait to open the car window and wave at Shi Man. Shi Man stopped and glanced at Yuan Yi. ¡°My fourth brother is over there. Go over first.¡± ¡­.. ¡°Okay.¡± Yuan Yi returned the milk tea to her and turned to walk towards the car beside him. ¡°Manman.¡± Su Tang stopped Shi Man, who was about to get into the car, and sniffed. ¡°1 didn¡¯t mean to disobey you just now. Don¡¯t be angry with me, okay?¡± Shi Man frowned and opened the car door for her. ¡°Get in first. We¡¯ll talk when we get home.¡± Su Tang had no choice but to sit in the car obediently. Along the way, she was nervous and wanted to talk to Shi Man. However, even when the car drove back to the Shi family, she did not find a suitable opportunity to speak. Tonight, Shi Zhong brought Shi Ke on a business trip. Shi Yu was helping the police investigate Shi Jing in the law firm. Only Shen Xian was at home. When they returned, the table was already set with tonight¡¯s food. Shen Xian walked over enthusiastically and held Shi Man¡¯s hand to lead her to the washroom. She smiled and said, ¡°Manman, Mom has something to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Yes, Mom, go ahead.¡± Although Shi Man¡¯s attitude towards others was extremely cold, she had always been respectful to Shen Xian. Shen Xian pursed her lips hesitantly and said with a conflicted expression, ¡°Your father won¡¯t be back for a long time on this business trip. Your second brother has been very busy recently. There are many things to deal with in the law firm, so the company is temporarily left to me to manage. 1 think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.¡± ¡°What opportunity?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and asked with a smile. Actually, she already knew what she was going to say next. Sure enough, Shen Xian leaned close to her ear with a mysterious expression. ¡°Your father used to say that you were ignorant and incompetent. Although your results are good now, he hasn¡¯t changed his opinion of you much. Mom knows that you have the ability and ideas now, so 1 want to take advantage of this period of time to hand the company over to you.¡± ¡°Mom, aren¡¯t you afraid that 1¡¯11 cause trouble for the company during this period of time?¡± Shi Man asked in amusement. Ever since she transmigrated to this world, the person who had always protected and doted on her unconditionally was definitely this woman in front of her. Even though she used to have a strange taste, Shen Xian had never despised her. She had always doted on her daughter with a tolerant and doting heart. Shi Man did not want to disappoint her, so she agreed under Shen Xian¡¯s expectant gaze. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry. 1 won¡¯t let the company cause trouble under me.¡± ¡°I knew you would do well.¡± Shen Xian heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she hugged her daughter¡¯s shoulder and the mother and daughter returned to the cafeteria intimately. Su Tang had been sitting uneasily on the chair waiting for Shi Man to return. Now that she really saw her, she felt nervous for no reason. After Shen Xian sat down with Shi Man, she smiled and asked everyone to start eating. Without thinking, Su Tang picked up a piece of steak and placed it on Shi Man¡¯s plate. Shi Man was slightly stunned. She stared at Su Tang expressionlessly for a while and thanked her in a low voice. Su Tang blushed and lowered her head even more. She silently finished the food in her bowl, then put down her chopsticks and sat obediently in her original position, waiting for everyone to finish eating so that she could help the servants clean up the dishes. Shi Man finished eating slowly. From the corner of her eye, she saw Su Tang¡¯s careful behavior. She sighed slightly. After pulling a tissue to wipe her mouth, she grabbed her wrist and stood up. ¡°Mom, Brothers, the two of us are done eating. Let¡¯s go to the living room to watch television for a while.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get the nanny to cut some fruits for you,¡± Shen Xian replied in a good mood. She did not notice how strange the atmosphere was between the two children. Su Tang was pulled into the living room. Her wet eyes inadvertently glanced at her expression, then she lowered her head and muttered, ¡°I¡­ 1 don¡¯t want to watch television.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Shi Man frowned and pulled her to sit on the sofa. She poured two cups of hot tea. ¡°I won¡¯t go to school tomorrow. Continue to take notes if you¡¯re free. If you¡¯re impatient to write, forget it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Su Tang looked up in a daze and stared at her in disbelief. Could it be that Shi Man was going to ignore her in the future because of what happened today? Seeing that the girl¡¯s eyes were getting redder and redder, Shi Man felt helpless. She handed her the tea that she had brewed and smiled speechlessly. ¡°My mother asked me to help manage the company for a few days, so 1 shouldn¡¯t have time to go to school. Help me apply for leave with the teacher..¡± Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: Gift Chapter 229: Gift Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Alright, i¡¯ll take the notes and bring them back for you to see tonight.¡± Su Tang promised her seriously. After hesitating for a while, she decided to ask, ¡°Then are you still angry with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± Shi Man sighed slightly. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m angry at myself. 1 shouldn¡¯t have been careless and left you there.¡± Hearing her say this, Su Tang¡¯s nervous mood relaxed. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not a child. How can 1 be kidnapped in school?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Man shook her head gently and decided to make things clear to her in advance. ¡°We don¡¯t know where Shi Jing is hiding or if anyone is helping her behind the scenes. I¡¯ve already gotten someone to investigate in secret. Second Brother is also investigating this matter. I¡¯m worried that she will take revenge on you when I¡¯m not around.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Su Tang blinked in confusion. ¡°What she did has nothing to do with you. Why did she go through so much trouble to take revenge on you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my guess. But knowing her, I¡¯m afraid she hates my guts.¡± Shi Man chuckled, a trace of disdain flashing across her eyes. ¡­.. From the moment she woke up, Shi Jing¡¯s disgust and disdain for her increased day by day. Later, she chased Shi Jing out of the Shi family. At this point, it was hard to say if Shi Jing would be desperate now. If it were any other normal person, they would probably not be like Shi Jing. However, this was not someone with a normal brain circuit, so she could only prepare for the worst. Moreover, in the Shi family, the easiest person to attack was Su Tang. Only then did Su Tang realize the seriousness of the problem. She nodded solemnly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, 1¡¯11 take good care of myself and not let you worry. Just go and busy yourself with the company.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man took out a brooch from her pocket and put it on her chest. ¡°You have to wear it every day during this period, understand?¡± ¡°Is this a locator?¡± Su Tang was not an idiot who knew nothing. What Shi Man gave her could not be useless decorations. Shi Man smiled and flicked her forehead. ¡°Smart, so you have to wear it well. Other than sleeping, you¡¯re not allowed to take it off.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± This was Shi Man¡¯s way of protecting her. Su Tang did not feel that Shi Man was invading her privacy. On the contrary, she felt more secure and the haze in her heart was dispelled. After the two of them spoke, the previous conflict was resolved. Yuan Yi saw that the atmosphere in the living room had improved, so he walked in with a smile and a plate of freshly washed fruits in his hand. ¡°Manman, why do the grapes in your home taste sweeter than mine?¡± Shi Man pursed her lips speechlessly and said bluntly, ¡°Give it to me.¡± Yuan Yi retracted his hand slightly and sat beside her. He smiled affectionately and said, ¡°Then can 1 come and eat every day?¡± Su Tang felt that she was a little redundant now. She wanted to hide in her room, but her legs refused to listen to her and she could not move. Shi Man raised her eyebrows playfully and hooked her finger at him. When he leaned closer with an expectant expression, she suddenly snatched the fruit plate from his hand with a serious expression. ¡°No, you can¡¯t have the food for free.¡± Yuan Yi was stunned for a moment before returning to his normal smile. He knew that she didn¡¯t like to sit too close to others, so he distanced himself slightly and poured himself a cup of tea. He called out to Shi Mu loudly, ¡°Brother! Your sister said that 1 have to pay for free food and drinks at your house!¡± Shi Mu ran over with a strange cry and looked at Shi Man blankly. ¡°What money? Why do you have to pay?¡± ¡°Because he eats a lot,¡± Shi Man said seriously. Su Tang sat at the side and chuckled. Occasionally, she reached for a few grapes on the plate and stuffed them into her mouth. Shi Mu choked. Thinking of Yuan Yi¡¯s elegant manner when he was eating just now, he couldn¡¯t help but compare it to the way he wolfed down the food. He immediately felt a little guilty. ¡°Sister, he didn¡¯t eat much, right? Why don¡¯t we forget about it?¡± He gave Yuan Yi a look, indicating for him to perform well and quickly win back his sister¡¯s heart. Yuan Yi smiled and took out a box from his pocket. ¡°Manman, guess what this is?¡± Shi Man glanced at it and was speechless when she saw the words ¡°watch¡± on the box. ¡°First of all, I¡¯ll eliminate the possibility that it¡¯s a watch.¡± Yuan Yi couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Under Shi Man¡¯s warning gaze, he quickly restrained his smile. Then, he opened the box and placed it in front of her. ¡°Do you like it? 1 picked it up with your brother. Your brother said that you would like this style.¡± Shi Man looked up at Shi Mu but did not reach out to take it. ¡°Why are you giving it to me?¡± She knew that this watch was the latest limited edition. Although it was not expensive to her, it was still expensive to give it as a gift, especially since she was not related to Yuan Yi. She could not accept this gift casually.. Chapter 230 - Chapter 230: Unacceptable Chapter 230: Unacceptable Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Manman.¡± Yuan Yi¡¯s voice was low and deep. When he deliberately lowered it, it carried a hint of intoxicating magnetism. ¡°We¡¯re considered allies now. I¡¯ll give you this watch as a token of our cooperation.¡± He said it sincerely, making Shi Man unable to find a reason to reject him. However, she would still habitually suspect his motives from time to time. In the end, Yuan Yi was not an innocent person like Su Tang. Shi Man could not really trust him. However, she really needed a good helper to deal with Yi Zheng. After putting away the watch, Shi Man smiled and took out a brooch from her pocket that was completely different from Su Tang¡¯s. She gently placed it in his hand and said concisely, ¡°A return gift.¡± Yuan Yi smiled and said, ¡°Okay.¡± He put it on his chest on the spot. Su Tang watched his actions in a daze, wanting to remind him of the true use of the brooch. However, she was caught off guard and glanced at Man Man¡¯s cold gaze. She suddenly swallowed her words and did not say anything in the end. ¡­.. The next day, because Shi Man was going to the company, Shen Xian specially arranged for her to take a car to the company with her. On the way, she could briefly introduce her to work. Su Tang was brought to school by Shi Mu. Shen Xian was originally worried that Shi Man would find it difficult to deal with the company¡¯s business for the first time. She did not expect her to be so fast. With just a few words from the board of directors, she could point out the problem with the proposal, making all the directors look at her in a different light. Shen Xian accompanied Shi Man in the office for the entire morning and handed the company to her without worry. Then, she drove to Lu Xiang to show off how capable her precious daughter was. After Lu Xiang found out, Yi Zheng naturally received the news. He was very fast. He didn¡¯t even care about the work at hand and drove to the Shi family¡¯s company to meet her. Outside the office, the assistant had long heard of this daughter of the Shi family. She was very disdainful of her. After being enslaved by her for an entire day, she couldn¡¯t help but complain to her colleagues beside her. ¡°She¡¯s just better at reincarnation than us. With such a good father around, the company is under her control. What are we? We can only be ordered around by an outsider.¡± ¡°Shh, Sister Hui, lower your voice. Be careful not to let others hear you!¡± Ding Wei, an intern who had just been recruited by the company, carefully looked in the direction of the office and lowered her voice to the softest. ¡°What are you afraid of? I¡¯m an old employee of the company. Even CEO Shi is friendly to me. Who knows how to put on airs like her? She keeps a straight face all day as if I owe her millions. Who is she showing off to?¡± Meng Hui deliberately rolled her eyes in the direction of the office. The more vicious her words were, the more smug she felt. It was as if this was the only way to make her feel a little better. Ding Wei was not officially employed yet. She had just graduated as a graduate student. It was already a rare opportunity for her to be lucky enough to work in the Shi family¡¯s company. At this moment, she did not dare to answer her. She was afraid that she would lose her job, so she could only lower her head and silently do her work. Meng Hui looked at her timid appearance and felt even more disdainful. She became bolder. ¡°Xiaowei, what¡¯s the use of you working so hard? Look at her. She has a good father and can ride on our heads without doing anything. Workers like us with no background can only work hard for others!¡± ¡°Sister Hui.¡± Ding Wei called her softly and looked past her at the person behind her. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Meng Hui sneered and threw the document in her hand aggressively. ¡°She¡¯s just a useless young lady. The company won¡¯t have anything to do with her in the future. In the future, Young Master will inherit this company. She probably won¡¯t even get a share. Why should she manage us?¡± ¡°Sister Hui!¡± Ding Wei stood up obediently and lowered her head. She gave her a look for the last time. However, Meng Hui did not understand what she meant at all. The more she spoke, the more excited she became. ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Look at how afraid you are. When I just graduated, the company took the initiative to poach me!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re so capable. 1 actually just found out.¡± Shi Man¡¯s sinister voice sounded from behind her. Meng Hui felt a chill on her back for no reason. She slowly turned around and met her malicious eyes. ¡°You, when did you come out?¡± Meng Hui stood up in a panic. Anyone who was stared at by Shi Man would unconsciously think of the most terrifying poisonous snake in the forest. Meng Hui¡¯s hands and feet turned cold from her stare. She stammered and mustered her courage. ¡°1 was telling the truth just now. I was indeed specially recruited into the company by your father.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shi Man smiled slowly. She sat in her seat and casually flipped through the documents that had just been arranged on her desk. ¡°You have the business ability, but you can¡¯t control your mouth.¡± ¡°Then what do you want? Are you going to fire me?¡± Meng Hui puffed out her chest. She was actually gambling that Shi Man would not dare to do anything to her just because she had once contributed to the company.. Chapter 231 - Chapter 231: Transaction Chapter 231: Transaction Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was obvious that a young lady who had just taken over the company and had only been working for a few days would not have the guts to fire an old employee who had made outstanding contributions to the company, right? Even if Shi Man was really angry and fired her, President Shi would probably not agree when he came back. Of course, Shi Man understood this logic. She had just arrived today and had been secretly schemed against many times. A brainless gun like Meng Hui was really the easiest to deal with. She stood up with a smile and let Meng Hui follow her back to the office. She pointed at the documents that had just been arranged on the table. ¡°Settle these today. I¡¯ll come to check tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°What?¡± Meng Hui couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. There were documents on Shi Man¡¯s table, but even Shi Zhong had to take a few days to review them. Now, she actually had to settle them in a day. Wasn¡¯t this making things difficult for her? Meng Hui was unconvinced. She straightened her neck and asked, ¡°These documents require CEO Shi to read and correct them before handing them to me for verification and then sending them to the various departments. You can¡¯t hand the documents to me for full processing. Otherwise, if there¡¯s a problem, I won¡¯t be able to bear this responsibility.¡± ¡­.. ¡°Full authority?¡± Shi Man sneered and sat in her seat with her legs crossed, looking at her calmly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll give you so much authority? I¡¯ve already graded these documents. Take them and check them carefully. If you have any questions, come and look for me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve read all of them?¡± Meng Hui¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she casually flipped open a document. Indeed, there were important marks on it, and there were no problems with those annotations. She flipped through a few more pages in a daze, but she still did not find anything wrong with Shi Man¡¯s comments. She was shocked. ¡°But there are so many. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to finish reading them even if I work overtime until tomorrow morning!¡± ¡°That¡¯s your problem.¡± Shi Man drank her tea slowly and smiled harmlessly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you said to be very capable, and I¡¯m just a young lady who relied on my father to get to where I am? Could it be that your ability is inferior to mine?¡± After being agitated by her, Meng Hui could not admit it even if she could not do it. She could only brace herself and run back and forth three times before emptying Shi Man¡¯s desk. When Yi Zheng arrived, he saw that the secretariat outside the office was silent. No one even came to welcome him. He frowned slightly and knocked on the office door. Only when there was some movement did Meng Hui react. She hurriedly put down the document and ran over to apologize to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Yi. I was really too busy just now and didn¡¯t notice you.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Shi Man?¡± Yi Zheng had no intention of talking to her and went straight to the point. Meng Hui was slightly stunned. She pointed inside and said, ¡°She¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng didn¡¯t wait for her to enter and ask. He opened the office door and walked in. As soon as he opened the door, a sharp object suddenly flew past his eyes. Yi Zheng reacted extremely quickly and dodged, but a few drops of black ink were still splashed on the white shirt in front of his chest. He turned his head to look at the broken fountain pen on the ground and shook his head involuntarily. ¡°Is this how you welcome me, my fiancee?¡± Shi Man glared at him coldly and said angrily, ¡°Who let you in?¡± ¡°I came in myself.¡± Yi Zheng sat down on the sofa as if they were close and even leisurely poured himself a cup of tea. Shi Man was angry. She walked around the desk and snatched the teacup from his hand. ¡°You¡¯re not welcome here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. I know it¡¯s your first day at work, so I specially came to see if there¡¯s anything you need my help with.¡± Not only was Yi Zheng not angry, but his heart trembled slightly because of her approach. The smile on his face deepened. Shi Man took a step back and started to chase him away expressionlessly. ¡°I don¡¯t need you. You can leave.¡± ¡°Manman.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s face darkened slightly, and a glint flashed across his long eyes. ¡°I have a deal to discuss with you. Let¡¯s sit down and talk about it. How about that?¡± Shi Man stared at him suspiciously. She could only blame herself for not being able to defeat him. Otherwise, she could have thrown him out directly. However, now, she could only force her expression to soften. She sat down and said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°What deal?¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows with a smile; he looked as shrewd as a fox. ¡°I¡¯ll give you Shi Jing¡¯s whereabouts. How about you accompany me to the banquet tomorrow night?¡± ¡°Why do I want her whereabouts?¡± Shi Man asked expressionlessly, not easily tricked by him. Yi Zheng looked like victory was within his grasp, and his eyes were filled with a smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you asking Sean and the others to investigate Shi Jing¡¯s whereabouts? My people are also investigating at the same time, but it seems that my luck is better. I found her before your people.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Shi Man¡¯s expression darkened. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Yi Zheng had long hidden her. Yi Zheng smiled and said, ¡°Promise me first and I¡¯ll tell you her whereabouts..¡± Chapter 232 - Chapter 232: Scheming Man Chapter 232: Scheming Man Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man sized him up with an unfriendly expression and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± It was just a banquet. It was just eating and drinking. When the time came, she could just find an opportunity to slip away. Seeing her agree, the smile in Yi Zheng¡¯s eyes deepened. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow.¡± ¡°Address,¡± Shi Man reminded him with a hint of warning. Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows in amusement. ¡°Would I go back on my word with you? I¡¯ve already told Sean the address. It should be almost time, but if they¡¯re too slow and late, you can¡¯t blame me.¡± ¡°Yi Zheng!¡± Shi Man gritted her teeth and called his name. The man nodded and smiled good-naturedly. ¡°I¡¯m here. I asked Tang Zhe to reserve a table at a restaurant near your company just now. Do you want to eat together?¡± ¡­.. Shi Man stared at him darkly. Yi Zheng increased his chips with a playful expression. ¡°I can also tell you who helped Shi Jing hide.¡± Shi Man took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She did not want to lose her composure for such a thick-skinned man. She took a while to calm down and almost blurted out the vulgarities. A standard professional fake smile hung on her face. ¡°Alright, President Yi invited me personally. How can I not go? It¡¯s just that it¡¯s my first day at work today and I¡¯m really too busy with work. I¡¯ll have to trouble President Yi to wait for me for a while.¡± Yi Zheng made a gentlemanly gesture and waited until late at night. His expression was hidden in the darkness, making it difficult to see his expression. However, it was difficult not to notice the aura around him that was about to explode. Shi Man deliberately asked him to wait to vent her anger. In order to make him wait a little longer, she cleaned up all the documents that Shi Zhong had accumulated. From the corner of her eye, she saw that the sky outside was completely dark and the hour on the clock had already reached ten. Only then did she put down her work and stretch comfortably. Then, she peeked at the man sitting upright on the sofa opposite her. Yi Zheng looked up at her, his tone neither hot nor cold. ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man smiled apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was so engrossed that I lost track of time. Why didn¡¯t you remind me?¡± ¡°Work is more important.¡± Yi Zheng laughed coldly. He got up and buttoned his suit. He looked at the time and said, ¡°That cafeteria is probably closed.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go home separately. Let¡¯s meet another day!¡± Shi Man picked up quickly with an obvious mocking smile in her eyes. She thought that Yi Zheng would leave angrily halfway, but she did not expect him to really sit in his seat and read while waiting for her. However, it was already this time. Since the cafeteria was closed, she didn¡¯t need to bother about the meal. ¡°Are we going to your house or mine?¡± A cold voice suddenly sounded from behind. Shi Man paused and did not react to what he had just said. She turned around in disbelief and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired? Don¡¯t you want to lie down and rest after going home for a meal?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng smiled matter-of-factly. ¡°Fortunately, you reminded me. I think this is very good. It¡¯s a little impolite to let you stay at my house before we get married. Then I¡¯ll go to your house.¡± ¡°No, what right do you have to come to my house for dinner? Did I agree?¡± Shi Man was so surprised that even her words became a long string. She never expected that this man would not give up. She had clearly gone overboard, but he still insisted on following her home! Yi Zheng had expected her to say this. He opened the chat interface with Shen Xian and deliberately waved it in front of her. ¡°Aunt Shen has already agreed. Let¡¯s go and take my car.¡± ¡°How scheming.¡± Shi Man cursed softly behind him. Yi Zheng¡¯s ears were very sharp. He turned around with a smile and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said, you¡¯re really a smart person.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes sarcastically. Yi Zheng humbly took this as a compliment. ¡°Thank you.¡± He walked out of the office with a smile. From the corner of his eye, he looked at the young girl who was secretly competing in the shadows behind him. The anger in his heart instantly dissipated. That night, before she fell asleep, Sean sent back news. However, they were a step too late and did not catch Shi Jing. However, they found something in the old house that could prove Shi Jing¡¯s identity. It could be seen that she must have received the news in advance when she escaped this time. She had left in a hurry, so she had forgotten to bring it. Shi Man frowned fiercely. Because she did not go out for dinner with Yi Zheng tonight, he did not tell her about the people who had helped Shi Jing behind the scenes. Now, she could only let Sean and the others investigate again. ¡°Send me the location and look for the nearby surveillance cameras. I¡¯ll check the road surveillance cameras.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sean was especially efficient. After a while, he helped her connect to the surveillance cameras. Shi Jing¡¯s flustered back finally disappeared into a silver-white van and was lost in the vast sea of people again.. Chapter 233 - Chapter 233: Auntie Chapter 233: Auntie Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios According to the current situation, there must be someone behind Shi Jing, but Shi Man had no idea who could help at this time. The next day, after work, Yi Zheng came to the company to pick her up. He even brought a gown that he had personally prepared. After getting into the car, Yi Zheng placed the box containing the gown on her lap as if he was presenting a treasure. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the fitting room to change into it later. It will definitely suit you.¡± ¡°About Shi Jing¡­¡± Shi Man refused to give up and wanted to continue asking. Yi Zheng suddenly raised his index finger to block her lips. ¡°Shh, I brought you out to play today. Let¡¯s not talk about those troublesome things.¡± Shi Man frowned and was not at ease. Yi Zheng took her worry seriously and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after it¡¯s over.¡± Shi Man suddenly looked up at him and met the man¡¯s black eyes. At this moment, there was a trace of mischief in his eyes. This was to prevent her from leaving halfway. ¡­.. She didn¡¯t know if this man was really smart or if he had completely understood her style of doing things. Why had she been at a disadvantage in the recent open and covert battles? Yi Zheng obviously wouldn¡¯t tell her the answer to this question. He leisurely leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest. His hand on his lap slowly tapped the rhythm of the music. When they arrived at the guild hall, Tang Zhc got out of the car and opened the door for Yi Zheng. ¡°Master, do you need me to go in with you?¡± ¡°No need. Manman is here.¡± He turned his head and smiled at Shi Man in the car. He took the initiative to reach out his gentlemanly hand and invite her out of the car with a smile. Shi Man hesitated for a moment, but she still gently placed her hand in his and got out of the car expressionlessly. ¡°Let¡¯s bring Tang Zhc in. I don¡¯t understand the situation here.¡± ¡°Yes, I know you don¡¯t understand.¡± He deliberately teased and held back his laughter under Shi Man¡¯s glare. He said seriously, ¡°Alright, you have me. Who doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re my fiancee now?¡± Shi Man rolled her eyes at him speechlessly and let him bring her to the changing room. The gown in the box was custom-made by Yi Zheng at the last minute yesterday, but the workmanship and design did not show any signs of rushed work. It could be seen that Yi Zheng had spent a lot of money on this gown to let the designer reach such a high completion rate in a short period of time. The dress was black and purple in color. There was a silver chain at the waist, and the hem of the dress had been irregularly designed. Although the dress was short, there were many linings inside. There was no need to worry about being exposed. Shi Man really liked the design style of this dress. After putting it on, she looked at herself in the mirror for a while before lifting the curtain and walking out of the cubicle. Outside, noblewomen were gathered in twos and threes, discussing the most popular bag style. Almost everyone was holding an expensive limited edition luxury handbag. Only Shi Man¡¯s hand was empty, looking a little out of place. However, it was not that Shi Man did not bring them because she could not afford them. She just did not have the habit of bringing these things. Compared to carrying an extra bag, she preferred to buy clothes with bigger pockets. The noblewoman wearing lipstick in front of the makeup mirror occasionally turned her head to talk to the person beside her. She saw Shi Man in a black and purple dress which made her skin look fair and delicate. Her face and figure were also outstanding. Looking at the entire changing room, no one was more eye-catching than her. The few of them looked at each other and saw confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. No one knew who this unfamiliar girl was, which meant that her status might not be high at all. Perhaps she was a wild prostitute that some man had taken a fancy to and brought to see the world. The noblewoman put down her lipstick and walked over with a smile. She blocked Shi Man¡¯s path. ¡°Little girl, did you come to the wrong place? This is not a place you can enter casually.¡± Shi Man glanced at her and nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, this is where the aunties touch up their makeup. I really shouldn¡¯t come.¡± ¡°You dare to call me Auntie?¡± Women like them hated their true age the most. Who didn¡¯t want to be young and beautiful in front of others forever? Now that she was called Auntie by the little girl, she immediately felt embarrassed. Her teasing thoughts turned into deep jealousy. ¡°Damn girl, I think you really don¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth. Do you think you can be compared to us just because you¡¯ve hooked up with a man? Let me tell you, when you were fawning over men in bed, I was already a rich wife that no one in this circle dared to provoke!¡± ¡°Aiyo, the little girl is really blind! This is Madam Chen, the best friend of the organizer of our banquet¡­ Mrs. Lin! If you provoke her, you¡¯ll be kicked out of the banquet later!¡± The person who chimed in was Mrs. Zhuo, who had always wanted to build a good relationship with Mrs. Chen. At this moment, she was the first to start. Many people in the changing room began to appear like bamboo shoots after a rainstorm. They pointed their spears at Shi Man and insisted that she apologize to Mrs. Chen. Otherwise, they would look like they were going to tear her dress apart on the spot.. Chapter 234 - Chapter 234: Digging a Pit Chapter 234: Digging a Pit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mrs. Chen? Shi Man inexplicably thought of someone and asked calmly, ¡°Who is Chen Min to you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my daughter.¡± Mrs. Chen looked her up and down. ¡°Why? Do you know my daughter?¡± ¡°Not very close.¡± There was a trace of a smile in Shi Man¡¯s eyes. She was wondering why the silly look on Mrs. Chen¡¯s face was so familiar. It turned out to be Chen Min¡¯s mother, who deliberately stirred up trouble at Lu Xiang¡¯s birthday party and was miserably slapped in the face. It seemed that stupidity really came from the same lineage. ¡°My daughter is very famous, right? Look, all the pheasants know my Minmin!¡± Mrs. Chen crossed her arms smugly, her eyes filled with arrogance. No, she was really too stupid. She couldn¡¯t bear to watch. ¡­.. Shi Man looked away indifferently and looked at a girl in white in the corner of the changing room expressionlessly. The girl didn¡¯t seem to expect her to notice her at this moment. She nodded at her with a faint smile as a silent greeting. Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly. She felt that this girl was familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember where she had seen her before. When Mrs. Zhuo heard this, she hurriedly supported her and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Minmin is really capable. I heard that she even attended Mrs. Yi¡¯s birthday banquet some time ago. Aiyo, she must have gained face in front of Mrs. Yi again!¡± ¡°Our Minmin is likable everywhere.¡± At the mention of the birthday banquet, Mrs. Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly and she looked away unnaturally. Shi Man happened to catch her guilty expression, and the smile in her eyes deepened. Mrs. Chen clearly didn¡¯t want anyone to mention that birthday banquet. After a few perfunctory words, she changed the topic back to Shi Man. ¡°You called me Auntie just now. I can forgive you on account of your young age. As long as you humble yourself and apologize to me sincerely, I¡¯ll allow you to attend the same banquet as me.¡± ¡°Why should I get your permission?¡± Shi Man smiled instead of being angry, waiting calmly for Mrs. Chen to dig a pit for herself. Only if the pit was dug big enough would she be buried deep enough later. This time, without waiting for Mrs. Chen to speak, Mrs. Zhuo took the initiative to explain to her. ¡°Our Mrs. Chen is the best friend of Mrs. Lin, the organizer of the banquet. If you offend Mrs. Chen, she can totally get the security officers to chase you away later. Mrs. Lin won¡¯t care about such trivial matters. Mrs. Chen will make the decision herself!¡± ¡°If she¡¯s the organizer¡¯s friend, then she¡¯s not the organizer herself?¡± Shi Man ignored her words and retorted with a smile. Mrs. Zhuo wanted to take this opportunity to make Mrs. Chen happy so that she could introduce herself to Mrs. Lin. Her family¡¯s business still needed to rely on the Lin family. There would not be any harm in building a good relationship. However, who knew that this young girl in front of her was actually as difficult to deal with as the real piece of work? She could retort with just a word. It was unknown if she really had a background or if she was fearless. Seeing her attitude, Mrs. Chen knew that there was no need to discuss this matter anymore. If she didn¡¯t show some courage now, who would prioritize her when news spread in the future? She sneered, and a trace of viciousness flashed across her eyes. ¡°Little girl, you asked for this. Do you really think the man you found can protect you and do whatever you want? Let me tell you, don¡¯t be too naive. The people invited to this banquet today are either rich or noble. Their relationships are complicated. Do you think he will offend my family and the Lin family for you?¡± Mrs. Chen narrowed her eyes calmly, waiting to see Shi Man panic. Unfortunately, Shi Man was destined to disappoint her. Not only the Shi family, but even Yi Zheng was not someone anyone in this changing room could afford to offend. She retracted her smile expressionlessly and said indifferently, ¡°I insist on offending you. What can you do?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re refusing a toast and drinking a forfeit!¡± Mrs. Chen took out her phone from her limited edition bag and called the secretary in charge of this banquet. She asked her to immediately bring people to the changing room and claim that a woman was causing trouble in the room. Secretary Song¡¯s expression darkened when she received the call. This was the first time she had heard that someone dared to cause trouble in the Lin family¡¯s territory. It had to be known that in G City, other than the Shi family and the Yi family, the Lin family was the most established. Shen Xian had something on at the last minute and could not leave this evening, so it was impossible for the person to be Shen Xian. There was no other woman in the Shi family and the Yi family that the people here did not know. Since this matter had nothing to do with these two families, the Lin family naturally wouldn¡¯t be polite to the troublemaker. Secretary Song specially brought a few more security officers and the mighty team surged into the only corridor leading to the changing room. On the way, Secretary Song¡¯s sharp eyes noticed Yi Zheng, who was sitting on the sofa and looking at his watch frequently. He hurriedly went over to greet him. ¡°President Yi, why are you here alone? Our President Lin has long wanted to catch up with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for someone,¡± Yi Zheng said concisely. He glanced in the direction of the changing room worriedly and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me to go in. Help me see what¡¯s going on inside..¡± Chapter 235 - Chapter 235: Beaten Chapter 235: Beaten Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Secretary Song was stunned for a moment before hurriedly nodding. ¡°Alright, CEO Yi. Please wait a moment, but who are you waiting for? I can go in and ask for you.¡± Yi Zheng smiled and slowly said a name she had never imagined. ¡°Aunt Shen¡¯s daughter, Shi Man.¡± In the changing room, all the rich madams were surrounding Shi Man, denouncing her arrogant attitude. Only the little girl, who had been sitting in the corner, looked at the commotion with a smile and did not participate. Mrs. Chen had already called Secretary Song to come over as soon as possible. The other party did not refuse at all and looked like she wanted to do as she pleased. She immediately became even more confident and looked at Shi Man with disdain. ¡°Little girl, kneel down and apologize to me now. 1 might consider forgiving you. Otherwise, if you¡¯re thrown out in front of everyone later, it won¡¯t be easy for you to get over it by wheedling with a man!¡± She was used to seeing such young ladies who were spoiled by men. They did not have any family background and were focused on their dreams of marrying into a rich family. However, in the end, it was all for nothing. Which man hadn¡¯t kept a few young and beautiful girls before they got married? When they were done playing, they would naturally cast them away. At that time, these girls would wake up from a dream and their dream of becoming a phoenix would be completely shattered. Mrs. Chen looked at Shi Man, whose expression did not change, as if she could already see her miserable future. The mockery on her face deepened, and even her mouth was no longer closed. ¡­.. She smiled and reached out to tug at Shi Man¡¯s dress. She couldn¡¯t help but smack her lips and say, ¡°This is a high-quality imitation, right? 1 remember that this is the proud work of the top designer in the country, Jason. Why is it on you? Could it be that the man you¡¯re with can¡¯t even bear to prepare a genuine gown for you?¡± Her undisguised sarcasm immediately caused a burst of laughter in the changing room. Before Secretary Song could approach, she heard the unfriendly laughter inside. She felt inexplicably panicked and subconsciously quickened her pace. Mrs. Zhuo still didn¡¯t know that she was about to face a calamity. She only knew that this was a good opportunity to show Mrs. Chen her loyalty. She hurriedly followed her words and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Our Mrs. Chen has good taste. She could tell at a glance that this pheasant is wearing a pirated dress. Where are we? How dare someone come in wearing imitations? Hurry up and take it off!¡± When the rich madams around her were done laughing, they surrounded her like a swarm of bees and wanted to tear her dress. Shi Man turned around slightly and nimbly avoided their hands. She stretched out her toes and tripped Mrs. Zhuo, who was closest to her, and watched her fall to the ground in a sorry state. Mrs. Zhuo was in pain from the fall this time. Tears quickly flowed out of her eyes, but she still roared unforgivingly, ¡°Little b*tch, you actually dare to retaliate. I must teach you a good lesson today!¡± Shi Mian sneered. From the corner of her eye, she saw that the girl seemed to have stood up and given her a comforting smile. Then, she took a step forward casually and accidentally stepped on Mrs. Zhuo¡¯s hand with her sharp heel. Mrs. Zhuo was sitting on the ground cursing when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her hand. She immediately screamed and howled, scaring the surrounding madams so much that they hurriedly looked at her hand. Shi Man stood at the side with an innocent expression, hugging her shoulders as she waited for the next person to come knocking on her door. After those people saw the shoe print on Mrs. Zhuo¡¯s hand, their faces immediately turned pale. This little girl had deliberately tripped Mrs. Zhuo in front of so many of them and even stepped on her hand. This was a blatant slap to their faces! Mrs. Chen couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She couldn¡¯t care less about her image and screamed as she pounced on Shi Man to slap her. Unexpectedly, the door of the changing room was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Secretary Song happened to walk in and stand in front of Shi Man, taking the slap for her. Mrs. Chen was instantly petrified on the spot. She did not expect Secretary Song to come in at this time. She hurriedly retracted her hand in a panic, but she did not forget to glare at Shi Man. ¡°Little Song, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Hurry up and let me see if it¡¯s serious. If not, let my doctor take a look at you!¡± Mrs. Chen couldn¡¯t afford to offend Secretary Song. Everything in the Lin family¡¯s company depended on Little Song. Even Mrs. Lin did not dare to order her around. Moreover, she had humiliated her so much today. She could only put down her pride and hurriedly apologize. Secretary Song shook her head in pain. It was not easy for her to recover from the dizziness in front of her. She looked up again and glanced around the changing room. As usual, she asked in a formulaic tone, ¡°Where is the troublemaker you mentioned on the phone just now?¡± Secretary Song looked around the changing room and didn¡¯t see Shi Man. She thought that she hadn¡¯t come out of the cubicle yet, so she prepared to resolve the matter at hand first. From the looks of it, Mrs. Chen had been forced to attack. It was obvious that today¡¯s matter could not be settled peacefully.. Chapter 236 - Chapter 236: Reversal Chapter 236: Reversal Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She had been instructed by Mrs. Lin to support Mrs. Chen this time, so when she turned around in the direction Mrs. Chen was pointing, her expression was cold and stern. However, when she saw that the person she had protected just now was Shi Man, her expression immediately turned to shock. Shi Man looked at the sudden change in her mood with a playful expression. She raised her eyebrows in amusement and said briskly, ¡°You know me?¡± How could she not know her? The only daughter of the Shi family who was doted on was actually surrounded by a group of rich madams in the changing room. If this matter spread, not to mention whether the Shi family would fall out with the Lin family, even Yi Zheng, who was waiting outside, would not let them off easily. Mrs. Chen was waiting for Secretary Song to immediately teach Shi Man a lesson. Unexpectedly, she fell silent when she saw Shi Man. She immediately touched her arm anxiously and puzzledly. ¡°Little Song, quickly catch her and throw her out of the banquet. We can¡¯t let such a pheasant in. That would lower our status!¡± Secretary Song was on the brink of tears. She really wanted to beg Mrs. Chen not to say anything else. If she had known that the person they were bullying was Shi Man, she wouldn¡¯t have picked up that call just now! Mrs. Zhuo also ran over with a puzzled expression. She even deliberately raised her hand to show her the red shoe marks on her hand. ¡°Little Song, look at how vicious this woman is. She almost broke my hand just now! Why don¡¯t we send her to the police station and let the police teach her a lesson? This is intentional harm!¡± ¡­.. Secretary Song was speechless. She pursed her lips and turned to look at the two of them helplessly. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why things turned out like this, there are many of you after all. I also took a slap for her just now. It¡¯s better to avoid trouble. What do you think?¡± ¡°How can that be!¡± Mrs. Chen frowned and glared at Xiao Song unhappily. ¡°That¡¯s not what Mrs. Lin told you, right? Why are you biased toward her? Do you really know each other?¡± Mrs. Chen had called her over to support her, but things did not go as she had expected. She immediately felt embarrassed and could not care less about offending Secretary Song. She pointed at Shi Man and said arrogantly, ¡°Either she leaves today, or I leave! Little Song, do as you see fit!¡± Secretary Song was helpless and could only turn around again. She sighed softly and apologized sincerely on behalf of Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Zhuo. ¡°Miss Shi, I¡¯m sorry. 1 don¡¯t think these two madams are targeting you on purpose. 1¡¯11 apologize to you on their behalf. Can you be magnanimous and let this matter go? CEO Yi is still waiting for you outside!¡± Shi Man leaned against the wall calmly and looked at Mrs. Chen, who had her mouth wide open behind Secretary Song. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Mrs. Chen just said that she doesn¡¯t want me here.¡± Mrs. Zhuo looked at Shi Man in disbelief. She grabbed Secretary Song¡¯s arm and asked guiltily and nervously, ¡°Little Song, what did you call her just now? Miss Shi? Which Miss Shi?¡± Could it be the eldest daughter of the Shi family that she was thinking of? But why would she attend such a banquet and not come with Shen Xian? Moreover, the Shi Man they had seen in the past had always had terrible taste and wore heavy makeup. When did she dress up seriously and even wear such a dazzling dress?! She was simply a completely different person from before! It was no wonder they couldn¡¯t recognize her. In the past, the Host had a unique hobby. After being bewitched by Shi Jing, she dressed up as uglily as she could. The makeup on her face was thicker than the city wall. Now that she had removed her makeup and only put on light makeup, her appearance was very different from before. Secretary Song pulled a long face helplessly and explained with drooping shoulders, ¡°This is the daughter of the Shi family, Shi Man. The Lin family also sent an invitation to Mrs. Shi today, but Mrs. Shi had something to do and declined it. 1 just found out that Miss Shi will come on behalf of her mother.¡± Now it was Mrs. Zhuo¡¯s turn to be so shocked that one could stuff an egg in her mouth. She and Mrs. Chen looked at each other and suddenly wanted to find a hole to hide in. Today, the two of them had completely lost face. Just now, they were still showing off in front of her and wanted to chase her away with the Lin family¡¯s power. Unexpectedly, this little girl was the eldest daughter of the Shi family whom no one could afford to offend. Their expressions immediately became uglier. Secretary Song apologized to her sincerely again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Shi. It¡¯s indeed my fault for not entertaining you well. Please forgive me.¡± Mrs. Chen nodded with a pale face and begged for mercy with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t be calculative with us. We¡¯re the ones who failed to recognize a formidable person.¡± Mrs. Zhuo echoed and even raised her hand unintentionally, hinting that Shi Man had already taken revenge on her and that she should stop targeting her. Shi Man took in their attitude and admired their pale faces. Then, she said calmly, ¡°You want me to forgive you? Since you wanted to slap me just now, why don¡¯t you reward yourself with a slap now? I¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened today..¡± Chapter 237 - Chapter 237: Punishment Chapter 237: Punishment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°What did you say?¡± No matter how afraid Mrs. Chen was of the Shi family, she still felt embarrassed to listen to the little girl tease her in front of so many people. Her face turned from pale to green and finally revealed a blush of embarrassment and anger. Secretary Song also looked troubled. Although Mrs. Chen and the others took advantage of the majority to bully Shi Man with numbers, Mrs. Chen was still Madam¡¯s good friend. Madam would definitely not be willing to slap Mrs. Chen in public. She could only use Mrs. Lin to help Mrs. Chen out. ¡°Miss Shi, after this matter, 1 believe the Chen family and the Zhuo family will apologize to you sincerely. The gala is about to begin. My Madam is still waiting to see you. Why don¡¯t 1 bring you over now and you can have a good chat with Mrs. Lin?¡± Mrs. Lin didn¡¯t even know that she was here today, so why would she want to see her? Secretary Song was just reminding Shi Man of the relationship between Mrs. Chen and the Lin family. Unfortunately, Shi Man had heard Mrs. Chen repeat the relationship between these two families many times, so there was nothing new about it now. Shi Man still tilted her head expressionlessly and said, ¡°Just now, Mrs. Chen asked me to kneel down and apologize to her. Now that 1 asked her to punish herself with a slap, it shouldn¡¯t be making things difficult for her, right?¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t kneel!¡± Mrs. Chen was so anxious that she was about to stomp her feet, but she couldn¡¯t do anything to the Shi family. ¡­.. Previously, her daughter, Chen Min, had offended Shi Man at the Yi family¡¯s Lu Xiang¡¯s birthday banquet. Now that she thought of Shi Man¡¯s question at the beginning, she realized that this wretched girl had recognized her long ago. She had not said anything because she was waiting for her to dig a pit for her to jump into. She was really bad to the bone! To think that the eligible Yi Zheng actually liked such a vicious woman. He was really blind! ¡°Are you slapping or not?¡± Shi Man¡¯s tone rose as she admired the exciting expressions on their faces happily. Secretary Song wanted to persuade her again, but after being glared at by Shi Man, she was immediately suppressed by her aura. She, who had always been sharp-tongued, was actually stunned and speechless. Seeing that Secretary Song couldn¡¯t protect her, Mrs. Chen could only grit her teeth and nod with a red face. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Mrs. Chen¡­¡± Mrs. Zhuo looked at her in shock. With this slap, Mrs. Chen would not have the face to continue living in this circle in the future! However, at this point, even if Mrs. Chen resisted, Shi Man would not let them off. The crisp sound of a slap suddenly sounded, and the changing room was silent. Mrs. Zhuo looked at the bright red palm print on her face in a daze. She looked at Shi Man resentfully, gritted her teeth, raised her hand, and slapped herself hard. Only then did Shi Man retract her gaze in satisfaction and look at Secretary Song calmly. ¡°Did you say that Yi Zheng was waiting for me outside?¡± Secretary Song didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. She was caught off guard by her question and couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°Yes, President Yi is waiting for you on the sofa outside.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go over now. You guys clean up here yourselves.¡± She smiled and looked at them one last time. Her gaze lightly swept across the white-robed girl at the end, then she walked away proudly. In the corridor, Yi Zheng was already a little anxious from waiting, but as a man, it was not good for him to be too near to the female changing room. Just as he was about to get someone to help him go in and take a look, he saw Shi Man walk out with a smile. Yi Zheng was slightly stunned and quickly walked up to her. ¡°Why are you only coming out now? Did something happen inside?¡± ¡°I just watched a big show,¡± Shi Man replied with a smile. ¡°What show?¡± He turned his head and noticed the women who had their heads lowered behind him. He frowned in confusion. ¡°Nothing.¡± Shi Man did not intend to tell him in detail. She tugged at the hem of her dress and changed the topic with a smile. ¡°I like this dress very much. The designer¡¯s name is Jason? I want to ask him to design a few more clothes for me.¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows in amusement. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s his? If you like it, I¡¯ll get Tang Zhe to contact him later and ask him to make a few more pieces according to your style.¡± ¡°Alright, but there¡¯s no need for too many. 1 have my own designer.¡± When Shi Man thought of Su Tang, the sharpness in her eyes turned into gentleness like the spring breeze. Yi Zheng saw this and suddenly smelled danger. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did Su Tang cause you trouble at your place?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s very obedient. Why? Are you worried about her?¡± Shi Man asked meaningfully. If the male protagonist realized his love for the female protagonist at this moment, she could bear the pain and give up her love to fulfill the two of them. Unexpectedly, Yi Zheng only smiled frivolously. The deep love in his eyes seemed to only be able to accommodate her. ¡°Why would 1 be worried about her? I¡¯m concerned about you, silly..¡± Chapter 238 - Chapter 238: Eavesdropping Chapter 238: Eavesdropping Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man suddenly stopped in her tracks, feeling a chill from the way he addressed her. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. I¡¯m not an ordinary girl. I won¡¯t fall for your tricks.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Yi Zheng smiled and took the initiative to hold her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You¡¯re a different little girl. There¡¯s your favorite strawberry cake in front.¡± When the banquet began, there was still an endless stream of people toasting Yi Zheng. Only then did Shi Man know that he had good reasons for bringing her along. It was not just to announce their relationship to outsiders, but to tell the outside world that Shi Man was in charge of the Shi family¡¯s company. He wanted everyone to know that the eldest daughter of the Shi family was not as useless as the rumors said. Instead, she was a capable and smart girl who could manage the company independently. After the toasters dispersed, Shi Man and Yi Zheng finally had some peace. For the first time, she took the initiative to hold his hand and pull him aside. ¡°Thank you.¡± This thank you was so soft that one would ignore it if one did not pay attention, but Yi Zheng still heard it clearly. The smile in his eyes deepened. ¡°At least you have a conscience.¡± ¡­.. Shi Man looked up at him and pursed her lips. ¡°Do you really like me?¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows and was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He nodded solemnly, and the serious look in his eyes did not seem to be fake. ¡°Yes, I like you very much.¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t know what to say. If Yi Zheng was just curious about her, she could still brush him off. However, if the other party really gave her his heart, she would be suspected of playing with his feelings if she got so close to him. Yi Zheng slowly swirled the wane glass in his hand, and even his breathing subconsciously lightened. He asked carefully, ¡°Then are you walling to date me?¡± Shi Man sighed and was about to refuse when she saw a girl in a white dress walking over with a smile from the corner of her eye. She frowned slightly. ¡°Do you know her?¡± Yi Zheng followed her gaze and saw the girl staring at him affectionately. She suddenly saw him glancing at her and blushed unnaturally. ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng retracted his gaze and said calmly, ¡°Bai Yao, don¡¯t you know her from your school?¡± ¡°No wonder she looks so familiar.¡± Shi Man smiled in realization. She remembered that this person should be in the same class as Shi Jing. At the mention of Shi Jing, Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but think deeper. Looking at the innocent-looking Bai Yao, a trace of suspicion flashed across her eyes. ¡°President Yi, Miss Shi.¡± Bai Yao walked over and greeted them generously. Her tone was as warm as if they were good friends who had not seen each other for a long time. But in fact, she had only met Bai Yao a few times and had not interacted much. ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man squeezed out a nasal sound from her nose coldly as a response. Bai Yao smiled nonchalantly and raised her wane glass to apologize to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot that Miss Shi is in charge of the Shi family¡¯s company now. I should call you CEO Shi.¡± ¡°No need. It¡¯s just temporary.¡± Shi Man sized her up and automatically classified her as a stranger. Sometimes, the relationship between people was already destined from the first time they met. It w^as obvious at a glance wdio could be friends and who could not. Bai Yao was obviously not as innocent as she looked, but Shi Man had no intention of knowing more. As long as it did not involve her interests, what did it have to do with her if others were willing to disguise themselves? Bai Yao was slightly stunned as if she did not expect her to be so difficult to talk to. A trace of frustration flashed across her eyes as she turned to talk to Yi Zheng. ¡°President Yi, it¡¯s all thanks to you that my father was able to take down the land in the west last time.¡± ¡°Is that what your father said?¡± Yi Zheng sneered and did not say anything else. He held Shi Man¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m bringing her to meet Mrs. Lin. Excuse me.¡± Bai Yao wanted to say something else, but Yi Zheng clearly ignored her. She could only stomp her feet hatefully. Then, she handed the wine glass to the passing waiter and ran out of the banquet. Shi Man was led to the long corridor behind the banquet and asked curiously, ¡°Are you on good terms with the Lin family?¡± ¡°What¡¯s good about a relationship built on benefits?¡± Yi Zheng smiled indifferently and led her to the makeup room at the end of the long corridor. Just as he was about to knock on the door, he heard a familiar female voice from inside. Mrs. Chen sat on the sofa and wiped her tears. She cried and complained to Mrs. Lin, ¡°That Shi Man doesn¡¯t take us seriously at all. She doesn¡¯t even care about my relationship with you. It¡¯s obvious that the Shi family doesn¡¯t take the Lin family seriously at all!¡± Mrs. Lin handed her another tissue helplessly. She wanted to complain about why she couldn¡¯t even recognize Shi Man and insisted on dragging the Lin family down, making it difficult for her to advance or retreat. ¡°Don¡¯t cry first. After all, Shi Man isn¡¯t in charge of the Shi family. In two days, I¡¯ll invite Shen Xian to a gathering. Just apologize to her.¡± ¡°Why should 1 apologize? Haven¡¯t 1 suffered enough humiliation today?¡± Mrs. Chen cried louder, sobbing uncontrollably.. Chapter 239 - Chapter 239: Missing Chapter 239: Missing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Secretary Song took the initiative to pour her a cup of hot tea and patiently advised, ¡°CEO Chen¡¯s business hasn¡¯t been smooth recently. It¡¯s probably not a wise move to offend the Shi family at this time.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t she just have a good family background? What¡¯s so great about her? Is your Lin family so inferior to the Shi family?¡± The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She only cared about venting the frustration in her heart with her best friend and actually didn¡¯t close the door for a moment. She didn¡¯t think through what she said. Mrs. Lin¡¯s expression darkened, and her tone was not as gentle and patient as before. ¡°In the end, you and Mrs. Zhuo were the ones who provoked this matter. I¡¯ve long advised you not to get too close to the Zhuo family, but you didn¡¯t listen!¡± ¡°How did 1 not listen to you? 1 used to stay far away from her. This time, 1 just happened to see her in the dressing room.¡± She pulled Mrs. Chen¡¯s hand aggrievedly. Sensing her anger, her attitude softened. Mrs. Lin couldn¡¯t bear to criticize her best friend. She sighed softly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cause trouble for the Shi family in the future. Next time, I¡¯ll invite Shen Xian to a gathering. Are you coming?¡± ¡°Come! 1¡¯11 definitely come!¡± Mrs. Chen didn¡¯t dare to have any objections and agreed to Mrs. Lin¡¯s words. ¡­.. Outside the door, Shi Man and Yi Zheng looked at each other and smiled. They suddenly felt that there was no point in going in now. Before the Lin family sent someone to invite them, she quietly went to the changing room to change her clothes and slipped out of the banquet with Yi Zheng. The two of them were about to find a place to sit down for a meal when Shi Man suddenly received a call from Shi Mu. After the call was picked up, she realized that Su Tang had not returned yet. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting at the school gate today. When there was no one else, I left first. 1 thought she went back on her own and missed me. 1 didn¡¯t expect her to still not be back.¡± ¡°I understand. 1¡¯11 call her and ask.¡± Shi Man frowned and dialed Su Tang¡¯s phone number, but the phone was switched off. She suddenly looked up at Yi Zheng. Her hands and feet were cold as she said, ¡°Something must have happened to Su Tang.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll get someone to check the surveillance cameras.¡± Yi Zheng frowned and informed Tang Zhe. Before he could make a call, his arm was suddenly grabbed by Shi Man. ¡°No need.¡± The corners of her lips curled up into a sly smile. ¡°If it¡¯s really Shi Jing who did it, then she¡¯s walking into a trap.¡± In order to prevent anything from happening to Su Tang, Shi Man was already prepared. As long as she still had the brooch she had given her, no matter where she was taken by Shi Jing, Shi Man could quickly find her location. The cell phone was connected to the hidden location in the brooch. A blinking bright spot appeared in the middle of the screen. It was only a short ten minutes away from their current location. Shi Man and Yi Zheng did not dare to delay. After getting into the car, Yi Zheng personally drove in the direction of the location. The dilapidated residential building was filled with trash everywhere. A nauseating smell wafted from the corridor, and an unpleasant smell swept in as the door opened and closed. Shi Jing avoided it in disgust. She pinched her nose and said impatiently, ¡°Hurry up and hand over the money. I¡¯ll guard the door for you.¡± ¡°Alright, we haven¡¯t played with virgins yet! Sister Jing is really generous!¡± A few men in suits rubbed their fists and drooled. Some of them even unbuckled their belts on the spot. Shi Jing sneered as a trace of disdain flashed across her eyes; her attitude was a little arrogant. ¡°Then don¡¯t talk nonsense after you go out! Otherwise, there won¡¯t be such a good thing in the future!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, we understand.¡± The men bowed and thanked her, treating her like a living Buddha. When they pushed open the door of the room, they realized that the girl tied to the bed inside was actually very beautiful. She did not look like someone who could be tasted with just a few hundred dollars. Their faces immediately revealed a look of joy. Their intuition told them that this adventure was worth it! When Su Tang woke up, she realized that she was tied to a hard bed board. The walls of the ceiling above her had fallen off, so it could be seen that it was a house that no one had lived in for a long time. Her clothes were still intact, which made her heave a sigh of relief. However, her limbs were tied to the four corners of the bed, making her moan uncomfortably. When Shi Jing heard the commotion, she walked up to her with a sinister smile and patted her face. ¡°You¡¯re awake? It seems that this medicine is really good. Work hard later. I¡¯m still counting on you to earn me an escape fee!¡± ¡°Shi Jing! What are you doing to me?¡± Su Tang waited for her in horror. She tried her best to retract her hands and feet, but she could only feel a sharp pain in her ankle and wrist. ¡°What do I want to do?¡± The expression on Shi Jing¡¯s face turned dark. She narrowed her eyes, which were filled with ferocity. ¡°Shi Man forced me to end up like this! She was the one who told the police about me. She caused me to be in such a sorry state. 1 can¡¯t do anything to her.. Can¡¯t you stand in on her behalf?¡± Chapter 240 - Chapter 240: Abducting Chapter 240: Abducting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Tang panted in shock, her chest rising and falling violently. Just now, after school, she suddenly saw Shi Jing¡¯s figure from the corner of her eye, so she chased after her desperately. Unexpectedly, she fell into the other party¡¯s trap and was tied up here. If Shi Man knew that she was actually so stupid, she would definitely scold her angrily¡­ A tear fell from the corner of her eye. Su Tang shook her head and cried, ¡°Shi Jing, go to the police station and turn yourself in. Don¡¯t make any more mistakes. Manman didn¡¯t do anything to you. The police found out about you themselves. It really has nothing to do with Manman!¡± ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Shi Jing¡¯s eyes were red as she refused to listen to her. She stubbornly thought that she was hiding it for Shi Man. She sneered and gently unbuttoned her chest. ¡°Someone will come and let you enjoy the night later. You don¡¯t know, right? In the past, when you lived in the Yi family, Shi Man thought that you had long slept with Yi Zheng and wanted to kill you!¡± She smiled mockingly and mercilessly mocked Su Tang¡¯s innocence. She laughed that Su Tang was still speaking up for Shi Man even now. She did not know that Shi Man had thoughts that were a hundred times darker than hers in the past. ¡­.. Su Tang only cried silently. After a while, she came back to her senses and shook her head desperately. ¡°No, 1 don¡¯t believe it. Even if Manman misunderstood me in the past, it¡¯s enough for me to know that she¡¯s wholeheartedly good to me now! Shi Jing, quickly turn yourself in. It¡¯s not too late!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to turn myself in!¡± Shi Jing raised Su Tang¡¯s chin slightly and rubbed her smooth skin repeatedly with her cold fingers. ¡°Just wait and see. When 1 use you to earn enough toll to escape to a place where the police will never be able to find me¡­ when the furor passes, I¡¯ll come back and take revenge on Shi Man. 1¡¯11 let her have a taste of what I¡¯m feeling now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be delusional! Manman is very powerful. You won¡¯t be her match even if you come back!¡± Su Tang turned her head away forcefully and shook off her hand. In the past, Su Tang would have been so frightened that she would cry helplessly. However, after being by Shi Man¡¯s side for so long, she was subtly influenced by Shi Man. No matter how dangerous she was, she always had courage. Shi Jing sneered. After walking to the side to answer a call, she walked back with a smug smile. ¡°Your guests are here. Su Tang, serve them well for me. This is your retribution for sticking with Shi Man!¡± Su Tang¡¯s heart suddenly sank to the bottom. She looked blankly at the men who were smiling wretchedly at her. The intense panic instantly made her mind go blank. She did not expect Shi Jing to be so vicious as to use such a cruel method to deal with her. As a woman, she could actually be so ruthless. She was simply worse than a beast! Su Tang shook her head and cried, begging the men to let her go. However, she did not understand that in absolute suppression, the more the weak cried, the more satisfied the strong would be. Her tears completely satisfied the men¡¯s perverse desire to conquer. They only wanted more so that she could cry and beg while they satisfied themselves. Outside the door, Shi Jing sat on the sofa calmly and looked at the moonlight pouring in from the window in a daze. Thinking that her first time had also been lost on such an ordinary night, and hearing Su Tang¡¯s miserable screams inside, the smile on her face became even more sinister and terrifying. Shi Man and Yi Zheng hurriedly rushed to the location. After parking the car, they ran to the dilapidated building in front of them and knocked on the door according to the location signal. This old building had long been uninhabited. The residents in the building had long moved to a new house because they had received a large sum of demolition money. Now, this building was waiting for the construction to start. It would be demolished soon. In other words, if she could not save Su Tang tonight, she would probably be doomed in the future. Shi Man had never been so nervous. She knocked on every door in a panic and listened carefully to the movements inside, but in the end, she found nothing. Yi Zheng accompanied her as she searched from door to door. In the end, she heard Su Tang¡¯s shrill cries outside a room on the top floor. Shi Man¡¯s expression was dark and her entire body was filled with killing intent. She was about to kick open the door when Yi Zheng stopped her. ¡°1¡¯11 do it.¡± Yi Zheng kicked open the iron door without another word. The shaky door fell to the ground, raising a large amount of dust. Shi Man hurriedly covered her mouth and nose. After fanning away the dust in front of her, she rushed into the house without care. She could only vaguely distinguish a thin figure from the misty room. She grabbed the other party¡¯s collar and pulled him in front of her. She roared fiercely, ¡°Where¡¯s Su Tang!¡± Shi Jing did not expect Shi Man to find this place. The reason why she chose this place was that it was outside the range of all the surveillance cameras. Almost no one in the old building would come over. Shi Man had actually found the location she thought was safe so quickly. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Shi Man patiently gritted her teeth and asked again, ¡°Where¡¯s Su Tang?¡± Chapter 241 - Chapter 241: Saving Su Tang Chapter 241: Saving Su Tang Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Only then did Shi Jing feel afraid. She hurriedly raised her hand and pointed at the bedroom next door. She trembled and said, ¡°She¡¯s, she¡¯s inside.¡± She knew that Shi Man had changed a lot, but she did not expect Shi Man to scare her so much that her legs went weak. No matter how unwilling she was to admit it, she had no choice but to agree with Su Tang. In the future, even if she was lucky enough to return, she would definitely not be able to do anything to Shi Man. Yi Zheng went forward and grabbed Shi Jing. He frowned and urged, ¡°Go save Su Tang. Leave this to me.¡± Shi Man nodded heavily and kicked open the door. She saw four or five naked men looking at her in shock. Her expression was immediately as dark as an evil ghost that had crawled out of hell to seek revenge. ¡°You all have to die!¡± Shi Man rushed in crazily. Even if the men joined forces, they were not her match. She didn¡¯t show any mercy. She dislocated their arms and legs in a few moves. Then, she picked up a stick at the side and aimed it at their tools. She smashed them until they were badly mangled before stopping. ¡­.. She threw away the bloody stick in disgust and walked to the bed, panting. Looking at the dazed girl on the bed, her heart hurt as if it had been pierced by countless steel needles. She suddenly felt flustered. Her hands trembled as she untied the rope on Su Tang¡¯s hands and feet. Her tears could not help but drip onto her torn clothes. After the ropes were undone, she hugged her in pain. She took off her coat and covered Su Tang with it. She picked her up and rushed out in a panic. Yi Zheng understood everything when he saw Su Tang¡¯s expression. He ruthlessly dislocated Shi Jing¡¯s wrist. Hearing her painful scream, he released his grip on her and walked toward Shi Man. ¡°Go to the hospital first. I¡¯ll deal with this.¡± Shi Man looked at him in a daze. After a while, she realized what he had said and nodded in confusion. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± ¡°Manman.¡± Yi Zheng grabbed her arm and frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad. Contact me by phone when you reach the hospital.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Shi Man hugged Su Tang steadily. Only then did she realize that the little girl she had been carefully feeding was still so thin. Her heart ached. Her expression was cold as she carried Su Tang down the stairs. Her heart was beating wildly along the way. It was not until she sent her into the hospital¡¯s emergency room that she realized that her hands and feet were already cold. After Yi Zheng dealt with the people, he did not receive a call from Shi Man. Instead, Shi Mu awkwardly called to ask about Shi Man. Yi Zheng said a few simple words. Shi Mu was shocked speechless and quickly rushed to the hospital with his family. They arrived almost at the same time as Yi Zheng. Since Shi Man did not answer the phone, they could only head to the largest hospital in the city to try their luck. Fortunately, when Shi Man arrived, there was quite a commotion. It was very easy to attract attention when a young lady was carrying another naked young lady. There were many people coming and going to the hospital, and many people had seen them. After asking around, they found the ward where Su Tang was. Shi Man held Su Tang¡¯s hand and leaned against the bed with a guilty expression. She had clearly expected that Shi Jing would very likely attack the people around her. The person who was the least guarded and easiest to be captured by Shi Jing was Su Tang, but she only gave Su Tang a simple positioning device. If she had been more careful and done more, perhaps what happened today would not have happened at all! When Shi Mu and the others arrived, they only dared to look at the commotion from afar through the ward door. Shen Xian anxiously found the attending doctor and asked about Su Tang¡¯s condition. The doctor looked at the results of the full-body examination in his hand and said with a solemn expression, ¡°There are many wounds on her body from the beating. Most of them are superficial wounds, but her hands and feet were tied too tightly. Due to the violent struggle of the victim, there is a certain degree of strangulation. Her right hand had the most serious injury. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to use her right hand for a long time in the future.¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Shen Xian asked carefully, but she did not dare to listen to the real outcome. Fortunately, the doctor smiled easily this time and said with a gentle expression, ¡°This is a blessing in disguise. Although the victim was beaten, there are no signs of sexual assault. However, she has been psychologically stimulated and needs to recuperate well. If necessary, she needs to see a psychiatrist.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Thank you, Doctor.¡± After thanking him profusely, Shen Xian could not stop her tears from flowing. Yi Zheng hurriedly took out a tissue and handed it to her. ¡°Aunt Shen, 1¡¯11 accompany them here. It¡¯s very late. Why don¡¯t you go back and rest first?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shen Xian wiped her tears and shook her head with a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m not going back. I want to know the entire process of what happened. 1 have to know who did this and what the purpose is!¡± This was also the focus of the other members of the Shi family. Yi Zheng didn¡¯t want to hide it. He brought them to a quiet area in the hospital and briefly explained the situation at the event location. After hearing that it was Shi Jing who did it, a trace of ruthlessness appeared in Shen Xian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Very good.. Since their daughter dares to be ruthless, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± Chapter 242 - Chapter 242: Daughter Chapter 242: Daughter Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll arrange it now.¡± Shi Mu understood what she meant and immediately went to get the contacts of Shi Jing¡¯s family to find their current location. Shi Jing had been placed in the Shi family previously, but it was not as if she did not have biological parents. It was not difficult to find her weakness. Shen Xian took a deep breath and said, ¡°Our family let Su Tang down. 1 heard that she was entrusted to you by her uncle. Do you still have her uncle¡¯s contact information? I want to apologize to her family in person.¡± Yi Zheng was slightly stunned and looked elsewhere unnaturally. ¡°No, Su Tang¡¯s uncle and aunt have already passed away in an accident. I¡¯m afraid Shi Man is the closest person to her in this world.¡± Shen Xian sighed heavily and said, ¡°Poor child. In the future, she wall be my biological daughter.¡± She looked up at Yi Zheng seriously and slowly lowered her head. ¡°Thank you for being willing to help today.¡± ¡°Aunt Shen, you don¡¯t have to be polite with me. Our families are close friends. It¡¯s only right for me to help Manman.¡± Yi Zheng hurriedly supported her and walked back to the ward with her. Under Shen Xian¡¯s instructions, he slowly knocked on the door. ¡­.. Shi Man, who was sitting at the head of the bed in a daze, lowered her eyes indifferently and glanced at the girl who had yet to wake up. She reached out to wipe her tears and tucked her in before getting up to open the door. Shen Xian held her daughter¡¯s hand with a worried expression. When she saw the wound on her hand, her heart ached. ¡°Manman, Mom is guarding here. Go and treat your wound.¡± Only then did Shi Man know that her palm was injured. Her mind was numb just now, and she only felt pain now. However, this small injury was nothing to her. She slowly shook her head and casually took out a tissue to dry the blood on her hand. Then, she lowered her head with hatred and said, ¡°Mom, I harmed Su Tang. I was too arrogant. If it weren¡¯t for me, Su Tang would definitely still be fine and wouldn¡¯t have encountered such a thing.¡± ¡°Silly child.¡± Shen Xian patted her daughter¡¯s shoulder with heartache. Her nose suddenly turned sour and her tears almost fell, but she gritted her teeth and endured it. ¡°You can¡¯t be blamed for what happened. You want to protect Su Tang more than anyone else. Mom can tell.¡± Shen Xian sighed and walked to Su Tang¡¯s side to gently wipe the sweat off her forehead. She tidied the hair on her forehead and was as careful as if she was dealing with a fragile porcelain doll. ¡°You¡¯re a good child too. When you wake up, I want to be your mother. I just don¡¯t know if I¡¯m qualified.¡± Shen Xian smiled, her eyes filled with tenderness. To her, Shi Man was her life, and Su Tang had suffered such harm because of Shi Man. She was willing to give Su Tang unreserved motherly love to let this poor child have a happy and complete family again. Shi Man walked behind Shen Xian and patted her shoulder gently. She advised in a low voice, ¡°Mom, go home and rest first. I¡¯ll be here.¡± Shen Xian was worried that Shi Man would be alone in the hospital. After all, something like that had just happened. She still felt a lingering fear. Yi Zheng took off his coat and hung it on the clothes rack at the door. He took the initiative to move a chair to the bed and advised softly, ¡°Auntie, go back first. Manman and I are here. Nothing will happen.¡± Shen Xian was helpless and could only nod. ¡°Alright, call home if you need anything later. I¡¯ll get someone to send it to you.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, Mom.¡± Shi Man seemed to be extremely tired. It was difficult to even lift her eyelids. In the past, when she was carrying out official duties day and night, even if she could not sleep well for a few days, she had never felt so tired. It was a tiredness that came from the bottom of her heart. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to speak. After Shen Xian left, Yi Zheng sat beside her and poured her a glass of hot water. ¡°Drink some. Aunt Shen asked your brother to look for Shi Jing¡¯s relatives just now.¡± Shi Man suddenly looked up and took the glass of water. She narrowed her eyes dangerously and said, ¡°We can¡¯t let them find them. 1 have to deal with this personally.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± Yi Zheng pulled her hand over indulgently and patiently picked the spikes in her palm. She had lost her mind and beaten up those men just now. The wooden stick in her hand was not evenly cut, causing many wooden thorns to stab into her flesh. He didn¡¯t know what this woman was made of, but she didn¡¯t feel any pain despite having so many thorns on her hand! Shi Man was not in the mood to care about these small wounds. She put down her teacup and called Sean and the others, asking them to bring that family back to G City before the Shi family found them. She wanted to deal with them personally. This time, she had no intention of leaving Shi Jing any way out. In the past, she had taken into account the original plot, so she had indulged Shi Jing again and again. But now, she only wished that everyone related to Shi Jing could die immediately! Otherwise, who knew¡¯ how much more trouble this crazy and greedy family would cause next time? Chapter 243 - Chapter 243: Awaken Chapter 243: Awaken Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Su Tang woke up, she saw the white wall above her head and the strong smell of disinfectant. Recalling the nightmare before she fainted, Su Tang couldn¡¯t help but shiver. This movement caused her to touch the warm object by her hand, scaring her until her face turned pale. She suddenly jumped up from the bed and jumped to the ground. The wounds on her body were suddenly torn open. She frowned in pain and squatted on the ground to carefully look at the figure by the bed. Shi Man pursed her lips and looked at her trembling appearance. She stood up gently and walked to the side, afraid that she would scare her. ¡°It¡¯s me, Su Tang. Don¡¯t be afraid. You¡¯re in the hospital. You¡¯re very safe.¡± Su Tang suddenly stood up. When she saw Shi Man¡¯s calm face, tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Manman!¡± Shi Man quickly walked over and hugged her. She patted her back comfortingly. ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve already dealt with those people. Shi Jing has also been arrested. No one can hurt you now.¡± Su Tang cried like a pear blossom. She hugged Shi Man tightly and refused to let go. ¡­.. Coincidentally, Yi Zheng walked in with the lunch box. When he saw the two of them hugging, he was slightly stunned. He placed the lunch box on the table and pursed his lips. ¡°Eat first. I¡¯ll call the nurse in for a physical examination later.¡± Only then could Su Tang bear to get off Shi Man. She sobbed and sat by the bed. She lowered her head in embarrassment and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing trouble for Brother Yi.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you apologize to Shi Man?¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s eyes flickered as he hinted. Su Tang blinked in confusion and said innocently, ¡°Because Manman and I are best friends!¡± Yi Zheng looked at Shi Man¡¯s calm expression and smiled. ¡°Alright, I was just teasing you. There¡¯s no need to take it seriously. Let¡¯s eat first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Tang obediently picked up the spoon and scooped a small spoonful of hot porridge. After blowing it cold, she slowly ate it. Shi Man stared at her for a while and felt that her emotions were still stable. Then, she grabbed Yi Zheng¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Come out with me for a while.¡± Su Tang immediately looked up at her, her eyes wet like a frightened deer. Shi Man sighed softly. ¡°Eat first. 1¡¯11 be back after a few words.¡± ¡°Is it about me?¡± Su Tang blinked, put down the spoon, and grabbed her hand relentlessly. ¡°Is there anything I can¡¯t hear? Is it because the reason I was injured this time is too difficult to say, so you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Shi Man frowned and walked back to sit beside her. She pinched her hand and picked up the spoon again. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll go out after you have eaten okay? Don¡¯t think too much. The doctor said that you only have superficial wounds. It¡¯s nothing else.¡± Su Tang lowered her head with a pale face. She had fainted too early that night and did not know what had happened behind her. However, she was not a fool. She knew why Shi Jing had asked these people to come, so she could not help but overthink. She even felt that she was too dirty and no longer had the right to return to school and walk with the clean Shi Man. The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Su Tang couldn¡¯t help but cry. The strong negative emotions almost drowned her, making her want to drown in her world and not return to her previous life. Shi Man knew that she was thinking too much. She looked up and gestured for Yi Zheng to leave first. Then, she patted her back and took out a tissue to wipe her tears. ¡°Tangtang, don¡¯t cry. Nothing really happened to you. Before those bastards could do anything else, Yi Zheng and I found you.¡± Su Tang looked up in a daze and sniffed. ¡°Really? I really wasn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Shi Man replied seriously and firmly. ¡°If they really did that to you, their outcome wouldn¡¯t be as simple as being crippled.¡± Last night, when she went to save Su Tang, those bastards even treated her as someone they could molest, making her feel nauseous. She was especially heavy-handed. Now, those people should still be receiving treatment in the hospital, but it was definitely impossible for them to recover their normal physiological functions. This could be considered a small punishment for them. They had just lost an organ that they could not manage well. Shi Man had already been merciful by not taking their lives. However, Shi Man did not intend to let Shi Jing off, including her family. She would not ignore anyone who might seek revenge on her for Shi Jing. However, she would not tell Su Tang this, lest her fragile heart would be burdened again. The most important thing now was to let Su Tang recover as soon as possible and return to school and normal life. When Su Tang heard her words, she heaved a sigh of relief and revealed a relaxed smile. ¡°Thank you, Manman. If not for you, 1 don¡¯t dare to imagine what would have happened to me now.¡± ¡°I should be the one thanking you.¡± She tidied the stray hair on Su Tang¡¯s temples and patted her face with a smile. ¡°Thank you for not hating me after what happened.. Do you know that when you were unconscious, I was really afraid that the first thing you would do when you woke up would be to cut ties with me?¡± Chapter 244 - Chapter 244: Returning a Favor Chapter 244: Returning a Favor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Tang tilted her head at her in confusion. ¡°Why should I cut ties with you?¡± Shi Man smiled gently and personally held a spoon to blow on the cold porridge for her to eat. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m too stupid that I let my imagination run wild. Hurry up and eat. Mom will come to see you tonight.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± Su Tang obediently ate a mouthful of porridge. Her eyes were still slightly red and swollen from crying. ¡°You mean Aunt Shen?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded and repeated what Shen Xian had said last night to her. Su Tang¡¯s face turned red as she waved her hand in a panic to reject her. ¡°No, no, no. I didn¡¯t do anything for you. Aunt Shen doesn¡¯t have to be so good to me!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Shi Man put down the spoon and observed her expression seriously. If she didn¡¯t like to call others Mom, Shi Man would definitely not make things difficult for her. ¡­.. Even if Su Tang did not agree with Shen Xian¡¯s decision, it did not stop Shi Man from treating her well. When Su Tang heard Shi Man¡¯s words, she quickly shook her head and explained, ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it. I just feel that the Shi family is not a family I can reach. I¡¯m not worthy¡­¡± Shi Man was stunned for a moment before her face turned cold to scare Su Tang. ¡°Then do you think the relationship between the two of us is the same?¡± ¡°No, no. 1 really treat you as my best sister!¡± Su Tang was afraid that Shi Man would misunderstand if she was a second late, so she hurriedly explained to her. Her flustered appearance was especially honest and cute. Shi Man was delighted and stopped teasing her. She smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Since that¡¯s how you think of me, why don¡¯t you agree to my mother¡¯s suggestion? I¡¯ll treat you like my biological sister in the future.¡± ¡°Manman¡­¡± Su Tang called her carefully. Shi Man smiled brightly and said, ¡°Call me Older Sister!¡± Su Tang took a deep breath and mustered her courage to remind her, ¡¯¡¯Manman, I¡¯m actually older than you.¡± The smile on Shi Man¡¯s face stopped abruptly. Awkwardness and shyness mixed together. Her face was immediately colorful and exciting, but there was no blood. She endured it for a long time before barely controlling her expression. Then, she put down the bowl and said sternly, ¡°Drink quickly. After you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll call the doctor to give you an injection!¡± ¡°Manman, you¡¯re deliberately taking revenge!¡± Su Tang complained softly, and a trace of red finally appeared on her pale face. Shi Man decided to ignore her for ten minutes and punish her for being naughty. She walked out of the ward with a cold expression, but she was happy that Su Tang had regained her vitality. The smile in her eyes was almost impossible to hide, but when she saw the man standing against the wall outside the door, she suddenly restrained herself. Shi Man lowered her eyes and said coldly, ¡°Follow me.¡± She brought Yi Zheng to a quiet stairwell and asked the question in her heart with a frown, ¡°Did you misunderstand something?¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows in surprise and said with a smile, ¡°You know?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not the only one who seems to have misunderstood.¡± Shi Man thought of the commotion Chen Wei had caused that day and pursed her lips speechlessly. ¡°Thank you for your trouble. My sexual orientation is still normal. Su Tang and I are just good friends. Now, she¡¯s my biological younger sister.¡± She would never admit that Su Tang was older than her! In her opinion, Su Tang was the archetype of a president¡¯s delicate wife. It was more appropriate for Shi Man to be her older sister and protect her for the rest of her life. Yi Zheng smiled and placed his hand beside her ear as he encircled her under his arm. ¡°Who else has misunderstood like this? Huh?¡± Shi Man glared at him angrily. ¡°What does it have to do with you? Anyway, I¡¯ve already explained it to you. Thank you for this matter. I¡¯ll return the favor in the future.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you return it now?¡± Yi Zheng looked down at her calmly. His dark eyes landed on her lips, and his eyes darkened. ¡°Why am I returning it now?¡± Shi Man inexplicably felt that their current posture was too ambiguous. She moved unaccustomedly, but Yi Zheng grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He domineeringly let her stay in the small world he had created for her. Enjoying the faint fragrance of her body around him, he said happily, ¡°Kiss me and I¡¯ll take it that you¡¯ve returned it.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes dangerously and a mocking smile suddenly appeared on her lips. Her fingers circled his tie ambiguously. ¡°That¡¯s it? Do you know that if you want me to return the favor, you can take the opportunity to ask for more?¡± Yi Zheng suddenly held her hand that couldn¡¯t stop causing trouble in front of his chest. His dark eyes darkened. ¡°1 know, but I already have power. 1 don¡¯t lack money. If I want resources, 1 have the entire black market at my disposal. 1 only want you now.¡± He said it seriously. It was clearly meant to tease, but it made him sound like he had made a promise. Shi Man was slightly stunned. She broke free from his hand and frowned. ¡°You have to think about it carefully. The resources I can get for you would be more than what you currently control.¡± He looked at Shi Man steadily without hesitation. ¡°I said I only want you..¡± Chapter 245 - Chapter 245: Liking Chapter 245: Liking Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The two of them were in a deadlock for a while. Yi Zheng¡¯s gaze became even more affectionate. ¡°Can 1? If you¡¯re unwilling, I won¡¯t force you.¡± Shi Man looked at him in silence. As their gazes met, she could tell that he was deeply in love with her. However, she did not understand why she suddenly liked him. After hesitating, she suddenly wanted to reexamine his face. This man¡¯s appearance was very worthy of the male lead¡¯s description in the book. He was better looking than any man she had ever seen. His masculine aura occasionally made her heart beat faster. She suddenly wanted to indulge herself. Anyway, what was wrong with just a kiss? Shi Man made up her mind and curled her fingers slightly. A trace of playfulness appeared on her expressionless face. Yi Zheng immediately widened his eyes in surprise, like a puppy about to be rewarded by its master. He hurriedly leaned his face forward. Shi Man chuckled and leaned closer. Her lips were aimed at his cheek, and an ambiguous atmosphere erupted between the two of them. ¡­.. Yi Zheng felt the chaotic sounds around the hospital suddenly quieten down. There was only Shi Man left in his heart and eyes. He could only hear her rapid breathing like his. The closer he got, the wilder his heart beat, and it almost jumped out of his throat. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shi Mu glared at Yi Zheng coldly and strode over to pull Shi Man behind him. ¡°Yi Zheng, I¡¯m warning you. My sister doesn¡¯t have that intention toward you. Don¡¯t try to abduct my sister!¡± Yi Zheng frowned in dissatisfaction at being interrupted. Manic anger instantly erupted around him. ¡°Who asked you to come?¡± Shi Mu widened his eyes and pointed at himself innocently. ¡°Do 1 need to inform you in advance that I¡¯m here to see my sister? You have a guilty conscience. If 1 hadn¡¯t come today, what would you have done to my sister in the hospital? You beast!¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s expression darkened when he was suddenly scolded. His tone was gloomy. ¡°Your sister and 1 are engaged. There¡¯s nothing that we can¡¯t do. You don¡¯t have to interfere!¡± Shi Mu immediately turned to look at Shi Man indignantly. He pointed at Yi Zheng and glared at him. ¡°Sister, do you think Brother is more important than this guy?¡± Yi Zheng instantly looked over expectantly. On closer look, she could see a trace of grievance in his shallow eyes. Shi Man pursed her lips speechlessly and decided not to choose either. She turned around expressionlessly and returned to the ward. Shi Mu hurriedly chased after her. Before he left, he didn¡¯t forget to turn around and roll his eyes at Yi Zheng. Then, after following his sister into the ward, he didn¡¯t forget to guard against Yi Zheng as if he was a thief and locked the door immediately. He followed behind Shi Man as if he was facing a great enemy and said, ¡°Sister, you can¡¯t be soft-hearted. Don¡¯t forget how that guy treated you in the past. He must have ill intentions for suddenly expressing goodwill to you now! He must have ulterior motives!¡± Shi Man sat by Su Tang¡¯s bed in amusement and checked if she had finished the porridge in her bowl. She also washed some fruits for her. When she came out of the pantry, Shi Mu was still nagging. Shi Man was immediately convinced. ¡°Alright, alright. 1¡¯11 pay attention in the future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Shi Mu nodded seriously. Su Tang listened to Shi Mu¡¯s nagging in confusion. She blinked and asked Shi Man for help. ¡°Manman, did something happen just now?¡± ¡°Sister Su Tang!¡± Shi Mu seemed to have found a soulmate who knew how to respond to him. He quickly hugged her hand and said, ¡°Yi Zheng actually wanted to kiss Manman just now. If 1 hadn¡¯t stopped him, Manman would have been killed by him now.¡± Su Tang widened her eyes in shock, but her gaze was focused on Shi Mu¡¯s hand that was holding hers tightly. Shi Man snatched her hand back as if nothing had happened and stuffed her with a peeled apple. She smiled and said, ¡°Eat your food. Ignore him.¡± Seeing that Shi Mu¡¯s nervous expression did not seem to be fake, Su Tang boldly asked, ¡°Manman, did you really¡­ kiss Brother Yi Zheng just now?¡± Shi Man almost spat out the tea that had just entered her mouth. She choked and coughed a few times before barely catching her breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that. 1 just wanted to kiss his face.¡± Hearing her say such things so bluntly, Su Tang¡¯s mouth widened in disbelief. After a while, she put away the shocked expression on her face and pursed her lips with a conflicted expression. ¡°If Manman likes him, it¡¯s not impossible. From the looks of it, Brother Yi Zheng probably likes Manman a lot. You two can be considered to be in love.¡± ¡°What do you mean by mutual love? In my opinion, you girls are just too innocent. That¡¯s why you were easily deceived by Yi Zheng!¡± Whenever Shi Mu mentioned Yi Zheng, he never said anything good. This time was naturally no exception. He counted with his fingers the countless evil deeds Yi Zheng had done to Shi Man in the past. He spoke until his mouth was dry before drinking a sip of water to moisten his throat. He concluded, ¡°So he doesn¡¯t really like Manman at all.. He¡¯s just not used to a person who has always liked him suddenly having a change of heart!¡± Chapter 246 - Chapter 246: Punishment Chapter 246: Punishment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Tang did not understand these complicated feelings. She only asked Shi Man, ¡°Have you really fallen for Brother Yi Zheng?¡± The man who was eavesdropping outside the door gasped. His heart hanging at its highest point. He was like a sinner waiting to be sentenced. Shi Man¡¯s words could determine his death. Of course, Shi Mu was also very concerned about this question. He was afraid that his innocent and cute sister would be tricked by Yi Zheng again and waste a few years on him. The girls of the Shi family should be arrogant from birth, not follow behind men every day and wonder if the other party really liked them. He did not want Shi Man to repeat the same mistake and live like how she did in the past. His sister who no longer pined after Yi Zheng was dazzling. No love should destroy a girl¡¯s most beautiful and passionate youth. Shi Man thought about it carefully for a moment and suddenly did not understand what true love was and what heartache was. However, she knew that every time she was alone with Yi Zheng, her heart did not beat as fast as how it was described in the book. Other than the fact that she was indeed tempted by the ambiguous atmosphere just now, she probably did not have any feelings for Yi Zheng. ¡­.. She frowned slightly and answered seriously after careful consideration, ¡°1 don¡¯t like him. 1 don¡¯t have the urge to possess him.¡± Shi Mu heaved a long sigh of relief and looked relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s good. In the future, I¡¯ll find a man to whom you can entrust your life. Yi Zheng isn¡¯t your first choice. You don¡¯t have to worry about the engagement. Anyway, he won¡¯t force you to register your marriage.¡± Shi Man felt that what she had just said should be her true thoughts, but for some reason, when she said that she did not have the urge to have him, a part of her heart remained empty. The emptiness made her feel so uncomfortable that she wanted to escape and hide. This was the first time she had thoughts of escaping. She was shocked and hurriedly shook her head to shake off this unrealistic thought. She picked up a grape and stuffed it into her mouth. The cool juice flowed down her esophagus and into her stomach, soothing the restlessness in her heart. Outside the door, Yi Zheng quietly listened to the conversation inside. He suddenly smiled self-deprecatingly, and a trace of hurt flashed across his deep eyes. Then, he stood up silently and looked at the girl inside through the ward door for the last time. Then, he turned around and left. He never returned to the hospital again. Su Tang had recovered well these few days. After the doctor¡¯s checkup, he said that she could be discharged, but her right hand still needed to be carefully nourished. She had been depressed about this for a long time. Not being able to use her right hand for a long time naturally meant that she could not continue to draw costume designs or take notes for Shi Man in class. Shi Man had advised her to relax, but gave up toward the end. However, Su Tang stubbornly treated it as her duty to take notes for Shi Man. During this period of time, Shi Man could not come to school for class. If she could not take notes, she would not be able to help at all. Shi Man couldn¡¯t persuade her, so she could only let her be. However, when she returned at night, she bought a massager for her to help rehabilitate her wrist so that Su Tang¡¯s insistence wouldn¡¯t affect the recovery of her arm. Shen Xian also bought a lot of supplements for Su Tang. Over the past few days, she had been referring to Su Tang as her daughter in front of outsiders. Many people knew that Su Tang had soared and become a phoenix. Even in school, many people began to be polite to her. Shi Man was very satisfied with these people¡¯s understanding. At least this way, no one would bully Su Tang when she was not around. Shi Jing¡¯s family was quickly brought to G City by Sean and the others and locked in an abandoned factory in the old factory area. After Shi Man finished her work, she sent the chauffeur away at night and drove to her destination alone. After getting out of the car nearby and parking it, she carefully observed the nearby surveillance cameras. She put on her black hat and entered the factory at night. On a chair in the middle of the empty factory, a middle-aged couple with half-white hair were tied up. They had heard about Shi Jing, but they did not know that Shi Jing¡¯s real target was actually Shi Man. They still wanted to take the initiative to find the Shi family for help and ask them to help unblock their connections to release their daughter. Unexpectedly, before they could contact the Shi family, they were drugged by a group of people. When they woke up, they were in a buzzing truck. Both of them were tied up and had rags stuffed in their mouths. They had not eaten a meal for a few days and did not even have the strength to shout for help. The reason why Sean brought Shi Man to see this couple today was to avoid the Shi family¡¯s eyes and ears. Otherwise, if these two people appeared too early, it would only arouse the Shi family¡¯s suspicion. If they followed the clues and found out about their boss, there would be a lot to account for. Shi Man was very satisfied with their cautiousness. She put on her gloves and let them retreat before walking to the couple alone. She reached out to remove the rag from the man¡¯s mouth and said coldly, ¡°Do you want to die in front of your wife, or watch her die first?¡± Chapter 247 - Chapter 247: Block Chapter 247: Block Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Feng spat out wild shrieks and howls. ¡°Who are you? Why did you arrest us? Let me warn you, we¡¯re from the Shi family. My daughter is now adopted by the richest man, Shi Zhong. Offending us is offending Shi Zhong!¡± Shi Man patted his chubby face in amusement and smiled disdainfully. ¡°An adopted daughter of Shi Zhong? You guys are quite good at fantasizing!¡± ¡°Who said we¡¯re fantasizing?¡± Shi Feng shouted indignantly. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, go out and ask around. If you want money, you can ask Shi Zhong for it. As long as you let us go, we can agree to anything!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shi Man smiled sarcastically. ¡°Then leave your lives behind. 1¡¯11 negotiate with the Shi family again!¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± Shi Feng begged for mercy with tears streaming down his face. ¡°Let us go. We have money. We¡¯ll give you money, okay?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and was interested. ¡°How much money do you have?¡± Shi Feng opened his mouth in a daze and couldn¡¯t say anything for a long time. He couldn¡¯t bear to part with the little money he had saved in his pocket. ¡­.. Shi Man pulled out the pistol on her lower back, loaded it, and pressed it between his eyebrows. Shi Feng hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. 1 have money. There¡¯s more than a hundred thousand in the left pocket of my pants.¡± Shi Man retracted her pistol and reached out to take out the bankcard. She weighed it in her hand and said, ¡°Password.¡± Shi Feng hurriedly said, then looked at her with anticipation. ¡°Can you let us go this time?¡± He peeked carefully, eager to know what she looked like under her hat. From the sound of it, she should be a young girl. If that was the case, it would be easy. He could scare her again, and the young girl might be easily fooled. At that time, as long as she untied the rope on his hand, would he still have to worry about not being able to take down a young lady after regaining his freedom? He had to send her to the police station and let her family educate her! Shi Man sneered and took in his expression. She pulled out the rag from his wife¡¯s mouth and stuffed it into Shi Feng¡¯s mouth. She aimed the gun at her head and said, ¡°What about you? Do you have the money to buy your life?¡± As Mrs. Shi screamed in panic, her voice was sharp and ear-piercing, echoing repeatedly in the entire empty factory. Shi Man kicked her chest impatiently and took out the knife from her boot. She raised the knife and cut her tongue. Blood immediately gushed out. Mother Shi looked at the bright red object that had fallen to the ground in disbelief. Horror and fear instantly knocked her unconscious. Shi Feng couldn¡¯t help but struggle in his chair, his dark eyes bulging. What did he not understand now? The woman in front of him had no intention of letting them off. She was just toying with them like a cat teasing a mouse. To think that he had spent so much effort to feign civility with her just now. Now, not only had she cheated him of his money, but he even had to throw his life here. His face was covered in tears of fear, and his snot flowed onto the rag stuffed in his mouth, making him look miserable and pitiful. However, Shi Man knew very well that if these two people continued to live freely outside, they would pose countless threats to her and her family. Only by getting rid of these two people¡­ She slowly raised her pistol and aimed it between his eyebrows. Just as she was about to give them a quick death, there was a loud bang behind her. The iron door of the factory was kicked open from the outside. Yi Zheng barged in with Tang Zhe and the others. His expression was extremely cold, and the depths of his black eyes flickered with a cold light. ¡°Manman, leave this to my people to deal with. Go back first.¡± Shi Man turned around coldly and aimed the gun in his direction. ¡°Don¡¯t come over. 1 told you long ago that I want to deal with these two people myself.¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t want your hands to be stained with blood.¡± Yi Zheng took a step forward fearlessly and walked in front of her. ¡°Believe me, leave it to me.¡± Shi Man refused to give in. She still raised her gun and threatened with a cold expression, ¡°Get lost. If you don¡¯t leave, 1¡¯11 shoot!¡± ¡°Manman!¡± Yi Zheng frowned and looked at her. He took a brown document bag from Tang Zhe and placed it between the two of them. ¡°This is about Su Tang¡¯s new report after the latest checkup in the hospital. Put down the gun and I¡¯ll show it to you.¡± Shi Man was slightly stunned. Just as she was hesitating if she should reach out to take it, she saw the person opposite her flash and a black figure suddenly appeared behind her. He grabbed her wrist forcefully and snatched the gun from her hand in a few seconds. Shi Man was furious. She raised her elbow and was about to hit him. Yi Zheng reacted faster. He pressed his hand against her elbow and stuffed the document bag into her arms. ¡°Alright, take it. I¡¯ll take it as a yes.¡± He looked at the stunned Sean with a smile in his eyes. ¡°Bring your boss to the car and wait for me. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sean quickly nodded in agreement and gestured for his boss to go ahead. Then, he bowed and waited at the side with a fawning expression. Shi Man glared at him and said angrily, ¡°Who¡¯s your boss? Why are you listening to him?¡± Chapter 248 - Chapter 248: Love Game Chapter 248: Love Game Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sean suddenly choked on what he wanted to say. He looked at Yi Zheng awkwardly and smiled awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯re the boss. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Shi Man rolled her eyes at him and walked back to the car with the document bag in frustration. After opening it and seeing the document inside, her eyes almost fell out in anger. After Shi Man left, Yi Zheng instructed the mercenaries he had brought coldly, ¡°Clean it up. If the corpses are discovered, don¡¯t even think about living.¡± The mercenaries hurriedly promised that they would end Shi Jing¡¯s parents¡¯ lives with a shot each. Then, they skillfully stuffed the corpses into the oil buckets they had brought and prepared to bring them back to be dismembered and processed in batches. Yi Zheng watched them do this before walking back to the car expressionlessly. As soon as he opened the car door, a brownish-yellow object flew over. Yi Zheng smiled and raised his hand to take it. He sat in the backseat and closed the door tightly. ¡°Why are you so angry? Huh?¡± ¡­.. ¡°Su Tang¡¯s examination report?¡± Shi Man asked coldly. Yi Zheng followed her gaze and opened the bag. When he saw the marriage registration form inside, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, 1 might have taken the wrong one. Su Tang must have brought the report back herself.¡± Shi Man glanced at him with a faint smile. ¡°Do you want to marry me that badly?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yi Zheng nodded and admitted. Shi Man turned to look out of the window in frustration, her voice low and hoarse. ¡°But I don¡¯t like you.¡± Yi Zheng was slightly stunned. He knocked on the car door and said seriously, ¡°I know.¡± He had known this for a long time and had always been very clear about it. However, he could not kick it and could not forget it. For the past few days, he had deliberately stopped himself from looking for her, but in the end, he realized that he was only asking for trouble. He had to admit that he wanted to see her every day. He wanted to have her to himself and make her smile only for him. Yi Zheng turned his head slightly and sized up the girl¡¯s red ears. He chuckled and said, ¡°Then are you willing to try to like me?¡± Shi Man looked at him in disbelief, her eyes filled with shock. ¡°How do we try?¡± Yi Zheng knew her temper very well. 1 le deliberately curled his lips and smiled provocatively. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet? Let¡¯s see if you can fake it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shi Man frowned slightly. Her intuition told her that this person was digging a trap for her, but she was inevitably intrigued. To be fair, in her two lifetimes, this man was the only man who was evenly matched with her. She was quite curious about how many tricks he would use on her. Yi Zheng leaned closer and hugged her shoulder domineeringly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you very sure that you won¡¯t like me? Then why don¡¯t we make a bet? We don¡¯t have to announce our relationship to the public. Only the two of us know. During this period, I won¡¯t do anything to you but treat you well. What you have to do is not reject my kindness. If you can fall in love with me, we¡¯ll make it public. If not¡­¡± He shrugged and said with a desolate expression, ¡°If not, I¡¯ll give up and never pester you again.¡± Shi Man stared at him suspiciously, feeling that there was a loophole in his logic, but she was really interested for a moment. After hesitating for a while, she felt that she had nothing to lose and simply nodded. ¡°Then if 1 have someone I really like during this period, you have to let go.¡± Yi Zheng was slightly stunned, and his expression darkened, but he still nodded good-naturedly. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s up to you. 1 won¡¯t interfere with your freedom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Shi Man agreed. She would treat it as a game with Yi Zheng. When she got tired of it, it would be time for the game to end. Hearing her answer with his own ears, Yi Zheng heaved a sigh of relief. He smiled and placed the registration form in his hand in the small drawer seriously, looking forward to the day when it would really be useful. Then, he instructed the chauffeur to drive Shi Man home first. Tang Zhe almost admired his master¡¯s methods. At this moment, Miss Shi probably didn¡¯t know that she had already entered the tiger¡¯s den. How could his master let go of what he wanted just like that? It seemed that the future Madam was not far from being subdued by his boss! When Shi Man returned home this time, Shen Xian was showing Su Tang the works of a top designer. She had spent a lot of money to buy these for Su Tang as a reference. Seeing her return, Su Tang immediately put down the things in her hand and stood up to welcome her. The man who had walked to the kitchen to help pour water happened to walk out. Shi Man smiled and sized her up. She asked gently, ¡°Did you go to the hospital for a checkup today?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Su Tang blinked curiously. ¡°How did you know?¡± Shi Man glanced at the man behind her and smiled. ¡°What was the outcome?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem anymore! The massager you bought is very effective. I spent the entire afternoon drawing blueprints today, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with my right hand!¡± Only then did Shi Man feel relieved. When she looked up, she saw an unexpected Yuan Yi, and her heart skipped a beat.. Chapter 249 - Chapter 249: Asura Arena Chapter 249: Asura Arena Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yuan Yi had not seen Shi Man come to school for a long time. He only found out from Su Tang during the day that Shi Man had taken leave to manage the company at home recently. That was why he found a reason to come to the Shi family with Shi Mu today to see Shi Man. Unexpectedly, he bumped into Shi Man and Yi Zheng returning together. His expression changed. ¡°Manman, you and him¡­¡± ¡°We met by chance!¡± Shi Man quickly cut ties. She changed her shoes and took the initiative to stand beside him to express her stand. Only then did Yuan Yi smile in satisfaction. He handed the tea in his hand to her to drink. ¡°Drink something hot when you just entered. Aunt Shen said that she wants to cook personally tonight to reward you.¡± ¡°Really!¡± Shi Man pretended to be surprised and turned to Shen Xian. She deliberately ignored Yi Zheng¡¯s exciting expression and held her hand. Shen Xian glanced at Yi Zheng and said with a smile, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you invite Xiao Zheng in first?¡± The smile on Shi Man¡¯s face froze. She gasped in her heart and braced herself to look at Yi Zheng. ¡°Do you want to come in for dinner?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yi Zheng agreed quickly as if he was afraid that she would go back on her word. This time, it was Yuan Yi¡¯s turn to fall. His and Yi Zheng¡¯s gazes met in the air, causing a sizzle of smoke. Shi Man held Su Tang¡¯s hand and returned to the living room, leaving the two of them looking at each other. Unexpectedly, as soon as she sat on the sofa, two men who looked like door gods sat on her left and right. Shi Man did not even swallow a mouthful of water and almost spat it out. She glanced at the two of them speechlessly and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go out and fight?¡± As the two of them looked at her expressionlessly, their eyes were equally calm. Shi Man quickly waved her hand and changed her words. ¡°No need. Take a seat. Su Tang and I will go back to our room to rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to eat,¡± Yuan Yi reminded her gently. ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Yi Zheng followed closely without compromise. Shi Man was about to have a headache. She sat back on the sofa and looked speechlessly at the two men who were competing in silence. She suddenly had the intention to tease them. She smiled and drank a cup of tea. ¡°Do the two of you know how to cook?¡± Yuan Yi and Yi Zheng looked over in confusion. Shi Man explained calmly, ¡°I suddenly feel that a man who can cook is very charming.¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows with a smile in his eyes. ¡°What a coincidence. I know how to.¡± Yuan Yi was not to be outdone. ¡°I know how to do it too!¡± Shi Man turned to look at Su Tang and asked with a smile, ¡°Do you want to be a judge for once?¡± Su Tang pointed at herself in shock. ¡°Me? I can¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s you!¡± Shi Man made the final decision and said to the two of them, ¡°I¡¯ll give whoever cooks the best a chance to make a wish. Of course, it can¡¯t be an excessive wish.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s eyes lit up. He nodded with a smile. ¡°No problem. 1 can do it now.¡± Yuan Yi was a little hesitant, but there was no room for him to retreat at this moment. He could only brace himself for a fight. ¡°1 can do it too!¡± The two of them glared at each other and saw disdain in each other¡¯s eyes. Then, they walked toward the two kitchens on the first floor. After successfully sending these two men away, Shi Man finally heaved a sigh of relief. She leaned comfortably on the sofa and picked up Su Tang¡¯s blueprint to take a closer look. Su Tang lay beside her curiously and asked, ¡°Comparing these two, who do you like more?¡± Shi Man glanced at her and asked with interest, ¡°If it were you, who would you choose?¡± Su Tang thought about it seriously for a while before saying hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid 1 won¡¯t choose anyone. 1 want to choose the one I like.¡± When she said this, her eyes were sparkling, as if they were filled with fine light. She stared at Shi Man without blinking. Shi Man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly asked without rhyme or reason, ¡°If I don¡¯t bring you out of the Yi family, will you like Yi Zheng?¡± Su Tang blinked in surprise and shook her head without hesitation. ¡°The difference between Brother Yi and me is too great. He¡¯s not someone 1 can like.¡± Shi Man was not happy when she heard this. She put down the design plan solemnly and said seriously, ¡°Why should you belittle yourself? In my opinion, you¡¯re very good. Moreover, you¡¯re a daughter of the Shi family now. There¡¯s no one you¡¯re not worthy of, understand?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Su Tang nodded in confusion. Feeling that the atmosphere was a little serious, she changed the topic and pointed at the design. ¡°It was newly drawn in the afternoon. Do you like it?¡± ¡°For my brother?¡± Shi Man only took a glance and knew that this style was made for Shi Mu. At the mention of Shi Mu, she suddenly asked curiously, ¡°Why isn¡¯t my brother here? Shouldn¡¯t he be back with Yuan Yi?¡± ¡°He went out first because he had something on. He seemed to be in a hurry,¡± Su Tang explained calmly. She pursed her lips and said hesitantly, ¡°It seems to be related to a girl in school.¡± Shi Man was immediately interested and asked carefully, ¡°What¡¯s her name? Is she from their grade?¡± Su Tang shook her head gently and said uncertainly, ¡°1 think she¡¯s from our grade. She should be called Bai Yao.¡± Hearing this name, Shi Man frowned. Thinking of the girl in white she had seen at the last banquet, her expression turned slightly cold.. Chapter 250 - Chapter 250: Wish Chapter 250: Wish Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Shi Mu returned, he happened to see a few people sitting in the living room staring at the two dishes in front of them. The moment he saw Yi Zheng, Shi Mu wanted to explode. However, this time, Shen Xian came to say, ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound first. They¡¯re competing!¡± ¡°What competition?¡± Shi Mu walked over in confusion and saw Su Tang pick up her chopsticks to take a bite of the black unknown object on Yi Zheng¡¯s plate. Then, the smile on her face froze. She looked up at Yi Zheng innocently and thought of how he had helped her in the past. She gave him a thumbs up and said, ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Although it¡¯s a little different, the taste is still not bad.¡± Only then did Yi Zheng¡¯s expression soften. He sat beside Shi Man with interest and smiled proudly. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to cook. If you like it in the future, I can get someone to bring it to you every day.¡± Su Tang almost choked to death on the thing in her mouth that she did not know if she should swallow. In her excitement, the food slid down her esophagus. She immediately poured a glass of water to rinse her mouth and became even more flustered, afraid that the thing just now was poisonous! Seeing Su Tang¡¯s expression, Yuan Yi felt more confident. He pushed his plate of good-looking things forward and smiled. ¡°Try mine. My plate of chicken wings is definitely better than his.¡± Yuan Yi was quite confident in his culinary skills. Although he had not entered the kitchen many times and his food had been cooked by the servants at home, he had seen how other people did it. He followed the recipe and realized that it was not difficult. Su Tang looked at this plate of chicken wings that looked and smelled good. Her expression finally improved a little. Then, she picked up a piece and took a bite. She immediately hated herself for being rash. She suddenly spat out the chicken wing in her mouth. The piece of meat that had been bitten off revealed bright red blood under it. Su Tang cried and refused to eat it no matter what. ¡°You¡¯ll get sick if you eat this! You can¡¯t eat it!¡± Shi Man comforted her in amusement. ¡°Then I won¡¯t eat it. It¡¯s okay.¡± Yuan Yi¡¯s face fell. He picked up his plate in confusion and looked around, but he could not figure out which step he had done wrong. Every step was clearly done according to the recipe, so how could he not be familiar? Yi Zheng smiled proudly. ¡°Then 1 win?¡± He looked at Shi Man with a burning gaze and smiled. ¡°Can 1 make a wish now?¡± Shi Man asked with a standard fake smile, ¡°What wish do you want?¡± Yi Zheng said, ¡°1 want to eat your cooking once. Just once.¡± Shi Man was slightly stunned and raised her eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng only had this small wish. He had never had any other requests for Shi Man. If he had to make a wish himself, he only wanted to eat the food she personally made for him. It was that simple. Seeing that the atmosphere between the two of them was ambiguous, Shi Mu quickly stood between them and stopped her. ¡°Forget it, forget it. My sister¡¯s cooking is not something that others can eat just because they want to!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shi Man cut off Shi Mu¡¯s words and nodded in agreement. Shi Mu widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°Sister, are you going to cook for him? But what right does he have?¡± ¡°I have to keep my word.¡± Shi Man stood up and walked into the kitchen. Just as she was choosing the dishes and taking out the ingredients from the fridge, Yi Zheng suddenly walked in and said, ¡°Let me help you. The water is cold. Don¡¯t touch it.¡± Shi Man did not stand on ceremony with him. She generously gave up the space in front of the tap and went to prepare the other seasonings. The two of them worked in the kitchen for less than half an hour before they finished cooking. Yi Zheng looked like he was holding a plate of treasures. He couldn¡¯t hide the smile on his face. Shen Xian watched as the two of them walked out of the kitchen side by side. Suddenly, she seemed to have seen herself and Shi Zhong in the past. She finally let go of her prejudice against Yi Zheng. Now, she only hoped that Manman could be happy, in which case Shen Xian would be satisfied and want nothing else. When Shi Mu saw this scene, he gritted his teeth. He patted his brother¡¯s shoulder righteously and suggested seriously, ¡°Do you like Manman? If you like her, 1¡¯11 help you!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yuan Yi was shocked by his sudden words. In order to avoid arousing the disgust of Shi Mu, who had a sister complex, he had been careful to hide his feelings. Unexpectedly, after being provoked by Yi Zheng today, Shi Mu actually took the initiative to help him woo Shi Mu. He was overjoyed. However, he hesitated for a while. When Shi Mu was a little impatient, he nodded solemnly and said, ¡°I really like Manman. Then let¡¯s work hard together.¡± Shi Mu quickly reached a consensus with Yuan Yi. He had already treated Yi Zheng as a strong enemy. However, Yi Zheng did not have the time to care about these two murderous gazes. All his attention was on Shi Man, and the deep love in his eyes was sickening. He accompanied Shi Man to the dining table and handed her and Shen Xian a pair of chopsticks before tasting them piously.. Chapter 251 - Chapter 251: Late-night Blackout Chapter 251: Late-night Blackout Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the meal, Yuan Yi and Shi Mu stayed by Shi Man¡¯s side and refused to leave. Yi Zheng could tell what they were thinking. He leaned close to Shi Man and asked softly, ¡°Are you tired?¡± His tone was extremely gentle and doting. Shi Man nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± ¡°Then 1¡¯11 leave first.¡± Yi Zheng stood up decisively without hesitation. This stunned Shi Mu for a moment. He quickly pulled Yuan Yi up and said, ¡°Then you should leave quickly. See you at school tomorrow.¡± Yuan Yi wanted to stay for a while longer, but seeing that Shi Man did look tired, he nodded and said, ¡°Alright, Aunt Shen, 1*11 leave first.¡± Shen Xian smiled and sent the two of them off. She watched them get into their respective cars before walking back to the villa. She glared at Shi Mu coldly and said, ¡°Come with me. 1 have something to tell you.¡± Su Tang looked at Shi Mu¡¯s back with a worried expression and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Manman, did Brother Shi Mu make a mistake? Why does Aunt Shen look so serious!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother about him.¡± Shi Man pulled Su Tang back upstairs to rest. When they were eating just now, Shi Mu tried his best to signal Yuan Yi to put food into Shi Man¡¯s bowl, as if he was afraid that others would not understand his thoughts. Shen Xian must have noticed it too, so she specially brought Shi Mu away to warn him not to matchmake. Shi Man was not too concerned about these things. After a long day, she only wanted to take a shower and sleep. There was still a lot of work to deal with in the company tomorrow. Shi Man was already prepared to rest, but the lights in the company¡¯s secretariat were still on. Meng Hui handled the work arranged by Shi Man alone in the office in frustration. That day, in order to give Shi Man an opening gambit and establish an imposing air for herself, she did not do what Shi Man wanted. She thought that a pampered young lady like Shi Man should not be able to do anything to her. Unexpectedly, Shi Man was full of evil tricks. Before she could finish her work the day before, Shi Man arranged a new job right on the heels of that. After a few days of continuous accumulation, there was almost no room for the documents on her desk! And this damn Shi Man insisted on organizing the entire company¡¯s performance evaluation at this time. In the end, her bonus as an experienced secretary was not as much as an intern like Ding Wei. She immediately felt embarrassed. Now, regardless of whether she was willing or not, she had to stay behind to work overtime to deal with the accumulated work. Otherwise, when CEO Shi returned and found out about this, she would probably not be able to survive in the secretariat. As she gritted her teeth and flipped through the documents, Meng Hui was distracted from thinking about how to deal with Shi Man. With this thought, it was past midnight. The office building at night was always gloomy. For some reason, she was a little afraid. She hesitantly put down the document and prepared to go home. Unexpectedly, at this moment, the lights in the office building suddenly went out at the same time, and the entire floor fell into darkness. Meng Hui screamed in fear. She hurriedly turned on the flashlight function on her cell phone with trembling hands and hurriedly put away her things, preparing to bend down and rush out of the office. Ding Wei, who was by the window, forgot to close the window before she left. A cold wind blew past her back, scaring Meng Hui so much that she screamed again. Immediately after, steady and powerful footsteps suddenly sounded outside the office. Meng Hui¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly turned off the flashlight and hid in the darkness, trembling. The office door was slowly pushed open from the outside. Footsteps suddenly entered the room. Someone was pressing the switch repeatedly. After finally turning on the light and illuminating the entire office, she realized that there was no one inside. Ding Wei scratched her head strangely and said, ¡°Strange, 1 clearly heard a sound inside just now. Why is there suddenly no one?¡± Hearing the familiar voice, Meng Hui dared to poke her head out. She pretended to lower her head and pick up something. She slowly came out from under the table and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Xiaowei, it¡¯s actually you. Why are you at the company so late?¡± Ding Wei immediately smiled and raised the packed dinner in her hand. ¡°1 guessed that Sister Hui might still be working overtime, so I specially came to deliver some supper.¡± ¡°Weiwei, you¡¯re really an angel!¡± Meng Hui no longer had the fear from before. Now that her stomach was empty, her good impression of Ding Wei immediately rose. Ding Wei smiled and placed the supper on her desk. She looked at the documents on her desk and said, ¡°CEO Shi actually arranged so much work for you. You probably won¡¯t be able to finish it for several nights, right?¡± Meng Hui ate the supper in her hand and suddenly relaxed. She said weakly, ¡°What can we do? CEO Shi took the seniors away this time and left me alone to look at these documents. Moreover, Shi Man is Big Boss¡¯s daughter. I¡¯m just an employee!¡± Ding Wei¡¯s eyes darted around as she carefully suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t 1 help you take a look? If there¡¯s any problem, correct me from the side.. 1 want to learn more from you!¡± Chapter 252 - Chapter 252: Disclosure of Secrets Chapter 252: Disclosure of Secrets Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Meng Hui wanted to say no because the document she was handling was considered a company secret. They could only touch it after signing a confidentiality agreement. However, on second thought, Ding Wei was just an intern. It shouldn¡¯t be a big deal to only show her some unimportant things. It was mainly because she had too much work to do and needed someone to help share the burden. Therefore, she only hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement with a relaxed expression. The two of them worked overtime for a few days every day and finally caught up with Shi Man¡¯s work progress. During this period of time, Ding Wei would prepare supper for her every day. She gradually experienced the joy of bringing newbies. She had already treated herself as the chief secretary in the company, but the day before CEO Shi returned, she was called to the office by Shi Man and scolded badly. She widened her eyes in confusion, her eyes red with grievance. She shouted at the top of her lungs in the office, ¡°You¡¯re just an agent. The Shi family¡¯s company doesn¡¯t really belong to you. What right do you have to fire me?¡± Shi Man sat behind her desk and glared at her coldly. She threw out the report from this morning¡¯s meeting. ¡°Look at this yourself.¡± Today¡¯s meeting was very important to the Shi family¡¯s business. All the famous business big bosses in G City were here. They thought that the Shi family would win this time, but unexpectedly, the Fang family appeared halfway and snatched a large number of orders from the Shi family. It immediately caused a huge commotion in the business world. Nowadays, many businesses in the market needed to cooperate with the government to succeed. Therefore, in order to deal with the government¡¯s policies, Shi Man specially led the team to study for a long time before compiling a perfect plan. Unexpectedly, the team speech sent by the Fang family today was the same as the one in Shi Man¡¯s hand. The Fang family had the initiative, so Shi Man could only improvise. She had participated in the entire plan and written it with the team, so she naturally knew the content very well. She deliberately simplified some plans and added many unique insights. She thought that she could defeat the Fang family and come back to investigate the leak of the company¡¯s secrets. Unexpectedly, the leaders present today liked the original plan better, so they handed the order to the Fang family. It had to be known that before this, the Fang family had caused such a huge commotion with the Shi family, and it was related to Shi Man herself. Therefore, once this matter was announced, it immediately caused countless waves. Now, countless pairs of eyes were staring at Shi Man, waiting to see how she would react. After Meng Hui found out about this, she was stunned on the spot. The temperature in her body suddenly overflowed, and her hands and feet were cold and stiff. ¡°No, it¡¯s not me, CEO Shi. It¡¯s really not me. Even if you give me a hundred guts, 1 won¡¯t dare to leak the company¡¯s confidential documents!¡± ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t you.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes dangerously and handed her another document she had investigated. ¡°Ding Wei was deliberately arranged to enter the company. She was lying to you from the beginning.¡± Meng Hui snatched the document in disbelief and flipped through it in her hand. In the end, she realized how wrong she was. She hurriedly gritted her teeth in humiliation, wiped her tears, and said regretfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my negligence. I¡¯m willing to try my best to compensate and take the initiative to correct my mistake.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows at her in surprise ane her gloomy expression much brighter. ¡°Alright, you said it. 1¡¯11 believe you again.¡± Meng Hui immediately looked up in surprise. She was just giving it a try. She did not expect Shi Man to really put her in an important position again. The prejudice and jealousy from before instantly disappeared without a trace. She suddenly raised her arm and wiped the useless tears on her face. She patted her chest and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, 1 won¡¯t disappoint the company this time.¡± Shi Man chuckled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. Actually, I¡¯ve already thought of a way to deal with the Fang family.¡± Meng Hui¡¯s eyes lit up. She asked curiously, ¡°Is there any way that I can help?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man smiled and hooked her finger to get her closer. Then, she whispered her plan into her ear. This order was already in the hands of the Fang family. It was really difficult to snatch it back. Fortunately, although it was a little embarrassing this time, it was nothing to the Shi family. She had another way to make the Fang family spit out the fat meat they had just eaten. The next day, Shi Man was invited to the celebration banquet held by the Fang family. She only brought Meng Hui along. That night, the hotel was brightly lit. The head of the Fang family, Fang Yu, walked over with a smile and shook her hand. ¡°Thank you for being magnanimous this time, Miss Shi. You gave us such a good opportunity. Come in.¡± Shi Man smiled and held his hand back. In an instant, she let go and said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You can seize this opportunity because you¡¯re resourceful.¡± Her words had a deeper meaning. Others might not understand, but Fang Yu must have understood. Therefore, the smile on his face deepened.. ¡°How can you do business without brains? Come, Miss Shi, let¡¯s have a few more drinks today!¡± Chapter 253 - Chapter 253: Drinking Chapter 253: Drinking Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man did not comment. She smiled casually and walked to the seat Fang Yu had reserved for her in advance without changing her expression. To outsiders, this banquet was just an extremely ordinary social banquet, but to Shi Man, it was a demonstration of the Fang family. Many people¡¯s gazes landed on her curiously, looking like they were watching a good show. They wanted to see how this young lady, who had just lost such a huge order, would turn the tables. However, to their disappointment, Shi Man did not do anything abnormal during the entire banquet. She did not even say a word. She was as obedient as a little girl who did not know anything, which immediately disappointing everyone. They had thought that Shen Xian was willing to leave the matter to her because she was outstanding. Now, it seemed that Shen Xian¡¯s decision was really a benefit for them. They even hoped that Shi Zhong would come back later so that they could take the opportunity to take their share of the loot. Anyway, this little girl knew nothing. Shi Man calmly took in the thoughts of the people at the table, and her expression became even more respectful. ¡°Uncles, you¡¯re all my seniors and role models. 1 still have a lot to learn. Please guide me.¡± Everyone immediately grinned. Shi Zhong had always been high up in the air to the outside world. Now¡¯ that his daughter actually said that she wanted to consult them, wasn¡¯t this indirectly elevating all of their statuses? The few of them looked at each other and saw¡¯ the smugness in each other¡¯s eyes. Their smiles became even brighter. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. In the future, if you have anything you don¡¯t understand at work, you can ask us. We¡¯ve been friends with your father for many years.¡± Shi Man drank with them with a fake smile and could not help but sneer in her heart. These people had not been friends with Shi Zhong for many years. They had clearly been thinking about the Shi family for many years. However, she had no intention of exposing them. As long as someone came to toast, she would accept them all. After a few rounds, her face was already red. Meng Hui was anxious and couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°CEO Shi, you drank too much. It¡¯s better not to drink anymore.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you drink for me?¡± Shi Man suddenly looked up at her with clear eyes. Meng Hui¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly pursed her lips and stopped talking. Fang Yu saw it clearly from the side. He walked over with a kind smile and said, ¡°Little CEO Shi is so good at drinking at such a young age. It seems that CEO Shi has taught you well. This is the first time Little CEO Shi has appeared in front of people, it¡¯s nothing to drink a few more glasses. We¡¯re all on the same side. 1¡¯11 get the chauffeur to send you back later.¡± Shi Man smiled and agreed. She took Fang Yu¡¯s wine glass and drank it in one gulp. This time, when she put down the wine glass, her movements were clearly no longer under her control. She could not even hold the wine glass steadily and let it fall to her feet. Seeing her like this, Fang Yu knew that it was about time. He got someone to help Shi Man up and said with a smile, ¡°Little CEO Shi, it seems that you¡¯re really drunk. 1 think you¡¯re about the same age as my daughter. Why don¡¯t we let her bring you to the room upstairs to sober up first? When you feel better later, I¡¯ll send someone to send you home.¡± Shi Man could not even stand steadily now. She leaned against Meng Hui and burped drunkenly. ¡°Okay, okay. 1 want to sleep. I want to sleep!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Fang Yu had achieved his goal and hurriedly instructed someone to call Fang Han, who was hiding in the private room next door. For this plan, Fang Han had already set up a trap in advance. She knew that Shi Man was extraordinary and had some brute force that she could not resist alone, so she discussed it with her father. She would get Shi Man drunk first and then follow the plan step by step. Now, almost everyone had a copy of her private photos online. She had to retaliate against Shi Man for this humiliation. The door of the private room was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Fang Han hurriedly stood up and asked with trembling hands, ¡°Did you succeed?¡± That person nodded and said, ¡°CEO Fang wants you to go over now.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there immediately!¡± She was so surprised that her heart was pounding. Thinking of what would happen soon, she fell into ecstasy. According to the plan, she went to the banquet hall next door and claimed to be Shi Man¡¯s classmate. She successfully snatched her from the secretary and helped her into the private room that had been prepared upstairs. Fang Yu looked at the two of them leave proudly and looked at Meng Hui disdainfully. ¡°Little secretary, your CEO Shi has left, but the banquet hasn¡¯t ended. Why don¡¯t you drink the rest of the wine for her?¡± Meng Hui looked worriedly in the direction Shi Man had left. Shi Man¡¯s drunk appearance just now was too realistic. She did not know if Shi Man was pretending to be drunk or if she was really drunk. If anything really happened, her career would be completely over. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. However, Meng Hui finally chose to believe Shi Man. She gritted her teeth and carried out the plan step by step. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, 1¡¯11 continue to drink with everyone on behalf of CEO Shi..¡± Chapter 254 - Chapter 254: Failed Plan Chapter 254: Failed Plan Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At the end of the banquet, Fang Yu raised his glass and smiled as he said a series of polite words. He already looked like a future big boss. The others flattered him. Only Meng Hui had a cold expression and tried her best to stay awake. Fang Yu did not mind. The people sitting here were all big shots from various families. Meng Hui was only kept there to prevent her from disrupting the plan. In fact, no one cared about Meng Hui¡¯s condition. Seeing that it was about time, Fang Yu sent all the guests off with a polite smile. When it was Meng Hui¡¯s turn, he smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see if your Little CEO Shi is sober, okay?¡± Meng Hui¡¯s heart was in her throat. She nodded in a daze and said, ¡°Okay, but do you know which room CEO Shi is in?¡± Fang Yu was slightly stunned, and a trace of nervousness flashed across his eyes. Then, he regained his calm smile right on the heels of that. ¡°Look, I forgot. I¡¯ll call my daughter now and ask her. Secretary Meng, please wait a moment.¡± Meng Hui stood at a loss, her fingers subconsciously rubbing the hem of her clothes. She followed Shi Man¡¯s instructions to beat Fang Yu her own game. Even though she knew that Fang Yu was up to no good, she did not do anything. Although she could not be sure that Ding Wei was sent by the Fang family, Ding Wei had probably already told the Fang family that she and Shi Man were not on good terms. Otherwise, they would not be so at ease with her tonight. This was because they did not think that Meng Hui would be responsible for following Shi Man. Fang Yu hung up quickly, but he was clearly in a bad mood. His brows were furrowed, and he looked like a different person from before. Meng Hui felt a little more confident. She quietly put away her cell phone and smiled. ¡°Have you asked?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve asked.¡± Fang Yu¡¯s expression was very bad, but he still forced himself to be calm. ¡°Secretary Meng, follow me. CEO Shi is upstairs.¡± The two of them walked into the elevator together. In just a few minutes, Fang Yu had already looked at his cell phone several times. When the elevator door opened, his expression was already terrifyingly dark. The room Fang Han had arranged for Shi Man was at the innermost area. Even the lights in the corridor were much dimmer than elsewhere. Meng Hui did not know if it was her imagination, but she felt that Fang Yu heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the light. His expression was obviously not as nervous as before. He raised his hand and knocked on the door like a gentleman. He was confident that it would be his daughter who opened the door. Unexpectedly, it was Shi Man who was sober, but she was a little sleepy. Seeing that she was dressed well, Fang Yu suddenly had an ominous feeling. He hurriedly asked anxiously, ¡°Where¡¯s Hanhan? Isn¡¯t she with you?¡± Fang Yu was anxious. He didn¡¯t even address her politely. His attitude was so disrespectful it was as though he was treating Shi Man like an ignorant child. Shi Man did not care about his attitude. She blinked in confusion and looked at Fang Yu innocently. ¡°Who is Hanhan? Why is she with me?¡± Fang Yu was stunned for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened. He couldn¡¯t help but emphasize, ¡°My daughter, Fang Han! She¡¯s from the same school as you. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know her!¡± ¡°So she¡¯s your daughter!¡± Shi Man pretended to be surprised and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t see her. Didn¡¯t I come to the Fang family¡¯s banquet today? Why would I see Fang Han?¡± Fang Yu choked and looked at her suspiciously, as if he was trying to determine if she really didn¡¯t remember anything. Then, he frowned and looked at Meng Hui beside him. ¡°Tell your CEO Shi what happened just now.¡± Helpless, Meng Hui could only tell her about Fang Han sending her back to her room to rest. Then, she carefully glanced into the room and said, ¡°You really don¡¯t remember anything?¡± Shi Man smiled innocently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was drunk just now and really don¡¯t remember anything. Why don¡¯t you ask the front desk and see if she has left?¡± Fang Yu hurriedly ran away, shouting that he wanted to see the surveillance cameras at the front desk. He and his daughter had agreed to work together to mess with Shi Man today. Fang Han would not leave without saying goodbye. The only possibility was that something had happened to Fang Han! Although Fang Yu valued his son more, this was his biological daughter after all. Moreover, she had suddenly disappeared at this juncture. Of course, he was more anxious than anyone else. The staff at the front desk knew Fang Yu¡¯s identity, so no one dared to be negligent. They hurriedly pulled up the surveillance cameras in the corridor. After adjusting the approximate time, the originally clear surveillance footage suddenly turned into snowflakes. When it was clear again, it was actually when Fang Yu had just arrived. There was nothing he didn¡¯t understand now. However, knowing who had tampered with it was one thing, whether he could tell anyone was another. He was in the wrong first and had ulterior motives, so it was naturally not good for him to spread this matter. He could only suppress his anger and walk back to Shi Man¡¯s room. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Little CEO Shi, where did my daughter go?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°1 said that I¡¯ve never seen her.. Have you forgotten so quickly?¡± Chapter 255 - Chapter 255: Wrong Target Chapter 255: Wrong Target Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fang Yu gritted his teeth in hatred. Looking at Shi Man¡¯s current level of consciousness, he had no doubt that her drunken state just now was completely faked to deceive him. Her goal was to lure him in! He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. ¡°Miss Shi, I think there might have been a misunderstanding just now. 1 know that you and my daughter have some conflict. I rashly asked her to send you upstairs to rest this time because I wanted to take the opportunity to ease your classmate relationship.¡± Shi Man leaned against the door frame expressionlessly and smiled. ¡°Would you believe me if I said that?¡± ¡°You!¡± Fang Yu was furious, but he couldn¡¯t do anything to her. Shi Man glanced at the time and said slowly, ¡°Alright, the banquet is over. I¡¯m going back.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± It was impossible for Fang Yu to let her go, but after really stopping her, he could not think of a suitable reason to keep her. As the two sides were in a stalemate, a miserable scream suddenly came from the next room. Fang Yu was shocked and couldn¡¯t care less about Shi Man. He hurriedly kicked open the door next door. After seeing the scene inside, he almost fainted. At this moment, the room was brightly lit. Three burly men were standing at the end of the bed in a panic. When they saw someone enter, they picked up their pants from the ground and put them on. On the other side, the girl who had fainted from fright was Fang Han, who had suddenly disappeared. Fang Yu was furious. His eyes were red from anxiety. He rushed into the room and fought the three men. The three of them were personally hired by Fang Yu. When they saw their boss howling and rushing towards them to beat them up, they were instantly angry. After dodging his hand, they grabbed him firmly. ¡°What are you doing? Are you going to hit us too?¡± Fang Yu¡¯s ferocious expression was no different from a ferocious beast. He was completely ruthless. He gritted his teeth and glared at them. ¡°Do you know who that person on the bed is?¡± The three burly men looked at each other and saw the confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. The leader patted the hand of the person who had captured Fang Yu, indicating for him to let go of him first. Then, he lowered his posture and asked with a serious expression, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask us to deal with Shi¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Fang Yu slapped him. The man was stunned by his slap and looked a little angry. ¡°Why did you suddenly hit me? We did as you instructed!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Fang Yu clenched his fists and roared helplessly in the room. At this moment, all the regret lingered in his heart. Other than that, there was only intense hatred. He thought that his trap today was flawless. He should not be unable to deal with a weak little girl. His original intention was to let these people take a private photo of Shi Man after she was drunk and then threaten her to do something indescribable. He would use this as blackmail so that he would have something to use against the Shi family in the future. However, he never expected to actually shoot himself in the foot with this arrangement! The burly men still felt that it was strange, but since the boss had instructed them, they could not say anything to him in his anger. They could only mutter that they were unlucky and then put on their clothes to leave the room. However, when they reached the door, the three of them were stopped by a petite girl. Shi Man blocked the door with an interested expression. She had already recorded everything in the room, but she still needed them to explain Fang Yu¡¯s matter. ¡°Who are you, little girl? Hurry up and get out of the way. Be careful that 1 won¡¯t be polite to you later!¡± The men didn¡¯t take such a thin little girl seriously at all. When they spoke, they shot her a fierce glare. One of them saw that Shi Man¡¯s clothes were very expensive and thought that he was quite smart. He hurriedly took a step forward and said fawningly, ¡°This must be President Fang¡¯s daughter, right? Aiyo, we¡¯re all working for President Fang. We¡¯re family. Missy, don¡¯t block our way, right?¡± ¡°Oh! So it¡¯s Miss Fang!¡± The man in the lead thought that he really knew the girl in front of him and hurriedly said respectfully, ¡°Miss Fang, can we leave now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Shi Man said calmly. The corners of her mouth couldn¡¯t help but curl up slightly, and her eyes were filled with smiles. When Shi Man appeared at the door, the temperature in Fang Yu¡¯s body suddenly disappeared. He seemed to have been frozen and was rooted to the ground. The men looked at each other in confusion and asked suspiciously, ¡°Why? We¡¯ve already done what needs to be done.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and smiled, her tone calm. ¡°Because I¡¯m not Miss Fang. The one on the bed is.¡± This time, they were instantly petrified on the spot. They were stunned for a long time before they realized what she meant. Their backs suddenly began to break out in cold sweat. If the person in front of them was not lying, then the person they had teased and even done whatever they wanted was actually their boss¡¯s daughter! No wonder the boss looked like he wanted to eat them just now! Chapter 256 - Chapter 256: Condition Chapter 256: Condition Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this moment, Fang Yu could not hide it anymore. His face was pale and his entire body could not help but tremble. It only took him an instant to make up his mind. He pointed at Shi Man with a trembling finger and said, ¡°Capture her and do to her what you did to my daughter just now. 1 won¡¯t hold this against you!¡± As soon as he said this, not only Fang Han, but even the men could not help but be stunned. They never expected a father to tolerate his daughter being violated for the sake of benefits. He even made conditions with the men who violated his daughter and took the opportunity to threaten them to continue helping him complete his plan. The few of them looked at each other and easily weighed the pros and cons. The leader turned around and glared at Shi Man without hesitation. ¡°Then I can only apologize. We had no choice!¡± Meng Hui widened her eyes in fear and hurriedly raised the video recorder in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. We¡¯ve already recorded that scene just now! If you dare to mess around, we¡¯ll let everyone know what happened tonight!¡± Fang Yu¡¯s eyes widened, and his expression suddenly became ferocious. ¡°Snatch the video recorder and smash it. Both of them are to stay. No one is allowed to leave!¡± The three of them knew the importance of this matter. They rolled up their sleeves and prepared to attack. Shi Man had been waiting for this moment. It had been too long since she had relaxed her muscles and bones to find someone to practice with. She sneered and avoided an outstretched arm with a smile. She pushed Meng Hui away and locked her outside. She shouted through the door, ¡°Stick to the plan and don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Outside the door, Meng Hui felt her heart pounding. Her hand that was holding the video recorder was covered in a thin layer of sweat. She gritted her teeth and ran downstairs. The sounds of fighting inside grew louder, but they were all men¡¯s voices. The three burly men did not expect this young lady to be so good at fighting. Even if they joined forces, they could not get close to her and were even beaten up very badly. Only Shi Man was clean. She stood in place neatly dressed and even hooked her finger at them provocatively. The few of them flew into a rage out of humiliation. They picked up the things beside them and threw them at Shi Man. Fang Yu protected his daughter in panic and shrank at the head of the bed, afraid that blood would splash on them later. Shi Man sneered and took out a knife from her pocket. She broke the tendons of one of them and removed his arm. After avoiding the water bottle that the other person threw at her, she stabbed his palm with the bloodstained knife. That person immediately screamed and covered his hand. He was in so much pain that he broke out in cold sweat. The leader was still holding a dagger in his hand, but under Shi Man¡¯s light glare, he was so frightened that he could not even hold the knife steadily. He actually threw it to the ground in embarrassment. How could they, who had been working as mercenaries in the black market all year round, not understand that this time, they had provoked someone not to be trifled with? Shi Man stared at him with a smile, her eyes covered in frost. ¡°Do you still want to fight?¡± The man hurriedly shook his head and said, ¡°No more, no more. We surrender.¡± Shi Man hooked her finger and asked him to come closer, ¡°Then let me ask you, why are you here?¡± The man shrank his shoulders in fear and glanced unnaturally at Fang Yu, who was hiding at the head of the bed. ¡°It¡¯s him. He asked us to come.¡± Shi Man stared at him with a faint smile. The man immediately shivered and hurriedly continued, ¡°He asked us to take a nude photo of a girl called Shi Man. After we came, we saw a person lying on the bed, so¡­¡± Fang Yu could no longer sit still. His scalp turned numb from Shi Man¡¯s stare. He hurriedly argued, ¡°Miss Shi, don¡¯t listen to these evil people¡¯s nonsense! If 1 deliberately wanted to harm you, would 1 harm my daughter?¡± Shi Man did not speak and waved the knife in her hand expressionlessly. Fang Yu knelt on the ground without thinking and begged sincerely, ¡°This is really a misunderstanding, Miss Shi. My daughter is already like this. Please be magnanimous and let me go. Please don¡¯t post that video. I¡¯ll give you anything you want! We won¡¯t do the recent order anymore. I¡¯ll return it to the Shi family, okay?¡± Shi Man wanted more than that now. She bent down slightly and the blade brushed past his ear, scaring Fang Yu so much that he trembled. Then, he smiled reluctantly and said, ¡°I heard that other than approving the order this time, the leader the Fang family bribed is also planning to support you in the business in the South Sea?¡± Fang Yu widened his eyes in disbelief. He could not guess how Shi Man knew such a secret and even investigated the relationship he had painstakingly built. If he confessed this time, the large sum of money and energy he had invested previously would be wasted! The Fang family would become the laughing stock of their peers! Chapter 257 - Chapter 257: Success Chapter 257: Success Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios But if he didn¡¯t confess¡­ Fang Yu looked at the two burly men who were still wailing on the ground in horror. He bit his lower lip and said in humiliation, ¡°Miss Shi, your appetite is a little too big.¡± ¡°Is it big?¡± Shi Man straightened her back and said with a smile, ¡°How dare you scheme against my brother and me? 1 actually let your Fang family stay in G City. You should be glad that I¡¯ve been soft-hearted recently.¡± Fang Yu suddenly looked up and gritted his teeth as he glared at Shi Man. ¡°You spread Hanhan¡¯s video everywhere. I haven¡¯t settled the score with you yet, but you actually dare to mention it?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t 1 dare?¡± Shi Man smiled and said, ¡°Moreover, the Zhu brothers recorded that video. You should know that Zhu Meng and Nighthawk might have a copy.¡± Fang Yu¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted, and his brows furrowed. His entire face was squeezed together as he thought fiercely, ¡°Give me that video just now, and 1¡¯11 give the South Sea business to the Shi family.¡± Shi Man found a chair and sat down. She crossed her legs and leaned back patiently. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that without that business, nothing would happen to the Shi family, but I can¡¯t guarantee the same for you and your daughter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Fang Yu stared at Shi Man fiercely. He quietly propped up his legs, as if he was about to pounce on her at any moment and bite her neck like a hungry wolf. Unfortunately, he would never have the chance to do so. The three burly men were extraordinary but even if they joined forces, they were not her match, let alone him! Fang Yu felt humiliated to be controlled by a young lady who had yet to graduate, but there was nothing he could do. He lowered his head and thought quietly for a while. In the end, he closed his eyes and nodded. ¡°I can sign the contract first, but you have to guarantee that you will hand the recording to me after receiving the contract. Otherwise, 1 won¡¯t let you off!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Shi Man stood up and straightened her clothes. She said with a relaxed expression, ¡°1 still know the principle of leaving a way out. Then it¡¯s settled, CEO Fang.¡± She pushed open the door with a smile. The moment she stepped out of the room, she felt comfortable. Fang Yu had indeed angered her this time, but this also made her boring life a little fun. Downstairs, a black car was parked quietly in the night. When Shi Man went downstairs, the car honked to remind her. She raised her eyebrows slightly and walked to the car to open the door. Without hesitation, she got in. The man in the backseat frowned and glared at her. ¡°Who asked you to take such a big risk to snatch the business in someone else¡¯s hands?¡± Shi Man seemed to have expected him to say this. She slumped in the car seat indifferently and reached out to take the milk tea from the person in the front passenger seat. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother.¡± Shi Ke adjusted his glasses and smiled. ¡°I know you like it. 1 just passed by the shop from the airport. Dad saw it first and asked me to buy you a cup.¡± Shi Man stopped drinking the milk tea and glanced sideways at the man beside her who snorted coldly and said gently, ¡°Dad, thank you for the milk tea.¡± Shi Zhong widened his eyes and started to scold her angrily. ¡°Do you know how dangerous this matter is?! How can a girl do such a thing? If anything happens to you tonight, how am I going to explain it to your mother?¡± Shi Man¡¯s expression, which had just eased up, suddenly sank when she heard the last sentence. Her voice was not as light as before. ¡°I asked Meng Hui to come out and contact you just in case. You should have heard what happened just now through your cell phone. Fang Yu has already admitted defeat. I¡¯ve also taken revenge on the order that he snatched away through unscrupulous means.¡± Shi Zhong still did not have a good expression. He snorted and said, ¡°You¡¯re capable now. Then let me ask you, how did you deal with those three men? Why didn¡¯t I know that you were so skilled?¡± Shi Man raised her eyes slightly and stared at him quietly with her dark eyes. ¡°Because those three are also my people.¡± In the hotel, Fang Yu¡¯s legs were a little numb from kneeling for too long. He finally got up from the ground and almost knelt on the ground again. Only one of the burly men was standing in the room unscathed. He had a bald head and a mighty green dragon tattoo on the back of his head. Seeing that Fang Yu was about to fall again, he kindly reached out to support him. The more Fang Yu looked at this person¡¯s tattoo, the angrier he became. He pushed his hand away and said angrily, ¡°Useless thing, you can¡¯t even defeat a little girl and still dare to say that you¡¯re a mercenary group. 1 think you should collectively change your names to Trash!¡± The man¡¯s expression changed drastically. He let go and said coldly, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll bring my brothers out to treat their injuries first. However, remember to transfer your money and medical fees. Otherwise, we won¡¯t let you off.¡± Fang Yu was so angry that he almost vomited blood. He pointed at him with a trembling finger and could not speak for a long time. However, the man did not care at all. He helped his brothers up from the ground and carried them out of the hotel. A smug smile suddenly appeared on his lips.. Chapter 258 - Chapter 258: The Mastermind Chapter 258: The Mastermind Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was not until they got into the car that was prepared in advance behind the alley that the person with his arm removed stretched tiredly. ¡°Acting is really too tiring. After following Boss for so long, I think 1 can become an actor!¡± Sean smiled and turned the key. As he drove, he mocked, ¡°With your acting skills? If Boss hadn¡¯t really attacked just now, you would have been seen through by that sly old fox Fang Yu!¡± The other person, whose palm had been pierced by the knife, smiled foolishly and took off the prop in his hand. He held it in his hand and fiddled with it. ¡°It¡¯s true. Tell me, where did Boss ever get such a realistic thing? 1 was shocked when 1 saw it just now. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that it didn¡¯t hurt at all, 1 would have believed it myself!¡± Sean glanced at the rearview mirror in amusement and heaved a sigh of relief when he didn¡¯t see any cars following. ¡°Otherwise, how could she be our boss? I¡¯ll meet up with our boss later. Stay in the car and don¡¯t run around.¡± The other two looked at each other and could not help but ask, ¡°Are we still going to Blood Oath when we head back later? Is that kid from the Yi family reliable? I¡¯m worried that he¡¯s not sincere to Boss. At that time, he¡¯ll be a burden to Boss!¡± Sean pondered for a moment and suddenly stopped the car by the roadside. I le said to the two of them seriously, ¡°We¡¯ve been hanging around in Blood Oath¡¯s territory recently, but we haven¡¯t been discovered by Hellgate once. If we rashly change places, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll cause trouble for Boss. Besides¡­¡± He paused for a moment and leaned over with a mysterious expression. ¡°Have you forgotten the big betrothal gift President Yi gave us? Although we didn¡¯t want to accept it, with that betrothal gift, we¡¯ll be honored guests of Blood Oath! When Boss wants to kick that kid, we can take all the betrothal gifts away. Boss will definitely like those things.¡± The other two felt that it made sense and gave him a thumbs up in unison. ¡°Brother Sean, you¡¯re the one who understands. We¡¯re guarding for Boss now and going deep into the enemy¡¯s territory. Only then can we help Boss understand the family she¡¯s going to marry in the future!¡± ¡®Right!¡¯ Sean beamed as he got behind the wheel again. At night, Shi Man used the old method to jump out of the window and met Sean outside the manor. The two of them cut to the chase. Sean briefly told her about Fang Yu after she left. Then, he handed her all the private photos he had taken just now. Fang Han had not woken up when they left. When she woke up, she would definitely tell Fang Yu about the photos. At that time, Fang Yu would not let Sean and the others off. Shi Man glanced at the photo briefly and raised her head suspiciously. ¡°You didn¡¯t really do anything to her, right?¡± Sean quickly shook his head to prove his innocence. ¡°We really didn¡¯t. We just took a few photos of her according to your instructions. We didn¡¯t reveal any private places. It was just a little too much. However, we didn¡¯t expect her to faint from fear just like that. Later, Fang Yu rushed over. We quickly took off our pants and pretended that something had happened, but we really didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Shi Man still trusted him on this. After putting away the photo, she instructed them not to show their faces easily for the time being and sent him away quickly. She did not intend to return these photos to the Fang family, but as long as Fang Han did not have any designs on anyone in the Shi family, she would definitely not threaten the Fang family. When she returned to the bedroom, she was about to hide the photos and go to bed when her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up curiously and wanted to hang up when she saw the words Yi Zheng. Yi Zheng clearly knew that Shi Man didn¡¯t like to answer his calls, so he kept insisting. After calling three or four times, he finally heard Shi Man¡¯s impatient voice. Yi Zheng was not angry. He smiled and said, ¡°Are you done meeting Sean?¡± Shi Man was slightly stunned before her expression darkened. ¡°Are you spying on me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s tone was light and without any psychological burden. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I guessed.¡± Only then did Shi Man¡¯s expression ease up a little, but she still didn¡¯t look good. ¡°Then why did you call?¡± On the other end of the phone, Yi Zheng sighed softly and said helplessly, ¡°Have you forgotten our agreement?¡± Shi Man was stunned. Only then did she remember her bet with him. She pursed her lips and forced a smile. ¡°Oh, I remember. Then do you think there¡¯s anything good about you just making this call?¡± They had only agreed on her not rejecting his kindness, but they had not agreed that she would really treat him like a lover. There was still a huge difference between the two. Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her arrogant tone. Before she exploded, he quickly restrained his smile and got down to business. ¡°Didn¡¯t 1 say the last time that 1 could tell you about the person who secretly helped Shi Jing escape?¡± Shi Man¡¯s dark eyes suddenly lit up. She said in surprise, ¡°Who is it?¡± Yi Zheng sneered and said, ¡°You just saw him..¡± Chapter 259 - Chapter 259: Dating Chapter 259: Dating Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Fang Yu.¡± Shi Man frowned and thought for a while before denying, ¡°It can¡¯t be him. He doesn¡¯t have the ability.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng said with a dark expression, ¡°The clues 1 found were indeed cut off when they reached Fang Yu. 1 suspect that there¡¯s someone behind him helping, or rather, helping Fang Han.¡± Shi Man understood and said with dark eyes, ¡°Do you think Fang Yu might not know7 about this?¡± ¡°Yes, because rather than saying that this is helping behind the scenes, it¡¯s more like framing him. Fang Yu is a businessman and won¡¯t do a losing business, so it¡¯s very likely just Fang Han.¡± Yi Zheng burned the documents he had investigated and said expressionlessly, ¡°And the spy sent to you is the same.¡± Two clues had been severed from the Fang family at the same time. Whether it was a coincidence or really the Fang family¡¯s doing, it was still impossible to conclude. However, one thing was certain. This matter was probably not over yet. Shi Man¡¯s voice was muffled and sleepy. ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s talk about this in the future.¡± Yi Zheng curled his lips slightly, his voice filled with helpless indulgence. ¡°Only you can sleep at this time.¡± ¡°Then what? Am 1 supposed to stay up all night to compete with the person on my back?¡± She pursed her lips speechlessly, kicked off her shoes, and lay under the blanket. Her cell phone was by her pillow, and the call had yet to be hung up. Yi Zheng listened quietly to the commotion on her side and knew what she had just done. He smiled and said, ¡°Are you going to sleep? Do you need me to tell you a story or sing a lullaby?¡± ¡°No, thank you,¡± Shi Man refused stiffly. Yi Zheng refused to let go. ¡°I said that you can¡¯t reject me being good to you. Have you forgotten again?¡± Shi Man turned over in frustration, her voice instantly distant on the receiver. ¡°Speak.¡± Yi Zheng chuckled helplessly and calmly told the stories he had heard when he was young. It was not until he heard long breathing from the other end that he pursed his lips. After confirming that she was really asleep, he said goodnight softly, but he could not bear to hang up. As a result, when Shi Man woke up the next morning, her cell phone was actually out of battery. She was instantly furious. She wanted to settle scores with Yi Zheng, but she couldn¡¯t use her cell phone. After rolling her eyes at the sky, she reluctantly restrained her anger and went to school with Su Tang after dinner. Shi Zhong had already returned from a business trip last night. He didn¡¯t need Shi Man in the company, so she could only return to her boring school life. In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the semester, and the weather had completely turned cold. Shi Man wrapped her down jacket tightly and threw the hand warmer to the weak Su Tang. ¡°Take it. I¡¯m not cold.¡± ¡°No need. You should wear it.¡± Su Tang still wanted to refuse, but when she looked up, she saw Shi Man staring at the other side. She immediately looked over curiously and saw Shi Mu and Bai Yao talking intimately. Su Tang carefully stole a glance at Shi Man¡¯s expression and asked nervously, ¡°Is Fourth Brother dating her? During this period of time, there are always students who see the two of them talking face to face in private.¡± Shi Man sneered. After putting the hand warmer on Su Tang, she walked over. Su Tang hurriedly followed. Her shoes made a soft crunching sound when she stepped on the snow. ¡°Brother.¡± Shi Man walked to a spot not far from the two of them and stopped in her tracks. She stared at them with a faint smile. Shi Mu felt guilty under her gaze and hurriedly ran over. He skillfully tied her scarf around her neck. ¡°Why did you forget to keep warm again? It¡¯s cold. How can you only wear so little?¡± Shi Mu remembered that his sister used to be very afraid of the cold, but for some reason this year, she was only wearing warm pants in the snow. Her figure looked thin and weak, as if a gust of wind could blow her down. Shi Man smiled and let him tie her scarf. She did not hide the intimacy between the siblings. ¡°Brother, you didn¡¯t come to pick me up at the class gate today, so I forgot.¡± ¡°Little fool, don¡¯t you know how cold it is if 1 don¡¯t remind you?¡± Shi Mu patted his sister¡¯s head dotingly and promised in a good mood, ¡°In the future, 1¡¯11 pick you up every day. Just don¡¯t find me annoying.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Shi Man smiled and held his arm. She turned her head as if she had just noticed Bai Yao and greeted her politely. ¡°Are you going to our house for dinner?¡± Bai Yao¡¯s eyes lit up. Just as she was about to agree, Shi Man said quickly, ¡°By the way, you said last time that you were embarrassed to come to our house as a guest. I¡¯m really sorry for making things difficult for you. Then pretend I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± Bai Yao¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She looked at Shi Mu helplessly, as if she had been wronged. Shi Mu looked at the innocent Shi Man and nodded dotingly. ¡°Then we¡¯ll leave first. Goodbye.¡± Bai Yao suddenly raised her head. She wanted to call out to him, but she couldn¡¯t. She could only stomp her feet hatefully and wrap her clothes tightly around her body. She was so cold that her entire body was trembling. She hurriedly got into the private car parked at the school gate.. Chapter 260 - Chapter 260: Fishing Chapter 260: Fishing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The butler handed her the hot water bag that he had prepared long ago and poured her a cup of steaming milk tea. His eyes were filled with smiles as he said, ¡°Miss, did things go smoothly with Young Master Shi today?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Bai Yao looked away in frustration and saw the familiar car that had just driven away. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°1 don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Shi Man. She keeps ruining my plans. Shi Mu is her brother! She actually wants to interfere in everything!¡± The butler hurriedly comforted her with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s normal for siblings to be petty in the face of life. Why don¡¯t you follow Master¡¯s instructions and build a good relationship with Miss Shi first?¡± Bai Yao¡¯s expression turned even worse when she mentioned this. She couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Stop talking. At that time, Shi Man didn¡¯t like me at all! Oh, right, did she discover everything we did in the past?¡± The butler was stunned for a moment. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You¡¯ve seen how the Shi family has targeted the Fang family recently. If she really has any concrete evidence, I¡¯m afraid her methods won¡¯t be so gentle. 1 think she just can¡¯t bear to part with her brother.¡± Bai Yao took the milk tea with a worried expression and took a sip. Only then did she recover a little. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my best to get close to Shi Man next time and strive to complete the mission Father gave me as soon as possible.¡± The butler nodded with a gratified expression and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. Master said that if you succeed this time, our family¡¯s future will not be a problem!¡± ¡°Tell Father that I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Bai Yao sighed softly. When she thought of Shi Mu, there was still a trace of a smile in her eyes. However, when she thought of the man in her heart, her face instantly turned pale. Outside the manor, Shi Mu got out of the car and opened the door for Shi Man. He leaned close to his sister and said fawningly, ¡°Manman, were you angry just now? I really didn¡¯t mean to not pick you up, but¡­¡± ¡°You were just suddenly tripped by someone and can¡¯t go, right?¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes mischievously, and the smile on her lips was colder than frost. Shi Mu was slightly stunned and quickly lowered his head to admit his mistake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister. Don¡¯t be angry with Brother. If you don¡¯t like Bai Yao, I won¡¯t see her in the future.¡± Shi Man looked expressionlessly at her brother, who was always good to her unconditionally. She sighed softly and said, ¡°Alright, I have something to tell you, but not here. Let¡¯s go in first. Su Tang isn¡¯t in good health. She¡¯ll freeze later.¡± ¡°Oh, right!¡± Shi Mu pushed Su Tang and Shi Man through the door apologetically. He quickly changed his shoes and took the initiative to pour hot tea for the two of them. Then, he sat obediently on the sofa and waited for his sister to lecture him. Shi Man did not want to reprimand him, but Bai Yao¡¯s personality was too complicated. After Fang Han¡¯s incident, she and Yi Zheng had been investigating the person behind it, but they had found nothing. Even she suspected that there was a mistake in their analysis at that time. This matter might have been completely planned by the Fang family from the beginning. However, not long ago, Shi Man happened to hear something. A long time ago, Yi Zheng went to a banquet. At that time, a girl accidentally spilled red wine and dirtied his clothes. However, because he did not care at all and the two of them were not familiar at that time, he did not mention this to Shi Man after that. It was only when she heard Tang Zhe mention it in Yi Zheng¡¯s company that she knew that the girl was actually Bai Yao. However, what was even more coincidental was that Shi Jing was also on the list of that banquet. However, she had never been discovered as a waiter. Now that she thought about it carefully, how could there be such a coincidence in the world? Bai Yao and Shi Jing were classmates to begin with, and they had appeared at the banquet together. Shi Man reasonably suspected that the accidental dirtying of Yi Zheng¡¯s clothes was a trap set up by the two of them. This could indirectly prove that Bai Yao and Shi Jing were not unrelated. If that was the case, then she had to wonder if the mastermind of the incident with the Fang family was Bai Yao. 1 lowever, the difficulty now was that it had been too long. The evidence would have already disappeared, and even the road surveillance cameras had been replaced. It was simply difficult to investigate that matter again. So all they had to do now was wait for the right moment. During this period of time, Bai Yao had come into contact with Shi Mu many times. She must have an impure motive. Shi Man wanted to use Shi Mu to fish. That way, it would be easier for Bai Yao to reveal her true motive. However, the key to the problem was that Shi Mu must not be tempted by Bai Yao. Otherwise, such a girl with ulterior motives was destined to make Shi Mu sad. If Shi Mu could not control his heart, Man would not let the two of them interact anymore. She could not do anything to hurt her brother for her own purposes. She told Shi Mu about the doubts she and Yi Zheng had and let him decide how to face Bai Yao. Shi Mu listened quietly, his expression turning from shock to calm. After a long time, he nodded hoarsely and said, ¡°I understand, Sister. I won¡¯t like her. I¡¯m willing to help you find the truth..¡± Chapter 261 - Chapter 261: Awkward Chapter 261: Awkward Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man sized up his expression seriously and did not see any hurt in his black eyes. Only then did she feel relieved and sigh. ¡°Brother, thank you.¡± ¡°Silly girl.¡± Shi Mu took the initiative to rub her head. His tone was as doting as if he was talking to a child. ¡°Brother is willing to do anything for you. Moreover, I don¡¯t like her to begin with. It¡¯s just that she keeps looking for me. As a man, I can¡¯t always reject her.¡± Shi Man smiled and personally picked a grape to feed him. Just as she was about to change the topic, she saw Shi Mu say with a serious expression, ¡°But you have to tell me honestly, are you and Yi Zheng really together?¡± Shi Man was slightly stunned before falling into deep thought. She did not want to lie to Shi Mu, but she and Yi Zheng were indeed a couple that was not public. It was just that this relationship was not so pure. It was completely because of a bet. She hesitated for a while and frowned awkwardly. ¡°At least I¡¯m sure that 1 don¡¯t like him yet.¡± Shi Mu smiled happily. He was happy, but Yi Zheng, who was standing at the door and had just entered, seemed to have been frozen by the heavy snow outside. He stood rooted to the ground for a long time without reacting. The butler raised his voice awkwardly and deliberately reminded the siblings in the living room, ¡°Aiya, CEO Yi, why did you come here in such heavy snow? Look at the snow on your body. Why didn¡¯t you say anything so that I could bring an umbrella to pick you up!¡± Yi Zheng quickly recovered his expression and his cold eyes moved away from Shi Man. Only then did he barely smile. ¡°No need. It¡¯s not far. I just came to see Auntie Shen and Uncle Shi and send over the specialties my mother brought back from her trip.¡± ¡°Aiyo, why did you bring so many things?¡± The butler quickly took off his coat for him and helped carry the things into the living room. He respectfully poured him a cup of hot tea before saying with a smile, ¡°Then sit first. I¡¯ll go to the study room and call CEO Shi and Madam down.¡± ¡°Yes, okay.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s tone was indifferent but polite. After the butler left, he sat in his seat and looked down at the tea leaves in the cup. He did not look up at Shi Man. The atmosphere in the living room was a little strange. Shi Mu couldn¡¯t stand this atmosphere the most. He frowned and took the initiative to explain, ¡°That was a private conversation between me and my sister. 1 didn¡¯t mean to target you. Even if you heard it, you have to pretend not to have heard it.¡± Yi Zheng was still looking down at the tea leaves. After a long time, he gently blew on them and took a sip. When he put down the teacup, there was finally a smile on his face, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you.¡± Shi Mu was stunned for a moment. With a trace of hope, he secretly observed his expression and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t hear it. Since you¡¯re here, stay at home for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°No.¡± Yi Zheng looked up at the girl opposite him with a smile. His heart suddenly ached, but he did not show it on his face. ¡°I¡¯m just here to deliver something. 1¡¯11 leave after telling Uncle and Auntie. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± This time, even Shi Mu felt a little strange. In the past, Yi Zheng would insist on staying even if Shi Mu didn¡¯t want him to eat at home. Now that he took the initiative to invite him, he didn¡¯t accept. It seemed that he was really angry. He looked at his sister¡¯s expressionless face and felt that this might be a good thing. If Yi Zheng could retreat, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the two of them anymore. Unexpectedly, before he could say the polite words to send him off, Shi Man suddenly took over and said, ¡°You¡¯re here to give us something. If we don¡¯t keep you for dinner, it will make us look rude. Moreover, Auntie Lu will ask you when you go back. It won¡¯t be easy for you to answer then.¡± She said it calmly, as if she had no selfish motives at all and was purely thinking about the big picture. However, the corners of Yi Zheng¡¯s mouth could not help but curl up. He had to forcefully press it down to barely hold it in. ¡°Forget it. If I¡¯m not around, perhaps your family wall be more at ease eating.¡± Shi Alan glared at him coldly and suddenly turned her head away in a fit of pique. ¡°Yes, 1 didn¡¯t expect you to know your limits!¡± The corners of Yi Zheng¡¯s mouth pressed down and his face turned slightly pale. Even Shi Mu nudged her gently and felt that she had gone overboard. He quickly tried to smooth things over. ¡°Aiya, let me see what delicious food Auntie Lu brought for us this time. Can I open it?¡± Yi Zheng lowered his eyes and smiled. ¡°Up to you.¡± Shi Mu chuckled. Then, he opened the box and saw the exquisitely wrapped pastries inside. She deliberately shouted exaggeratedly, ¡°Manman! These seem to be your favorite pastries! Take a look!¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her just now, but she suddenly said such hurtful words. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t put down her pride and say something soothing. She could only reply indifferently, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bring a gift to thank Auntie Lu personally next time..¡± Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Interrogation Chapter 262: Interrogation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yi Zheng smiled faintly, but his eyes were very calm. ¡°Alright, you can tell me in advance when you want to go. I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± The few of them were chatting awkwardly in the living room downstairs. Shen Xian and Shi Zhong came downstairs holding hands. When they saw the pile of gifts on the table, they immediately smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m already very happy that you can come. Why did you bring so many things?¡± Yi Zheng stood up politely and greeted the two of them before explaining, ¡°These are specialties my mother brought back from a trip. She specially asked me to bring it over for you and Uncle to try.¡± ¡°Xiaoxiang is back! Then I¡¯ll go over and talk to her tomorrow.¡± Shen Xian smiled and invited Yi Zheng to sit down. She let the butler put the things away first before taking the initiative to ask, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? We¡¯re going to eat later. Stay and eat together.¡± Yi Zheng lowered his eyes and did not speak. Shi Zhong noticed the abnormality in his expression and glared at Shi Mu. He advised with a friendly smile, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing on in the company, stay. Coincidentally, your Aunt Shen misses you too. Talk to your aunt.¡± Only then did Yi Zheng nod in agreement. The three of them chatted happily, isolating the siblings. Shi Mu was in a worse state. Just now, when Yi Zheng¡¯s expression was a little abnormal, Shi Zhong automatically determined that he had caused trouble and provoked Yi Zheng. Now that his father suddenly glared at him, he was still a little nervous. The sons of the Shi family were very respectful to their parents. At the age when their peers were rebellious, they were still obedient and sensible. In addition, Shi Zhong had accumulated power for a long time. Even Shi Ke did not dare to disobey his father easily, let alone the mischievous Shi Mu. Shi Man did not care what Shi Zhong would think. What she was most conflicted about now was her heart that seemed to be unstable suddenly. After thinking about it, she still felt that the problem was with Yi Zheng. It was as if there was a thorn under her body. She stood up from the sofa and said, ¡°I¡¯ll call Su Tang downstairs for dinner. You guys chat first.¡± Shi Zhong and his wife looked back and forth between their daughter and Yi Zheng in surprise. In the end, they couldn¡¯t say anything and let her leave the living room. In the room, Shi Man suddenly closed the door, afraid that there was a ferocious beast behind her. Her face was solemn as she leaned against the wall and panted. Su Tang was shocked by her. She hurriedly walked over and tested her forehead worriedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you sick?¡± Shi Man shook her head and looked from her face to her hand. She swallowed and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± Su Tang raised the drawing board in her hand and said with a smile, ¡°A portrait. 1 wanted to draw a family portrait for you as a gift. I didn¡¯t expect you to discover it first.¡± Shi Man¡¯s expression softened slightly. Her calm gaze landed on everyone depicted in the pencil. When her gaze landed on the face of the person on the left, her pupils constricted. ¡°Why draw him? He¡¯s not our family.¡± Su Tang looked at the drawing board strangely before realizing who she was referring to. She hurriedly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. 1 don¡¯t mean anything else. It¡¯s just that Mom said that she thinks he¡¯s like half her son, so I want to draw him on it too. If you¡¯re unhappy, I can wipe it off immediately!¡± She just wanted them to be happy, but if it caused trouble for Shi Man, she would immediately correct it. Unexpectedly, Shi Man suddenly pressed her hand down. Su Tang frowned in surprise and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why don¡¯t I draw another one?¡± Shi Man coughed dryly and looked away. She said awkwardly, ¡°No need. Since Mom likes it, just draw it.¡± Only then did Su Tang smile happily. She nodded heavily and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll draw this painting with all my heart. However, before I¡¯m done, you must keep this secret for me!¡± Shi Man nodded wildly and opened the door in a daze. She looked up and saw Yi Zheng waiting in the corridor. She suddenly had the urge to flee, but Yi Zheng clearly understood her thoughts. He grabbed her wrist first and brought her to a corner. He placed his arms on her sides and said, ¡°Why are you hiding?¡± Shi Man lost her temper and raised her neck to retort aggressively, ¡°Who¡¯s hiding? I¡¯m here to look for Su Tang! Don¡¯t flatter yourself!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± There was a faint smile on Yi Zheng¡¯s lips. When he was alone with Shi Man, there had never been a lack of this smile on his face, but today, he always revealed an aggrieved expression. Shi Man didn¡¯t want to look up, but he always had a way to force her to look up at him. Yi Zheng pinched her chin and his thin lips approached her lips. His eyes held her gaze tightly, and his expression was a little pitiful. ¡°1 don¡¯t like what you just said. Since you don¡¯t have any feelings for me, why don¡¯t you tell me in person and let me stop thinking about you?¡± Shi Man stared at him with widened eyes. A moment of shock flashed across her face, but she quickly regained her composure. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yi Zheng nodded slightly and said, ¡°As long as you say you don¡¯t like me, take it that I lost. The bet will be invalid from now on..¡± Chapter 263 - Chapter 263: Something More Interesting Chapter 263: Something More Interesting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Do you mean you want to give up?¡± Shi Man suddenly clenched her fists. Being stared at by him, Shi Man felt her heart skip a beat. ¡°I don¡¯t want to give up,¡± Yi Zheng replied with an extremely serious expression. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you either. If what I do disgusts you, I might as well not do it.¡± Shi Man pursed her lips and suddenly lowered her head, leaving him with a well-defined side profile. Her dark eyes were hidden under her hair, making it impossible for him to see her emotions. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t hate it.¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes as if he really didn¡¯t hear what she said just now. Shi Man took a deep breath and stared at him. She said word by word, ¡°The outcome of this bet has yet to be determined. You can¡¯t admit defeat in advance.¡± Yi Zheng smiled and tried his best to suppress it. He said with a vexed expression, ¡°But I¡¯m worried that my kindness to you will become a burden to you.¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Man blushed and looked away unnaturally. ¡°I think it¡¯s quite interesting.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows slightly and couldn¡¯t help but lean closer. His voice was magnetic and low. ¡°Then there¡¯s something even more interesting. We didn¡¯t finish it last time. Do you remember?¡± Shi Man¡¯s face suddenly turned red. She stared at Yi Zheng in disbelief, clearly quickly understanding what he meant. ¡°You want to¡­ Huh?¡± Before she could finish speaking, the rest of the words and the ambiguous ending sound were swallowed by him, and their warm breaths sprayed on each other¡¯s faces. It was not until the two of them were panting that Yi Zheng was willing to let go of her. He gently brushed her cheek with his fingers and his eyes were filled with light. ¡°Isn¡¯t this more interesting?¡± ¡°You!¡± Shi Man¡¯s mind was blank from his kiss just now. Now that she reacted, she raised her hand to hit him, but Yi Zheng grabbed her wist and pulled it behind her. His smile lingered on her flushed face, and the atmosphere became charming again. He couldn¡¯t help but hug her waist tightly and pull her closer. Just as he was about to lower his head and repeat what he had just done, a cry of surprise suddenly came from the staircase. Right on the heels of that, Shi Mu ran over angrily and pulled Shi Man out of his arms. The warm and soft body in his arms was suddenly snatched away. Yi Zheng frowned unhappily and his face fell. ¡°Shi Mu, this is the second time.¡± Shi Man stood behind her brother and narrowed her eyes as she licked her wet lips. The shy blush on her face turned pale. Shi Mu glared at him, wishing he could hit him directly. ¡°Who let you touch my sister! You¡¯re not worthy of touching her! Let me tell you, my sister doesn¡¯t like you. What you¡¯re doing now is forcing yourself on her, understand?!¡± Yi Zheng smiled evilly and looked past him at Shi Man. ¡°Manman, this is between the two of us, right?¡± Shi Mu was slightly stunned. He turned around and said aggressively, ¡°Sister, tell him to get lost now!¡± Shi Man sighed softly and reached out to tug at his sleeve. She said pitifully, ¡°Brother, Mom said she wanted to keep him for dinner. He didn¡¯t do anything to me. Let¡¯s go down.¡± Shi Mu was furious. He glared at Yi Zheng and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you approach my sister again, or I¡¯ll break your legs!¡± ¡°Shi Mu.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s expression changed slightly, and his tone was a little cold. ¡°I think there¡¯s something 1 have to remind you of now. My engagement to Manman is tacitly agreed on by the Yi and Shi families. If you insist on getting involved and objecting, please discuss it with Aunt Shen and Uncle Shi first. However, even if the elders of both families object, as long as Manman is willing, 1 won¡¯t let go.¡± ¡°Alright! Just you wait!¡± Shi Mu said ruthlessly. He did not want to talk to him anymore. He held Shi Man¡¯s hand and walked downstairs, shouting about what had just happened. Shen Xian did not expect her youngest son to have such a huge reaction to this matter. She secretly glanced in the direction of the stairs and hurriedly pulled him to sit down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. You¡¯re Manman¡¯s brother. You just have to keep an eye on Yi Zheng and not let him bully your sister.¡± ¡°But Mom, why did you agree to Manman marrying that person? He used to ignore Manman!¡± Shi Mu still couldn¡¯t get over this hurdle in his heart. No matter how well Yi Zheng treated Manman now, the harm he had done to Shi Man in the past would never be erased! Manman had suffered so much criticism for him. Didn¡¯t he have to feel guilty at all? Shen Xian sighed and patted Shi Mu¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t treat Manman well in the past. Our families know Yi Zheng¡¯s personality very well. If he doesn¡¯t like her, it¡¯s useless no matter what Manman does. But now, he clearly likes her. If he can treat Manman well in the future and make her happy for the rest of her life, why must we stop him?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Shi Mu wanted to say something else, but Shen Xian quietly grabbed his arm and stopped him. She pouted in Shi Man¡¯s direction, indicating for Shi Mu to calm down and take a look himself.. Chapter 264 - Chapter 264: Rebuked Chapter 264: Rebuked Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the main hall, the crystal chandelier cast a warm light on Shi Man, but the cold aura around her was incompatible with the warm atmosphere in the living room. She turned to look at the man above the stairs. Her expression gradually turned from cold to shy. She subconsciously touched her swollen upper lip with her fingers, looking shy and flustered. Shi Mu was stunned. Ever since his sister had achieved success in her studies, she had always been calm and composed. It had been a long time since he had seen such a lively expression on her face! If her sister in the past was like a snow lotus that had bloomed on a high mountain, then now, she was like a fairy who had walked down from the altar. However, she did not fall into the mortal world. Instead, she looked more lively and cute. His sister was slowly getting better because of Yi Zheng. As soon as this thought appeared in his mind, even Shi Mu was shocked. He quickly shook his head to expel this terrifying thought from his mind and made up his mind. No matter if his sister wanted to be with Yi Zheng in the future, he would never let that bastard have the chance to bully his sister! Shen Xian¡¯s persuasion was indeed effective. At least Shi Mu did not try to chase Yi Zheng away during dinner. The meal was quite peaceful, except for the occasional glares from Shi Mu and Yi Zheng. The next day was the last examination day. Shi Man tidied up the examination equipment and brought Su Tang straight to the examination hall. As soon as she stepped into the school, many students recognized Shi Man and avoided her, automatically making way for her. This was the dignity that Shi Man had accumulated from the battle with the Fang family. Later on, that matter almost spread throughout the various families. Everyone knew how powerful Shi Man¡¯s methods were. She actually made Fang Yu, who had been in the business world for many years, willingly give up the fat meat that was in his mouth. After that, every family instructed their children not to provoke Shi Man in school. Otherwise, it was hard to guarantee that their family would not be the next to suffer. Shi Man did not take these people seriously at all. She did not even look at the fear of the surrounding people. She pulled Su Tang to the classrooms to check the door signs and look for today¡¯s examination hall. Bai Yao narrowed her eyes and walked out from behind the corner of the wall. When she brushed past Shi Man, she suddenly twisted her ankle and tilted towards Shi Man. She thought that Shi Man would catch her at least so that she could take the opportunity to attack. Unexpectedly, Shi Man took a step back and watched her fall to the ground, smacking her lips in disgust. There were many students watching in the corridor, but no one dared to come forward to help Bai Yao. This was because the sudden drop in temperature around Shi Man made them unable to even move. They could only stand rooted to the ground. Geng Hui happened to be the invigilator of this examination hall. When he heard the commotion outside, he hurriedly ran out of the podium. When he saw Bai Yao sitting on the ground with a painful expression, he looked at Shi Man, who had always been very obedient in class. He quickly reached out to help her up and said, ¡°Why are you so careless? Did the corridor freeze and you lose your balance?¡± Bai Yao looked up in disbelief. Wouldn¡¯t normal people think that Shi Man had pushed her at this moment? Why did Geng Hui skip the steps of doubt and directly judge her to have fallen? However, although she harbored the thought, Bai Yao did not intend to frame Shi Man this time. She was helped up by Geng Hui and apologized to him apologetically. ¡°Thank you, Teacher. I might have slipped just now. I¡¯m really sorry for disturbing you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You didn¡¯t break anything, right?¡± After hearing from Bai Yao that this matter had nothing to do with Shi Man, he was still very happy, and the seriousness on his face faded. Bai Yao shook her head gently and said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you, Teacher.¡± With that, her gaze swept across Shi Man and she smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for almost implicating Student Shi just now. Fortunately, you dodged quickly. Otherwise, I would have hit you.¡± These words suited her personality. Shi Man pursed her lips speechlessly. ¡°Fortunately, you didn¡¯t hit me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Bai Yao thought that she would feel guilty, but she didn¡¯t expect her to be completely unpredictable. She was at a loss. Shi Man looked at her expression coldly and said condescendingly, ¡°If you hit me, you can¡¯t afford it.¡± This time, not only was Bai Yao petrified on the spot, but even Geng Hui did not know what to say. The students nearby revealed shocked expressions and couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how right their family¡¯s decision was. Now, in the entire school, only Su Tang dared to approach Shi Man openly. It was best for the others to hide as far as possible. Otherwise, if they really provoked her, the consequences would be unimaginable! Without waiting for Bai Yao to react, Shi Man pulled Su Tang around them and walked into the classroom. She first found a seat for Su Tang. Shi Man patiently waited for her to sit down before handing her the bag she had helped carry all the way. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯ll bring you out to play after the exam.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Su Tang smiled happily. The surrounding students immediately felt their teeth ache.. Why did their interaction look so sweet? Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: Surveillance Cameras, Peeping Tom Chapter 265: Surveillance Cameras, Peeping Tom Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios During the exam, Shi Man answered the questions very quickly. Before half of the time passed, she had already completed the entire set of papers. Su Tang, who was sitting not far behind her, had just finished answering halfway when she realized that she had already put down her pen and was sleeping on the table. She immediately felt the urgency of not being able to finish answering the test papers. Su Tang quickly finished writing the last test question. When she put down the pen, she heard the bell ring. Only then did she heave a sigh of relief. Shi Man was woken up by the pleasant ringtone and glared angrily at the location of the broadcast. It was unknown if the ringtone ended especially early today or something, but after Shi Man glanced at the broadcast, the ringtone stopped abruptly. Geng Hui, who had listened to it in school for many years, also felt that the ringtone today was a little strange. However, this did not affect him from collecting his papers on time. When he walked to Shi Man¡¯s side, Geng Hui was a little worried about Shi Man¡¯s results this time. He could not help but lower his voice and ask, ¡°How did you do?¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes sleepily and nodded randomly. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Hearing her say this, Geng Hui immediately felt confident. He smiled and said, ¡°If you¡¯re too tired, sleep a little more. Were you tired from staying up late last night to revise?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Man¡¯s lips twitched unnaturally. Last night, she had stayed up all night thinking about her feelings for Yi Zheng, which was why she was especially listless today. As for revising, she was very confident in her memory. She would never forget the knowledge when it fused into her brain. To her, there was no need to revise at all. Yi Zheng observed Shi Man¡¯s actions through the computer screen with a faint smile. Seeing that she was sleeping on the desk again, he raised his hand and hooked his finger for the school leader to come closer. ¡°Turn off the radio and inform the teachers to pay attention to the time.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The leader hurriedly nodded and ran to make arrangements. However, halfway through, he suddenly realized what he meant. He was stunned on the spot and turned around in confusion. ¡°Ah? There¡¯s no broadcast. What if the teachers forget about the time and delay the exam?¡± Yi Zheng sat still, but his arm rested impatiently on the arm of the chair. Tang Zhe could understand his master¡¯s meaning at a glance. He glanced at the leader coldly with a mocking smile on his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the teachers of Cassel Academy don¡¯t even have this sense of time? Huh?¡± The leader shivered at his cold tone and did not dare to question Yi Zheng¡¯s decision anymore. He hurriedly ran to do something. Therefore, for every exam that followed, the school was silent. There was no longer any deafening ringtone. Shi Man was already certain that this was Yi Zheng¡¯s doing because no one was more bored than him! After holding her breath and enduring the last test paper, she didn¡¯t wait for the set examination time to end and walked out of the classroom with her bag. Geng Hui didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her suddenly and what had made her unhappy. He hurriedly chased after her and coaxed, ¡°Shi Man, you still have to finish the test paper!¡± ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± After Shi Man said this coldly, she walked up the stairs expressionlessly. Only then did Geng Hui come back to his senses. He hurriedly ran back to the classroom to look at the test paper that Shi Man had casually thrown over. When he saw that not only had this test paper been answered, but there were no problems with all the answers, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief. After Bai Yao, who was sitting by the window, witnessed this scene with her own eyes, a plan quietly surfaced in her heart. In the office, Tang Zhe stared at the screen in disbelief and couldn¡¯t help but remind his master, who was still sitting leisurely, ¡°Miss Shi might have discovered you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Yi Zheng didn¡¯t take it to heart at all. He couldn¡¯t help but purse his lips and laugh. ¡°When she comes later, go outside and guard. Don¡¯t let anyone in.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Tang Zhe hurriedly agreed, but he could not help but worry for his master. Looking at Miss Shi¡¯s aggressive posture, she must be here to settle scores. However, in Master¡¯s eyes, it was as if she was having an affair with him. Looking at the smugness on his body, he knew that he really did not think that he might suffer later. Tang Zhe wanted to remind him, but he did not dare to disturb his master¡¯s mood. He could only shut his mouth and pray for him silently. Shi Man walked out of the office with a cold expression. When she saw Director Zou trembling outside and not daring to enter, she suddenly sneered and kicked the door open. Tang Zhe turned around in shock and looked at her with his mouth agape. He panicked for no reason and hurriedly stood in front of his master. Shi Man looked over coldly, her thin lips moving majestically. ¡°Get out.¡± He asked his Master uneasily. Yi Zheng spread his hands helplessly and said, ¡°Go out. It¡¯s not like she can eat me up¡± Shi Man¡¯s lips curled into a nasty smile. When she saw that her examination room was really playing on the computer screen, a cold glint flashed across her black eyes. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m here to eat you? Are you so at ease to be alone with me? Peeping Tom!¡± Yi Zheng stood up in amusement. He was not frightened by her oppressive aura at all. Instead, he held her hand intimately and said matter-of-factly, ¡°It¡¯s only right for you to eat me. I¡¯ll only let you eat me..¡± Chapter 266 - Chapter 266: Violent Maniac Chapter 266: Violent Maniac Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tang Zhe felt as if there was a nail under his feet. He didn¡¯t dare to be long-winded anymore and hurriedly ran out of the office. At the same time, he pushed away the teachers who were eavesdropping outside and carefully closed the door for the two of them. After doing this, he heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He deliberately stood where he could not hear the commotion inside and guarded the door for the two of them. Unfortunately, the situation inside was completely different from what he had imagined. Shi Man half-closed her eyes and sat in Yi Zheng¡¯s seat with a tired expression. She leaned her head lazily on her hand and said, ¡°Are you planning to ditch your company? Why are you here to peep at my exam instead of working?¡± ¡°This is very important to me.¡± Yi Zheng smiled meaningfully, but he did not intend to explain too much. He walked to the water dispenser and fetched her a glass of water. ¡°Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?¡± Shi Man waved his hand away and pulled him closer by his tie. She breathed ambiguously in his ear. ¡°Do you know that I don¡¯t like people spying on me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not spying on you.¡± Yi Zheng bit her ear ambiguously. ¡°I¡¯m invigilating.¡± He said it confidently, making Shi Man unable to vent her anger. However, seeing that this person was very good at going too far, Shi Man decided to teach him a lesson. Her half-closed eyes suddenly opened. She suddenly stretched out her hand to attack Yi Zheng. She did not hold back at all. If Yi Zheng took this hit, the mark on his face would probably cause him to be unable to show his face for a few days. Therefore, Yi Zheng would not let her hit him obediently. After putting down the glass of water, he quickly dodged and received Shi Man¡¯s flying kick right on the heels of that. The fight in the office was in full swing. Outside the room, Tang Zhe blushed and his heart raced. Master was indeed Master. He could actually be so intense when he did that. He was indeed different from ordinary men! He stood further away silently and stopped Geng Hui, who looked worried and wanted to enter the office to investigate. He said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t go in at this time. Be careful that Master and Miss Shi won¡¯t be happy.¡± ¡°But they are fighting!¡± Geng Hui was always thinking about the student he was proud of. When he heard the clanking sounds in the room, he was afraid that Shi Man would suffer under Yi Zheng and made a move to rush in. However, how could he be Tang Zhe¡¯s match? As long as Tang Zhe stood in front of him and did not move, he could forget about approaching the office! Tang Zhe saw his anxious expression and hinted kindly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is a consensual matter. Master knows his limits and won¡¯t really hurt Miss Shi.¡± ¡°What do you mean by consensual matter!¡± Geng Hui felt that Tang Zhe and Yi Zheng were two violent maniacs! How dare he say that violence and one-sided bullying were consensual? How ridiculous! He was arguing with Tang Zhe outside, trying to persuade the other party to turn back. Suddenly, there was a loud bang in the office, and right on the heels of that, the iron door was suddenly pulled open from the inside. Shi Man¡¯s hair was in a mess, and her clothes were in a mess as she walked out of the office. She glared at Tang Zhe coldly and said angrily, ¡°Get lost! A good dog doesn¡¯t block the way!¡± Tang Zhe hurriedly turned around to make way for her, admiring his master¡¯s methods even more. Just now, Geng Hui had given him a full twenty minutes. From beginning to end, Master could actually spend more than an hour the first time, and it was even in an unfavorable place like the office! Moreover, from the looks of it, Miss Shi was clearly convinced by her master¡¯s ability. It seemed that the future Madam¡¯s matter would really be a sure bet. It was a shoo-in! Just as he let his imagination run wild, Yi Zheng walked out of the office. He raised his hand and straightened his loosened tie, his eyes filled with an inextinguishable smile. When he saw Geng Hui, the corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t help but curl up. ¡°You must be Manman¡¯s form teacher. Thank you for taking care of Manman.¡± ¡°Ah? This is what I should do!¡± Geng Hui was completely stunned. Although Shi Man looked disheveled when she came out just now, there were indeed no signs of violence. He immediately could not understand what the two of them had done inside. On the other hand, the smile on Yi Zheng¡¯s face increased. When he looked at Geng Hui again, there was still a hint of guilt in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the commotion just now was a little big. The office is a little messy. I¡¯ll ask my assistant to stay and help you tidy up the office. Excuse me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my office?¡± Geng Hui frowned uneasily when he saw Yi Zheng striding after Shi Man. He quickly ran to the office to check. Geng Hui was stunned on the spot. Papers and books were scattered all over the office, and the trash can by the table had been kicked to the wall. Even the water dispenser was not spared. It lay on the ground, and drinking water flowed all over the ground. Tang Zhe coughed awkwardly and quickly moved the water dispenser up to apologize to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my master is talented. We will compensate for all the losses caused here.¡± Geng Hui only wanted him to shut up now.. How was this talented? He was clearly a perverted violent maniac! Chapter 267 - Chapter 267: Misunderstanding Widened Chapter 267: Misunderstanding Widened Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man left the school building and went straight to the parking lot. Shi Mu knew that she had finished the exam, so he had been waiting here. However, with fewer students in the school, he only saw Su Tang. Shi Man did not come out. According to Su Tang, Shi Man had handed in her paper and left in advance, but she had promised to go home with him and had never gone back on her word, so she should not have left school in advance. Worried that something had happened to his sister, he hurriedly contacted her form teacher, Geng Hui. Unexpectedly, after the other party picked up the call, he complained to him repeatedly. He patiently listened to the ins and outs and immediately hung up the phone angrily. He cursed Yi Zheng a thousand times in his heart. Just as he was about to roll up her sleeves and go in to settle scores with Yi Zheng, she saw Shi Man walking over hurriedly. Shi Mu hurriedly ran over and pulled Shi Man to size her up. His anger soared. ¡°That damn Yi Zheng actually dared to attack you. I¡¯ll skin him alive!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Shi Man grabbed his arm and looked at Su Tang evasively, indicating for her to help her stop Shi Mu. Now, she didn¡¯t have any strength in her body. She just wanted to go home and rest well. She didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with anything else for the time being. Su Tang and Shi Man had been together for so long that she had long mastered the ability to immediately understand what she meant with just a look. She quickly ran over and pulled Shi Mu back. ¡°Fourth Brother, let¡¯s go home first. When we get home, we¡¯ll listen to Manman talk about what happened just now.¡± ¡°What else do you need to hear? Mr. Geng told me that Yi Zheng attacked Manman in the office and even pushed down the water dispenser. How can my sister suffer such grievances!¡± The more Shi Mu thought about it, the more his heart ached. Even his eyes turned red from anxiety. This was their darling younger sister with whom they had grown up. She had actually been bullied by an outsider. If he did not avenge her, he would not have the face to live in the future! When Shi Man heard this, she realized that they had misunderstood. She immediately shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°He didn¡¯t hit me. Mr. Geng must have thought wrongly.¡± ¡°How is that possible? Then what¡¯s with the water dispenser?¡± Shi Mu widened his eyes in disbelief and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sister. You don¡¯t have to be afraid of him. I¡¯ll help you beat him up! Can he kill our entire family?!¡± He was really capable! Shi Man¡¯s thoughts were in a mess, but she still patiently advised, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. He really didn¡¯t hit me. I was the one who pushed the water dispenser down!¡± ¡°Manman, you don¡¯t have to cover for him. I have to avenge you today!¡± Shi Mu rolled up his sleeves and saw Yi Zheng following behind. He was instantly furious. However, when he got closer, he realized that half of Yi Zheng¡¯s exposed arm was covered in teeth marks. He was immediately stunned. Yi Zheng looked at him strangely as Shi Man suddenly blocked his way. He frowned at Shi Man and said, ¡°You abandoned me just like that? Are you leaving me behind after making me like this?¡± Shi Mu looked at his expressionless sister and at Yi Zheng¡¯s arm injuries in surprise. A ridiculous thought suddenly arose in his mind. He coughed dryly and said without confidence, ¡°Sister, did you do all this to him?¡± Shi Man¡¯s eyes flickered as she nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Mu was speechless. He turned to glare at Yi Zheng and said awkwardly, ¡°Did you hit my sister?¡± ¡°How would I dare?¡± Yi Zheng rolled his eyes at him in disdain. Then, he strode around him and stood in front of Shi Man. He reached out and grabbed her chubby cheek. ¡°Since you bit me a few times, we¡¯re even. Don¡¯t be angry, understand?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s even with you? You even¡­¡± He even kissed her again! As Su Tang and Shi Mu were still present, Shi Man swallowed her last words. However, her round eyes were still glaring at him unhappily as she pried his hand away. Yi Zheng leaned over and continued to stick to her side in amusement. He couldn¡¯t help but lick his lips to savor the taste. ¡°I¡¯ll take you out for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Man opened the car door and was about to get into the car. Yi Zheng reached out to grab her, a sly glint flashing across his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a loss if you don¡¯t go, huh?¡± He licked his lips gently, implying something. Shi Man thought of the scene of him pressing her on the desk just now and was furious again. She grabbed his tie and said, ¡°You can ask me out for a meal, but I have the final say on what to eat and where to eat!¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Yi Zheng agreed generously. He held her hand naturally and smiled at Shi Mu. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll borrow your sister first. I¡¯ll personally send her back to the Shi family later.¡± ¡°Hey, wait!¡± Shi Mu wanted to stop them and clarify the matter. However, Su Tang clearly knew the situation better than him. She grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Forget it, Fourth Brother. If Manman was really bullied, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have the same reaction as before..¡± Chapter 268 - Chapter 268: Climbing the Mountain Chapter 268: Climbing the Mountain Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In fact, Su Tang knew Shi Man better because she actually saw a trace of shyness in Shi Man¡¯s anger just now. Seeing that their car had already driven far away, Shi Mu retracted his gaze unwillingly. Just as he was about to get into the car with Su Tang and go home, a sharp female voice stopped him from behind. Bai Yao had just walked out of the teaching building and was fantasizing about the day the exam results were released. She was feeling smug when she saw another woman tugging at Shi Mu. The smile on her face instantly disappeared. She walked between the two of them angrily and held Shi Mu¡¯s arm domineeringly as if she was declaring ownership. ¡°Brother Mu, who is this person? Are you going on a date?¡± Su Tang blushed and wanted to explain, but Shi Mu had already shaken off her hands. ¡°Miss Bai, please respect yourself.¡± Bai Yao stomped her feet angrily and glared at Su Tang indignantly. Then, she wheedled at Shi Mu. ¡°Brother Mu, we just finished the exam today. Do you want to go to a movie with Yaoyao?¡± Shi Mu subconsciously wanted to refuse, but when he thought of what Shi Man had said previously, he resisted the annoyance in his heart and nodded in an unfriendly tone. ¡°Alright, Su Tang, go back yourself first.¡± Of course, Su Tang would not have any objections. However, when she thought of Shi Man¡¯s promise to bring her out to play before the exam, she could not help but feel a little disappointed. Bai Yao felt even more smug. At the thought that she had the ability to snatch Shi Mu away from another woman, she felt that victory was in her hands. It was as if Shi Mu loved her so much that he could not extricate himself. Little did she know that Shi Mu really hated her now, but he could only swallow his anger in order to find out the truth as soon as possible. On the other side, Shi Man instructed Yi Zheng to stop at a farm manor. When Tang Zhe called, the two of them had just gone across a muddy cement ground. At this moment, Yi Zheng was wiping the dirt off his leather shoes with a confused expression. When he picked up the phone, his tone was a little breathless. Tang Zhe was shocked. He thought that his master¡¯s combat strength was super strong, but he actually started to exercise again. He hurriedly wanted to hang up. However, Yi Zheng quickly straightened his back and asked impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Tang Zhe was so horrified that he could not even speak properly, afraid that his master would be furious because he had disturbed his good deed. Fortunately, Yi Zheng was not really disturbed by him. He was in a good mood as he arranged, ¡°I won¡¯t go back tonight. Call me if there¡¯s anything at the company.¡± ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Tang Zhe nodded in surprise. It was not until the call ended that he realized that President Yi could not see his expression now. His barely maintained composure suddenly broke down and he could not help but scream on the streets, ¡°Wow! The President is so awesome. He¡¯s staying the night so soon!¡± The bystanders who passed by rolled their eyes at him in disdain. They couldn¡¯t stand this young man¡¯s attitude in regard to the other party not returning home at night. They thought that he was a local hooligan dressed in a suit, so they hurriedly took a few steps and hid far away. Shi Man smiled as she listened to him and Tang Zhe. Her face was filled with a mocking smile. ¡°Who told you that we¡¯re not going back tonight?¡± Yi Zheng smiled and bent down to continue carrying her in his arms. His breathing was steady as he said, ¡°I said that there are no streetlights on this mountain road when we came. It¡¯s dangerous to go back too late. There should be a place for tourists in the manor. We¡¯ll go back tomorrow.¡± Shi Man sneered and pushed his arm. ¡°That¡¯s enough. There¡¯s no mud on the road ahead. You can put me down.¡± Yi Zheng looked at the yellow soil and frowned in disgust. ¡°Wait a little longer. I¡¯ll put it you down when we reach the asphalt road ahead.¡± When they came, they were completely under Shi Man¡¯s command and did not take the normal road at all. Therefore, later on, the cars were stuck at the foot of the mountain and could not drive up. Now, they could only rely on manpower to climb the mountain. Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t bear for her to dirty her clothes, so he carried her up from the foot of the mountain. Only when they reached a place with people did he gently put her down. He smiled and straightened her wrinkled coat. ¡°Let¡¯s go and see what¡¯s delicious inside.¡± Shi Man pursed her lips helplessly. What good food could there be here? It was just a farm manor halfway up the mountain. She only found out about this place by accidentally scrolling through her cell phone and seeing tourist photos online. Not many people came to this place. Most of them were residents who ran and exercised every morning, so the business of the manor was very bleak. It was winter now, so almost no outsiders would come here. The manor owner had originally planned to close the place and rest, but he did not expect to really meet two well-dressed guests. He immediately greeted the two of them with a smile and was so happy that his mouth was about to reach his ears. ¡°Aiyo, are the two of you from out of town? What do you want to eat?¡± Shi Man smiled and pointed at the two chickens flapping in the front yard. ¡°That one.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The boss hurriedly opened the cage to catch the chickens. Unexpectedly, the thin little girl stretched out her long arm and pushed the man in a suit out. She smiled evilly and said, ¡°Boss, you don¡¯t have to care about this. Let him cook personally today..¡± Chapter 269 - Chapter 269: Relapse Chapter 269: Relapse Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The boss instantly looked up at the young man in a suit. No matter how he looked at him, he didn¡¯t look like he would kill a chicken. However, in the face of the girl¡¯s unreasonable request, the man only smiled and reached out to take the chicken from the boss. He raised his hand and chopped off the chicken¡¯s head, causing blood to splatter all over the ground. The boss was dumbfounded. He was a restaurant owner himself, and he often killed fowls. However, he had never seen anyone kill a chicken in such an imposing manner. It was not strange for this man to chop off a person¡¯s head. He subconsciously touched his neck and dodged to the side in guilt and fear. He nodded like a chick pecking at rice and said, ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll leave this place to you. If you need help with anything, my number is on the door.¡± ¡°Thank you, Boss.¡± Shi Man smiled without changing her expression, making him feel even more creeped out. This little girl was also an anomaly. She could actually smile when she saw such a bloody scene. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that these two people must have a powerful background. In any case, there wouldn¡¯t be any other guests in the manor now, so it was better to just let the two of them play. After the boss left, only the two of them were left in the empty manor. Yi Zheng held the completely dead chicken and asked lazily, ¡°How do you want to eat it?¡± Shi Man lowered her head seriously and thought for a while before giving an answer seriously. ¡°Roast it.¡± Yi Zheng did not comment. He took the chicken to boil in a pot of hot water. Then, as if he had handled it a million times, he skillfully plucked the chicken¡¯s feathers and removed its internal organs. Shi Man sized him up thoughtfully and suddenly asked, ¡°Did you secretly practice cooking at home after the last competition?¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s clean actions suddenly stopped, but he returned to normal in the blink of an eye. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Shi Man sneered. ¡°The last time you were in my kitchen, you were clearly very unfamiliar with cooking. It was obvious that you had never done it before. Why are you suddenly so familiar with it this time?¡± Yi Zheng smiled shyly. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you last time. I know how to make some simple dishes. It¡¯s just that there weren¡¯t many ingredients in your fridge at that time, so I could only choose a few items to make.¡± Shi Man smiled and said slowly, ¡°Then let¡¯s see your true strength today.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yi Zheng looked up slightly, his eyes filled with joy. ¡°Go outside and play first. I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s done.¡± Shi Man wanted to stay and help, but she thought of something more important and did not say anything else. She nodded and went out of the cafeteria. She worked outside for a long time until Yi Zheng came out to call her. Only then did she put her frozen hand into her pocket. ¡°Take it out and eat. 1 just made a snow cave. Do you want to try it?¡± Yi Zheng widened his eyes and looked at the snow cave that was more than a meter tall. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll pick up some firewood to start a fire.¡± This was the first time Shi Man had shown her playful side. Yi Zheng naturally had to go along with her and let her reveal all her unknown personalities in front of him. Although the winter night was cold, there was a snow cave to block the wind, and there was a fire burning at the entrance of the cave. It was not very cold for people to hide inside. Yi Zheng¡¯s cooking skills were obviously much better than the last time. The two of them ate a portion each and lay comfortably in the hole to digest their food. The cold wind was blowing outside, but it was all isolated outside. Only the two of them had a small world that was filled with happiness and warmth. Yi Zheng looked at the pure white snowflakes above his head and suddenly turned to face Shi Man. His voice was clear and cold. ¡°Do you want to lean over to keep warm?¡± Shi Man glanced at him from the corner of her eye and lay still. ¡°No, I¡¯m not cold.¡± Yi Zheng leaned over and held her hand. ¡°If you like, I can stay here with you for two more days.¡± In any case, Shi Man¡¯s final exams had already ended. It did not matter if she did not go to school. Tang Zhe was also in the company, so it was not a big problem for him to leave for two days. However, Shi Man clearly did not think so. She actually wanted to go back tonight. She turned her head and looked straight at him. ¡°If I really stay here alone with you for a few days, I¡¯m afraid my mother will urge me to get married when I go back.¡± Yi Zheng chuckled softly as if he was imagining the scene at that time. He couldn¡¯t hide the smile on his face. After being glared at by Shi Man, he restrained it a little. ¡°I promised you that I wouldn¡¯t do anything before you gave me your permission.¡± Shi Man raised her fingers that were still grabbed by him and smiled mockingly. ¡°What about now?¡± Yi Zheng wanted to tease her for a while longer, but the long-lost burning sensation in his chest immediately made him speechless. He suddenly tightened his grip on her hand. In the blink of an eye, he was already drenched in sweat. ¡°Manman, hot poison.¡± Shi Man sat up and unbuttoned his jacket quickly, trying her best to let the heat in his body dissipate. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring needles. I¡¯ll drive you back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Yi Zheng grabbed her wrist tightly and refused to let go. He struggled to get up and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go back. I¡¯ll just endure it..¡± Chapter 270 - Chapter 270: Regret Chapter 270: Regret Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was snowing heavily outside. At this time, not to mention going down the mountain to drive, even the owner of the nearby manor would find it difficult to come over. If Shi Man carried him down the mountain alone, they might both fall down the mountain if they were not careful. Shi Man knew how dangerous this was and did not insist on leaving with him. She could only try her best to make him feel better. She put out the fire and helped him back to the guest room. She started to take off his clothes. Yi Zheng held her hand on his chest, her figure reflected in his dark eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Shi Man ignored him. She unbuttoned his shirt and took off his clothes. As she took them off, she said matter-of-factly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of this saying? In the eyes of doctors, there¡¯s no difference between men and women.¡± Yi Zheng smiled with difficulty. There was a hint of playfulness in his scarlet eyes. He suddenly opened his arms and let her play with him. Shi Man removed his clothes quickly and avoided his important parts with a calm expression. She stripped him naked without looking sideways and threw him into the bathroom. The guest room in this manor did not have such a bathtub. One could only stand and shower. She pushed Yi Zheng under the showerhead and was about to turn on the tap to fill the water. At this moment, Yi Zheng¡¯s blood seemed to be flowing with a ball of fire. His manic emotions were anxious for him to find an opening to vent. He suddenly grabbed her wrist and pushed her out of the bathroom. He closed the door and panted heavily. ¡°Stay away. Don¡¯t come over.¡± Shi Man stared suspiciously at the blurry figure on the glass door and frowned in confusion. ¡°Then don¡¯t shower for too long. I¡¯ll go see if there¡¯s anything here that can be used. I¡¯ll come back to look for you later.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Yi Zheng replied in a low voice. Only when the footsteps outside were getting further and further away did he impatiently turn on the tap and let the cold water extinguish the flames in his body. After leaving the guest room, Shi Man called the owner of the manor and asked about the location of the medical box. Fortunately, the owner of this shop had a habit of nourishing his health. He always had a set of silver needles at home that could be used by doctors when they came to perform acupuncture. After disinfecting the needles seriously, she took a few food items from the kitchen and brought them back to the guest room. At this moment, the sound of the water in the bathroom was still splashing. Shi Man estimated the time and could not help but knock on the door to remind him after putting down her things. ¡°You should be almost done. It¡¯ll backfire if you continue to drench yourself in cold water.¡± After saying that, she paused slightly, but the sound of water in the bathroom did not stop. She suddenly felt a little uneasy and raised her hand to knock on the door hurriedly. ¡°It¡¯s time to come out. Yi Zheng, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Other than the sound of splashing water, there was no other sound. Shi Man panicked. Ignoring the fact that the person inside was not dressed yet, she opened the door and rushed in. In the bathroom, the showerhead seemed to be raining heavily. There was so much water on the floor that it reached his ankles. The man lying unconscious on the ground seemed to have been abandoned in a storm. He allowed the cold water droplets to hit his body, leaving red marks on his pale skin. Seeing the man who had fainted on the ground with her own eyes, she frowned tightly. She carried him out of the bathroom and threw him onto the bed. She took a deep breath and began to perform acupuncture. Yi Zheng¡¯s relapse was more serious than ever. The fundamental reason was that Shi Man had once poisoned him to stall for time and protect the Shi family. At that time, she did not think that their relationship might ease in the future. She only thought that she could use the opportunity to treat him to control him so that he could not do anything to the Shi family. If not for that, Yi Zheng would have recovered long ago. She was the one who had caused him to suffer this time. Looking at his pale and almost transparent skin, Shi Man¡¯s heart ached for no reason. It was as if fate had played a big joke on her and made her regret it one day because of a man. Shi Man¡¯s hand trembled slightly as she performed the acupuncture. She forced herself to calm down and temporarily put everything aside. She only treated the man in front of her as a patient who had nothing to do with her. However, when her cold fingers accidentally brushed against his hot skin, her heart still skipped a beat, and her silver needles almost went askew. She did not dare to touch him again and focused on treating him. It was only when it was over that the taut string in her mind suddenly snapped. After removing the silver needles, the burning temperature in Yi Zheng¡¯s body gradually subsided, and his heartbeat and pulse stabilized. Shi Man ate something to replenish her strength with a straight face. She was so tired that she lay on the side. She originally only wanted to sleep for a while, but because of the steady and peaceful breathing beside her, she fell asleep. When she woke up again, she was holding a warm object in her arms. She suddenly opened her eyes, her dark eyes filled with panic. Looking at the handsome face in front of her, Shi Man smiled awkwardly and tried to make up for it for herself as if nothing had happened. ¡°I¡¯ve said before that there¡¯s no gender difference in the eyes of doctors. Don¡¯t think too much!¡± Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes and smiled.. His gaze landed on her arm around his waist and he asked playfully, ¡°Is this also part of your treatment?¡± Chapter 271 - Chapter 271: Doubt Chapter 271: Doubt Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As if she had been scalded, Shi Man immediately retracted her hand and sat up awkwardly with her back facing him. ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up first. Get up and put on your clothes. Be careful or I¡¯ll sue you for being a hooligan.¡± ¡°You were the one who took off my clothes,¡± Yi Zheng said slowly on the bed. Shi Man walked faster; her fleeing figure was filled with coldness. Yi Zheng stared at her until she closed the bathroom door with a bang. Only then did he bear to look away and look at his chest thoughtfully. There was still Shi Man¡¯s body temperature on it, but there was still a trace of doubt in his focused eyes. The heat poison had been in his body for many years, and he was already familiar with the pain every time it acted up. However, ever since Shi Man treated him, although the interval between the attacks of the illness was indeed getting longer, the pain every time it acted up was more and more intense. This kind of treatment was just like drinking poison to quench his thirst. Yi Zheng was sure that Shi Man was not lying to him back then. She really had the ability to treat his fever. However, the effect of this treatment clearly did not seem to be slowly improving. Instead, it seemed to be worsening. Moreover, he could clearly feel that Shi Man¡¯s acupuncture this time was different from the previous few times. The more he thought about it, the more his heart sank. If his feeling this time was not an illusion, then Shi Man must have hidden other secrets when she treated him in the past. During breakfast, because of Shi Man¡¯s hurried call last night, the boss rushed over early in the morning. Seeing that the two of them were eating breakfast safely, he was relieved. He went to the kitchen and made a pot of hot tea for the two of them. He asked with a polite and kind smile, ¡°Do you still plan to stay today?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Man was about to reach for her bank card to settle the bill when Yi Zheng held her hand and paid first. The boss accepted it with a smile. Then, he left the cafeteria very consciously, leaving space for the two of them. Yi Zheng finished the last mouthful of porridge in his bowl and casually chatted with her. ¡°How long will it take for my illness to be completely cured?¡± Shi Man suddenly stopped chewing and regained her composure. ¡°Soon. After this, it will only act up again in a few months. When the time comes, it should be fine after another acupuncture.¡± This time, she did not drug him. Because of this illness, a lot of the toxins accumulated in his body had been discharged with sweat. As long as she gave up on carrying her own goods, Yi Zheng¡¯s illness was nothing. She never really wanted his life from the beginning. She just wanted to make him dependent on her for his illness. Yi Zheng nodded thoughtfully. He stood up and patted her shoulder. ¡°Take your time. I¡¯ll go outside to get some fresh air.¡± He walked out of the manor and deliberately stood in a quiet area. He took out his phone and called Tang Zhe, asking him to investigate all the rare herbs related to this illness. After instructing Tang Zhe, he turned around and saw Shi Man standing at the door, staring at him intently. A strange sweetness flashed across his chest. He smiled and walked back to her side. ¡°If Auntie asks when we get back, you can push all the responsibility to me. Tell her that I wanted to stay here and didn¡¯t want to go back. I dragged you to eat roasted chicken with me in the snow cave.¡± Shi Man rolled her eyes at him, but there was a smile on her face. ¡°No need. I¡¯m already so old. Can¡¯t I make my own decisions when I come out to play?¡± Unfortunately, things did not go according to her wishes. It was only when she returned home and saw Shi Zhong¡¯s ashen face that she realized how unforgiving some strict parents were. As Shen Xian patted his chest to calm him down, she gave Shi Man a look, indicating for her to go back to her room to rest first. She would handle everything here. Shi Zhong was indeed angry at Shi Man for not coming home at night, but he was not angry enough to quarrel with his wife over this matter. After muttering a few words, he was persuaded by Shen Xian to go to the company. Last night, Shen Xian was also very worried about her daughter¡¯s safety. However, when she thought about how mature and steady her daughter was now, she was still willing to trust her. She tiptoed and knocked on the door. Seeing Shi Man¡¯s expressionless face, she quickly handed her the tray in her hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if you had breakfast, so I asked the kitchen to make some for you.¡± Shi Man sighed helplessly. She took the tray from her and moved aside to let her in. Shen Xian sat on the sofa and sized up her daughter for a moment. Then, she smiled gossipily and said, ¡°Did you have fun? Why did you suddenly think of going to such a faraway manor?¡± Shi Man was always more patient and close to Shen Xian. She explained to her obediently, ¡°I just suddenly wanted to go. Mom, I know what you¡¯re worried about, but nothing happened between Yi Zheng and me.¡± ¡°Mom knows that you¡¯re very good at protecting yourself.¡± Shen Xian relaxed and patted her head gently as if she was still the little girl who would wheedle in her arms. ¡°Your father was just worried about you. Don¡¯t blame him for having a bad temper. When he found out that you weren¡¯t coming back last night, he didn¡¯t sleep well the entire night..¡± Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Humiliation Comes Too Fast Chapter 272: Humiliation Comes Too Fast Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man had no intention of blaming Shi Zhong because she did not care much about her nominal father. Ever since she came to this world, Shi Zhong had never shown her the love a father should have for a child. In front of her, he would always have a straight face. Shi Man did not approve of this method of nurturing a child, so Shi Zhong could not get close to her. However, she cared a lot about Shen Xian and the other brothers who were sincerely concerned about her. Hence, even if it was for them, she would not deliberately fall out with Shi Zhong. The best way for father and daughter to get along was to live in harmony. Shen Xian had said everything she needed to say. She did not want to nag too much. She stood up with a gentle smile and said, ¡°Then have a good rest. Mommy will go out first. If there¡¯s anything, let Mommy know, okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded gently. She was so obedient that one could not help but feel soft-hearted for her. As soon as Shen Xian left, Yi Zheng called. When they returned, he wanted to send Shi Man home and explain to her family before leaving. However, he did not expect to suddenly receive a call from Tang Zhe on the way. The company¡¯s board of directors was holding an emergency meeting, so he had to go back immediately. That was why he had no choice but to let her go home alone. Now that he was free, he immediately called Shi Man to ask. When he heard that she was fine, he was relieved. ¡°I¡¯ll bring my compensation to your house after work. Remember to bring me a portion of dinner.¡± Shi Man pursed her lips and pretended to be disdainful. ¡°No, go and drink the northwest wind.¡± After hanging up, Yi Zheng was still holding his cell phone and snickering. The corners of his eyes and brows were filled with doting love. Tang Zhe looked at his master¡¯s expression and knew who it was he was thinking about at the moment. However, that matter was not trivial. He could only brace himself and interrupt his imagination. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve already found out what you asked me to investigate. There¡¯s indeed a herb that can exacerbate your heat poison, but it¡¯s not fatal. It¡¯s just that if you use it too much, you¡¯ll be dependent. You can buy it in ordinary black markets.¡± Yi Zheng put away the smile on his face. After taking the information from him and reading it carefully, his heart suddenly sank to the bottom. Tang Zhe carefully peeked at his expression and could not help but ask curiously, ¡°Master, why are you suddenly asking about this? Did someone take advantage of the situation and poison you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yi Zheng quickly denied his guess. His dark eyes were silent. ¡°Don¡¯t mention this to anyone. We have to pretend not to know, understand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tang Zhe knew that his curiosity was the last thing he should have when working beside Yi Zheng. He quickly composed himself and right on the heels of that, he started talking about the things to take note of in the upcoming meeting. However, Yi Zheng did not listen to a single word. His mind was filled with Shi Man¡¯s serious gaze when she treated him in the past. If she had really poisoned him, he could not figure out the motive behind it for the time being. However, there was no doubt that Shi Man had indeed wanted to escape from him at the beginning. That was why she had rejected him in every way. However, that seemed to be completely contradictory to the motive of poisoning him and making him dependent. After thinking about it, he could only come to one conclusion, and that was to wait. The next time his illness acted up, would Shi Man do anything to him? If she didn¡¯t, he could pretend that he didn¡¯t know anything and continue to treat her well with all his heart, but if she continued to do that¡­ Yi Zheng suddenly felt a little suffocated. He simply threw away these distracting thoughts and walked up to Tang Zhe. ¡°Has the end-of-term reward been sent to Cassel Academy?¡± Tang Zhe, who was talking about serious matters, was suddenly stunned. He widened his eyes and stammered, ¡°I¡­ I sent it. The principal said that the results will be released tomorrow. When the time comes, it will definitely be sent to Miss Shi.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good.¡± Yi Zheng nodded coldly. He buttoned his suit and glanced at the time on his watch. ¡°Inform the meeting to gather in the meeting room on the 20th floor in five minutes.¡± Tang Zhe quickly regained his composure. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll arrange it immediately.¡± When they got off work at night, Yi Zheng came as expected. Tang Zhe, who was carrying a lot of things, accompanied him. The butler hurriedly took the things from him and respectfully invited Yi Zheng into the living room. Only then did he pull Tang Zhe to the side sneakily and ask in a low voice, ¡°Were your master and my young lady alone all night last night?¡± Tang Zhe stole a glance at his master¡¯s back and was so embarrassed that his face turned red. He casually lied on behalf of his master and said, ¡°No, there were many people playing with us! Hahaha, don¡¯t be so nervous, hahaha.¡± The butler stared suspiciously at Secretary Tang, who was still smiling foolishly. Suddenly, he smelled something suspicious. He continued to ask, ¡°Who else went to play with you? Tell me.¡± ¡°Aiyo, why are you asking this? Can my master bring Miss Shi out alone for the night¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Yi Zheng¡¯s calm and strong voice suddenly sounded from the living room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle Shi. The two of us were indeed alone last night..¡± Chapter 273 - Chapter 273: Guilty Chapter 273: Guilty Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tang Zhe¡¯s current mood could no longer be described with words. He was so embarrassed that he wished he could throw his face on the ground and let the butler step on him a few times to vent his anger. Seeing the old butler¡¯s meaningful gaze, Tang Zhe¡¯s heart beat to beat a retreat. After sincerely bowing and apologizing, he immediately ran back into the car. In the living room, Shi Zhong sat on the sofa with a dark expression. He listened carefully to Yi Zheng¡¯s explanation and his expression softened. ¡°We¡¯ve known about your illness for the past few years. Let me find another famous doctor and see if he can treat you completely.¡± ¡°No need, Uncle Shi.¡± Yi Zheng thanked him politely and secretly glanced in Shi Man¡¯s direction. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already found someone who can treat me. That person said that he will definitely be able to treat me next time.¡± When Shi Zhong heard this, he immediately perked up and could not help but ask in detail, ¡°Who is this person? When you¡¯re free, you can invite him to my house so that I can meet him.¡± Yi Zheng pursed his lips and looked troubled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that person won¡¯t agree. Uncle Shi, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll contact him when I get back.¡± ¡°Since ancient times, famous doctors have their own strange tempers.¡± Shi Zhong did not suspect anything and waved his hand with a smile. ¡°Forget it, forget it. Our Shi family doesn¡¯t have any difficult illnesses, so we won¡¯t trouble famous doctors. However, Xiao Zheng, you must remember to treat him well.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yi Zheng agreed with a smile. He had completely passed the test regarding the matter of staying out last night. During dinner, Shi Zhong and Yi Zheng were still chatting happily. Shi Zhong drank a lot of wine in his excitement and was sent back to his room by Shen Xian to rest after dinner. While people were clearing the dining table in the dining room, Yi Zheng grabbed Shi Man¡¯s hand and pulled her aside. He lowered his voice and approached her. ¡°How are you going to thank me?¡± Shi Man stared at him in confusion. ¡°Why should I thank you?¡± ¡°I helped you cover it up just now.¡± He smiled evilly and lowered his head. ¡°Miss Shi, you haven¡¯t practiced martial arts, but your marksmanship is superb. You haven¡¯t learned medicine, but you know how to use acupuncture to treat the rare heat, huh?¡± His voice was low and magnetic, to begin with. When he deliberately lowered his voice and whispered into her ear, it immediately made her shiver. ¡°If you want to say it, go ahead. No one will believe you anyway.¡± Yi Zheng chuckled softly, his eyes gentle and doting. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Since you¡¯re unwilling to thank me, I¡¯ll ask for a reward myself, alright?¡± ¡°What are you going to do¡­ Ugh!¡± Caught off guard, her lips were sealed. Shi Man reached out to push him away in shock. This time, Yi Zheng stopped after a light sip. He kindly let go of her lips and his eyes gradually darkened. ¡°I have a gift for you tomorrow.¡± Shi Man pushed him uncomfortably. ¡°I have to go back to school tomorrow. I don¡¯t have time to see you.¡± Yi Zheng thought of that item and smiled smugly. ¡°I know. I hope you¡¯ll like it when the time comes.¡± Shi Man¡¯s mind was filled with question marks. Just as she was about to ask in detail, she suddenly saw Shi Mu standing at the corner of the corridor in a daze. It was obvious that he had seen their situation clearly. It was all this damn Yi Zheng¡¯s fault for making her so impatient that she did not even notice that someone was approaching. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She could not help but raise her eyes and glare at him. She pushed him away angrily and ran to Shi Mu¡¯s side. ¡°Brother, are you looking for me?¡± Shi Mu came back to his senses and scratched his head gloomily. ¡°Oh, nothing much. I¡¯ll go back to my room first. You guys take your time to chat.¡± She thought that Shi Mu would be furious when he saw the scene just now, but she did not expect his reaction to be so calm. This time, it was Shi Man¡¯s turn to be surprised. She stared at his back thoughtfully. Yi Zheng consciously put his hand on her waist and pulled her into his arms. He looked at her unhappily. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Shi Man was thinking about something and did not notice what he had just done. She pursed her lips and said hesitantly, ¡°Don¡¯t you think my brother has been abnormal the entire day?¡± Ever since Yi Zheng took the initiative to confess that the two of them had been alone for the entire night, Shi Mu¡¯s reaction had been very wrong. He was too calm, so calm that he seemed to have become a different person. Shi Man could not help but suspect that he was hiding something from his family. Yi Zheng pinched her cheek in amusement. ¡°You just realized?¡± Shi Man slapped his hand away in pain and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m talking about serious matters with you.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay.¡± Yi Zheng smiled good-naturedly and said, ¡°He might be feeling guilty.¡± ¡°Guilty?¡± Shi Man pointed in the direction Shi Mu had left in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re talking about my brother? What¡¯s there to be guilty about?¡± Yi Zheng sighed. ¡°You didn¡¯t even want to give me a reward just now. Now you¡¯re thinking about getting the information for nothing?¡± Shi Man suddenly felt her teeth itch. She narrowed her eyes and endured it. In the end, she was forced by her curiosity to tiptoe and peck his mouth gently. ¡°Can you say it now?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Yi Zheng smiled satisfactorily and said meaningfully, ¡°I heard that someone else didn¡¯t go home last night..¡± Chapter 274 - Chapter 274: Framed Chapter 274: Framed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What did Shi Mu do that night? Why did he not go home? No matter how Shi Man asked him, he refused to tell her in detail. Shi Man had no choice but to wait until he was willing to speak before asking in detail. The next day, the school would announce the results, grade rankings, and homework. Hence, all the students had to be present. Shi Man and Su Tang walked into the classroom at the right time. As soon as they entered, Chen Wei hurriedly ran over and said happily, ¡°Sister Man, you¡¯re the top student again this time. You¡¯re really amazing! Our Class F¡¯s results will depend on you!¡± Su Tang was very happy when she heard this. She congratulated her with a smile. ¡°Manman, the highest scholarship in the cohort this time will definitely be yours!¡± Shi Man did not feel anything about the bonus. She sat back in her seat indifferently and deliberately teased her. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, this money would probably be yours!¡± Su Tang blushed and smiled shyly. ¡°I¡¯m not that good to get first place in the cohort.¡± Before Shi Man came, she was only the top student in Class F. Although she had also been at the top of the cohort, her scholarship was still very meager. Now that someone was ranked ahead of her, she probably did not even have the money from before. However, she was also happy that Shi Man could successfully obtain the highest reward. The classroom was discussing their results excitedly, but Geng Hui stood at the door with a serious expression and shouted, ¡°Su Tang, Shi Man, come out for a while.¡± Su Tang looked at Shi Man in confusion. Then, she put down her things and followed Geng Hui to the principal¡¯s office. At this moment, the office was filled with school leaders. Su Tang suddenly felt uneasy and hid behind Shi Man in fear. Shi Man immediately patted her hand comfortingly and smiled politely at the principal, who was sitting at the head of the table with a terrible expression. ¡°Principal, why did you call us here?¡± The principal looked at her deeply and placed the two test papers in front of her. ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡± These two papers belonged to the two of them. However, what was shocking was that not only were the options on the entire page identical, but even the problem-solving process behind them was exactly the same. Even if both of them answered correctly, every step of solving the question seemed to be copied and pasted. That meant that there was a very serious problem. Someone was secretly transmitting the answer under the invigilator¡¯s nose. Shi Man frowned and clearly realized the seriousness of the problem. She said in a deep voice, ¡°Teacher, we didn¡¯t violate the rules.¡± The principal also wanted to believe the two of them, but ever since Class S¡¯s form teacher, Hu Jing, graded these two papers, she had been pestering him to find out the truth. He knew how much Hu Jing cared about the results. Now that the top two students in the cohort had been taken by these two students from Class F, he was naturally unwilling. Therefore, he could only call the two of them over before the results were released to see if he could explain the problem clearly. Su Tang also looked at the paper in confusion. When she noticed the last big question, she suddenly snatched the paper in shock. After carefully identifying it, she said in shock, ¡°I didn¡¯t write this. I didn¡¯t solve the last question. The rest of it was empty!¡± Hu Jing had an ¡°as expected¡± expression on her face. She turned around and looked at the principal angrily. ¡°Look, this little girl has finally admitted it! Just now, Mr. Geng also admitted that Shi Man violated the rules and handed in her paper early. Perhaps she wanted to clear her name. In fact, she had already told Su Tang the correct answer!¡± Shi Man¡¯s cold gaze suddenly turned to her. She narrowed her eyes dangerously and said, ¡°There are surveillance cameras in the examination hall. Won¡¯t you know if we secretly passed the answers if you check the footage?¡± Hu Jing sneered and crossed her arms, her face full of disdain. ¡°The surveillance cameras have already been automatically replaced and deleted. Isn¡¯t this was the reason why you dared to cheat openly? Oh, right! On the day of the invigilation, Yi Zheng even came to the office to cause trouble. Did you guys collude to violate the exam rules?¡± Her words became bolder and bolder. The principal couldn¡¯t take it anymore and slammed the table angrily. ¡°Shut up! The matter hasn¡¯t been investigated clearly. Don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± Yi Zheng was a shareholder of Cassel Academy. If Hu Jing¡¯s words reached his ears, the principal would probably have to leave with her! However, things had already come to this point. It was obviously impossible to not come to a conclusion. Shi Man was Yi Zheng¡¯s fiancee. The principal could not afford to offend her, but Su Tang¡­ He suppressed the guilt in his heart and stared at Su Tang seriously. ¡°Do you have any way to prove that you didn¡¯t write this? Several teachers in the school, including Mr. Geng Hui, who knows you best, have seen it just now. They all said that this is your handwriting!¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t write this!¡± Su Tang could not defend herself. She looked at Shi Man as if asking for help. However, just as she moved her gaze away from the principal¡¯s face, she saw Geng Hui, who looked troubled, and Hu Jing, who was gloating. She suddenly understood her current situation.. Chapter 275 - Chapter 275: Proving Her Innocence Chapter 275: Proving Her Innocence Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was no evidence to prove her innocence, but because the answers in the two papers were too similar, it was enough to make people suspect that the two of them had cheated. The results were about to be released. The school would never tolerate students with doubtful results getting a scholarship. If they continued to be in a deadlock, she would only implicate Shi Man. Su Tang clenched her fists tightly and suddenly made up her mind. Although her voice was trembling, it was very calm. ¡°It¡¯s me¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, she was stopped by Shi Man¡¯s words. ¡°I can find evidence.¡± She looked up at Shi Man in disbelief and saw that she was giving her a calm look. Su Tang suddenly felt confident and nodded solemnly. ¡°If Manman says so, then she can definitely do it.¡± There was a hint of admiration in the principal¡¯s eyes. He said with a smile, ¡°Then how do you want to find evidence?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very easy. I¡¯ll be there after making a call.¡± Shi Man pulled Su Tang and found a place for her to sit in the office. Then, she went out to make a call. After a while, she turned back. Hu Jing looked disdainful. She crossed her arms and warned, ¡°All the students in the school are waiting for the results to be released today. I¡¯ll only give you an hour. If you don¡¯t find any evidence after an hour, we can only cancel your results at the same time.¡± In Shi Man¡¯s eyes, Hu Jing¡¯s self-righteous difficulties had become a complete joke. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and her smile was unusually cold. ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡± The office fell into silence. Everyone looked at Shi Man, who was drinking tea leisurely, in confusion. They were very curious about how she was going to prove her innocence. Su Tang was also a little anxious, but seeing her calm expression, she knew that Shi Man really had a way to prove it. She immediately stopped worrying and sat obediently at the side, picking up a book to read. Hu Jing glanced at her watch impatiently and said coldly, ¡°Principal, if they¡¯re just planning to stall for time, why don¡¯t we announce the cancellation of their results now? Waiting like this is simply a waste of time.¡± Without waiting for the principal to speak, Shi Man slowly put down her teacup and looked at her coldly. ¡°Teacher. Hu, what¡¯s the hurry? You said one hour.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Hu Jing gritted her teeth and snorted. ¡°Let¡¯s see what other tricks you can play!¡± Geng Hui kept looking at Shi Man anxiously. Unfortunately, Shi Man had no intention of explaining anything to him. As the form teacher of these two students, he naturally hoped that the two of them could successfully survive this crisis. However, because of his identity, he needed to avoid arousing suspicion, so it was not appropriate for him to personally vouch for them. As time passed, there were only 40 minutes left. Hu Jing¡¯s expression became more and more smug, but before she could be satisfied, a loud honk suddenly came from outside the school building. Right on the heels of that, more than ten men and women of different heights in black suits alighted from five cars at the same time. Each of them was carrying an iron box. This time, even the principal could not sit still. He suddenly stood up and looked down from the window in disbelief. At a glance, he saw the silver symbol on the other party¡¯s chest. That was a symbol of absolute status. These dozen or so people were all famous experts in the city. Soon, the sound of uniform footsteps came from the corridor outside. The principal hurriedly led the teachers out to welcome them. The person in the lead was a man who was over 60 years old but still had a tall and straight figure. As soon as the principal saw him, he took the initiative to shake his hand. His tone was filled with respect. ¡°Elder Wen, why did you suddenly come to Cassel Academy? Is there something important?¡± Old Mr. Wen Yang smiled and held his hand. ¡°I came this time because I received a call from the city. I heard that something happened to your school¡¯s final exam this time and needed a handwriting appraisal, so I brought a few disciples over to help you take a look.¡± ¡°Oh! Why did you have to come personally for this matter?!¡± The principal invited him into the office in shock. At this moment, he looked at Shi Man and could not calm down for a long time. Wen Yang was the most reputable expert in the city. He had made outstanding contributions to the development of the city in all fields of research, and was one of the most respected researchers in the police station was handwriting identification. He did not expect Shi Man to be able to invite such a big shot over to prove her innocence. It seemed that he had not misjudged her previously. Shi Man was indeed not the kind of person who would deliberately break the rules of the exam. This was the first time Shi Man had seen Wen Yang. After introducing herself respectfully and politely, she briefly explained the cause and effect of this matter. Wen Yang listened with a smile. In the end, he nodded and said, ¡°That means that as long as we prove that the extra handwriting on Su Tang¡¯s paper was not written by her, we can prove that this matter has nothing to do with the two of you, right?¡± Shi Man hummed softly. Under Hu Jing¡¯s nervous gaze, she suddenly opened her thin lips and added, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble your students to help me find out who added the extra handwriting..¡± Chapter 276 - Chapter 276: The Truth Chapter 276: The Truth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Several experts were methodically checking every test paper in the entire grade in the office. Even the teacher¡¯s usual notes were not spared. Everyone was within the scope of this expert¡¯s inspection. Hu Jing gritted her teeth and handed over her lesson plan with an ugly expression. It was unknown if she felt humiliated for being suspected, but her cold, viper-like gaze was fixed on Shi Man from time to time. However, Shi Man did not care at all. She continued to sit leisurely at the side and drink tea, ignoring all her gazes. The one-hour time limit seemed to have become a joke because as long as Old Expert Wen Yang sat here, no one would dare to rush him to work. The agreed deadline became ineffective. However, Wen Yang and his disciples did not make everyone wait for long and quickly came to a conclusion. He picked up two test papers and held them in his hand with a dark expression. ¡°Found it.¡± The principal hurriedly stretched his head over to take a look. The other teachers also hurriedly ran over and carefully sized up the two exam papers from a distance. One of them was naturally Su Tang¡¯s and was used as a comparison reference. The owner of the other test paper was someone that no one had expected. Hu Jing grabbed the test paper in shock and held it in her hand. She flipped it around to compare the handwriting of the two papers. ¡°How could this be? Could it be that other students have touched this test paper? This is definitely impossible!¡± Hu Jing was the one who completed the marking of the test paper in this examination hall. Therefore, if anything went wrong, she would be the first to take full responsibility. Wen Yang adjusted his thick glasses and said in a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯ve done a handwriting appraisal for decades. There¡¯s no mistake. Although the handwriting behind Su Tang¡¯s paper has been imitated to the extreme, it¡¯s not difficult to tell that it wasn¡¯t done by the same person.¡± ¡°And this test paper.¡± He gently raised his hand and pointed at the one in Hu Jing¡¯s hand. ¡°This person¡¯s habit of writing is the same as the additional text on this paper. Although it looks like it came from two different people, I¡¯m certain that this person wrote it.¡± This time, it was Hu Jing¡¯s turn to be stunned. Wen Yang¡¯s professional standards were not something that someone like her could casually question. Since he had already said this, he had completely come to a conclusion about today¡¯s matter. The principal quickly poured tea to express his gratitude. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you today. I¡¯ll invite you and your students to tour Cassel Academy later and stay for a meal.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Wen Yang smiled and pointed at Shi Man. ¡°I¡¯m here to help this girl. Now that I¡¯m done, I still have to bring the students back to work. The institute has been very busy recently. I¡¯ll visit again another day.¡± The principal quickly agreed, but his eyes stole glances at Shi Man from time to time, indicating for her to come out and help put in a few good words. Shi Man really wanted to thank Wen Yang. She stood up openly and bowed to him. ¡°Thank you for taking the time to come over despite your busy schedule. It¡¯s all thanks to you this time. My mother often talks about you and says that you¡¯re her mentor. Seeing you today, you¡¯re indeed the legendary master. Shi Man admires you.¡± Wen Yang sized Shi Man up with a smile. Seeing that this child was neither servile nor overbearing and had a humble and respectful attitude, he immediately nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°You do look a little like your mother. That¡¯s all, then. I still have something on, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Wen Yang stood up and patted Shi Man¡¯s head dotingly, as if he was looking through her at the little girl who had just debuted more than 20 years ago. His eyes were filled with nostalgia. After sending Wen Yang off, the few of them returned to the office. Hu Jing was still holding the test paper in her hand. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she only sighed and swallowed the words she wanted to say. The principal slammed the table with a dark expression and ordered sternly, ¡°Cancel Bai Yao¡¯s overall results this time. Remove the excess marks from Su Tang¡¯s paper and restart the ranking!¡± Because the principal was angry, a few teachers quickly went to work in silence. Hu Jing, who had been the happiest just now, could not say a word. The happiest person was naturally Geng Hui. This time, not only did his students successfully avert the danger, but he was also lucky to have met Elder Wen. He was so excited until the end of his work that he could not calm down. At noon, the school released the rankings for the entire year. Shi Man was ranked first and Su Tang was ranked fifth. With just the two of them, they forcefully pulled Class F¡¯s results to third place in the entire cohort. Geng Hui¡¯s year-end bonus was also ranked first among all the teachers. This was because he had taught two students who had made great progress. The principal had encouraged him and made him proud in front of his colleagues who usually looked down on him. The moment he received the notice of the bonus amount, Geng Hui made a prompt decision to treat the entire class to a meal to reward the students for their hard work for a year. The students of Class F instantly cheered. Compared to the commotion here, Class D next door fell into silence.. This was because they realized that the last person in the class ranking actually had a score of zero! Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: Punishment Chapter 277: Punishment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This caused Class D, which could have been ranked fourth, to instantly fall to the last place in the cohort. The homeroom teacher and her classmates had ugly expressions on their faces. Many of the female classmates who were usually on good terms with Bai Yao had worried expressions as they probed, ¡°Yaoyao, were you feeling unwell that day, so you handed in a blank paper?¡± Although that was the case, many people had witnessed Bai Yao falling outside the examination hall that day. Bai Yao must have taken the exam. However, why did she score zero? The reason behind this made people suspicious. Bai Yao did not know why things had turned out this way. She was at a loss as she hurriedly picked up another report card that listed the results of the entire grade. When she saw the names of the first and fifth place, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. In an instant, she seemed to understand something. The homeroom teacher looked at Bai Yao with a complicated expression. He patted the podium to signal the students to be quiet. Then, with a solemn expression, he told them the results of the principal¡¯s punishment. ¡°Because Bai Yao violated the exam rules this time, the school has decided to cancel all her results and give her demerit points. We have to take this as a warning in the future.¡± He was already very reserved with his speech. After all, it was impossible for the school to cover up for Bai Yao this time. After today, the entire school would definitely announce it. At that time, everyone would know that Bai Yao had violated the rules. However, the form teacher did not intend to elaborate on how she had violated the rules. He had already discussed it with the principal. In order to preserve Bai Yao¡¯s last shred of dignity, he had decided not to reveal the entire truth. He only wanted to give her a small punishment and hope that she could turn over a new leaf in the future. Bai Yao was stunned as she watched the teacher announce the results on the podium. A buzzing sound entered her mind, and all the surrounding noises suddenly disappeared. She watched as the teacher¡¯s mouth opened and closed, but she could not hear what the teacher was saying at all. She could only see her classmates¡¯ shocked or disdainful gazes, and her face suddenly turned red. Her deskmate carefully handed her a tissue and comforted her softly, ¡°Yaoyao, don¡¯t cry. If you work hard next time, you can still get first place in the class!¡± Bai Yao suddenly turned her head and glared at her fiercely. Only then did she realize that her face was wet. She covered her face and ran out of the classroom sobbing. Bai Yao¡¯s first reaction was to find Shi Man to ask her about it. Fortunately, the form teacher pulled her back in time. He brought her back to the office with a cold expression and handed her a tissue. ¡°Wipe your face first. What do you look like?¡± Bai Yao¡¯s hands trembled as she wiped away the tears on her face. With a trembling voice, she asked, ¡°Do all the teachers know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The form teacher frowned in frustration and smacked his lips. ¡°Shi Man invited a handwriting expert from the city, Wen Yang. Even the principal has to be polite. It¡¯s not appropriate for me to say anything in person, but I¡¯ll still try my best to help you hide it from your classmates.¡± Bai Yao was usually a well-behaved and sensible student in school. She was a good student who studied hard. The teachers liked her very much. They were also very shocked that something like this had happened. However, apart from being shocked, he still hoped that Bai Yao could return to the right path. Even if she was unwilling to accept Shi Man and Su Tang, she could not take advantage of the situation and frame her classmates. Bai Yao thanked her teacher softly. Her tear-stained face made one¡¯s heart ache. The teacher comforted her. He knew that she didn¡¯t want to go back to her class to see anyone, so he told her to sit in the office for a while. After everything was settled, he would come back and tell Bai Yao to pack her things. Bai Yao naturally thanked him profusely. She sat alone in her office, staring at the ranking list on her computer in a daze. In the corridor, Su Tang followed Shi Man and walked at the front of the team. She shook her arm happily. ¡°Man Man, it¡¯s all thanks to you that we were able to avert danger this time. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so powerful to be able to invite Elder Wen!¡± Shi Man smiled nonchalantly and said in a light tone, ¡°He used to be Mom¡¯s teacher. This time, it¡¯s indeed all thanks to him. I know that you admire his attainments in painting and calligraphy. Next time, I¡¯ll get Mom to invite him over for a meal so he can give you some pointers.¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Su Tang was so happy that the corners of her mouth were about to reach her ears. She was like a little girl who had finally eaten her favorite candy and was very easily satisfied. Shi Man was infected by her smile and subconsciously smiled as well. She patted her head dotingly. Chen Wei did not know what the two of them were talking about. He leaned over curiously and asked, ¡°Sister Man, who is this Old Wen? Is he very powerful?¡± At the mention of this, Su Tang, who was originally shy and talking to others, suddenly pulled a long face and explained in all seriousness, ¡°Hes the famous calligraphy and painting master in the city and expert in the field of technology, Wen Yang, Teacher Wen!¡± Chen Wei¡¯s eyes widened. When he thought of the scene he saw through the window, he hurriedly exclaimed, ¡°So that¡¯s really Elder Wen. I thought I was mistaken, but why did he come to our school? Why didn¡¯t the principal organize a welcome ceremony for him?¡± Shi Man pursed her lips and smiled mysteriously. She pushed open the office door and looked at the girl who had obviously just cried inside. A glint flashed across her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll know soon..¡± Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: Blocking Someone Chapter 278: Blocking Someone Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Bai Yao was stunned as she looked at the group of people who suddenly rushed in. She quickly wiped her tears and stood up with an unfriendly expression. ¡°Who let you in? Why did you come in?¡± She was like a vicious dog defending her territory. She bared her fangs and brandished her claws, completely losing her usual gentleness and composure. Chen Wei was slightly stunned. He recognized her as the famous sweet girl in the grade and could not help but ask in surprise, ¡°Then why are you here? We¡¯re here to help the teacher get the holiday homework.¡± During this holiday, Geng Hui wanted to take advantage of the students¡¯ enthusiasm to leave more homework for them to consolidate. He had bought a large number of exercise books from his own pocket, but he had forgotten about them because of the incident just now. Now that he remembered, he asked Chen Wei to bring a few boys to the office to get them. Unexpectedly, Shi Man, who had always been impatient to participate in such matters, took the initiative to ask to go with him. Geng Hui had no reason to stop her and nodded repeatedly in agreement. Bai Yao¡¯s surprised gaze slowly moved from Chen Wei to Shi Man¡¯s face. Her expression instantly turned ugly. ¡°Are you here to laugh at me?¡± Shi Man smirked. ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you going to cover up for yourself now? Is your score of zero good?¡± Bai Yao bit her lower lip and her face turned pale. She clenched her fists tightly and tried her best to control her emotions. Her nails dug into her flesh. ¡°How dare you say that!¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡± Shi Man shrugged her shoulders fearlessly and walked lazily to the sofa to sit down. ¡°Your courage surprises me. You took the initiative to mention it in front of others right after it happened. It seems like you¡¯re afraid that others won¡¯t know what you did.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Wei looked back and forth between the two of them in confusion. After following Shi Man for so long, he had never known that she had a grudge against Bai Yao. The two of them should not have known each other in school, right? Bai Yao finally realized that she had been blinded by anger when she was interrupted by him. She quickly shut her mouth and put on a pitiful and weak expression. Chen Wei was even more curious now. This was because he realized that not only was Bai Yao¡¯s expression changing drastically, even Su Tang, who had always only known how to follow Shi Man around, had a change in expression. As Shi Man¡¯s self-proclaimed number one follower, Chen Wei tactfully approached Su Tang and asked, ¡°What happened? Does this have something to do with you?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Su Tang gritted her teeth and glared at Bai Yao. When she remembered that this was the girl she had seen with Shi Mu last time, her expression turned even worse. ¡°Bai Yao, I don¡¯t even know you. Why did you harm me?¡± Shi Man pursed her lips and smiled. She looked at Su Tang, who was clearly braver than before, and leaned back on the sofa in relief to enjoy this scene. Bai Yao¡¯s expression immediately became flustered. She lowered her head helplessly and muttered, ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t even know you!¡± Su Tang sneered and imitated Shi Man¡¯s usual aura. ¡°If you don¡¯t know me, how can you imitate my handwriting so well? If Manman hadn¡¯t invited Elder Wen over this time, I¡¯m afraid the principal would have been deceived by your tricks!¡± All she wanted to do now was to ask Bai Yao why she had framed her for no reason. Bai Yao¡¯s jaw dropped when she heard her question. However, she remembered that there were other people present, so she didn¡¯t want to publicize the matter. She immediately put on an impatient expression and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± She pushed Su Tang away and was about to walk out, but her arm was firmly held by someone from behind. She turned around and met Su Tang¡¯s angry eyes. ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°No!¡± It was rare for Su Tang to be so unyielding. She grabbed her hand and insisted that she give a reason. ¡°Why did you harm me? Is your target Manman or me?¡± Bai Yao couldn¡¯t get rid of it. Soon, a red mark appeared on her wrist. It was so painful that she gasped. She could only open her watery eyes and ask Chen Wei for help. ¡°Brother Chen, help me chase this lunatic away. I really don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about.¡± Chen Wei was not a fool. Looking at the confrontation between the two of them just now, he instantly figured out the reason why Shi Man suddenly came to the office today. The thought that Shi Man was trying to block him lingered in his mind. His heart, which was about to soften, instantly became stubborn again. ¡°No, since Su Tang has said so, you have to make yourself clear before you leave.¡± Bai Yao stared at him in disbelief. This man used to chase after her for a period of time. Why did his attitude towards her suddenly change so much? She was already so aggrieved, but this person was still looking at her expressionlessly! Grievance and sadness surged into her heart at the same time. Tears streamed down her face. Bai Yao was crying as she squatted on the ground. She looked as helpless as a little girl who had been bullied by a group of people. Chen Wei could not bear to see a woman cry. He immediately looked at Shi Man helplessly.. ¡°Sister, what should we do now? She won¡¯t call the teachers over if she cries so loudly, right?¡± Chapter 279 - Chapter 279: Complaint Chapter 279: Complaint Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man raised her eyebrows casually. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let her cry.¡± Chen Wei immediately understood what she meant. He quickly put away the sympathy that he shouldn¡¯t have and expressionlessly led the boys outside the door to move the books. All kinds of people passed by Bai Yao, but they all avoided her as if they were avoiding an obstacle. This was a huge blow to Bai Yao¡¯s self-esteem. She raised her head with tears in her eyes and sobbed as she begged for mercy. ¡°Can¡¯t you guys let me off? I¡¯ve already been demerited. All my results have been canceled to zero. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Su Tang¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Clearly, she did not expect such a shameless person. She panted heavily and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t apologized to Manman and me. You deserve the punishment you¡¯re receiving now. Manman and I are the real victims!¡± She had deliberately harmed someone. After being exposed and punished, she still had to cry and make others pity her! Su Tang despised her from the bottom of her heart. She felt that she was a two-faced¡­ bitch! Chen Wei, who was moving the books, had a lot of thoughts running through his mind. In a flash, he roughly guessed what Bai Yao had done. If Shi Man had taken the initiative to cause trouble for Bai Yao today, he might have been deceived by Bai Yao¡¯s pitiful look. Even if he did not dare to show it on his face, he could not help but feel sorry for the beauty. However, Su Tang, who had always been honest and timid, had been forced to this extent. It could be seen that Bai Yao had really done something that angered the heavens. Otherwise, Su Tang would not have taken the initiative to fight with others. After figuring out what had happened, Chen Wei put down his book and put his hands in his pockets. He walked past Bai Yao like a hooligan and slammed the office door shut, cutting off all her escape routes. ¡°Tell me honestly, what did you do? Since Su Tang asked you to apologize, you have to apologize and admit your mistake honestly. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about leaving the office.¡± Bai Yao stared at him in disbelief and could not help but stomp her feet in anger. ¡°Pfft, you lackey, henchman, lapdog! Don¡¯t you have any shame?¡± Chen Wei seemed to have seen something new. His eyes widened as he looked Bai Yao up and down curiously. He stared at her until his hair stood on ends before he said, ¡°So you¡¯ve always been pretending! To think that I voted for you when I was evaluating the pure goddesses in school. Why did I like you back then? I was really blind!¡± ¡°You!¡± Bai Yao had never been so humiliated before. She snorted and was about to run. Fortunately, Chen Wei had the foresight to close the door long ago. At this moment, he was blocking the door, making it impossible for Bai Yao to escape. ¡°If you guys continue like this, I¡¯m going to call for help!¡± Bai Yao had never seen such a situation before. She was so frightened that her entire body couldn¡¯t help but tremble. The words she said were also soft and without any imposing aura. Chen Wei¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. He said mockingly, ¡°Scream! Call everyone over and let everyone hear what you¡¯ve done!¡± Bai Yao lowered her head with tears streaming down her face. All her strong self-esteem was shattered in an instant, leaving only hatred in her heart. She bit her lower lip and refused to apologize, but the situation in front of her forced her to submit to them. A huge sense of humiliation spread between her lips and teeth; it was so bitter that she had no choice but to open her mouth. Before she could make any sound, the office door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Class D¡¯s form teacher, He Xiao, looked at the students in the office in surprise. In the end, his gaze landed on the center of the crowd. He was so afraid that he looked at Bai Yao, whose face was pale. He suddenly frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± It was as if Bai Yao had found a straw to clutch at. She flew to her teacher¡¯s side and begged for help. ¡°Teacher He, they¡¯re bullying me!¡± He Xiao coldly swept his gaze across everyone in the office and locked his gaze on Chen Wei. ¡°Were you the one who took the lead? You brought so many students to the teacher¡¯s office to behave atrociously. Do you still have any respect for the school?! Are you from Class F?! I¡¯ll call your teacher over now!¡± He Xiao was usually the most protective person. Seeing with his own eyes that his favorite student was surrounded by a group of boys and girls, he was instantly angered. He took out his phone and called Geng Hui, ignoring Chen Wei¡¯s obstruction. Bai Yao thought that she had successfully escaped danger, and a smug expression gradually appeared on her face. However, she did not know that the development of the matter was exactly what Shi Man wanted. By the time Geng Hui rushed over, all the classes had basically finished school. When Geng Hui picked up the phone, he was enthusiastically discussing with his students where they were going to play later. When he suddenly received He Xiao¡¯s complaint, his expression changed drastically. The students in the class could tell that something was wrong with his expression and asked him questions one after another. In the end, they unanimously decided to come with him. After dealing with this matter, everyone would happily go out for a meal! Geng Hui had never taught such a united class before. His heart was warm, so he agreed. He didn¡¯t expect to see Bai Yao here. Seeing Shi Man sitting lazily on the sofa, he understood everything. He could only brace himself and walk into the office. ¡°Teacher He, the children in our class won¡¯t deliberately bully their classmates. I think we should sit down and understand the situation first..¡± Chapter 280 - Chapter 280: Apology Chapter 280: Apology Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Xiao was angry, but they were all colleagues after all. It was not good to fall out with each other before figuring out the situation. He could only hold back his anger and sit in his office. He pursed his lips and said angrily, ¡°Who can tell me why?¡± It was obvious that Chen Wei could not answer this question, so he could only ask Su Tang for help. Su Tang was timid to begin with. Now that she was interrogated by the teacher, she could not say a word. Shi Man looked at their helpless expressions and sighed slightly. She smiled and said, ¡°Let me do the talking.¡± As soon as she spoke, everyone¡¯s eyes instantly focused on her. Geng Hui felt nervous for no reason. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down, but in the end, he could not say anything to interrupt her. Shi Man walked calmly to Su Tang¡¯s side, her expression extremely cold. ¡°I think Bai Yao should apologize to Su Tang and me for what she did in the exam this time. However, she refused to admit her mistake, so Chen Wei stood up for us.¡± Hearing her clear and calm voice, whispers immediately broke out in the office. Many students looked at Bai Yao, wondering what she had done to dare to offend Shi Man. As they were discussing, someone suddenly lowered his voice and explained to the people around him, ¡°I heard that Bai Yao¡¯s overall score has become zero. This time, she¡¯s the last place in the cohort!¡± She had tried her best to lower her voice, but it still entered the ears of everyone present. The scene instantly became silent. Anyone could tell that this might be a big mistake. Otherwise, the school would not have punished her so severely. Bai Yao¡¯s face turned pale, and her eyes were bloodshot. She clenched her fists and looked up, trembling. ¡°So what if I did something wrong? I¡¯ll apologize to them, okay?¡± Everyone looked at each other and fell silent. Only Shi Man¡¯s lips twitched expressionlessly and she said with a faint smile, ¡°Is this your attitude of apologizing?¡± Bai Yao bit her lip and closed her eyes. The blood drained from her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve already been punished by the school. Can you stop being so aggressive?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows playfully. ¡°If you did something wrong, you have to dare to bear the consequences. If you had apologized calmly just now and didn¡¯t take any chances, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Bai Yao¡¯s face turned paler and almost transparent. ¡°Shi Man, just wait and see.¡± With that, she pushed away the students blocking the door and rushed out with her head lowered. He Xiao was worried about her safety and chased after her in exasperation, leaving Geng Hui and his students looking at each other. Someone in the crowd mentioned the gathering first. Only then did Geng Hui come back to his senses. He hurriedly put on a smile and said, ¡°We should go out and celebrate. You can choose any place you want, but the teacher¡¯s bonus isn¡¯t much. Don¡¯t choose anything too expensive!¡± This time, the students, who were originally nervous, immediately burst into laughter. Even Su Tang¡¯s face revealed a smile. Shi Man patted her head with a smile and took the initiative to leave the office with a group of people. The stack of exercise books that Chen Wei had moved just now had been forgotten in the corner. Later on, Geng Hui would still feel heartache when he thought about the huge sum of money he had spent to buy them. The students of Class F had never had such a group activity before. All of them found it novel. They originally thought that with Geng Hui around, they would be especiallyeserved. However, they did not expect Geng Hui to be so approachable in private. They immediately let go of their nervousness, as if they were going out to play with good friends. They kept chatting and laughing with Geng Hui. When the group arrived at the restaurant, they occupied a large dining area. Shi Man brought Su Tang to a random place to sit down and poured her a glass of fruit juice. She narrowed her eyes in relief and smiled. ¡°You did well today. In the future, if anyone bullies you, you have to fight back boldly, understand?¡± ¡°Mm!¡± Su Tang nodded solemnly. Her smile was so sweet that anyone who saw it could not help but like her. Chen Wei, who was watching from the side, was stunned. It was only when Geng Hui couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and rebuked him that he reacted. He immediately lowered his head. His dark face was covered in a layer of redness, and his mouth only opened a crack. He said in a muffled voice, ¡°Mr. Geng, I beg you, please don¡¯t tell anyone!¡± Geng Hui couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He pursed his lips and nodded. ¡°Alright, but it depends on your performance.¡± Chen Wei was instantly dumbfounded. He did not expect that the seemingly upright Teacher Geng Hui would also raise conditions with others. He asked, ¡°What performance?¡± ¡°Next semester¡¯s performance.¡± Geng Hui took a sip of the sweet juice in his glass meaningfully. He thought to himself that this high-end cafeteria was indeed different. Even the taste of the juice was different from those in other places. Chen Wei smacked his lips and said dejectedly, ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I definitely won¡¯t cause trouble for you in the next semester, alright?¡± Geng Hui curled his lips into a smile and said proudly, ¡°Sometimes, with Student Man around, you wouldn¡¯t dare to do it.¡± Chen Wei¡¯s strong self-esteem immediately made him want to fight back and refute. However, when he suddenly raised his head and saw Shi Man¡¯s lukewarm gaze, his heart suddenly trembled like a deflated ball. To be honest, sometimes when Shi Man was in the class, he really did not dare to act rashly! Chapter 281 - Chapter 281: Mysterious Reward Chapter 281: Mysterious Reward Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The students who had drunk too much were sitting in the dining room. The girls had already started to pack their things. Geng Hui was busy flipping through the address book and informing the parents of the students who had drunk too much to come and pick them up. The results of the school¡¯s scholarship evaluation had been released. Originally, Su Tang could not get a scholarship this time, but the school suddenly changed the reward mechanism this time, causing all the originally planned scholarship amounts to be distributed from the second place. It was said that Shi Man, who was first, would receive a mystery gift. When Geng Hui read the notice in the school¡¯s teachers¡¯ group chat, his eyes were about to fall on the screen. He had been in the industry for so many years, but this was the first time he had seen such a strange school reward. He couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Shi Man. However, seeing her indifferent expression, he thought that she didn¡¯t lack money at all. Having a physical reward that was worth looking forward to might be a very good gift. He put away his cell phone and comforted her softly. ¡°Cassel Academy has always been very generous to students with outstanding results. Your reward will definitely not be bad. It might even be more expensive than the scholarships of the other students!¡± Shi Man did not care about this. She did not care what she was given. She nodded lightly and got up to leave with Su Tang. Geng Hui hurriedly stopped her and braced himself to ask, ¡°Um, the principal just said that you need to go back to school to get this thing yourself. Are you going now or tomorrow?¡± Shi Man frowned suspiciously and said in a calm and helpless tone, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to school now.¡± At this moment, it was not too late outside. It was just time for most people to get off work. The streets were filled with traffic. Shi Man and Su Tang were stuck on the road for a full twenty minutes before the car barely moved a short distance. She impatiently asked the chauffeur to turn around and drive back to the Shi family while she opened the car door and got out. Su Tang hurriedly lowered the car window and stopped her. ¡°Manman, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll walk to school. You go back first.¡± She left after saying this. Most of the teachers in the school had left, and only the light in the principal¡¯s office was still on. Seeing her come, the principal took off his glasses and smiled. ¡°I thought you would choose to come again tomorrow.¡± ¡°I might have plans for tomorrow. I came to get it since I¡¯m free today.¡± She sat casually opposite the desk with no expression on her face. ¡°Why do you have to change the reward rules when it came to me?¡± The principal paused for a moment and smiled. ¡°Considering that you might not like the bonus, I specially prepared a gift for you.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows in contempt. ¡°Is that so? I thought someone was asking the school to set a precedent behind our backs.¡± The principal¡¯s eyelids twitched as he quickly tried to salvage the situation. ¡°How could that be? This is a personal gift from the school.¡± With that, he reached into the drawer and took out a small wooden box. With a fawning expression, he said, ¡°This is it. Open it when you get home. If you¡¯re not satisfied, you can return it to me tomorrow.¡± Shi Man frowned and wanted to refuse, but the principal was clearly not prepared to give her this chance. He stood up first and put on his coat. ¡°Remember, look at it when you get home. Otherwise, I won¡¯t take it back if you¡¯re not satisfied!¡± Shi Man had no choice but to hold the box unwillingly in her hand. She hummed softly as a promise to him. When she reached home, the sky outside was already dark, but it was not darker than Shi Man¡¯s face. Su Tang swallowed and stole a glance at the box nervously. When she saw the exquisite bracelet, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°This is the Yi family¡¯s¡­¡± engagement bracelet, right? She did not dare to say the last few words because it was obvious from Shi Man¡¯s expression that she did not like this thing and hated the meaning behind it. She paused for a moment and racked her brain to think of an explanation. She tried her best to persuade her. ¡°Actually, Brother Yi Zheng did this to give you a surprise.¡± Shi Man looked over coldly. ¡°Whose side are you on?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m on your side!¡± Su Tang hurriedly straightened her attitude and condemned righteously. ¡°How can the principal help Yi Zheng do such a thing? Isn¡¯t this lying to you?¡± Seeing Shi Man¡¯s expression soften, Su Tang heaved a sigh of relief and changed the topic. ¡°But Manman, if you retreat, won¡¯t there be no reward for getting first place in the cohort this time?¡± Shi Man frowned and closed the lid with a bang, throwing it casually on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the reward.¡± ¡°But this is from the principal, not Yi Zheng, so it shouldn¡¯t be considered an engagement token, right?¡± Su Tang carefully stole a glance at her expression and her voice became softer and softer. ¡°Even if you accept it, you¡¯ll only be accepting the reward from the school. Yi Zheng can only be considered a sponsor, right?¡± Shi Man tilted her head to look at Su Tang and stared at her for a while. Suddenly, a big smile appeared on her lips. ¡°Tangtang, I realize that you¡¯re really getting smarter now. We¡¯ll do as you say. I want Yi Zheng to suffer in silence.¡± Su Tang was relieved. Thinking of what Tang Zhe had instructed on the way back, she could finally heave a sigh of relief.. Chapter 282 - Chapter 282: Holiday Chapter 282: Holiday Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Shi Man got out of the car, the chauffeur turned around and drove for a while. Finally, it was not so crowded. However, the car was suddenly stopped by a black car halfway. Su Tang recognized that it was Yi Zheng¡¯s car, so she was not too flustered. She was just a little puzzled as to why they knew her whereabouts. Tang Zhe got out of the front passenger seat and paid for the taxi. He reached out to open the door and invited her into the Yi family¡¯s car. The car still had the familiar faint fragrance. Su Tang was a little nervous for no reason. She clenched her fists and said, ¡°Brother Yi Zheng, why are you looking for me?¡± Yi Zheng was concise and told her about the bracelet. He asked her to help say a few words and not let Shi Man return the bracelet easily. Su Tang wanted to refuse, but she was stopped by Yi Zheng¡¯s words. ¡°I can make her happy.¡± She looked at the man in front of her carefully. Seeing that he was outstanding in appearance, had a good family background, and had put in a lot of effort, she suddenly nodded in agreement. Although Shi Man did not accept the bracelet because she agreed to the engagement, she did not mention returning it again. She felt she had completed the mission. The first winter break after Shi Man transmigrated began. Shi Man had put in a good performance in handling the company¡¯s matters last time, although she took a certain risk, she had indeed won a lot of business for the company. Therefore, when Shi Zhong went on business trips occasionally, he would try to hand some matters to her. The Shi siblings were united. Even though Shi Ke was the nominal heir of the company, he doted on his sister and did not mind her interfering in the company¡¯s matters at all. Usually, if there was something, he would take the initiative to hand it to Shi Man and let her train more. This winter seemed to be colder than usual. Every time Shi Man went out, Shen Xian would carefully watch her put on her scarf. It was almost the end of the year, and Shi Yu¡¯s law firm was already on vacation. During this period of time, he had been at home accompanying Shen Xian and occasionally attending banquets with her. Shi He had recently taken on a movie. He was either running to the production team or promoted the movie every day. Only Shi Mu was busy with something every day, but she rarely saw him at home. Shi Zhong even threw a tantrum over this matter and reprimanded him for not doing anything serious when he was about to graduate. When Shi Mu heard this, he only replied with a pale face. When Shi Zhong was done scolding, he returned to his room to rest and could not be seen again the next day. Shi Man sat in the office and patiently looked at the contract drawn up by her secretary. When she heard someone knock on the door, she lazily approached the chair and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Meng Hui pushed the door open and entered. She said respectfully, ¡°CEO Shi, CEO Wang just sent a contract. He¡¯s willing to transfer the piece of land in the West District that¡¯s about to be built to you on the condition that you forget what happened that night.¡± Shi Man smiled disdainfully and reached out casually. Meng Hui immediately understood and quickly handed the contract to her. ¡°CEO Shi, the West District is being developed. That piece of land is now expensive. It¡¯s a good opportunity for us.¡± ¡°Wang Zhan is quite generous.¡± She smiled mockingly and glanced at the contents of the contract. After reading them one by one and confirming that there were no mistakes, she signed them decisively. ¡°Finish all the handover procedures today and continue working after the New Year.¡± Before that night, Sean and the others suddenly sent news that the Wang Corporation would make a big move. Shi Man knew that this would be a wonderful opportunity. Sure enough, at a banquet, she saw Wang Zhan¡¯s whereabouts. After investigation, she realized that Wang Zhan was about to unite a few shareholders and prepare to touch the shares in her father¡¯s hands. Wang Zhan had been planning this for a long time. Now that it was an official critical moment, he could not allow any mistakes. Shi Man became the most uncertain factor in the entire plan. At first, Wang Zhan wanted to use violence to shut Shi Man up, but he quickly realized that this girl was not as simple as she looked. No matter how many people he sent and how much equipment he gave, not only was she severely injured, but even his equipment was taken. He was worried that he would anger her, so he simply spent his money to avoid disaster and voluntarily gave up a small project in his hands. It would then be Shi Man¡¯s turn to shut her mouth and not interfere in their family matters. Shi Man did not intend to interfere in other people¡¯s business. All she wanted was the ownership of this land. Although she was greedy and ruthless, she was very principled and would not go back on her word. After receiving his benefits, she would naturally pretend that she did not know what was going on. Meng Hui carefully put away the contract with a hint of joy on her face. ¡°CEO Shi, our company is about to have a holiday. I hope I can still have the honor to continue learning from you after the New Year.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to learn from me? I¡¯m just a young lady with a better family background.¡± Shi Man looked at her playfully. These words were exactly the same as what Meng Hui had said when she first saw Shi Man. Meng Hui knew that she was teasing her on purpose. Her face was slightly red as she lowered her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, CEO Shi. I was too arrogant and frivolous in the past, but I really want to follow you now!¡± Shi Man had never been a person who liked to talk fast. She was a typical doer. Whoever provoked her, she would usually use practical actions to make them regret it.. Chapter 283 - Chapter 283: Brother’s Whereabouts Chapter 283: Brother¡¯s Whereabouts Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, Shi Man was willing to give someone like Meng Hui a chance as long as she could play her role. After all, Meng Hui was not a threat to her at all and was just a simple talker who did not cause any substantial harm. She smiled calmly and nodded casually. ¡°Yes, as long as you have the ability to do what you need to do, I won¡¯t be stingy with your reward.¡± Meng Hui looked happy. She knew that this meant that she had agreed. She hurriedly bowed and thanked her before leaving the office happily. Shi Man watched her leave and suddenly remembered Ning Wei, who was undercover in the secretariat. Her expression darkened slightly as she called Sean. At that moment, Sean had just summarized the latest findings and was about to report them to Shi Man when he received a call from his boss. He was shocked and picked up decisively. ¡°Boss, what can I do for you?¡± Shi Man slowly turned her chair and rested her long legs on the table. ¡°How¡¯s the investigation going?¡± Scan immediately sat up straight and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already found out. Third Young Master Shi has been¡­ with Bai Yao recently.¡± Her grip on the phone tightened abruptly, and her expression turned ferocious. ¡°What do they do every day?¡± Scan paused and hesitated. ¡°They seem to go to the West District to visit a girl every day.¡± Shi Man frowned and said in a trembling voice, ¡°Address.¡± Scan knew that this matter was important and hurriedly told Shi Man the girl¡¯s home address. ¡°Boss, our people are still watching over there. They definitely can¡¯t escape.¡± Shi Man got up and put on her coat. ¡°Yes, send me the girl¡¯s information. I¡¯ll go over now.¡± Half an hour later, Meng Hui opened the car door and said carefully, ¡°CEO Shi, do you need me to accompany you up?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shi Man looked at the time on her watch. ¡°Let me know immediately if my brother arrives.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Meng Hui understood what she meant. She instructed the chauffeur to drive to a more remote place and stared fixedly at the apartment building. Once she saw Shi Mu, she would immediately report. Shi Man put her hands in her pockets and slowly walked up the stairs. The information she had seen in the car kept flashing through her mind. She thought that Bai Yao would try her best to get close to her brother because she had ulterior motives for him. However, she did not expect Bai Yao to have other intentions. Not only did she blind her with this move, but she also pulled Shi Mu into a quagmire. Walking to the door of the apartment recorded in the information, Shi Man raised her hand and knocked on the door. Soon, a weak female voice sounded from inside. ¡°Who is it? Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°Bai Xue,¡± Shi Man called her name calmly. Behind the door, Bai Xue was slightly stunned. She opened the door hesitantly and suddenly saw a face that looked like Shi Mu¡¯s. She immediately understood the other party¡¯s identity. However, it was clearly too late to close the door now. Shi Man¡¯s hand was firmly stuck in the door frame. Shi Man was so strong that the other party could not move the door at all. After struggling for a moment, she could only give up and make way. ¡°Come in and talk.¡± Only then did Shi Man loosen her grip and ask politely, ¡°Do I need to change my shoes?¡± Bai Xue stared at her in disbelief, as if she did not expect her to have such a gentle and polite attitude. After immersing herself in her silent black eyes for a while, Bai Xue realized that she was still waiting for her answer. She hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get you slippers.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Shi Man waited outside the door politely. She waited for the other party to take out the only pair of women¡¯s slippers from the shoe cabinet before walking in calmly. Although the Garden District could not compare to the Shi family¡¯s manor, it was considered very good for ordinary residential buildings. Every apartment had three rooms. Bai Xue¡¯s room was exquisitely decorated and had all the furniture and decorations. Her gaze swept across every corner of the living room. Shi Man saw the celadon cup on the coffee table and suddenly smiled calmly. ¡°I was wondering why the butler complained about losing a celadon tea set a few days ago. So it¡¯s with you.¡± Bai Xue blushed and rubbed her fingers very cautiously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was clumsy a few days ago and broke a tea set, so he¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± Shi Man slowly moved her gaze to her flat stomach and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s only right for my brother to treat you well. Sit down and talk.¡± Bai Xue nodded. After Shi Man sat down, she picked up her courage to sit properly on a chair a little further away. Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Why are you sitting so far away? Can I eat you?¡± Bai Xue lowered her head shyly and moved her body slightly to the sofa beside her. She quietly looked up at Shi Man. She was the daughter of the Bai family and had admired those professional women who had their own careers since she was young. Shi Man¡¯s black suit suited her taste, and she was so nervous that she did not know where to look. After being stunned for a while, she realized that Shi Man had not even drunk a sip of water after entering. She quickly got up to pour her tea, but someone suddenly grabbed her arm. Shi Man stared at her expressionlessly and felt the strong pulse under her fingertips. She frowned.. Chapter 284 - Chapter 284: Pregnant Chapter 284: Pregnant Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Bai Xue gently retracted her hand and awkwardly poured her a cup of hot tea. She sat back down cautiously. ¡°How, how did you find this place?¡± Shi Man looked at her steadily and didn¡¯t waste her breath. She asked bluntly, ¡°Did Bai Yao send you?¡± Bai Xue trembled and her weak body swayed gently. Her eyes suddenly turned red. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anymore. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault!¡± Shi Man sighed and said softly, ¡°Then is the child in your womb my brother¡¯s?¡± Bai Xue¡¯s pupils constricted. She suddenly raised her teary face and asked tentatively, ¡°Did Shi Mu tell you? Did he ask you to come?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shi Man replied frankly. Coincidentally, the phone in her pocket rang. She took a look and hung up. She said, ¡°No one knows that I¡¯m here this time. I¡¯ll leave you my contact number. You can contact me if you have any difficulties. I¡¯ll help you, but if you continue to help the wicked, I won¡¯t be able to stand on your side.¡± She copied her phone number on the notebook beside her and handed it to Bai Xue. ¡°If you¡¯re smart, you know what to say later.¡± Bai Xue nodded in a daze. Soon, the doorbell rang throughout the room. She suddenly shivered and stood up nervously. ¡°Then I¡¯ll open the door first.¡± Shi Man¡¯s gaze moved down slightly and landed on the notebook in her hand. She immediately understood and folded the paper before putting it in her pocket. Then, she rushed over to open the door. In the corridor, Shi Mu looked at her impatiently and said coldly, ¡°Why are you only opening it now? Are you contacting Bai Yao again to scheme against me?¡± Bai Xue¡¯s weak body trembled from the cold wind outside. Shi Mu snorted and stepped into the house. He closed the door and glanced at the living room. Suddenly, he frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you can¡¯t drink strong tea? If you don¡¯t want this child, you can abort it as soon as possible.¡± Bai Xue¡¯s body trembled again. She subconsciously looked at the living room, but the sofa was already empty. Only then did she timidly lower her head and say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know my mistake.¡± Shi Mu¡¯s expression turned even worse. He walked to the coffee table and put down the vegetables and meat in his hand. He said coldly, ¡°These are your food for this week. If you run out, think of a way yourself.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Bai Xue nodded obediently. Shi Mu glared at her in frustration. ¡°Did Bai Yao tell you what she wanted to do?¡± Bai Xue rubbed her hands nervously and said, ¡°This has nothing to do with her. I wanted to have your child myself. When are you going to give me a status? Otherwise, I¡¯ll go to your company to cause trouble when my belly is bigger.¡± Shi Mu scratched his head in disgust and kicked the coffee table. The celadon teacup on the table shook violently, and most of the tea inside spilled out. ¡°That again. Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re planning? Let me tell you, it¡¯s impossible for me to marry you, and I won¡¯t acknowledge the child in your womb! If the two of you know how to stop while you¡¯re ahead, you¡¯d better tell me your goal now. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡± Bai Xue was clearly very afraid of Shi Mu. She cried out in shock when he suddenly flared up. In the next second, her forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat. She couldn¡¯t help but bend down to cover her lower abdomen, letting out a painful moan. Shi Mu only lowered his eyes to look at her calmly before looking away. ¡°I won¡¯t come again during this period of time. Do as you see fit.¡± With that, he walked around her and left the house coldly. It was not until the door was closed with a bang that Shi Man walked out of the bedroom. She bent down and helped her sit on the sofa. ¡°Do you have medicine?¡± Bai Xue pointed at the drawer under the coffee table. Shi Man found many medicines prescribed by the hospital that were good for preserving the baby. She found a box of edible medicine and poured another glass of hot water for her. After Bai Xue took the medicine, her pale face regained its color. She forced herself to sit up, looking extremely weak. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shi Man looked at her coldly. Thinking of what she had overheard in the bedroom just now, her lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Do you really think that my brother will compromise and listen to Bai Yao¡¯s request to be a marionette?¡± Bai Xue clenched her fists. The sofa cushion under her fingers was deformed. ¡°This is his child.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes. Her gentle tone suddenly turned cold. ¡°Is this what you really think?¡± Bai Xue pursed her lips and a trace of hesitation flashed across her eyes. However, because she thought of something, she suddenly said firmly, ¡°Yes, I must marry into the Shi family. The child in my womb is the legitimate child of the Shi family. I must be the young madam of the Shi family.¡± Shi Man smiled disdainfully and put her hand in her pocket. She reminded her one last time, ¡°You can only give birth when the child grows to term. You¡¯re still so young. Why should you hand your body over to others? I¡¯ll say the same thing. If you have thought it through, you can tell me your difficulties and I¡¯ll help you. However, if you continue to be stubborn, you¡¯ll be the only one suffering in the end.¡± ¡°Bai Yao won¡¯t lose anything..¡± Chapter 285 - Chapter 285: Estranged Father and Daughter Chapter 285: Estranged Father and Daughter Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Bai Xue raised her head and looked at her. Her lips moved slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only lowered her head and did not make a sound. Shi Man knew that she would not be able to get anything out of her this time. Her expression was cold as she said, ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. Think about it yourself.¡± After leaving the door of the building, she felt a little relieved. The white cold air dissipated in front of her. Shi Man looked at it in a daze for a while. Thinking of the obvious hesitation on Bai Xue¡¯s face just now, the corners of her lips hidden under the scarf suddenly curled up. Seeing that she had finally come out, Meng Hui hurriedly jogged over and said, ¡°CEO Shi, it¡¯s cold outside. Get in the car first.¡± Shi Man nodded softly and stopped halfway. ¡°Go buy some meat and nutritional supplements and send them up.¡± She had seen clearly in the living room just now that the things her brother had bought for her were not enough to last a week. That woman¡¯s fetus was unstable. If she went up and down the stairs on such a high floor, her body would definitely not be able to take it. Perhaps this was also her brother¡¯s goal. He didn¡¯t want this child to be born. However, Shi Man would not allow this child to miscarry because of her brother. In that case, Shi Mu would definitely feel guilty for the rest of his life. He should not have to bear these unnecessary emotions. Meng Hui quickly agreed and ran to a nearby supermarket. She bought a lot of things and only gave up when she could not carry them with both hands. She did not dare to ask what had happened and why Young Master Shi had appeared here but did not come out with CEO Shi. She knew that this was not something she could ask too much about. Her duty was to shut her mouth and complete CEO Shi¡¯s instructions. When Meng Hui came downstairs, her back was drenched in sweat. A cold wind blew past, making her shiver uncontrollably. She quickly got into the car and felt the warm wind to ease her body temperature. ¡°CEO Shi, I¡¯ve already given it to her. Where are we going now?¡± Shi Man lowered her eyes and looked at the message from Yi Zheng on her phone. She turned off the screen in frustration and said, ¡°To the airport. My father will be here soon. Go pick him up.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± When Meng Hui heard that the real chairman was back, she hurriedly fastened her seatbelt and sat up straight. ¡°CEO Shi, I can still follow you, right?¡± Shi Man nodded in amusement. ¡°Yes, when my father comes back this time, I¡¯ll ask him for a branch company to practice with. Come with me when the time comes.¡± Meng Hui immediately perked up and replied happily, ¡°Thank you, CEO Shi!¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but smile, but when she saw the woman on the balcony on the top floor, her expression suddenly darkened. At the airport exit, Shi Man stood outside the terminal on time. Shi Zhong and Shi Ke were followed by the airport staff who were helping them transport their luggage. When Shi Ke saw Shi Man, there was a thick smile in his eyes. ¡°Sister, why did you come to pick us up personally? Why aren¡¯t you waiting in the car? Why are you standing here?¡± Ever since Shi Zhong was willing to trust her and handed the company to her to handle, Shi Man¡¯s relationship with him had improved a lot. Now that she had taken the luggage from the airport service staff, she could still smile and call him ¡°Dad¡±. Shi Ke patted his sister¡¯s head with a smile. ¡°Manman, you¡¯re so obedient. Give it to me. You don¡¯t have to help me carry it.¡± There was a crack on Shi Zhong¡¯s stiff face. He pouted and wanted to say something, but he felt that it was very unnecessary. After holding it in for a long time, he only nodded slightly. Shi Ke was afraid that his sister would care about his father¡¯s indifferent attitude, so he hurriedly sent her into the car. Then, he handed the luggage to the chauffeur and Meng Hui and got in himself. Before Shi Zhong got into the car, he quickly comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t look at Dad¡¯s attitude. He¡¯s been talking about you every day recently.¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Shi Man smiled, clearly not taking it to heart. Shi Ke patted her head dotingly. ¡°Brother brought you a lot of gifts overseas this time. They¡¯re in your suitcase.¡± He secretly glanced at Shi Zhong, who was still standing outside with a cold expression. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Dad bought something for you too. Let him bring it to you himself later.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She took the initiative to get out of the car and open the door for Shi Zhong. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s cold outside. Get in.¡± An unnatural look flashed across Shi Zhong¡¯s face. He seemed to casually acknowledge it, but his emotions were already unstable. After getting into the car awkwardly, he lowered the car window and said, ¡°Get in quickly too. Don¡¯t just stand there!¡± This was coming from the person who stood outside foolishly and insisted on his daughter saying something before getting into the car! Shi Man didn¡¯t argue with him. She sat obediently in the last row and took out her phone to play. The atmosphere in the car was awkward. Even the talkative Meng Hui stiffened her neck and did not dare to move. The way CEO Shi and the chairman interacted was always so suffocating. It was as if as long as the two of them were together, no matter how lively the atmosphere was, the temperature would instantly fall to the freezing point. After a long silence in the car, Shi Zhong took the lead and said, ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been following Shi Man recently. You¡¯ve done well.¡± Meng Hui realized that he was talking to her and quickly turned around. ¡°Chairman, you flatter me. I¡¯m just doing my job..¡± Chapter 286 - Chapter 286: Persuasion Chapter 286: Persuasion Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was a long silence in the car again. Meng Hui realized something and hurriedly added, ¡°It¡¯s because the Chairman and CEO Shi trust me that I have the chance to work hard for the company. In the future, I will definitely perform well and not disappoint the chairman.¡± ¡°Dad.¡± Shi Man suddenly spoke up and said calmly, ¡°I want Meng Hui to follow me to the branch company to train.¡± Shi Zhong¡¯s expression softened. This was what he wanted to mention. Now that she had taken the initiative to mention it, he had a way out. ¡°Yes, I heard that you obtained that piece of land in the West District. Then I¡¯ll hand the branch company in the West District to you. In the future, you¡¯ll be in charge of that area.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dad.¡± That was what Shi Man meant. She was very optimistic about the undeveloped business in that district. It was very suitable for her to show off her capabilities. It was rare for the father and daughter to hit it off. The stalemate in the car finally relaxed. Meng Hui heaved a long sigh of relief. Her suspended heart was finally relieved. When the car drove back to the Shi family, Shen Xian was busy cooking at home. The children were all here today, and Shi Zhong happened to be back from a business trip. She was very happy. The door of the villa was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and cold snow poured in. The brothers of the Shi family ran over from the living room to welcome them. ¡°Dad, Big Brother, Sister, you¡¯re back.¡± The butler was so happy that he couldn¡¯t close his mouth. He smiled and helped hang up their coats. He walked into the living room and instructed the servants to pour tea for them. The originally empty house instantly became lively. Shen Xian heard the commotion in the kitchen and ran out with a spatula. Shi Zhong frowned in heartache and hurriedly walked over to snatch the spatula. ¡°Why are you cooking personally again? Can¡¯t you rest well? Don¡¯t you know how to be tired?¡± Shen Xian smiled sweetly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have to do anything every day. I¡¯m very free and not tired at all. Hurry up and go to the living room to sit and talk to the children. I¡¯ll be done soon.¡± Shi Zhong immediately rolled up his sleeves and said, ¡°Let me do it. Go sit in the living room.¡± ¡°No need, no need.¡± Shen Xian pushed him back to the living room and called out to Shi Ke, ¡°Look after your father. Don¡¯t let him enter the kitchen! Today is my time to show off. No one can interfere!¡± Shi Zhong shook his head helplessly. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll listen to you. Then make less. Just let the chef and the others cook the rest.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Sit down.¡± Shen Xian was still stewing the pork ribs in the pot, so she hurriedly ran back to the kitchen and continued to work happily. Shi Zhong sat back on the sofa and took a sip of hot tea, but his eyes glanced in the direction of the kitchen from time to time. Shi Ke looked at his father in amusement and turned his head to talk to Shi Yu. Shi He liked to listen to his two brothers chat the most. He munched on melon seeds and listened with interest. From time to time, he would interrupt. The sound of the brothers chatting and laughing immediately sounded in the living room. Shi Zhong listened quietly and felt happy. Occasionally, he would interrupt and the atmosphere gradually warmed up. Only Shi Mu, who usually liked to jump up and down, was quiet. Shi Zhong sensed something amiss and looked at the butler sternly, silently asking what was wrong with Shi Mu recently. The butler shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn¡¯t know what was wrong with Fourth Young Master. Shi Zhong¡¯s expression darkened as he said in a deep voice, ¡°Shi Mu, everyone is busy with their work this holiday. Tell me, what have you done?¡± Shi Zhong asked what everyone wanted to ask. The living room fell into a dead silence. Countless pairs of eyes stared at Shi Mu, clearly curious about the reason why he had changed so much recently. Shi Mu pursed his thin lips hesitantly and stammered for a long time. A layer of anger immediately appeared on Shi Zhong¡¯s face. Just as he was about to flare up, Shi Man suddenly explained, ¡°Fourth Brother is helping me. I have a plan that can gain greater benefits for the company, but I can¡¯t say it yet. Fourth Brother is also keeping it a secret for me.¡± Shi Mu looked up in shock. Realizing that everyone¡¯s attention had not been completely diverted, he quickly put away his surprise and lowered his head again. ¡°What is it that you can¡¯t even tell me?¡± A trace of dissatisfaction flashed across Shi Zhong¡¯s eyes. Shi Man was not afraid of him being angry at all. She shook her head calmly and said, ¡°No, just treat it as a surprise for you. After this is done, you will all know.¡± Shi Ke clearly felt the pressure around his father lower again and hurriedly tried to smooth things over. ¡°Sister has done very well these few times. Dad, don¡¯t worry, and let her do it.¡± Shi Yu knew his sister¡¯s personality the best. She would not say anything she did not want to say no matter how hard one interrogated her. If the stalemate continued, it would affect the relationship between father and daughter. He also persuaded, ¡°That¡¯s right, Dad. Sister can take charge now. Just treat it as a test for her.¡± Shi He nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Sister is very powerful now. Dad, didn¡¯t you often say that you want us to learn to be independent? Let Sister do whatever she wants. If the results don¡¯t satisfy you, you can just guide her!¡± Shi Zhong snorted and rolled his eyes at them. His tone was reproachful but doting.. ¡°You guys love to spoil her the most!¡± Chapter 287 - Chapter 287: Long Time No See Chapter 287: Long Time No See Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The few people in the living room were chatting when Shen Xian poked her head out of the kitchen with a plate of fragrant stir-fried vegetables. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat, babies!¡± Shi Zhong blushed and hurriedly got up to help. He secretly stole a glance in the direction of his children and lowered his voice to rebuke, ¡°We¡¯re already an old couple. Why are you still calling me baby?¡± Shen Xian pursed her lips speechlessly. ¡°Who called you? I¡¯m calling the children!¡± With that, she waved her hair and walked away proudly, leaving Shi Zhong standing there with a doting and helpless expression. Shi Mu pursed his lips and walked to Shi Man¡¯s side to thank her softly. Shi Man¡¯s eyes flickered as she probed, ¡°Brother, actually, if you need any help, you can just tell me.¡± Shi Mu suddenly looked up and shook his head vigorously. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I need help with, really! Nothing happened to Brother! Don¡¯t think too much!¡± Looking at his flustered expression, she knew that he was hiding something from his family. Shi Man was not the only one who had seen through this long ago. Actually, everyone in the family knew very well. No one said anything because they did not want to interfere with Shi Mu¡¯s own matters. They believed that he could handle it independently. However, only Shi Man could not relax and investigated carefully. After knowing the truth, she could not help but worry for him. This was really not something Shi Mu could handle himself. She had to think of a way to make Bai Xue relent. Shi Ke glanced at the person at the dining table and asked in confusion, ¡°Where¡¯s Su Tang? Why don¡¯t I see her?¡± Shi Yu explained, ¡°Su Tang wants to go back and pay her respects to her uncle¡¯s family before the new year. She¡¯ll be back in a few days.¡± Shi Man frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know? When did she leave?¡± ¡°This morning.¡± Shi Yu smiled and teased, ¡°You¡¯re so busy managing the company now. She was embarrassed to disturb you, so she left alone first.¡± Shi Man frowned. Shen Xian¡¯s heart ached when she saw this. She smiled and scooped a bowl of soup for her. ¡°Tangtang is a very sensible child. She¡¯s afraid that you¡¯ll be distracted by her.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t tell if she was unhappy or relieved. If it was the old Su Tang, she probably wouldn¡¯t dare to leave just like that, right? But now, she had completely integrated into the Shi family and treated this place as her home. She had become bolder in dealing with people and was no longer at the mercy of others. Shi Ke rubbed her head, his eyes filled with gentleness. ¡°Our Manman is very responsible now. She even knows how to take care of her younger sister!¡± Shi He smiled too, but he still added, ¡°Tangtang is older than Manman. She¡¯s the younger sister!¡± Shi Man glared at him. The family ate happily. Only Shi Mu had something on his mind and did not say a word. Shi Man secretly observed him from the corner of her eye and sighed in her heart. For the past few days, Shi Man had been busy taking over the branch company. She had asked Sean and the others to keep an eye on Bai Xue. Ever since Shi Mu left last time, he had not gone to see Bai Xue once. On the other hand, Bai Yao had gone a few times. Bai Xue did not call. Shi Man was thinking about what to do next. As she was thinking as she looked through the French window, an eye-catching black car suddenly drove into the parking lot downstairs. Her expression completely changed. She walked back to her desk and picked up a document to read, pretending to be very busy. About ten minutes later, Meng Hui¡¯s voice finally sounded outside the door. ¡°President Yi, I¡¯m sorry. Our President Shi is busy. I¡¯m afraid she doesn¡¯t have time to receive you.¡± Yi Zheng curled his lips and raised his voice meaningfully. ¡°Really? Then let me see what she¡¯s busy with. She won¡¯t see me for half a month.¡± Meng Hui said with a troubled expression, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, CEO Yi. CEO Shi is really busy now.¡± Yi Zheng was not angry, but the coldness in his eyes deepened. His voice could be heard through the door. ¡°Manman, even if you don¡¯t want to see me, you have to tell me personally. This is how our bet is set, right?¡± Shi Man sighed helplessly and stood up to open the door for him. ¡°Come in.¡± Only then did Yi Zheng smile. He walked around Meng Hui and strolled into the office. ¡°This is my first time here. Aren¡¯t you going to treat me to a cup of tea?¡± Meng Hui reacted belatedly and was about to enter to pour tea when Shi Man suddenly stopped her. ¡°Put down the documents signed in the morning. I don¡¯t need you here for the time being.¡± Meng Hui immediately understood and secretly glanced at Yi Zheng before hurriedly walking away to not interfere with the two of them. Shi Man suddenly closed the office door. Seeing Yi Zheng¡¯s faint smile, she suddenly felt a little guilty. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Yi Zheng said matter-of-factly, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. I want to see what I¡¯ve missed these past few days.¡± Shi Man¡¯s face turned slightly red. She pushed him away and walked to the coffee table, pouring him a cup of tea in a panic. ¡°Sit down and talk.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He sat on the sofa smoothly and glanced at the thick stack of documents on the desk from the corner of his eye. A trace of worry flashed across his eyes. ¡°Are you really so busy? Then go ahead and do your work. I¡¯ll watch over you here. I won¡¯t delay you..¡± Chapter 288 - Chapter 288: Exposed Chapter 288: Exposed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but hold her forehead in her heart. She sat on the sofa with him and said hesitantly, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not that busy.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows at her. Shi Man sighed. ¡°I can eat with you after work.¡± Yi Zheng smiled, but his face was still expressionless. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Shi Man widened her eyes slightly and her heart beat faster. ¡°Then what else do you want?¡± Yi Zheng deliberated and said, ¡°I heard you watched a movie with someone?¡± Now it was Shi Man¡¯s turn to be expressionless. ¡°How do you know?¡± Yi Zheng coughed dryly and changed the topic. ¡°You have to accompany me too. Let¡¯s watch the popular movie your brother released recently.¡± Shi Man sighed again and said helplessly, ¡°Alright, but you have to wait for me to finish reading the document. There are many things with the new company that I have to be familiar with.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. You¡¯re busy.¡± Yi Zheng leaned on the sofa and picked up a book to read leisurely. He looked like a parent waiting quietly for his child to finish school. Shi Man ignored him. She got up and was about to return to her desk to continue working when her wrist was suddenly grabbed. She turned around in surprise, but her body was pulled into a warm embrace. A familiar fragrance assaulted her. Yi Zheng hugged the person in his arms and lowered his voice. ¡°I can wait for you, but I have to collect payment.¡± ¡°What?¡± Before Shi Man could finish her question, her lips were suddenly blocked. Yi Zheng used his actions to resolve the doubts in his heart. The kiss ended quickly. Only then did he let go of her in a good mood. His eyes curved into crescents. ¡°Alright, I can wait as long as you want now.¡± As soon as he said this, he recalled the last time this woman made him wait until midnight. He narrowed his eyes dangerously and warned, ¡°But if it¡¯s too late, I can only go home with you to freeload.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t believe his thick skin. She widened her eyes and wanted to refute. Yi Zheng understood the situation and made a concession. ¡°You can come to my house for a meal.¡± Shi Man curled her lips and rolled her eyes at him. She turned around and went back to grade the documents, ignoring him. Yi Zheng chuckled gloomily. Although he was holding a book in his hand, he couldn¡¯t read a word. He stared straight at the woman who was focused on her work. Shi Man couldn¡¯t stand the disturbance and moved a thick stack of documents to block his vision. Only then did she feel relieved. After work, Meng Hui entered the office on time to report to Shi Man about the day¡¯s work. Without any other arrangements, she packed up and went home. Yi Zheng crossed his legs calmly and stared at Shi Man as she moved in front of him step by step. A playful smile appeared in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Where are we going to eat?¡± As Shi Man bit her lower lip, her heart was pounding. Damn it, she had never been so nervous when talking to men in the past. Why was she acting abnormally when she saw Yi Zheng recently? This was also why she did not want to see Yi Zheng. It was fine if they did not meet, but if they did, she would become abnormal. Shi Man suspected that she had some strange illness! Yi Zheng stood up and held her hand. ¡°Get in the car and think about it slowly. From now on, it¡¯s just the two of us.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but blush again. She retracted her gaze as if she had been electrocuted and hurriedly crawled into the elevator. Unfortunately, the two of them were destined to be troubled by work during their dates. When Sean called, he looked flustered and anxious. ¡°Boss, the amusement park that just entered the West District was smashed just now.¡± At that moment, Shi Man was watching a movie. Yi Zheng¡¯s faint gaze was on her. She hurriedly bent down and walked out of the cinema. She heaved a long sigh and said, ¡°Have you found out who did it?¡± Sean said guiltily, ¡°No, we chased those people all the way to the black market before letting them escape. Boss, could they be from the Wang family? Did they regret transferring the land to us?¡± Shi Man frowned and disagreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Wang Zhan is afraid that we will tell on him. Even if he regrets it, he won¡¯t do it so quickly.¡± ¡°Then who could it be?¡± Sean gripped the phone tightly and racked his brain for an enemy, but he had no luck at all. Shi Man took a deep breath and said, ¡°Is anyone injured at the location? I¡¯ll go over now.¡± ¡°A few of them were hit and suffered minor injuries. They¡¯ve already been sent to the hospital.¡± Sean pursed his lips and a conflicted look flashed across his eyes. ¡°One more thing, Boss. We might have been exposed.¡± Shi Man¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she said sternly, ¡°What happened?¡± Sean pulled a long face and scratched his messy hair. ¡°It was because of that group of people that they insisted on escaping into the black market. The few of us were in a hurry and chased after them with hats on. We happened to meet the people from Hellgate, but they didn¡¯t seem to recognize us at that time. Otherwise, they might have already fought.¡± Last time, when Shi Man pretended to attack Sean and the others, the people of Hellgatc thought that Immaculate had been completely wiped out. Now that they were exposed, even if the other party did not react now, they would come back to their senses later. At that time, they would realize that they had been deceived by her right from the beginning.. Chapter 289 - Chapter 289: Willing Chapter 289: Willing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yi Zheng chased after her from behind and walked to her side. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± he said softly. He did not say anything else and did not even ask for the reason. It was as if he was willing to accompany Shi Man no matter what she wanted to do. Shi Man looked at him, pursed her lips, and hurriedly told Sean to hide with the Immaculate people first. Then, she hung up and said with an unnatural expression, ¡°This time, I might cause you trouble. You should go home first. I¡¯ll compensate you with a movie next time.¡± Yi Zheng grabbed her arm indifferently and walked out. ¡°If something happens to you, you¡¯ll cause me trouble. What¡¯s this now?¡± Shi Man looked at his back in a daze. A scorching heat suddenly flowed through her heart, making her heart constrict. Even she, who was sharp-tongued, could not find a reason to persuade him. Yi Zheng turned his head slightly and saw her helpless expression from the corner of his eye. The corners of his lips curled up slightly. The two of them drove to the amusement park and realized how bold those people were. This piece of land was approved by the higher-ups for the Wang family to host. The amusement park that was supposed to be built could only stop work halfway because of the sudden transfer of land, but many areas had been built. However, the current amusement park could only be described as a ruin. Broken stones were everywhere, and the flying sand stained the ice and snow on the ground. All kinds of equipment had also fallen to the ground, and some were even to the point of being unable to be reused. Shi Man frowned and walked around the entire place. She took a deep breath and barely suppressed her anger. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression was also extremely ugly. The construction here had not been completed, so there were no surveillance cameras installed at all. If he wanted to check, he could only check from the surveillance cameras at the nearby streets. ¡°This does look like the Wang family.¡± He sneered and pulled Shi Man away from this dangerous place. He casually found a cafeteria and sat down. Shi Man frowned in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m not done investigating.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Yi Zheng naturally ordered a few dishes according to her taste. Just now, in order to catch up with the last screening of Shi He¡¯s movie, the two of them had not had the time to eat. In the end, they had not seen the movie and were still hungry. Shi Man was not in the mood to eat at all. Such a big thing had happened in that place, and the impact would quickly spread. If someone made a big deal out of it, she would probably have to hand over the fat piece of pie she had just eaten. Yi Zheng unhurriedly refilled her cup of hot tea. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing to investigate. Or do you already have a guess in your heart and just want to take the opportunity to verify it?¡± Shi Man sighed and was about to speak when Yi Zheng stopped her. Her cold fingers pressed against her lips. She blinked in a daze and pushed his hand away. She said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me.¡± Yi Zheng smiled helplessly. ¡°Missy, you¡¯ve already sighed at least three times when you saw me in the afternoon. Is being with me so worriesome? Then I really should study hard how to make my girlfriend happy at all times.¡± Shi Man was amused by his pitiful tone, and her shoulders gradually relaxed. ¡°I¡¯m not sighing because of you. What arc you worried about?¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows and a smile suddenly appeared on his lips. Shi Man immediately couldn¡¯t react. She retorted with a flushed face, ¡°Who¡¯s your girlfriend? Don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± Yi Zheng pursed his lips and chuckled. Being glared at by her, he quickly said seriously, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get down to business. I know what you¡¯re thinking. Don¡¯t you think the Wang family will attack so quickly? The person who did this shouldn¡¯t be trying to get this piece of land. With the Fang family¡¯s example, no one dares to snatch food from the Shi family.¡± Shi Man¡¯s interest was piqued by his analysis. She smiled evilly and said, ¡°That might not be the case. I know someone who dares to pull a beard from the mouth of a tiger.¡± Yi Zheng lowered his eyes and smiled faintly. When he looked up again, the gentleness in the depths of his eyes turned into a deep pool. ¡°Do I still need to snatch it? If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯m willing to share everything with you. If you say that you¡¯re willing to marry me, I¡¯m willing to give my life to you.¡± Shi Man suddenly felt her teeth ache. She opened her mouth to say something to mock him, but she couldn¡¯t speak no matter what. Coincidentally, the waiter came over to serve the dishes. She hurriedly looked away and pretended to help the waiter serve the dishes in an attempt to change the topic. After the waiter left, she coughed dryly to hide her embarrassment. ¡°I think your analysis was right just now. I really don¡¯t think the Wang family did it, but as for who the mastermind is, there are too few clues now. I can¡¯t guess.¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows and did not expose her intentions. He said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s easy to guess. I roughly know who it is.¡± Shi Man immediately couldn¡¯t care less about eating. She widened her eyes in shock and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± A sharp cold glint flashed across Yi Zheng¡¯s eyes. ¡°Nighthawk¡¯s men.¡± At that moment, a loud bang suddenly came from the Nighthawk headquarters office. The secretary ran out in fear, and only the Zhu brothers were left in the room.. Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: Gossip Chapter 290: Gossip Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhu Meng grabbed his brother¡¯s collar and pressed him against the wall. He roared, ¡°You smashed glasses with me for a woman?¡± Zhu Wen broke free from his grip and panted. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m not doing this for Shi Man. I just think you¡¯re being too rash. Although the Shi family is not on the same side as us, they¡¯re still the richest family. It¡¯s easy for them to hire a few skilled mercenaries.¡± Zhu Meng was furious. He kicked over the chair beside him and placed his hands on his hips. ¡°What do you know? Today, our people smashed the Shi family¡¯s place, and a few dogs immediately came out to chase and bite them. Those people were not afraid even when they were chased to the black market. They must be from the underworld!¡± Zhu Wen¡¯s eyelids tightened. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Then it¡¯s also possible that they arranged for someone in advance to prevent the Wang family from regretting and attacking first.¡± ¡°Wake up!¡± Zhu Meng couldn¡¯t take it anymore and roared, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it enough that you made a fool of yourself in school last time? If I didn¡¯t stop you, you would only be played by Shi Man if you approached her again! The Shi family and the Yi family are in cahoots!¡± Zhu Wen felt humiliated and subconsciously clenched his fists by his side. ¡°Brother, but the Shi family doesn¡¯t have any power in the underworld. Could the Yi family have sent that group of people today?¡± Seeing that his brother had taken his words to heart, Zhu Meng¡¯s expression softened. ¡°We still have to investigate this matter. We don¡¯t have many people in the black market. We can ask Hellgate to help with the investigation. We paid a lot of money last time when something happened to them. They shouldn¡¯t even think about standing by and watching.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the phone on the desk suddenly rang urgently. Zhu Meng picked up the phone with a puzzled expression. In an instant, he was shaken by the angry roar from the other end and took the receiver away. After the other party was done venting, Zhu Meng asked impatiently, ¡°What happened?¡± The leader of the Hellgate, Jun Mo, said aggressively, ¡°I was tricked by the people of Blood Oath! Our people saw Immaculate in the black market today!¡± Zhu Meng immediately turned pale with fright. ¡°What did you say?¡± In the dining room, the wind chime sounded as the door was pushed open from the outside. The waiter warmly welcomed the new customers and invited them to an empty table at the end. Then, he enthusiastically recommended some dishes to them. Unexpectedly, the two girls¡¯ eyes were fixed on the couple eating at the next table. The waiter stopped introducing the dishes and asked in shock, ¡°Miss, do you know each other? If you know each other, you can share a table!¡± The loud voice attracted the attention of the couple next door. Two cold gazes shot over, making the waiter shiver. He hurriedly shut his mouth and did not dare to speak. The two girls who had entered together were still staring at the man at the next table. Their eyes were filled with shock. The waitress stood quietly at the side and sized them up. Suddenly, a strange thought appeared from the bottom of her heart. Could the girl at this table be the ex-girlfriend of the handsome man next door? What kind of melodramatic scene was it to meet his ex-girlfriend while eating with his current girlfriend? But he loved to watch! The waiter quietly retreated a distance to ensure that he would not get into trouble. He also wanted to take the opportunity to watch the commotion. Unexpectedly, just as he was filled with anticipation, the girl who had just entered moved her lips. After holding it in for a long time, she finally said ¡°Brother¡±, immediately disappointing him! So it was actually a pair of siblings? The waiter lost interest. Just as he was about to approach and wait for the customer to order, the handsome man at the next table suddenly frowned and said in a low and pleasant voice, ¡°I¡¯m not your brother.¡± ¡°Huh? Is there a twist?¡± The waiter pulled his foot back and continued to eavesdrop. The girl¡¯s face turned pale when she was publicly rejected by him. However, before she could say anything, the girl who came in with her couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She said with an unaccustomed attitude, ¡°What? You¡¯re actually not Yi Zheng¡¯s sister?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± the girl explained nervously. ¡°No, I mean, I¡¯m not lying to you!¡± She looked at the man and woman at the next table for help, but the two of them clearly didn¡¯t want to help her and let her shrink in the corner alone. Seeing that the girl who came with her was about to leave, she hurriedly grabbed her arm, bit her thin lips, and walked to the man¡¯s side. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be angry with me. What happened to Chen Min last time really had nothing to do with me.¡± Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look up. His attitude was cold and distant. ¡°You and I have nothing to do with each other.¡± The girl¡¯s face turned even paler. Her body swayed as if she was about to fall soon, and her voice was filled with tears. ¡°Brother, help me. Please, I¡¯m willing to do anything you want me to!¡± Shi Man was annoyed. She wiped her mouth and looked up. She said word by word, ¡°Miss Song, you¡¯re affecting our meal.¡± Song Zhi¡¯s resentful gaze landed on Shi Man, but before she could behave atrociously, she was stunned by Yi Zheng¡¯s cold eyes. She hurriedly came back to her senses and continued to beg softly, ¡°Brother, can you not acknowledge me? The two of us grew up together.. I¡¯ve already called you Brother for more than twenty years!¡± Chapter 291 - Chapter 291: Self-Recommendation Chapter 291: Self-Recommendation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yi Zheng frowned in disgust, but when he turned to face Shi Man, his expression became gentle and doting again. ¡°Are you done eating?¡± Shi Man put on her coat disinterestedly. ¡°The flies here are too noisy. 1 haven¡¯t eaten well yet. Let¡¯s eat at another restaurant.¡± Of course, Yi Zheng agreed. He personally fastened the buttons on her coat and held her hand like he was leading a doll that he was afraid of losing. Song Zhi watched the two of them leave in a daze. She gritted her teeth in hatred, but there was nothing she could do. She had appeared several times when Shi Man was targeted. Song Zhi had already been completely excluded by Yi Zheng. Now, even if she said something, Yi Zheng would definitely not pity Song Zhi because of the past relationship between the two families. At the other table, the girl looked at her legs lazily. As she lazily touched up her makeup, she mocked, ¡°So you¡¯re in a hurry to stick your face to his cold butt. You still dare to brag outside that Yi Zheng is your cousin. Seeing him today, he¡¯s really your good cousin!¡± Song Zhi stomped her feet in shame and anger, her entire body trembling with anger. ¡°That¡¯s still better than you. You¡¯re just a pheasant who relied on climbing into a man¡¯s bed to exchange for status!¡± When the girl heard her words, she immediately placed the makeup mirror in her hand on the dining table and said coldly, ¡°Alright, so that¡¯s what your Song family thinks of me. Then why are you still trying to get close to me? If you have the ability, go find your cousin!¡± The Song family had a large business deal on their hands recently, but they urgently needed the approval of the higher-ups. The girl in front of them, Lan Jie, happened to be the mistress of the person-in-charge. With her asking, the Song family might be able to have a much smoother approval process. But now that Song Zhi had made a scene, the path of relying on Lan Jie had been completely blocked. She fell onto the sofa dispiritedly and stared blankly at the menu in front of her. The waiter watched the entire process and carefully came over. ¡°Miss, do you still want to order?¡± Song Zhi was just worried that she had nowhere to vent her anger. At this moment, she completely treated the waiter as a punching bag and smashed the porcelain bowl. ¡°You only know how to take orders! Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m annoyed!¡± Her voice was not soft, and the customers coming and going in the restaurant looked over accusingly. Although this restaurant was not absolutely high-end, it was not a place that any street shrew could afford. Most of the customers here were looking for a quiet place to talk to people. Now that they were suddenly disturbed by her, they looked at her with disgust. Only then did Song Zhi realize how much embarrassment she had caused herself just now. She hurriedly took out a banknote from her bag and placed it on the table. Then, she covered her face and ran out of the place, not noticing that a playful gaze had been paying attention to the movements here. After Shi Man and Yi Zheng finished eating, she wanted to do something serious. Just now, they had only taken a quick look at the amusement park and did not find anything unusual. However, in order not to miss any details, she still wanted to go to the event location to investigate carefully. Yi Zheng pointed at the watch on his wrist in disapproval and said seriously, ¡°Miss Shi, it¡¯s almost dark. You won¡¯t be able to see clearly even if you go.¡± Shi Man choked for a moment and glanced at him fiercely. Who was the reason why she had been delayed until now? Yi Zheng did not feel guilty at all. He stuffed her into the front passenger seat and was about to send her home. Shi Man pulled a long face and turned around righteously. ¡°As you said, the person who smashed the amusement park is very likely Nighthawk. If I can¡¯t find evidence of the other party quickly, the Shi family might be their primary target once they know that I¡¯m the boss of Immaculate.¡± Yi Zheng turned on the air conditioner and looked at her calmly and coldly. ¡°Do you need evidence?¡± Shi Man was slightly stunned. ¡°What do you mean? Without evidence, if we suspect wrongly, won¡¯t we be playing into that person¡¯s hands?¡± Yi Zheng sneered and turned the car into the vast sea of cars. ¡°If I have to find evidence for everything before taking action, many things will be left unsettled. No matter who it is, as long as we have doubts, we¡¯ll directly take out the culprit. This way, no one will dare to stand up again.¡± Shi Man was shocked. Although Hellgate and Nighthawk were not as good as Blood Oath, they were still two old establishments with deep foundations and intertwined relationships. How could it be easy to get rid of them? Yi Zheng didn¡¯t hear the voice beside him for a long time. He turned the steering wheel with one hand and used the other to rub her head. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Man frowned and fell into deep thought. She pursed her lips tightly. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to implicate my family.¡± In the past, she could walk freely and have nothing to worry about. She would also choose to kill all the enemies who went against her like Yi Zheng had just said. However, it was different now. The Shi family was a family that had been tragically destroyed in the book. It was hard to guarantee that she would not repeat the same mistake because of her arrogance. If she really let the Shi family walk toward the original ending of the novel again because of her emotions, she would never be at ease even if she died. Yi Zheng knew her concerns. The corners of his mouth curled up as he recommended himself briskly. ¡°If you¡¯re worried, you can leave this matter to me..¡± Chapter 292 - Chapter 292: True Love Chapter 292: True Love Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°How can that do?¡± Shi Man refused without thinking. He could not do this matter boldly. He also had a family and could not take the risk! Yi Zheng suddenly pinched her cheek in a good mood. ¡°Why? Are you worried about me?¡± Only then did Shi Man realize that she had been tricked. She took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. She turned around and said, ¡°Who¡¯s worried about you? If you want to die, go die yourself. Don¡¯t implicate Auntie Lu and Uncle Yi.¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows in amusement. ¡°You¡¯re worried about your in-laws and not your husband. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a wife like you.¡± Shi Man¡¯s face instantly turned red, but considering that it was not easy to beat him up while he was driving, she could only secretly record a score against him in her heart. It was not until the car stopped steadily in front of the Shi family¡¯s house that she took revenge and twisted his arm ruthlessly. Yi Zheng obediently let her pinch him. When she let go, he raised his arm with interest to look at the bruises on it. Shi Man narrowed her eyes and suddenly felt that this person was a little abnormal. She couldn¡¯t help but ask in detail, ¡°Do you have any special hobbies? For example, do you like to be tortured?¡± Yi Zheng looked at her innocently and seemed to have thought about it seriously before replying carefully, ¡°1 like kissing you more than being beaten up by you. I shouldn¡¯t be considered a masochist, right?¡± Shi Man¡¯s hand itched again, and her fists creaked. Yi Zheng looked down and thought that he had thought of a brilliant idea. ¡°Why don¡¯t I let you hit me to vent your anger? Then you let me kiss me to see if 1 have masochistic tendencies?¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± Shi Man got out of the car and left angrily. Yi Zheng hurriedly followed. The butler, who had come to welcome her, was shocked when he saw his Miss¡¯s red face. He glanced suspiciously between the two of them, determined to see what was going on before stopping. Shi Man was speechless. She stopped in her tracks and said angrily, ¡°Uncle Qi, there¡¯s nothing between me and this guy! Stop looking!¡± Butler Qi shivered in fear and hurriedly patted his chest to calm himself down. ¡°Why is Miss so angry? President Yi, how did you provoke her?¡± Yi Zheng explained with a smile, ¡°She¡¯s not angry. She¡¯s shy!¡± Shy her ass! Shi Man turned around and left. Yi Zheng continued to walk beside Butler Qi with a smile. ¡°Look, she must be expressing how much she likes me in her heart now!¡± Butler Qi smiled awkwardly. No matter how he looked at it, he felt that Miss had deliberately stopped just now to scold him in her heart! After personally sending her home and greeting the elders of the Shi family, Yi Zheng stood up and bade farewell. Shen Xian pushed Shi Man and insisted that she send the guest off personally. Shi Man looked away reluctantly, not smiling at all along the way. Yi Zheng¡¯s thoughtful gaze landed on her face. After a while, he smiled in realization. ¡°Manman, are you in a bad mood because you can¡¯t bear to part with me?¡± If not for the fact that it was cold outside, Shi Man really wanted to take off her shoes and slap his face. ¡°No, don¡¯t be too narcissistic.¡± Yi Zheng smiled and deliberately lowered his voice to whisper in her ear, ¡°Actually, I was serious in the car just now. If you feel restrained, 1 can help you eliminate the Nighthawk.¡± Shi Man pondered for a moment and pulled him to a quiet place. Her expression was cold as she said, ¡°No, the outcome I want is far more than that.¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows curiously. ¡°Please elaborate.¡± In the darkness, Shi Man¡¯s dark eyes were dark and unclear, making one unable to help but wonder how many thoughts were hidden in those deep pools. She lowered her voice and smiled sinisterly. ¡°Instead of eradicating them, there will be endless trouble in the future. Why don¡¯t I use them? 1¡¯11 give them a way out and let them sell their lives for me for the rest of their lives!¡± Yi Zheng stared at her for a long time and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He pulled her closer and whispered ambiguously in her ear, ¡°Manman, you¡¯re always so greedy. Then have you considered taking me, the leader of the black market, in?¡± Shi Man actually couldn¡¯t breathe for a moment when she smelled the faint fragrance on his body. After a moment, she came back to her senses and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Yi Zheng, if you want to be my subordinate, I¡¯ll welcome you anytime.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Yi Zheng agreed extremely readily and said seriously, ¡°I created the current Blood Oath. If you¡¯re willing, you can control Blood Oath as Madam Yi at any time. This includes the entire black market.¡± This was considered extremely sincere. There was probably no powerful man in the world who was willing to give up all his power just to smile at his beloved. It would be a lie to say that Shi Man was not moved, but she knew very well that even if she more or less had a good impression of Yi Zheng now, it was not pure love after all. This was because when Yi Zheng said these words, her first reaction was to weigh the pros and cons. She had never loved, but she thought that love should be the most frank and sincere thing in the world. It should not be mixed with dirty benefits. If she could not accept Yi Zheng wholeheartedly, she could not easily accept any of his promises, even if no one in this world was more sincere than him.. Chapter 293 - Chapter 293: Plan chapter 293: plan translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios out of respect for his feelings, shi man did not scold him for his teasing. instead, she replied seriously, ¡°i¡¯ll consider it. go back first.¡± yi zheng¡¯s eyes flickered. he smelled something different from usual and the smile on his lips deepened. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll wait for your good news.¡± the lights had just turned on, and the sky was clear and bright tonight. as yi zheng drove, he thought of shi man¡¯s expression just now. he couldn¡¯t help but smile foolishly. in the blood oath headquarters, sean led his brothers and leisurely set up a huge barbecue stove in the open space. he placed the beef skewers that he had just taken from the blood oath canteen on the stove to roast. the blood oath corps members who came over after smelling it were tempted. they drooled and touched sean. they went to sean¡¯s side and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°brother xiao, give us some too. we¡¯re all brothers!¡± sean glanced at them sideways and turned around proudly. ¡°who¡¯s your brother? our boss hasn¡¯t agreed to be your lady boss yet!¡± ¡°yes, yes, yes. whatever you say.¡± the people from the blood oath echoed repeatedly. they did not dare to contradict sean at all. they treated the immaculate people as their ancestors. sean and the others had been in this group of people for a long time and were very familiar with them. seeing their greedy expressions, they smiled proudly and said, ¡°alright, alright, i¡¯ll give you some. however, there¡¯s only one skewer per person. are there any more? the people in your canteen are too stingy. this is all i have!¡± those people¡¯s eyes immediately lit up like countless hungry wolves hiding in the darkness. they stared fixedly at the meat on the stove, afraid that they would not be able to eat it later. when tang zhe came to the base to patrol, he saw a group of people surrounding sean and the others, begging for food. he immediately felt embarrassed. he coughed dryly and interrupted their fight. he said with an unfriendly expression, ¡°are you very free? whoever has nothing to do, go and chop up the boss of hellgate!¡± everyone was dumbfounded. even sean was stunned. he quickly wiped the oil off his hands and walked over in shock. ¡°you want to fight hellgate? why?¡± tang zhe put his hands behind his back with an unfathomable expression. ¡°come with me for a moment. i have something to tell you.¡± he carried sean to a place with no one around and suddenly frowned. he said with a serious expression, ¡°i just received news that you have indeed been exposed. now, hellgate suspects that miss shi is involved. they just don¡¯t dare to believe it.¡± ¡°so what do we do?¡± sean felt instantly guilty. in the end, this matter was because he was incompetent and accidentally revealed a flaw. the other party saw his true colors and he implicated his boss for nothing. tang zhe could tell that he was upset. he sighed and said, ¡°there¡¯s still room for redress.¡± sean¡¯s eyes lit up. he grabbed his wrist excitedly and said, ¡°what do you need me to do? just say it. in order to protect boss, i¡¯m willing to do anything!¡± tang zhe looked around. after confirming that no one was eavesdropping, he whispered the plan he had discussed with his master. according to the current situation, anyone would have been exposed long ago, but shi man was different from others. her reputation outside was not good, and she was leaning toward the useless kind. although it was not good to say that about the future madam of the family, they could use this to confuse people. the people from hellgate and nighthawk would definitely test shi man many times to confirm that she was really skilled. therefore, what they had to do was to protect shi man and not let her attack easily. they had to create the illusion that even sean and the others were mercenaries under the blood oath. this way, they would only suspect that yi zheng had arranged everything himself and not lock their gazes on shi man. sean quietly listened to the entire plan and felt that it was feasible. he nodded heavily and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i will definitely protect boss.¡± in order to complete this plan, the first thing was that sean and the others had to be exposed to hellgate again. this was undoubtedly a life-and-death situation for them. however, how could sean and the others be stingy with their lives? since they had acknowledged shi man as their boss, they would not hesitate to die. tang zhe had been with them for so long and could see their loyalty, so he dared to carry out this plan with ease. in all fairness, he really hoped that sean and the others were willing to submit to the blood oath. although immaculate was not too large, it was a very strong force. after explaining everything, sean and the others decided to move. the task of protecting their boss was not to be delayed. once there was no one protecting their boss, she would definitely have to take action personally. at that time, all the hatred would be focused on her alone. however, before leaving, sean touched his shriveled stomach and scratched his head with a smile. ¡°can 1 go after this barbecue? we¡¯ve been busy all night and just gave some to your people. i haven¡¯t eaten a bite!¡± tang zhe held back his laughter and nodded slightly in agreement. sean immediately ran away happily. he did not know how long it would take for him to have a good meal again.. Chapter 294 - Chapter 294: Group Backstab chapter 294: group backstab translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as expected, the people from hellgate attacked. on the way back from the airport, shi man was stopped by four cars. su tang grabbed the seatbelt in front of her chest tightly and nervously took out her phone to call the police. shi man gently pressed her hand and said, ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. someone will settle it for us.¡± she did not know about yi zheng¡¯s plan, but she had been followed all the way today. it was impossible for her not to notice. she merely did not take it to heart after recognizing them. su tang looked up in a daze. her down jacket was squeezed high against her chest, making her look like a clumsy bear. the little bear sized up her surroundings nervously and said carefully, ¡°are they targeting me or you?¡± she was really frightened by shi jing from that time. if she thought about it now, she would still be traumatized. shi man gave her a reassuring look and smiled. ¡°don¡¯t worry. even if all of them attack together, 1 can protect you.¡± as soon as she finished speaking, more than ten burly men with clubs alighted from the four cars at the same time. each of them was wearing a huge pair of sunglasses that perfectly covered their faces. shi man was not interested in these people. her only target was the limousine hidden behind the four cars. the dozen or so people quickly surrounded the car. the man in the lead knocked on the window with a stick and gestured for the chauffeur to come out. the shi family¡¯s chauffeur was not an ordinary person who only knew how to drive. he was familiar with the rules and could protect his master at critical moments. he turned his head slightly and asked for his lady¡¯s opinion. shi man slowly lowered the car window and stared coldly at the burly man who was trying to smash the car window with a stick. ¡°it¡¯s very expensive. you can¡¯t afford it.¡± the burly man immediately felt insulted. just as he was about to flare up, he saw the girl opposite him look away lightly, as if she did not take him seriously at all. ¡°why don¡¯t you ask your master to come over and have a face-to-face chat? why is he hiding so far back? is he that afraid of me?¡± when shi man said this, the corners of her eyes were filled with mockery. the burly man could not stand her repeated humiliation. he roared and was about to attack when a person suddenly appeared from nowhere and kicked him away. shi man raised her eyebrows in admiration and whistled casually. sean knew that his boss was praising him for improving again. he immediately blocked her car proudly and shouted, ¡°madam yi, don¡¯t worry. we will definitely protect you!¡± shi man¡¯s expression darkened. she smiled sinisterly and gritted her teeth. ¡°what did you call me?¡± sean shivered, but when he thought of the plan, he braced himself and said, ¡°madam yi, our boss asked us to protect you from today onwards.¡± ¡°your boss?¡± shi man¡¯s smile became even stranger, and her voice was bone-chilling. she instantly understood what yi zheng wanted to do. just as she was about to get out of the car personally, the chauffeur exchanged glances with sean and stepped on the accelerator to rush out of the encirclement, knocking the car in front of the road over. before she left, before shi man could close the car window, she heard sean and the others still shouting on the street, ¡°i swear to protect madam yi¡¯s life!¡± good. shi man suddenly felt that the training plan she had given them was still too light. in the past, she wanted to be a kind boss. in the future, they should not blame her for being a devil instructor! when the car passed by the car that had been hidden at the back, shi man¡¯s sharp eyes saw the person sitting inside. it was actually the boss of hellgate, jun mo, who had barged into the base alone and was beaten up by her. seeing that shi man¡¯s car had already driven away, jun mo instructed another group of people to continue following. today, he had to personally test if shi man was the woman who had snatched his gun that day and humiliated him! the chauffeur knew very well that these people would not let the matter rest easily. through the rearview mirror, he clearly saw a few more cars following them. seeing that they were about to catch up, the chauffeur suddenly stepped on the accelerator and drove at maximum speed. however, it was clearly very dangerous to cross the street like this. the next stop was an intersection with dense traffic. he had to drive carefully. it was obvious that the people behind him would catch up sooner or later. shi man saw the situation clearly, but her expression was still calm. ¡°there¡¯s no hurry. it doesn¡¯t matter even if they catch up.¡± she didn¡¯t want yi zheng to bear all of this for her. she wanted to resolve it herself. the chauffeur pursed his lips and stepped on the accelerator. he had no intention of slowing down. shi man¡¯s eyes were dark as she smiled coldly. ¡°i actually didn¡¯t know that you were bought over by yi zheng.¡± it seemed that yi zheng was already prepared for today¡¯s round. it was difficult for him to consider it so carefully. she was probably the only one who was in the dark, together with su tang. the chauffeur turned his head guiltily and said, ¡°miss, i¡¯m doing this for the shi family. president yi is right. if that group of vicious people targets the entire shi family, you won¡¯t be the only one who will suffer. the shi family is my benefactor. i can¡¯t let them be in danger..¡± Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Safely Home chapter 295: safely home translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man leaned back in the car chair in silence. after a while, she turned her head indifferently. su tang seemed to understand something. she pressed her warm palm pressed against the back of shi man¡¯s hand. when she looked at her, she smiled gently and said, ¡°everyone is doing their best for the same goal. 1 know that you, brother yi zheng, and the chauffeur are all trying to protect the shi family.¡± shi man was slightly stunned, and her heart skipped a beat, as if some indescribable emotion was about to come out. however, before she could carefully understand the strange feeling in her heart, the car was suddenly hit from behind. the chauffeur hurriedly gripped the steering wheel tightly. the car drew a dangerous arc on the street as it drifted and stopped an inch away from the roadside. shi man¡¯s hot face instantly froze. she raised her hand to open the car door to chase these endless things away, but su tang grabbed her wrist firmly. ¡°you can¡¯t go. if brother yi zheng is here, he definitely won¡¯t agree to let you get out of the car!¡± shi man calmly pushed her hand away, her eyes flashing coldly. ¡°if 1 don¡¯t go down, they will never be at ease.¡± su tang was stunned under her firm gaze. it took her a long time to make up her mind. her brows were filled with calmness. ¡°then i¡¯ll go with you.¡± the shi family¡¯s car was surrounded by hellgate again. this time, the other party had clearly learned their lesson and sent twice as many people to make it difficult for them to escape. shi man held su tang¡¯s hand tightly and sneered at the men who had gotten out of the car. ¡°where did this blind thing come from? is the shi family someone you can afford to offend?¡± the man clearly knew that his boss had been beaten up. he stared at the two girls warily and said fiercely, ¡°don¡¯t you know us? didn¡¯t you come to our place as a guest last time?¡± shi man sneered, her face filled with disdain. ¡°do you think you¡¯re worthy of me being a guest? as someone else¡¯s dog, you¡¯ll never be able to show yourself!¡± the man was anxious from her scolding. he couldn¡¯t care less that she might really be skilled. he picked up the big knife in his hand and rushed forward. however, before he could approach, a bullet with a cold glint suddenly cut through the air and accurately shot into his arm. the long knife fell to the ground. the man hugged his arm in pain and wailed, his expression becoming even more ferocious. ¡°attack! i want them alive!¡± shi man pulled su tang up and ran. another group of people rushed into the crowd and protected the two of them. from the beginning to the end, shi man did not reveal any of her skills. she was surrounded like an ordinary young lady until she got into another car that had been prepared by the roadside. after such a soul-stirring battle, su tang¡¯s face was already pale from fright. if shi man had not pulled her to her side quickly just now, she would have been slashed in the shoulder by the long saber in someone¡¯s hand. shi man took a tissue to wipe her sweat. ¡°are you afraid? weren¡¯t you acting righteous just now?¡± su tang lowered her head shyly. she wiped her sweat and held the tissue tightly in her palm. ¡°manman, why don¡¯t you teach me some moves? i won¡¯t be a burden to you after i learn it.¡± shi man chuckled in disbelief and reached out to flick her forehead. ¡°look at how weak you are. how can you practice? besides, this isn¡¯t something you like to do, right? you just have to focus on what you like, which is design.¡± su tang shook her head gently, and an unshakable determination flashed across her clear eyes. ¡°no, i like it. i¡¯m willing to do anything that can help you.¡± she was still afraid that shi man would be unwilling, so she hurriedly propped up her arm to show off her completely negligible muscles. ¡°actually, i¡¯m very capable. i used to help aunt do housework at home. i¡¯m actually very strong.¡± shi man treated this as a spur of the moment and casually custom-made a training plan for her. she did not expect her to really persist. when they returned to the shi family, the commotion on the way was not small. the family quickly found out. if not for yi zheng stopping them, they would have rushed out to protect shi man. the reason why yi zheng was waiting for her here was to be the last line of defense and not let anyone take the opportunity to attack the other members of the shi family. seeing that she had returned safely, yi zheng¡¯s worried heart finally relaxed. he hugged her tightly, as if he wished he could clamp her into his bones and blood from now on and never separate from her again. shi man¡¯s face quickly turned red under his family¡¯s gaze. she hurriedly pushed him away. when she saw his red eyes, she suddenly swallowed her words and said dryly, ¡°i¡¯m back.¡± shen xian smiled gently. seeing that yi zheng was unwilling to let go of shi man, she took the initiative to walk to su tang¡¯s side and hold her arm. ¡°good child, you must be frightened too. i¡¯ll get the butler to cook two bowls of hot ginger soup for you.¡± butler qi immediately understood and rushed into the kitchen with unconcealed joy. soon, he brought over two steaming bowls of soup and said with a smile, ¡°ceo shi has already received the news. he called back just now and said that he would return home as soon as possible..¡± Chapter 296 - Chapter 296: Jealous chapter 296: jealous translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°no need.¡± shi man took the ginger soup and drank it in one gulp. she said slowly, ¡°tell my father not to rush home. i have to go back to the company first. i still have some things to deal with.¡± ¡°baby.¡± shen xian stopped her worriedly. ¡°something so big just happened today. it¡¯s really too dangerous. can you not go out? if there¡¯s anything, get your brother to help you.¡± shi man glanced at yi zheng and said softly, ¡°mom, it¡¯s fine. yi zheng is with me. i¡¯ll be fine.¡± shen xian sized up the two of them in surprise. in the end, she nodded and said, ¡°alright, but if anything happens on the way, you must contact mom.¡± ¡°yes, i know.¡± shi man bade farewell to her mother and got into the car with yi zheng. their destination was not the company, but the base of the blood oath. this was the first time shi man had come to this place, so sean and the others acted as guides. although it was dangerous this time, the immaculate people were outnumbered. fortunately, they had not relaxed their training during this period of time and only suffered some light injuries. shi man looked at their wounds. they were indeed just superficial wounds that seemed terrifying. only then was she relieved. it was almost the end of the year. even the mercenaries who were in the business of licking blood at the tip of their blades would want to relax. therefore, even though it was chaotic outside, the inside of the blood oath was still harmonious and peaceful. this was the first time they, the mercenaries, had seen the future madam. they were curious but did not dare to gather on both sides. yi zheng¡¯s expression was terrifyingly dark. tang zhe only glanced at him and was almost scared out of his wits. he hurriedly gestured for the people on both sides to retreat and very considerately blocked their view of shi man. only then did yi zheng¡¯s expression soften. he brought her into his office and touched her small hand. ¡°it¡¯s so cold. it¡¯s cold, right? i¡¯ll get someone to make you a pot of hot tea.¡± shi man paced slowly in the office and sized up her surroundings. yi zheng didn¡¯t come here often, but the room was clean. the huge desk was actually a little longer than hers. the desk was sorted and stacked with neat documents, as well as some small ornaments that matched yi zheng¡¯s style. the only pink crystal ball in the middle did not look like something yi zheng would buy. she held the crystal ball in her hand suspiciously and looked at yi zheng strangely. ¡°is this yours?¡± yi zheng was stunned for a moment, and a trace of shock flashed across his eyes. he nodded and said, ¡°it¡¯s mine. why?¡± shi man lowered her eyes and stared at the crystal ball for a long time before looking up. however, when her gaze met his probing and teasing eyes, she panicked for no reason. yi zheng suddenly leaned close to her back and wrapped her in his arms. his tone was frivolous and sticky. ¡°are you jealous?¡± shi man was about to retort when something flashed across her mind. the temperature of her hands and feet turned colder. ¡°why would 1 be jealous of myself? look at my brain. i gave this to you personally. i almost forgot.¡± yi zheng looked straight into her quiet eyes, and the silent and strange atmosphere suddenly spread between the two of them. when tang zhe came in with the teapot that had just been brewed, he happened to see the two of them looking at each other. he did not know what they were thinking, but a voice in his heart told him that if he did not run off now, he would probably not be able to escape! he hurriedly put down the teapot and tried his best to reduce his presence. he wanted to stick to the wall as he left, pretending that he had never been here. however, yi zheng still called out to him. his expression was as cold as ice. ¡°go down and prepare. we¡¯ll attack the hellgate tonight.¡± ¡°yes!¡± tang zhe quickly straightened his attitude and walked out of the office hand in hand, quickly closing the door for the two of them. shi man sat lazily in the office chair, still playing with the crystal ball. ¡°1¡¯11 go too.¡± yi zheng immediately refused without thinking. ¡°it¡¯s too dangerous. i don¡¯t care about going to hellgate alone.¡± ¡°but there¡¯s nighthawk now.¡± shi man pointed out the biggest variable without hesitation. ¡°if hellgate asks nighthawk for help again and the two groups join forces, are you confident that you can do it flawlessly?¡± yi zheng knew this very well, but he would think of another way. ¡°that won¡¯t do either. i can send someone to work with sean to stop their support.¡± ¡°sean doesn¡¯t have such ability.¡± shi man knew very well what her subordinates were capable of. they had already exceeded their usual performance by successfully completing the mission today. it was mainly because hellgate did not want to offend the shi family that they did not use their full strength. however, there was a lot at stake with tonight¡¯s matter. nighthawk knew very well that they couldn¡¯t afford to lose. they would definitely send many people. however, no matter what, the nighthawk people would not attack with all their might. therefore, it could be easier to send sean and the others to settle the matter. even if they could not guarantee that they would return intact, they could definitely keep their lives. this man really knew how to accommodate everything for her. even if they were just mercenaries under her, he was willing to spare some effort to protect them and take all the firepower on himself alone.. Chapter 297 - Chapter 297: Brothers chapter 297: brothers translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng still refused to agree. he even threatened to trap her in a small area on the chair. as long as she said that she wanted to participate in the operation, he would kiss her mercilessly and gag her. shi man was annoyed by his kiss. she reached out and pushed him away. she pursed her moist lips and glared at him. ¡°i¡¯m serious with you. if i don¡¯t show my face, they¡¯ll still be suspicious because there are no women among your mercenaries.¡± yi zheng¡¯s eyes were dark. he squeezed her small hand tightly, his eyes filled with worry. ¡°at most, 1¡¯11 agree to you cutting off the support of nighthawk. you have to act with sean and the others. you can¡¯t attack alone.¡± only then did shi man smile and say in a relaxed tone, ¡°don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not difficult to deal with them.¡± with her ability, she could indeed do a sneak attack on nighthawk. yi zheng should not be worried, but looking at the delicate and small girl, he could not bear to let her bleed. night quietly fell. shi man changed into a pure black work suit, put on a mask, and led the immaculate people to the nighthawk base. yi zheng watched them disappear into the night with his own eyes. the frost on his face froze, and his voice was terrifyingly dignified. ¡°tang zhe, let¡¯s go. let¡¯s end this quickly tonight.¡± in the middle of the night, half of g city was debauched, and the other half was in the dark. there were all kinds of people wandering around. nighthawk specialized in bars and casinos, so if he wanted to find zhu meng, he just had to go to the nightclub where he frequented. after passing through the front hall, they would reach the dance floor inside to vent their desires. zhu wen rarely came here to look for his brother, but the commotion today was too big. he had to ask personally. along the way, many women¡¯s hot bodies stuck to him. zhu wen felt disgusted and pushed away the dancer who was almost wrapped around him in disgust. ¡°if you dare to approach me again, i¡¯ll cripple you!¡± ¡°who are you? you¡¯re so arrogant. it¡¯s your blessing that i like you!¡± the woman felt humiliated and got up from the ground on her hands and knees. she stuck out her towering chest and challenged him. zhu wen was not interested in such a woman. in fact, because he had been disgusted by shi jing once, intense hatred arose. his expression immediately darkened. ¡°i¡¯ll give you three seconds to disappear in front of me. otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± ¡°yo, little brother, are you crazy? who are you pretending to be with? why don¡¯t you go out and find out who i¡¯m hanging out with now!¡± the woman shouted and called over a group of companions on the dance floor. seeing that she was unhappy, someone immediately lit her cigarette considerately. it seemed that she was indeed doing well. however, zhu wen did not fall for her tricks at all. he could not take it anymore and stared at the men and women surrounding him. his anger reached its peak. ¡°you asked for this!¡± he swung his cracking fist and smashed it hard on the woman¡¯s face. she covered her swollen face in disbelief, her eyes red with anger and humiliation. ¡°how dare you hit me! just wait. i¡¯ll get brother meng to teach you a lesson!¡± zhu wen sneered. hearing her say this, he felt even more disdainful. ¡°you mean zhu meng?¡± unexpectedly, his brother¡¯s taste was still as bad as ever after being in the industry for so many years. he favored this type of bimbo. the woman stood up angrily and was about to poke his nose with her nail. ¡°how dare you use brother meng¡¯s full name? i think you¡¯re here to cause trouble! someone, call brother meng out!¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need to shout.¡± a dull voice suddenly sounded from behind the crowd. the noisy music on the dance floor suddenly turned off, and the entire nightclub fell into dead silence. zhu meng looked at the onlookers coldly. his gaze bypassed zhu wen and finally landed on the woman. he raised his hand and slapped her again. the woman was about to wheedle when she was suddenly stunned by him. tears flowed out of her eyes. ¡°brother meng, what right do you have to hit me? it¡¯s clearly this kid¡¯s fault!¡± zhu meng roared in disgust, ¡°that¡¯s my biological brother! who do you think you are? how dare you shout at him!¡± the woman was stunned. she looked at the vicious zhu meng in disbelief and then at the scholarly zhu wen. it was really difficult to imagine that these two were biological brothers. however, the truth was right in front of her. in order to survive in the future, she could only endure this anger and kneel in front of zhu wen like a dog to beg for his forgiveness. zhu wen couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at her. he stared straight at his brother. ¡°i have something to talk to you about. this isn¡¯t the place to talk.¡± zhu meng was silent for a moment before nodding. ¡°follow me upstairs.¡± the brothers walked into the elevator one after another. zhu wen was the first to speak. ¡°is shi man the person who attacked jun mo?¡± zhu meng sized up his brother¡¯s expression and said playfully, ¡°do you want her to be?¡± zhu wen couldn¡¯t answer. in his heart, he hoped that shi man had nothing to do with the entire matter. this way, he would have a reason to persuade his brother to let the shi family off. however, when he thought of her involvement with yi zheng, he thought that she was. this way, he would not be soft-hearted when he dealt with them.. Chapter 298 - Chapter 298: Plan chapter 298: plan translator: atlas studios editor: attas studios zhu meng knew what his brother was thinking just by looking at his expression. a mischievous smile flashed across his eyes. he patted his shoulder and said, ¡°ah wen, you¡¯re my only brother. i¡¯ll definitely get everything you want for you.¡± zhu wen suddenly looked up at him; his expression was filled with shock. zhu meng continued, ¡°none of our people made a move today because 1 received news in advance that the person blood oath is targeting is jun mo. it has nothing to do with us for the time being.¡± ¡°you¡¯re saying that they thought that jun mo knew about that incident and took the opportunity to take revenge, so they were already prepared to kill jun mo?¡± zhu wen frowned deeply and punched the table. ¡°that¡¯s great. what we did last time not only made hellgate take the blame, but also successfully diverted the blood oath¡¯s attention!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. this is a good opportunity for us to lie low. as long as we hide in the dark, we can reap the benefits. at that time, without the blood oath and hellgate, we will be the commander of the entire underground black market.¡± when zhu meng said this, a terrifying cold light flashed in his eyes. he was indeed very ambitious. zhu wen was suddenly infected by his aura and felt his blood boil. if the usually lukewarm nighthawk fell into his brother¡¯s hands, he might really be able to advance to a higher level! in the office, the two brothers were still fantasizing about their beautiful future when they suddenly heard a loud bang outside. right on the heels of that, the phone on the table rang urgently. zhu wen calmly walked to the window and observed the night outside with a dark expression. zhu meng picked up the phone and smiled after hearing this. however, he promised seriously, ¡°alright, don¡¯t worry. we¡¯ll definitely provide support as soon as possible.¡± zhu wen didn¡¯t see anything unusual outside, so he put down his doubts and walked back to the table happily. ¡°brother, did the people from the blood oath really attack?¡± ¡°yes.¡± zhu meng nodded with a dark expression. a moment later, he turned danger into joy and laughed. ¡°it¡¯s really our turn to be lucky this time. the people from the blood oath are too impatient. they attacked an old sect so quickly. i¡¯m waiting to see both of them suffer!¡± zhu wen looked happy, but soon, he couldn¡¯t smile anymore because hurried footsteps suddenly sounded in the corridor outside. the person was old liu, who was in charge of guarding the important warehouse. old liu was out of breath from running. after a while, he said intermittently, ¡°not good, boss. the warehouse was stolen. a group of thieves forcefully transported out a large number of our goods. our people went to stop them, but they were all killed.¡± zhu meng stood in front of him in shock. he pointed at his nose and ordered, ¡°tell me clearly where they¡¯re transporting the things.¡± old liu hesitated for a moment. under zhu meng¡¯s increasingly impatient glare, he braced himself and said, ¡°i went to the toilet just now and asked my subordinate to look after the warehouse for me. unexpectedly, a group of people appeared and claimed that they were from hellgate to get support supplies. my subordinate didn¡¯t believe them and was even injured before those people plundered a batch of firearms. they even claimed that you had agreed!¡± ¡°how dare you!¡± zhu meng kicked his stomach angrily and turned around to call jun mo to question him. zhu wen hurriedly stopped his brother and advised sternly, ¡°the matter hasn¡¯t been clarified yet. hellgate is fighting now. if we call and question them, it will only make jun mo doubt our determination to cooperate. why don¡¯t we send someone to quickly follow that group of people and see where they want to transport the things!¡± zhu meng nodded heavily and hurriedly instructed his best subordinates to do this. at this moment, sean and the others, who had once again shaken off their pursuers, were sitting in the freight car and praising their boss¡¯s wisdom. more than ten minutes ago, shi man had monitored zhu meng¡¯s phone. after hearing that the people from hellgate had indeed asked him for help, she immediately called yi zheng and asked him to adjust his strategy. it was almost impossible to annex the hellgate overnight. even yi zheng could not avoid the loss of a large number of mercenaries. it was not worth it to lose so many lives to deal with a mere hellgate. therefore, she suggested diverting the trouble. she had expected that the nighthawk would not sincerely help hellgate, so she made such a move. she snatched the nighthawks¡¯ most precious batch of firearms first and divided them into two batches under the night. one batch was sent to hellgate, and the other was sent back to the blood oath. what yi zheng had to do was to attract all the attention of hellgate and give her time to complete this matter. the car quickly arrived at hellgate base. she entered jun mo¡¯s office with familiarity and placed a few outstanding weapons on the surface. she also got someone to give yi zheng a pistol. the people from nighthawk were indeed stingy. they actually marked every rare weapon with their own marks, afraid that others would snatch them away. however, they might not be able to find it this time. after doing this, she drove to catch up with sean and the others to protect the real batch of firearms. when yi zheng received shi man¡¯s message, he immediately got someone to stop and evacuate. when he received the pistol that had been sent over at the last minute, he immediately understood and made slight signs of wear on the gun before throwing it at the event location expressionlessly.. Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Framed chapter 299: framed translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios jun mo led his men to fight against blood oath¡¯s men. however, as he fought, he realized that the other party¡¯s numbers were decreasing. not only that, but even the few bases that were about to fall received the good news that the other party was no match for them and was retreating step by step. while jun mo was overjoyed, he also felt that it was a little strange. he led his trusted subordinates back to the office first. at a glance, he saw the weapon with the nighthawk logo on the table and was shocked. ¡°when did this arrive?¡± the people below looked at each other. just now, everyone¡¯s attention was on blood oath, so no one noticed who could actually approach this place. jun mo frowned and coldly ordered everyone to put these things away first. he would make plans tomorrow after asking nighthawk personally. on the boulevard, the originally quiet night was suddenly stirred up by the speeding car. the snow on the ground was blown everywhere. the ear-piercing sound of brakes sounded in the empty space in front of the base, and right on the heels of that, the car door was opened lightly. a burly man walked out with a smile on his face, completely incompatible with the murderous atmosphere of the entire base. the row of mercenaries who had long been prepared rushed out from the corner and ran to the back of the carriage in unison. they opened the heavy carriage door and began to move the goods in an orderly manner. shi man skillfully drifted and parked the car steadily beside the truck. the burly man, who was still smiling just now, hurriedly restrained his smile and went over to open the door for her. ¡°there are no pursuers, right?¡± shi man lowered her dark eyes and stared at him calmly. ¡°absolutely not!¡± sean promised repeatedly. he rubbed his hands excitedly and said, ¡°boss, we¡¯ve snatched so many weapons this time. can we show our immaculate brothers first?¡± the burly men behind him looked at shi man expectantly, their eyes sparkling. shi man smiled generously and said, ¡°of course. i¡¯ll have to trouble you with this batch of goods. i saw it just now. the nighthawks¡¯ weapons have their own marks on them. bring a few reliable people from blood oath and think of a way to erase the marks. they¡¯ll be ours in the future.¡± ¡°i promise to complete the mission!¡± sean patted his chest and promised. seeing that shi man was no longer paying attention to them, he quickly tactfully brought his people to do things. just as he finished instructing them, the dazzling headlights on the path outside the base lit up again. shi man turned around and looked. the headlights instantly went out as if they had sensed something. she smiled and walked around to make way for it. after the car stopped, the cold and tall man walked out. yi zheng smiled and rubbed her head. he was so worried that even his voice became very soft. ¡°are you injured?¡± ¡°no.¡± shi man shook her head and said, ¡°i lured the second wave of people sent by the nighthawks to hellgate and returned. they didn¡¯t have a chance to hurt me.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good.¡± yi zheng smiled and held her hand. he wiped the dust from her palm and said, ¡°i¡¯ll send you home. it¡¯s already very late. uncle shi probably still has a lot of questions for you today. do you know how to answer?¡± shi man deliberately teased him. she tilted her head and blinked in confusion. ¡°i don¡¯t know. how should i answer them?¡± yi zheng reached out and scratched her nose. ¡°if you really don¡¯t know, blame everything on me.¡± shi man smiled and said, ¡°actually, compared to my father, i¡¯m more worried about auntie lu and uncle yi¡¯s safety. will they be implicated by us?¡± ¡°no.¡± yi zheng¡¯s eyes darkened for a moment, and his grip on her hand suddenly tightened. ¡°they¡¯ve seen far more on this path than we thought. they must have known about the commotion these past few days.¡± shi man was slightly stunned. only then did she remember that no one from the yi family had appeared. she thought that they were just like the shi family and did not know the cause and effect of the matter, but she did not expect them to tacitly agree. yi zheng smiled gently and raised his hand to help her tidy her long hair. ¡°let¡¯s go. i¡¯ll send you home first. we¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± shi man nodded and leaned against the window of the front passenger seat. surrounded by the familiar fragrance in the car, she actually fell asleep. in the nightclub, zhu meng angrily swept away the things on the table. he pointed at the man kneeling on the ground and said fiercely, ¡°tell me again. where did that batch of things go?¡± ¡°they, they¡¯re all at hellgate. we saw that car enter hellgate¡¯s territory with our own eyes. as for the things, they might have transported them away from the dark. however, the leader is indeed from hellgate. moreover, 1 heard that it was after that person entered hellgate that blood oath suddenly became weak.¡± the man finished his speculation with trepidation and gave his companion a look. his companion immediately held a meeting and nodded desperately like a chick pecking at rice. ¡°yes, yes, yes. they must have used our batch of weapons. otherwise, how could nighthawk defeat blood oath? boss, they¡¯re openly robbing us. that batch of goods is our trump card.. we have to ask them for an explanation this time!¡± Chapter 300 - Chapter 300: An Unspoken Mutual Understanding chapter 300: an unspoken mutual understanding translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the car stopped in front of the shi family¡¯s manor. they did not expect someone to come to the shi family as a guest before them. yi zheng got out of the car with shi man and looked at butler qi indifferently. ¡°is my mother here?¡± ¡°chairman yi is here too.¡± the butler handed him the exquisitely wrapped box of snacks. ¡°madam yi instructed me to bring this to you.¡± ¡°yes, thank you.¡± yi zheng held the gift box in one hand and pulled shi man with the other. he turned his head and said softly, ¡°let¡¯s go. it seems that mother has already found a reason for us.¡± in the living room, lu xiang was excitedly telling them what she had seen on this trip. shen xian was engrossed in it and couldn¡¯t help but rebuke, ¡°why didn¡¯t you bring me along when you went out to play? 1 haven¡¯t gone on a trip for a long time!¡± ¡°i want to call you. don¡¯t some people always say that they can¡¯t be at ease with a treasure at home?¡± lu xiang teased her with a smile. shen xian pretended to be angry and glared at her. ¡°now that my baby has grown up and can take care of herself, i can rest assured and do something 1 like!¡± lu xiang nodded and said, ¡°that¡¯s right. 1 heard that manman got first place in the cohort again at the end of this semester? aiyo, if yi zheng can really marry manman, that will be our family¡¯s blessing! i¡¯m looking forward to the day i can be in-laws with you!¡± shen xian also held her hand excitedly and said, ¡°if the two children can really be together, this will fulfill the promise we made when we were young.¡± shi zhong had been chatting with the two women for an hour. now, there was an indirect tinnitus. yi long saw his fatigue and picked up two cups of hot tea in amusement. he instructed, ¡°bring the teapot. let¡¯s play chess in the study.¡± shi zhong felt as if he had been pardoned. he hurriedly stood up and was about to leave when there was suddenly a commotion at the door. lu xiang, who was chatting happily with shen xian, suddenly paused and stood up to welcome her in surprise. ¡°baby manman, you¡¯re finally back. it¡¯s been hard on you.¡± she took the snack from yi zheng and placed it on the coffee table as if she was presenting a treasure. ¡°xiaoxian, try it quickly. if it suits your taste, yi zheng and manman didn¡¯t help me make this trip for nothing.¡± yi zheng greeted the people in the living room before naturally pulling shi man to sit on the sofa opposite the coffee table. ¡°that¡¯s right, aunt shen. my mother said that you should like these.¡± shi zhong¡¯s eyes were fixed on his daughter. his butt, which had just been raised, suddenly sank again. he snorted and sat back down. he hesitated for a long time before asking stiffly, ¡°are you injured?¡± shi man shook her head gently. ¡°no.¡± shi zhong did not know what to say. initially, he planned to interrogate shi man and make her explain why she was kidnapped on the way and why she came home so late. however, he did not expect lu xiang to come and find a reason for them first, making him unable to speak. yi long patted his shoulder with a smile and said leisurely, ¡°let¡¯s go. why are you sitting down again? are you afraid of losing to me?¡± ¡°will 1 lose to you?¡± shi zhong, who was already angry, was now completely incited by him. he carried the teapot and walked up the stairs with him yi long. he even said eloquently, ¡°i¡¯ll defeat you today.¡± lu xiang secretly heaved a sigh of relief and continued to smile at shen xian. ¡°how is it? isn¡¯t it delicious?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. which pastry chef made this? i really want to invite him over and ask him to make a few plates for us during the new year.¡± shen xian and her husband upstairs looked at each other. a hint of relief flashed across their eyes, and they continued to echo their best friend¡¯s words with innocent expressions. actually, the two of them could already tell that something was wrong, but looking at lu xiang¡¯s attitude tonight and shi man¡¯s calm expression when she returned, the two of them understood everything in an unspoken mutual understanding. since the matter had probably been resolved, there was nothing to ask. although shi zhong had strict requirements, he was like shen xian in the face of right and wrong. he was willing to provide help to his children at the critical moment, but he would never interfere with their lives. perhaps if they took action, things would be better resolved, but if the children were unwilling, they would not be nosy parents. as long as the two of them were still safe and sound, shen xian would not have so much to worry about. the person they were most worried about now was shi mu. no matter how lively the atmosphere in the living room was, it could not enter the dark room at the end. this afternoon, bai xue suddenly had a stomachache. when shi mu arrived, she was already unconscious on the ground. he rushed into the room and carried her to send her to the hospital, but his hand still paused slightly. an evil thought suddenly grew in the depths of his heart. if he chose to ignore it, this child would probably not be born successfully, and it would naturally not become a burden for him when he was threatened. he should have left her to fend for herself. however, just as this thought arose, he extinguished it himself.. Chapter 301 - Chapter 301: Memories chapter 301: memories translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios without any hesitation, shi mu gritted his teeth and sent her to the resuscitation room of the hospital. he did not dare to stay for a moment. afraid that if he delayed any longer, that incomparably dark thought would grow in his mind again. fortunately, it was discovered in time. bai xue and the child in her stomach were fine, but they still needed to be kept in the hospital for examination. shi mu didn¡¯t know why he had arranged all of this, but when he returned home, he locked himself in his room. he didn¡¯t even move when butler qi called him for dinner. shi man knew what her brother was hiding in his heart and clenched her fists. the next day, after she finished dealing with the company¡¯s matters, su tang called. she seemed to have just finished running. her voice was dry and hoarse as she panted. ¡°manman, 1 followed fourth brother into the hospital. it¡¯s the one where i was hospitalized last time. 1¡¯11 send you the ward number later.¡± shi man¡¯s expression was dark, but when she heard su tang¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°our tangtang is getting better and better. she actually knows how to follow people!¡± su tang sniffed and curled her lips. ¡°call me sister, little sister.¡± shi man¡¯s face fell and she warned, ¡°stop talking nonsense. be careful. i¡¯ll be there soon.¡± su tang hung up the phone with an arrogant snort and carefully stood outside the ward to eavesdrop. after being stared at by nurse huan for half an hour, there was finally movement inside. she immediately dodged into the crowd and stole a glance at shi mu¡¯s departing figure. seeing him enter the elevator, she hurriedly went down the emergency passageway. at the entrance of the hospital, su tang looked around in a panic, but she could not find shi mu. just as she was about to give up, a hand suddenly touched her shoulder from behind. su tang shivered in fear. she slowly turned around and met shi man¡¯s mischievous eyes. ¡°what are you doing? why are you so sneaky?¡± shi man teased her. su tang heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly grabbed her wrist. ¡°manman, 1 lost fourth brother after he left the ward. i don¡¯t know where he went. what should we do now? why don¡¯t you enter the ward and i¡¯ll keep an eye for you at the door?¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but laugh. she shook her head and said, ¡°to think you could think of it. he¡¯s family. if you want to know if he¡¯s still in the hospital, won¡¯t you know with a call?¡± su tang muttered to herself, ¡°we¡¯re family, yet you still want me to help follow him?¡± however, when she met shi man¡¯s teasing eyes, her heart skipped a beat and she quickly swallowed the words she blurted out. the call was quickly picked up by shi mu. shi man asked a few questions and got the answer. she pulled su tang into the hospital. su tang jogged to catch up with her and asked anxiously, ¡°are you sure he won¡¯t come back?¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man pressed the elevator button and the two of them quickly arrived at the floor where the ward was. su tang was still a little worried and continued to ask, ¡°how did you know? what did he say just now?¡± along the way, the noisy voices did not stop. shi man could not help but reach out to pinch her chubby face and smile. ¡°don¡¯t worry, mom is looking for him. he¡¯s already on the way home.¡± only then did su tang heave a sigh of relief. when she reached the door of the ward, she took the initiative to stand a little further away, indicating for shi man to enter alone. shi man thought for a moment and grabbed her arm. ¡°come with me. i¡¯m worried about you being alone outside.¡± ¡°this is the hospital. what are you worried about?¡± su tang blinked and looked up at her. su tang pretended to pinch her face again. she hurriedly shut her mouth and obediently followed her into the ward. she cursed in her heart. manman¡¯s birthday was clearly later than hers, but she was actually so much taller than her! it made her, her older sister, look especially petite. however, after she saw the woman in the ward clearly, she completely threw these thoughts to the side. on the hospital bed, the girl¡¯s face was as pale as paper. she could not even find peace in her sleep, as if she had had a terrifying nightmare. her brows were tightly furrowed, and sweat kept dripping from her forehead. shi man frowned and walked over to take her pulse. she waited patiently for a while before heaving a sigh of relief. she brought a chair for su tang to sit down. ¡°then where are you going?¡± su tang asked in confusion. shi man pursed her lips and the smile on her face disappeared. ¡°i¡¯m going out for some fresh air. watch her here. call me if she wakes up.¡± she left the ward and found the attending doctor in charge of treating bai xue. the gynecology and obstetrics department was filled with women, but there were very few husbands accompanying them. many women gathered together and chatted about their lives. shi man seemed to see her former partner, lu huai, through them. they had only worked together for a short period of time. shi man could not remember the details of completing the mission with lu huai, but she still remembered lu huai¡¯s bitter smile before she died. at that time, there were only two of them in the organization. however, lu huai¡¯s personality was too different from hers, so she was not assigned as a partner by the organization. however, they still got to know each other on a forced mission.. Chapter 302 - Chapter 302: Promise chapter 302: promise translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in that mission, lu huai became an undercover agent beside a high-ranking official. in order to gather evidence, she did not hesitate to entrust herself to a man who was old enough to be her father. in the end, she accidentally got pregnant. lu huai, who was also placed at the top, suddenly changed her temperament after having her own child and insisted on giving birth to this child. the organization could not tolerate her leaving without permission after knowing so many secrets. out of trust in shi man¡¯s strength and in a test of her stand, the leader sent shi man to deal with lu huai. at that time, it was also in such a hospital. shi man quietly watched as lu huai touched her stomach with difficulty for a prenatal checkup. the corridor of the hospital was always filled with the strong smell of disinfectant. it seemed that she had suffered countless injuries in the past few years, causing her body to be completely deficient. pregnancy was undoubtedly a life-threatening burden to her. at that time, lu huai was no longer as high-spirited as before. her face was pale. shi man followed behind her softly for more than ten minutes before she finally noticed. when lu huai saw her, she understood something. the pregnancy test report in her hand slid down lightly, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye. ¡°i can¡¯t give birth to this child, right?¡± shi man looked at lu huai, who was completely different from before, expressionlessly and led her to the rooftop of the hospital without saying a word. lu huai looked at the traffic downstairs and suddenly smiled foolishly, but the smile did not reach her eyes. ¡°shi man, actually, i quite admire you. you¡¯ll always be so calm and self-controlled. you¡¯ll never be tied down by feelings.¡± as she spoke, lu huai had already walked to the edge of the rooftop. she turned around and looked at shi man with tears in his eyes. ¡°i want to ask you, do you treat me as a friend in your heart?¡± at that time, shi man did not have these unnecessary feelings in her heart. to her, completing the mission of the organization was the entire meaning of her life. the other mercenaries in the organization were only her colleagues and would even become her enemies at the critical moments. therefore, she had never taken it to heart when it came to lu huai. it was only on that day that she really looked at her former partner¡¯s face seriously and realized that she had already become skinny. lu huai saw that she was silent and knew the answer. she smiled bitterly and lowered her eyes, her face ashen. ¡°i really hope that you will always be so unrestrained in the future and not be tied down by any feelings that shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°shi man, never fall in love with any man.¡± the wind on the rooftop was a little noisy, lifting lu huai¡¯s clothes and fluttering them in the air. shi man did not hear what she said in the end. she only saw the beautiful figure suddenly jump off the rooftop with a desperate expression. her clothes fluttered in the air and she finally fell to the ground. she came back to her senses and the pregnant woman in front of her waved her hand in front of her eyes in a daze. ¡°young lady, why are you distracted here? don¡¯t you have a family?¡± the pregnant woman looked at her sympathetically and stroked her stomach. she comforted her softly. ¡°you look young. it must be your first time being pregnant. if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, you can tell me. this is my second child. i¡¯m very experienced.¡± shi man looked at her coldly, her eyes reflecting the lights above her head. ¡°no, thank you. i¡¯m going to look for my friend.¡± in the ward, after bai xue slowly woke up, she saw an anxious-looking girl sitting by her bed. she was so frightened that she immediately sat up. however, because her movement were too big, it hurt her already fragile abdomen. she felt so uncomfortable that she bent down to cover her stomach. su tang hurriedly went over to take a look and comforted her anxiously. ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. i don¡¯t have any ill intentions. i¡¯ll go call a doctor for you now.¡± ¡°who are you?¡± bai xue forced herself to stand up. her entire body was soaked in sweat. su tang was about to explain to her, but she was afraid that she would ruin shi man¡¯s matter if she spoke nonsense. she hurriedly took out her phone to inform shi man, but unexpectedly, the door of the ward was suddenly opened from the outside. when su tang saw who it was, joy appeared on her face. ¡°you¡¯re finally back!¡± on the contrary, bai xue¡¯s face seemed to be even paler. her eyes flickered as if she was trying her best to avoid something. shi man looked down at her from top to bottom, her expression still indifferent. ¡°are you reluctant to part with your child, or did bai yao control your other relatives?¡± su tang¡¯s stunned gaze slowly turned to bai xue on the bed, and she happened to catch a flash of guilt in her eyes. shi man sat in su tang¡¯s seat and said expressionlessly, ¡°i¡¯ll give you one last chance. i said 1 can help you, but 1 won¡¯t¡­¡± she slowly shifted her gaze to bai xue¡¯s belly, which was not showing at all. ¡°if you don¡¯t say it, i¡¯ll immediately free this child. i¡¯m not as good-tempered as my brother. everything is up to your choice.¡± bai xue¡¯s body trembled violently, and her dry lips opened and closed. in the end, she closed her eyes and said in despair, ¡°what can you help me with? bai yao took my mother away. can you help me save her?¡± only then did shi man smile. her tone was firm. ¡°i can..¡± Chapter 303 - Chapter 303: Cooperation chapter 303: cooperation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai xue¡¯s eyes widened and the corners of her mouth opened in disbelief. ¡°w-what did you say?¡± ¡°i said, 1 can.¡± shi man promised her solemnly. ¡°if you¡¯re willing to believe me, 1¡¯11 save you and your mother from the bai family. at that time, it¡¯s up to you to decide if the child in your stomach will stay or leave.¡± bai xue still found it hard to believe that someone would be willing to help her. she had thought that the shi family would be angry and threaten her after knowing this. just like bai yao, they would only see her as a tool to achieve their goal. however, shi man said that she was willing to save her and respected her own thoughts. ¡°i¡­¡± bai xue opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the lump in her throat made her unable to speak. she could only turn her head away and say word byword, ¡°if i listen to bai yao, at least she can let me and my mother go after she achieves her goal. but if i believe you, once you don¡¯t succeed, my mother might die at any time.¡± shi man sat up straight and raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°how about this? i¡¯ll bring your mother to a safe place first, then you can decide if you want to cooperate with me. don¡¯t you want to take revenge on bai yao for the pain she caused you?¡± bai xue was shocked. her pupils constricted, and even her tears were hanging in her eyes. ¡°i, i want to.¡± the white bedsheet was twisted in her hand. thinking of that painful night and bai yao¡¯s coercion, she wished she could let bai yao taste the same torture as her. shi man could see the monstrous hatred in her eyes and smiled in satisfaction. ¡°very good. it¡¯s settled then. tell me about your mother and i¡¯ll help you think of away.¡± actually, shi man could investigate all of this herself, but letting bai xue say it herself could strengthen the latter¡¯s determination to hate the bai family. this could prevent a possible betrayal by bai xue in the future. bai xue fell back onto the bed exhausted. she widened her eyes and looked at the snow-white ceiling above her. the pungent smell of disinfectant filled her surroundings, and the corridor was noisy. but ironically, this was actually the most comfortable place she had ever lived in her life. she was the daughter of the bai family. her mother was a mistress raised by father bai. when she was young, she had gotten along well with the children around her because of her peaceful personality. it was only when bai yao¡¯s mother came knocking on her door that everyone seemed to know her mother¡¯s identity overnight. her friends, who was originally on good terms with her, would throw stones at her window every day. when she was in school, she was often bullied. even the teachers would privately call her mother a b*tch and call her a little b*tch. but she had done nothing. she had never even received fatherly love, and yet she had to be criticized by that man¡¯s family for no reason. she had to become a rotten person who was stepped into the mud and could never recover. later, for the sake of reputation, the school found her mother and tactfully persuaded her to let bai xue drop out. she was so embarrassed that she didn¡¯t even have the right to go to school, but the father who had harmed them to this extent still didn¡¯t appear. her mother suffered from depression because of this and drank at home every day. in order to support her family, she had been working part-time everywhere after dropping out of school. she had been in a daze and had been called a b*tch until she was numb. not long ago, the bai family suddenly snatched her mother away and forced her to commit to a man she had never seen before. what was even more shameful was that she was pregnant with that man¡¯s child, making her baby out to be a tool that could be abandoned at any time. shi man listened to her story quietly with a frown and disgust in her eyes. ¡°then do you know where they took your mother?¡± bai xue lowered her eyes dejectedly and shook her head. ¡°i don¡¯t know. they deliberately separated me from my mother to force me to agree to approach your brother. if i don¡¯t do as she says, they will kill my mother. on the contrary, if your brother doesn¡¯t listen to me, she will expose everything that happened that night.¡± su tang clenched her fists in shock. she almost blurted out some swear words that she had never said before, but because of her usual self-restraint, she forced them back. she endured it and said, ¡°manman, can you find out her mother¡¯s whereabouts?¡± bai xue looked over expectantly. shi man smiled and looked back at her confidently. ¡°1 can investigate, but you have to help me do something first.¡± ¡°what is it?¡± bai xue¡¯s eyes finally lit up. shi man retracted her smile and said mysteriously, ¡°i want bai yao to tell me her true motive.¡± according to bai yao¡¯s previous actions, she clearly didn¡¯t just want to destroy shi mu. she must have a deeper goal. in the shi family, only shi mu could help her achieve this goal. bai xue thought for a while in silence. she suddenly looked up and a determined expression appeared on her pale face. ¡°alright, 1¡¯11 cooperate with you. as long as you can save my mother, i¡¯ll abort the child and have nothing to do with the shi family after this..¡± Chapter 304 - Chapter 304: Massage chapter 304: massage translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng came to the company to look for shi man, but meng hui told him that she had left. he frowned slightly and sent her a message before sitting in the office and waiting. shi man comforted bai xue and sent su tang home before driving back. when she arrived, yi zheng had already waited inside for two hours. seeing her enter, he put down the teacup in his hand and sized her up from head to toe with a sharp gaze. he smiled and said, ¡°you¡¯re finally done? what took you so long? why didn¡¯t you bring your secretary?¡± meng hui stood at the side awkwardly holding the teapot. ever since yi zheng came, she had been taking good care of him. afraid that he would get impatient if she waited for too long, she had been refilling his tea. now that shi man was back, she finally heaved a sigh of relief. her pleading gaze landed on her. shi man pursed her lips and smiled, kindly saving her. ¡°go out and do your work first. i¡¯ll talk to ceo yi alone.¡± meng hui rushed out of the office as if she had been pardoned and quickly sat back in her chair to stretch her stiff waist. shi man sat opposite yi zheng with a calm expression. ¡°why are you looking for me at this time?¡± ¡°can¡¯t 1 come and see you if i have nothing to do?¡± yi zheng patted the seat beside him calmly. ¡°why are you sitting so far away? are you afraid that i¡¯ll eat you?¡± shi man pursed her lips and slumped into a chair, unwilling to move. ¡°how are nighthawk and hellgate?¡± yi zheng¡¯s eyebrows twitched. since she refused to move, he had no choice but to sit over and pull her into his arms. ¡°it¡¯s as we planned. nighthawk¡¯s people are blaming them for acting first and reporting later. hellgate thinks that nighthawk secretly gave the resources to blood oath. the two sides are fighting.¡± shi man leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes to rest. hearing his words, the corners of her lips curled up lazily. ¡°we can add fuel to the fire.¡± ¡°huh? what do you want to do?¡± yi zheng gently placed her on his lap and massaged her head with moderate strength. shi man let out a light snort in enjoyment, her voice tinged with sleepiness. ¡°didn¡¯t you snatch a gun from hellgate? you should have blocked the location, right?¡± yi zheng recalled the scene of this little girl deliberately framing him and couldn¡¯t help but want to tease her. he pretended to be surprised and said, ¡°what location? what gun is it?¡± shi man suddenly sat up from him, her pupils trembling. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you really didn¡¯t notice?¡± yi zheng held back his laughter with difficulty and continued to ask in disbelief, ¡°what kind of gun is it? did you throw hellgate¡¯s things at my base?¡± shi man restrained her expression and quietly sized up yi zheng. after staring at him for a long time, she finally smelled a trace of strangeness in his subtle expression. she narrowed her eyes threateningly and said, ¡°if you dare to lie to me, i¡¯ll never talk to you again.¡± yi zheng really couldn¡¯t control the corners of his lips that curled up. he raised his hands in surrender. ¡°alright, alright, alright. i won¡¯t tease you anymore. i still have that gun, but the location-tracking on it had indeed been turned off.¡± shi man rolled her eyes at him. just as she was about to distance herself from this big liar, he suddenly grabbed her arm. caught off guard, she was pulled down and sat on his lap again. yi zheng found her angry look lively and interesting. he couldn¡¯t help but reach out and pinch her face. he coaxed her softly, ¡°don¡¯t be angry. 1¡¯11 massage you again, but were you worried about me just now?¡± shi man held his finger and moved it to her temple, not letting him touch other areas casually. she closed her eyes and said coldly, ¡°i¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll implicate me.¡± yi zheng¡¯s lips twitched slightly as he suddenly tightened his grip. shi man took a deep breath and opened her eyes to glare fiercely at the man with ill intentions. ¡°your skills are too poor. don¡¯t expect me to pay.¡± yi zheng narrowed his malicious eyes and warned sinisterly, ¡°bad skills? do you want to compete?¡± shi man was interested and took off his hand. ¡°how do we compete?¡± the man suddenly unbuttoned his suit with one hand and held her head with the other. he suddenly lowered his head and was about to kiss her deeply. shi man hurriedly jumped out of his arms and said angrily, ¡°who¡¯s competing in this with you? this is the office!¡± yi zheng leaned against the sofa and looked at her provocatively. ¡°are you afraid?¡± shi man walked a little further and stared at him warily. ¡°let¡¯s talk business.¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows and waited for her to continue. shi man¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°i want to destroy the bai family.¡± in the private room, a girl in white stared in the direction of the door. the boy beside her was dressed in casual clothes and was playing a cell phone game casually with his legs crossed. neither of them spoke to the other until there was a noise at the door. the boy pulled back from the game world and looked at the hunched, pale woman. ¡°have a seat.¡± song zhi was flattered and sat opposite the two of them. she rubbed her hands nervously under the table, ¡°miss bai, young master chen, did you agree to help my father?¡± bai yao smiled sweetly and personally poured a cup of tea for her. ¡°there¡¯s no hurry. let¡¯s talk first..¡± Chapter 305 - Chapter 305: Working Together chapter 305: working together translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios song zhi smiled bitterly and hugged the teacup to warm her hands. ¡°what else is there from me for you to use now?¡± the song family¡¯s business was completely ruined because of her. her father was depressed after drinking and actually hit her mother. she was also slapped twice for causing trouble. song zhi, who originally prided herself on her status, realized overnight that she was actually nothing. her confidence and self-esteem had been completely dealt a blow, and she had yet to recover. bai yao and chen zong looked at each other and said, ¡°we need you to join us. don¡¯t you want to take your brother back from that woman, shi man?¡± song zhi suddenly looked up at the two of them in disbelief. ¡°you want me to help deal with shi man?¡± bai yao nodded solemnly and pointed at chen zong. ¡°this is chen min¡¯s younger brother, chen zong. you know about chen min. because of shi man, she¡¯s still cooped up at home and doesn¡¯t dare to go out.¡± song zhi was slightly stunned before she carefully sized up the boy in front of her. his eyes were exquisite and good-looking, and there was a hint of roguishness in his eyes. it was obvious that he was the type who would attract ignorant girls. song zhi blushed and lowered her head, her fingers subconsciously fumbling with the teacup. ¡°1¡¯11 consider it seriously. can you tell me your plan first?¡± chen zong smiled smugly and reached out to lift her hair ambiguously. ¡°what¡¯s the hurry? let¡¯s sit down and have a good meal to get familiar with each other.¡± song zhi¡¯s face turned even redder. she hurriedly avoided his hand and said with a trembling voice, ¡°i, i still have something on at home.¡± ¡°don¡¯t. it¡¯s so insincere to leave when you just came. we¡¯re in the same boat now. we should be more honest with each other, right?¡± as he spoke, he moved the chair to song zhi¡¯s side. he had just realized that although song zhi looked fierce, she was actually submissive and easy to manipulate. he had always liked such women. in his mind, women should listen to men. women were born weak and were not as strong as men. naturally, they should not have a higher status than men. therefore, song zhi¡¯s behavior since she entered made him very satisfied. bai yao saw through his thoughts and sneered in her heart. however, she tried her best to facilitate it on the surface. chen zong was very satisfied with her understanding of the situation. he felt even more that he had been more careful that day. it was a wise decision to record the scene of song zhi losing face in the cafeteria. in the office, yi zheng listened to shi man relating shi mu¡¯s matter quietly. his fingers on his lap tapped his knee subconsciously. ¡°alright, this matter is not difficult, but what do you want me to help with?¡± shi man did not want to ask him for help, but now that sean and the others had completed the mission with injuries, it was too inhumane to send them out to investigate in the cold. she could only ask him for help. ¡°i want you to lend me some people. i want to find out where the bai family is hiding bai xue¡¯s mother.¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°it¡¯s easy. the blood oath doesn¡¯t lack manpower the least, but don¡¯t 1 have any benefits?¡± shi man was furious. this man really didn¡¯t get up early without benefits. suppressing her anger, she said coldly, ¡°what do you want?¡± yi zheng smiled and said, ¡°let me go to your house for the new year. my mother and father want to travel overseas during the new year leave. i¡¯m the only one left at home.¡± shi man was slightly stunned. the anger in her heart quietly dissipated, leaving her confused. ¡°that¡¯s it?¡± yi zheng nodded matter-of-factly, his eyes filled with a mischievous smile. ¡°otherwise, what unreasonable request do you think i¡¯ll make?¡± shi man coughed awkwardly and agreed readily. ¡°alright, just come to the house when the time comes. even if you don¡¯t mention it, my parents won¡¯t leave you alone for the new year.¡± yi zheng shook his head. the doting smile on his lips seemed to be able to drown one in it. ¡°that¡¯s different. you agreed to it yourself. when the time comes, there won¡¯t be any reason to chase me away.¡± shi man felt helpless. however, this man¡¯s love had never been a burden to her. instead, he was always thinking for her sake. that was why she was willing to continue the bet and never called for a pause. the two of them hit it off. yi zheng¡¯s goal was achieved, and his mood became even better. suddenly, he interlocked his fingers with hers, and his gaze was so intense. ¡°manman, do you still remember that last time we had a movie we didn¡¯t finish watching? you said that you would compensate me!¡± the smile on shi man¡¯s lips froze. she said with a troubled expression, ¡°but 1 still have work to do.¡± ¡°alright, go ahead. i won¡¯t disturb you.¡± yi zheng let go very quickly. just like the last time, he sat quietly on the sofa and casually picked up a book to read. however, his right hand seemed to touch his abdomen unintentionally. shi man stood at the side and stared at his side profile for a while. she sighed helplessly and said, ¡°forget it. you¡¯ve been waiting for me here. you haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? let¡¯s go out and fill our stomachs first. i¡¯ll be busy when we come back.¡± only then did yi zheng smile again. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll listen to you..¡± Chapter 306 - Chapter 306: Sowing Discord chapter 306: sowing discord translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios at night, the men sent by nighthawk sneaked into hellgate, but they were caught by jun mo. ever since he was beaten up by a woman in the office who left unscathed, the surroundings of jun mo¡¯s office had become more vigilant. he coldly picked up the knife handed over by his secretary and suddenly stabbed the person¡¯s abdomen in anger. he smiled sinisterly and said, ¡°tell me, did that despicable zhu meng send you?¡± the man frowned coldly. when his gaze landed on the dagger that had pierced through him, his pupils suddenly constricted. he looked up fiercely and said, ¡°that batch of things was indeed snatched by you!¡± jun mo felt that it was strange. he asked his secretary to bring him down and torture him so that he would suffer more and cave in to tell the truth. the reason why the hellgate was called the hellgate was that the sinister methods here were not inferior to those in purgatory at all. every generation of hellgate leaders believed in the magical effects of torture. when it came to jun mo, it became even worse. the secretary knew his personality very well and did not show any mercy when interrogating the man in black. another silver needle was ruthlessly inserted between the man¡¯s fingers, and the entire basement was filled with miserable screams. however, the secretary narrowed his eyes in enjoyment as if he had heard a beautiful song. he even began to subconsciously wave his arms in the air following the rhythm of his shout, as if he was a conductor directing an orchestra. amidst the screams, his face gradually revealed obsession. the man was covered in sweat, as if he had just been fished out of water. the dagger in his abdomen was still in place. any slight movement would cause suffocating pain, and his ten fingers were already badly mangled. sweat and blood mixed together, emitting an unpleasant smell in the air. however, the secretary still felt that it was not enough. he got someone to bring a clean dagger and pinched the man¡¯s wrist as he was about to cut off the tendons in his hand. the man immediately shouted in fear and begged for mercy. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i was wrong. 1 really know my mistake. i¡¯ll tell you. i¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± the secretary retracted his hand regretfully. the blade slowly scraped across his cheek. ¡°tell me, who sent you?¡± ¡°it¡¯s my big brother, zhu meng.¡± the man begged for mercy with tears in his eyes. ¡°let me go. i¡¯ve already told you. let me go. i don¡¯t want to die.¡± the secretary sneered and sheathed the dagger. he casually threw it to his subordinate. ¡°watch him. i¡¯ll report to boss.¡± in the office, the secretary wiped the blood off his hands and walked in with a serious expression. ¡°boss, i¡¯ve interrogated. they¡¯re indeed from the nighthawk. it seems that the other party doesn¡¯t treat us as allies at all. they actually played such tricks behind our backs.¡± jun mo¡¯s expression was dark as he placed his hands in front of his chest. a hint of calculation flashed across his eyes. ¡°i deliberately used the dagger with the nighthawk mark just now to test zhu meng¡¯s true intentions.¡± the secretary¡¯s eyes flickered, but he quickly caught up with his train of thought. ¡°you¡¯re saying that zhu meng sent people here for this batch of things? then who exactly placed these things in our office?¡± jun mo was thinking with his head lowered when the location that he had lost contact with for a long time suddenly lit up on the computer screen. he suddenly raised his head. after seeing that the exact location was in the nighthawk¡¯s territory, his eyes widened. ¡°i have a bold guess.¡± the secretary put on a curious expression and listened attentively. ¡°go ahead.¡± jun mo slowly stood up and looked at the gun that he had picked up from the event location that night. his brows furrowed. ¡°i suspect that the nighthawks have actually long formed an alliance with blood oath. this incident is just a catalyst.¡± the secretary was shocked and widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°could it be that these things were sent in by the people from hellgate during the chaos? on the one hand, they agreed to provide support, and on the other hand, they gave the real batch of firearms to the blood oath. it looks like they don¡¯t want to offend either side, but in fact, they¡¯re closer to the people from blood oath?¡± jun mo suddenly swept the things on the table. his anger almost made him lose his mind. he panted and said, ¡°in that case, don¡¯t blame us for striking first. if we can¡¯t touch blood oath, can¡¯t we touch a mere nighthawk?¡± that night, the people from hellgate barged into the nightclub with weapons in their hands. as soon as they entered, they started smashing everything they saw. none of the innocent customers were injured, but no one who worked in the nightclub was spared. zhu meng was about to go crazy when he heard the commotion outside. he personally rushed downstairs with a pistol and confronted the people from hellgate in the hall. the secretary of hellgate sneered and licked the blood from the corner of his mouth. with a fearless expression, he pulled out a pistol from his waist and pointed the muzzle at zhu meng. ¡°do you have any last words?¡± zhu meng was furious. just as he was about to load the gun, a bullet shot out of nowhere and hit him between the eyes. the words that he had yet to say were completely stuck in his throat. his eyes widened, and blood slowly seeped out of the corner of his mouth. his muscular body fell to the ground. everyone was stunned on the spot. the huge nightclub fell into dead silence. after a moment, the people from nighthawk came back to their senses. they roared and raised their pistols, their eyes filled with manic anger.. ¡°how dare they kill our boss! attack! leave no one alive!¡± Chapter 307 - Chapter 307: Date Termination chapter 307: date termination translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios roars and screams suddenly cut through the night sky. soon, the entire nightclub was covered in blood. bullet holes were everywhere, and corpses were scattered all over the ground. the people who were still standing still joined the fight. they only stopped when the police arrived. after watching the entire scene in the dark, shi man quietly disappeared into the night. yi zheng jumped back to the car with his men and smiled as he brushed the snow off her shoulder. ¡°missy, now that we¡¯re done, can we go on a date?¡± shi man slapped away his hand on her waist and glanced at him. she pouted and said, ¡°we haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows and smiled. he stuffed her into the car and walked around the front of the car to the other side. he sat in the driver¡¯s seat and was about to drive her to a familiar restaurant for dinner when his cell phone suddenly rang in his pocket. he thought that tang zhe had investigated the bai family¡¯s situation, but he did not expect the person who called to be shen xian. the call went through and a woman¡¯s crying voice came from the other end. ¡°xiao zheng, are you with manman? come back quickly. shi zhong is going to beat xiao mu to death!¡± as shi man heard the words on the phone receiver clearly, her eyes were filled with shock. she hurriedly took out her phone and saw that it had turned off automatically because it was out of battery. yi zheng comforted her and hung up. as he comforted shi man, he drove. ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. leave it to me later.¡± shi man frowned tightly and gripped her cell phone uneasily. ¡°my father must know about shi mu and bai xue, but how did he know?¡± yi zheng turned the car around and stopped steadily at the traffic light. he sighed and said, ¡°uncle shi must have noticed your brother¡¯s abnormality long ago. perhaps he found some clues and your brother easily admitted it.¡± shi man¡¯s eyes widened. shi mu had been under a lot of pressure recently. perhaps he had long hesitated to lay his cards on the table with his family. she had planned to tell him that bai xue had agreed to cooperate when she returned today, but she did not expect the change to happen much faster than she had expected. when the two of them rushed to the shi family, they saw shi mu kneeling in the snow. shen xian held shi zhong¡¯s hand tightly at the side. her brothers were also sparing no effort to persuade him. however, shi zhong¡¯s eyes were red. he pointed at shi mu and continued to curse. clearly, he was furious. seeing this, shi man¡¯s lips slowly curled into a cold smile. she hated such parents the most. when something happened, they would only blame the child meaninglessly and not prioritize solving the problem. now that the matter had already happened, shi mu had made a huge mistake because he had been drugged. if he punished shi mu now, it would only increase his psychological burden. there was no benefit. she quickly ran to shi mu¡¯s side and reached out to pull him up from the ground. when she was close, she realized that shi mu¡¯s face and mouth were covered in bruises. his clothes were also tattered and covered in dirty shoe prints. clearly, shen xian was not exaggerating on the phone just now. shi zhong had really almost lulled him. the coldness in shi man¡¯s eyes turned colder. she tightened her grip and actually picked shi mu up from the ground. shi zhong¡¯s anger turned to her without hesitation. he pointed at her and questioned, ¡°why did you help him up? such a beast should be made to kneel and atone for his crimes. he doesn¡¯t do proper work all day and only knows how to cause trouble for me!¡± shi mu¡¯s face turned paler. he held his sister¡¯s cold hand guiltily. his heart ached as he wanted to put her hand in his pocket, but when he looked down, he could only see that he was covered in rags. he smiled bitterly and let go of her hand. ¡°it¡¯s cold outside. sister, go in and rest.¡± with that, he started to bend his knees and continue to kneel. shi man grabbed his arm tightly and looked straight at shi zhong. ¡°1 know everything about brother. you can ask me if you have any questions, but brother didn¡¯t do anything wrong in this matter. you shouldn¡¯t punish him like this.¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± shi zhong widened his eyes in shock. it was everyone¡¯s turn to be stunned. shi mu¡¯s mouth was wide open, but his face was twisted because of the pain at the corner of his mouth. he wiped the blood off his face and grabbed her wrist with a trembling voice. ¡°sister, you said you know everything?¡± ¡°yes, 1 knew.¡± shi man¡¯s calm answer completely angered shi zhong. as he picked up the stick at the side, he was so angry that his mouth twitched. he said sternly, ¡°alright, then explain everything to me. otherwise, you¡¯ll kneel in the snow with your brother and reflect!¡± shen xian was afraid that he would lose his mind from anger and really hit her daughter. she hurriedly snatched the weapon from his hand and roared, ¡°shi zhong! if you have anything to say, enter the house first. even if you¡¯re not cold, others are!¡± yi zheng hurriedly advised, ¡°uncle shi, let¡¯s go in first. 1 just found out about this. manman and i will explain it to you..¡± Chapter 308 - Chapter 308: Clarification chapter 308: clarification translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the other brothers also persuaded him nicely. only then did shi zhong regain some rationality. however, he still pointed at shi mu¡¯s nose and said, ¡°then enter the house and kneel. 1 want to see what else you have to hide!¡± shi mu smiled bitterly. seeing that his father had already turned around and left, he thanked shi man softly and asked hesitantly, ¡°sister, is this a stalling tactic to stabilize father?¡± he knew that his sister was anxious to save him, so he had to ask her clearly to prevent her from getting involved in this matter innocently. he was already an incurable piece of trash. he could not drag his smart and capable sister down with him. however, when shi mu saw yi zheng, who was dressed in a suit and looked valiant, he suddenly felt that he did not have the confidence to argue with this man he had once hated the most. how many ruthless words were stuck in his throat? in the end, they could only turn into a long sigh. everyone could finally return indoors. butler qi had already gotten someone to prepare hot tea. when they entered, he hurriedly poured a cup for each of them. it was the coldest day of the year. if they were frozen outside for a while, they might catch a cold, especially madam and miss. if anything happened to them, his master would probably start blaming himself after his anger subsided. shi mu entered the living room and was about to kneel down obediently. shi man reached out to stop him expressionlessly. under shi zhong¡¯s unbelievable glare, she said word byword, ¡°i said that brother didn¡¯t do anything wrong in the entire matter. why are you making things difficult for brother?¡± shi ke¡¯s expression darkened. he felt the pressure around him getting lower and lower. he frowned and advised gently, ¡°dad, why don¡¯t you listen to sister first before making a decision?¡± he already has his suspicions regarding this matter. now that he saw shi man¡¯s confident expression, he immediately guessed the reason behind it. that was why he admonished his father at this time. unfortunately, shi zhong was arbitrary and strict in front of his children. he refused to admit that he had done wrong with the beating just now. he roared in the living room angrily, ¡°unfilial daughter, 1 knew that you and your brother haven¡¯t done anything good recently. didn¡¯t you say last time that your brother was helping you? could it be that you ordered all of this?¡± ¡°shut up!¡± shen xian could not take it anymore. she rushed to shi zhong and raised her hand to slap him, but she endured it in midair. this was in front of the children. she did not want to fall out with shi zhong, but she did not want her daughter to be insulted for no reason. even if this person was her daughter¡¯s biological father, she definitely could not allow him to make baseless accusations! shi man sighed softly. she had expected this situation. she walked helplessly to shen xian¡¯s side and slowly held her awkward hand that was suspended in midair. she tried her best to speak softly. ¡°mom, dad is also anxious for the two of us. don¡¯t quarrel with dad.¡± shen xian¡¯s eyes turned red. her heart ached as she held her face. ¡°be good, baby. if you have anything to say today, just say it. mommy will support you!¡± after saying that, she did not forget to glare at shi zhong warningly. shi man¡¯s hard heart suddenly softened, and her expression softened. ¡°okay, mom, i promise you that i¡¯ll explain to dad well.¡± her gaze swept across everyone in the living room and she frowned. ¡°why isn¡¯t su tang here?¡± shi yu stole a glance in shi zhong¡¯s direction and hesitated. in the end, he explained softly, ¡°su tang tried her best to stop dad just now and even took a solid hit on her body. dad said that this was our family matter and didn¡¯t let her interfere, so he locked her in her room.¡± shi man felt her entire heart ache. the blood vessels in her eyes suddenly climbed up, and her fists trembled beside her. ¡°dad, you hit su tang?¡± shen xian was afraid that things would become more and more chaotic, so she hurriedly pulled her daughter back to prevent her from being rash. ¡°your father didn¡¯t do it on purpose. just now, he wanted to hit shi mu. unexpectedly, su tang suddenly rushed up the stairs and stood in front of shi mu. i¡¯ve already gotten someone to treat her injuries. she¡¯s recuperating in her room.¡± shi man closed her eyes and took a deep breath. she gritted her teeth. yi zheng shook her arm, indicating that she should not flare up over su tang first. only then did shi man suppress her anger and slowly tell her about her two meetings with bai xue. shi mu was dumbfounded. it turned out that his sister had discovered his secret so early, but she did not expose him directly. instead, she helped him solve his problem behind his back. he lowered his head with red eyes, wishing he could punch himself to vent his anger. there was probably no brother more useless than him in the world. he actually made his sister worry about him! after hearing the cause and effect, shi zhong realized that he had gone overboard just now. he looked away awkwardly, his expression still cold. ¡°according to you, su tang should know the truth. why didn¡¯t she¡­¡± at this point, even he could not continue. at that time, su tang heard the commotion and rushed down from upstairs. she probably wanted to tell him the truth, but she did not expect to be almost seriously injured by him. however, he looked at his angry daughter in front of him and his drooping son behind her. he could not bring himself to apologize.. Chapter 309 - Chapter 309: Apologize chapter 309: apologize translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios from the beginning to the end, shi man looked at him like a sharp knife. she had never thought that such a proud and arrogant father would lower his head and apologize to his children. even though he already knew how wrong he was. shen xian was the first to not be able to stand it anymore. she reached out to push shi zhong angrily and frowned. ¡°look at how impulsive you are. our son was clearly set up and fell into a trap. you actually beat our son up like this and even accidentally injured the innocent su tang.¡± shi zhong felt embarrassed and turned his head away uncomfortably. then, he sat on the sofa awkwardly and pointed at the empty seat opposite him. ¡°all of you, sit. this matter has to be resolved as soon as possible.¡± shen xian glared at him and sat in the furthest seat unhappily. she helped shi mu sit beside her and quickly asked the butler to get some ice to reduce the swelling. she personally applied it to her son¡¯s face. ¡°poor child. it¡¯s all my fault for giving you such a hot-tempered father. otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have suffered today.¡± shi zhong lowered his head in anger. after a while, he squeezed out, ¡°i was wrong about this.¡± shen xian snorted and continued to rub shi mu¡¯s face. shi mu took the ice from his mother. ¡°i can do it myself. thank you, mom.¡± when he said this, there seemed to be tears flickering in his eyes. unfortunately, there were too many people present. the tears that were about to fall were finally suppressed by him, and he was not as calm as before. shi man saw his change and sighed slightly. ¡°i¡¯ve already asked yi zheng to help investigate the whereabouts of bai xue¡¯s mother. when the time comes, i¡¯ll help fourth brother handle this matter.¡± shi mu suddenly looked up at yi zheng and frowned with a complicated expression. ¡°thank you too.¡± yi zheng patted his shoulder and sat down beside shi man indifferently. ¡°we¡¯re a family.¡± shen xian sized up the two of them and smiled. ¡°yi zheng is reliable afterall, unlike some people who only know how to vent their anger on others when they encounter trouble. they don¡¯t know that they should solve the problem first.¡± shi zhong was mocked by her openly and covertly again. he couldn¡¯t stand it, but he didn¡¯t dare to leave under his wife¡¯s glare. he could only take an awkward sip of tea and say, ¡°it¡¯s naturally good that yi zheng is willing to help, but we can¡¯t sit still and wait for death. i¡¯ll also send people to ask around. once i find her, i¡¯ll immediately call the police and save the hostage.¡± shi man sneered and said with an unfriendly expression, ¡°dad, it¡¯s better not to call the police.¡± ¡°why?¡± shi zhong widened his eyes in confusion. shi man said faintly, ¡°because 1 don¡¯t want to ruin fourth brother¡¯s future. that child is fourth brother¡¯s flesh and blood after all. why don¡¯t you leave this matter to yi zheng and me? we¡¯ll try our best to reduce the scope of those who know.¡± she paused for a moment and saw the hesitation in shi zhong¡¯s eyes. she continued, ¡°i believe this is also the reason why fourth brother refuses to tell anyone about this in detail.¡± shi zhong¡¯s hesitation finally turned into determination. he nodded in a low voice and said, ¡°alright, i can leave this to you, but if you need help, don¡¯t forget to look for me.¡± ¡°yes,¡± shi man agreed coldly. she took the medicine from the butler and placed it on the table. ¡°you haven¡¯t eaten yet. don¡¯t take this first.¡± butler qi clapped his hands in realization. ¡°look at my memory. dinner is still hot in the kitchen. i¡¯ll bring it into the cafeteria now.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go see su tang first.¡± shi man glanced at yi zheng. the latter gave her a reassuring look before she stood up and left. looking at her daughter¡¯s departing back, shen xian said sarcastically, ¡°aiyo, you made such a big fuss. in the end, don¡¯t you have to rely on my daughter and future son-in-law? some people only know how to cause trouble. 1 don¡¯t know how they can help!¡± shi zhong blushed, especially after being mocked by his wife several times in front of his future son-in-law. he was very embarrassed. he quickly leaned over and whispered, ¡°baby, i was wrong. don¡¯t be angry with me. i¡¯ll make it up to xiao mu.¡± ¡°you should say this to your son!¡± shen xian scolded him angrily. on the stairs, shi man glanced at the farce downstairs and turned to walk into su tang¡¯s room. the lights in the room were on, and the pungent smell of disinfectant was not inferior to that of the hospital. shi man walked into the inner room with a worried expression and saw su tang¡¯s bare chest. ¡°who is it?¡± su tang was shocked by the commotion at the door. she hurriedly wrapped the blanket tightly around her and stared over warily. only when she saw who it was did she relax. shi man walked up to her expressionlessly and snatched the disinfectant swab from her hand. she said coldly, ¡°let me see.¡± su tang¡¯s face flushed red as she shook her head vigorously. ¡°no, i¡¯ll apply the medication myself. you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± shi man didn¡¯t waste her breath on her. she raised her hand and shook off the blanket. su tang cried out in shock and hurriedly covered the ferocious wound on her chest. ¡°i, i¡¯m really fine.¡± ¡°you call this being fine?¡± shi man clenched her fists tightly. she suppressed her anger and pulled her hand away, frowning fiercely. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. 1 didn¡¯t protect you well.¡± su tang looked up in a daze as crystal tears surged into her eyes. she couldn¡¯t help but throw herself into her arms.. ¡°manman, it hurts!¡± Chapter 310 - Chapter 310: Invitation chapter 310: invitation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man patted her head gently and comforted her. ¡°alright, alright. i¡¯ll disinfect and apply medicine for you. 1 won¡¯t hurt you. believe me, okay?¡± su tang looked up from her arms and wiped the tears off her face. she hummed heavily and revealed her chest shyly. seeing the wound again, shi man¡¯s heart ached again. if shi zhong wanted to teach shi mu a lesson, he would definitely not hold back. this hit left a glaring wound on su tang¡¯s body. blood kept seeping out from under her fair skin, and it was shockingly red and swollen. she frowned and cleaned her wound bit by bit. even she did not notice that her hand was trembling slightly. su tang turned her head away uncomfortably. she wanted to grit her teeth and endure the pain, but when shi man¡¯s cold hand landed on her body, it actually brought a coldness that seemed to be able to anesthetize the pain. her movements were light and fast. after treating the wound in a few moves and bandaging it with gauze, she wanted to help her put on her clothes. this time, su tang refused to let her help again. she gripped her clothes tightly. ¡°i, i can do it myself.¡± ¡°your hand is inconvenient. be careful not to aggravate your wound.¡± shi man ignored her protest and pulled the clothes out of her hand. she helped her put them on gently before heaving a sigh of relief. ¡°wait here for a moment. 1¡¯11 get someone to prepare dinner for you.¡± ¡°okay.¡± su tang¡¯s voice was extremely soft, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly as if she had something to say. shi man knew what she was thinking from her expression. she sighed and advised, ¡°you can¡¯t be blamed for this. my father was irritable and impulsive. your only mistake was to rush up and block this, understand?¡± su tang bit her lip, her shoulders trembling slightly. her voice was hoarse and choked. ¡°1,1 should have told the truth. that way, fourth brother might not have been beaten.¡± ¡°be good. it¡¯s really not your fault. don¡¯t let one¡¯s imagination run wild.¡± shi man patted her head gently. ¡°alright, the matter has been made clear. don¡¯t blame yourself. otherwise, if anything happens again, i won¡¯t dare to bring you along.¡± hearing her say this, su tang suddenly raised her hand to wipe her tears and said firmly, ¡°no, i¡¯ve long treated all of you as my family. i want to help when something happens.¡± ¡°okay, okay, okay.¡± shi man was almost convinced by the kindness of the female protagonist in this book. she smiled helplessly and said, ¡°then heal your injuries first. i¡¯ll take you with me in the future, okay?¡± ¡°okay!¡± su tang smiled sweetly. shi man¡¯s mood improved. she instructed su tang to lie down and not move. she went downstairs to find butler qi and asked him to make some light food for su tang. yi zheng stood up to pick her up with a worried expression. ¡°you have to eat some yourself.¡± ¡°i know.¡± she was just distracted and her mind was filled with su tang¡¯s wound just now. she could not calm down. yi zheng looked at the frustrated expression on her face and pursed his lips. ¡°manman, sometimes i¡¯m really jealous of su tang. if you continue like this, i¡¯ll be jealous.¡± shi man rolled her eyes at him in amusement. ¡°didn¡¯t i take care of you when you were sick?¡± at the thought of taking care of him, shi man suddenly thought of the poison she had poisoned him with and her expression darkened. yi zheng quietly sized up her expression. his throat suddenly tightened as he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°the next time the heat poison acts up, i want you to take good care of me.¡± shi man nodded softly. ¡°let¡¯s eat.¡± although shi zhong put on airs in front of his children, he was completely different in front of shen xian. he did whatever shen xian said. after the meal, accompanied by shi man and the others, he personally handed the best medicine to su tang and lowered his face to apologize. only then was shen xian willing to let him go. this farce finally ended, but yi zheng, who had been disturbed from his date again, looked terrible. he pulled shi man away when she was unprepared and pressed her against the wall. he kissed her wantonly for a while before reluctantly letting go. he lowered his voice to her ear and panted heavily. ¡°i¡¯ll let you go this time. don¡¯t forget that you owe me another date.¡± shi man was already used to him kissing her from time to time. anyway, the two of them were now boyfriend and girlfriend. she was willing to kiss and hug him. ¡°alright, 1¡¯11 definitely compensate you next time.¡± shi man agreed and barely managed to fool him. the next day, as soon as man arrived at the company, a letter was sent in by meng hui. the name of the signature amused her. after work in the evening, she looked at the agreed time in the letter and decided to attend the appointment personally. meng hui advised worriedly, ¡°why don¡¯t you call president yi? or i¡¯ll accompany you.¡± shi man put on her clothes indifferently. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i¡¯m just curious to see what she can do.¡± song zhi sat in the bar booth and waited nervously, worried that shi man would not come at all. chen zong slowly swirled his wine glass and took out the pills he had prepared in his pocket. he smiled evilly and said, ¡°you don¡¯t have to be afraid.. as long as she¡¯s willing to come, what happens next will have nothing to do with you!¡± Chapter 311 - Chapter 311: Conspiracy chapter 311: conspiracy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios song zhi nodded nervously. a frivolous smile flashed across chen zong¡¯s face. he held her hand ambiguously and said, ¡°then i¡¯ll leave this place to you for now. i¡¯ll wait for you behind.¡± a trace of red appeared on song zhi¡¯s face. she hurriedly dodged his hand and nodded. it was just time to get off work, and the bar was filled with people. the dark world could always be a safe haven as if hiding here could enable one to temporarily forget all the troubles in the outside world. after shi man entered, she sized up her surroundings and finally fixed her gaze on the woman in the corner. song zhi saw her at a glance and became nervous for no reason. she took a deep breath and stood up. she invited her to sit opposite her and stammered, ¡°i ordered some good wine and want to sit down and chat with you slowly. is that okay?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and watched as the waiter enthusiastically served a bottle of red wine with a moderate alcohol content. she said expressionlessly, ¡°if you have something to say, just say it.¡± song zhi pursed her lips and secretly looked elsewhere. she said hesitantly, ¡°i invited you over this time to apologize to you.¡± she filled shi man¡¯s wine glass with her own hands with a gentle and innocent expression. ¡°i apologize for the mistake 1 made against you previously. i shouldn¡¯t have bullied you because of my brother, nor should i be jealous of you being with my brother.¡± shi man slowly swirled the wine glass, but she did not intend to take it. song zhi made up her mind and filled her cup with wine. she said respectfully, ¡°i¡¯ll call you sister-in-law in the future. i hope you can abandon your past enmity and we can get along well.¡± with that, she drank it all in one gulp, her eyes filled with a strange smile. shi man slowly moved her gaze to the wine glass in her hand and smiled sarcastically. ¡°but yi zheng said that you¡¯re not his sister. how can you address me as sister-in-law?¡± song zhi¡¯s expression changed, but when she thought of the next plan, she held back her anger and said, ¡°our song family and the yi family are considered family friends. even if it¡¯s just for benefits, it¡¯s not so easy to clear the relationship between the two families. therefore, no matter what, i¡¯m still his sister who grew up with him.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and looked at her expectant gaze. she curled her lips mockingly. ¡°alright, since you¡¯ve said so, it¡¯s settled.¡± she met song zhi¡¯s naked gaze and drank the wine in her glass in one gulp. there was a distant fake smile on her face. ¡°can i leave now?¡± song zhi hurriedly picked up the wine bottle regretfully and carefully introduced it to her. ¡°this wine is very expensive. drink it before you leave. besides, 1 have something to ask you for help with.¡± ¡°oh.¡± shi man dragged out her words slowly, looking like she believed her completely. she let her fill her glass with red wine again. ¡°then tell me, what is it?¡± song zhi swallowed nervously and told her in detail about what happened with lan jie in the cafeteria that day. then, she carefully sized up shi man¡¯s expression and said, ¡°can you help me talk to brother yi zheng? this matter is really important to our song family.¡± shi man nodded readily. ¡°sure, it¡¯s just a message. i can promise you.¡± song zhi widened her eyes in surprise and said in disbelief, ¡°you¡¯re really willing to help me?¡± ¡°of course.¡± shi man did not hate song zhi. this person had targeting her in the past. however, ever since she transmigrated, the things that hurt su tang originated from fang han and shi jing, so shi man was quite tolerant of her. song zhi did not expect her to be so easy to talk to. instantly, the words she had prepared in her mind turned blank. she was at a loss and did not know what to say. shi man stared at her sharply. ¡°is there anything else? if not, i¡¯ll leave first.¡± song zhi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. she suddenly looked up and met her eyes in shock. neither of them spoke for a moment, but song zhi suddenly took a deep breath, her heart beating wildly in her chest. she was hesitating if she should continue according to the plan. if she took a step forward, shi man would definitely not be able to turn things around today, and she would get what she wanted. however, shi man had just made it clear that she was willing to help her. she could still achieve her goal without doing anything¡­ just as song zhi was conflicted, the waiter suddenly walked over and filled her and shi man¡¯s glasses again politely. ¡°miss, if you need any help, you can tell me.¡± song zhi suddenly looked up and saw a pill fall silently from his hand into the glass and instantly fuse with the red wine. she panicked and blurted out, ¡°drink some more. i specially ordered it for you.¡± as soon as she finished speaking, song zhi wished she could bite off her tongue, but she had no chance to go back on her word because shi man had already picked up her wine glass and finished it with a smile. when chen zong, who was hiding in the distance, saw this scene, he was overjoyed. that was the woman yi zheng had taken a fancy to. she was the high and mighty eldest daughter of the shi family, but she could only struggle helplessly in his hands.. Chapter 312 - Chapter 312: Tricked chapter 312: tricked translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios song zhi was anxious. she suddenly did not want shi man to walk into the trap they had set up in advance. however, she knew that chen zong and the people he brought must be watching her from not far away. if she dared to suddenly betray him, the other party would definitely not let her off easily. at the thought of what they were about to do, song zhi shivered in fear. shi man looked at the dilemma on her face with a smile in her eyes. she suddenly felt a flame shoot out of her abdomen, and an uneasy restlessness suddenly spread throughout her body. she lowered her eyes in understanding. the moment she felt dizzy, she suddenly recalled her encounter with yi zheng in the library. in order to save su tang, she also encountered such a lowly medicine. she could not help but smile coldly. it seemed that she might be able to settle both old and new scores today! song zhi looked at shi man, who suddenly lowered her head weakly. iler ears were also dyed an ambiguous pink. she was shocked and hurriedly ran over to support her. ¡°wake up, wake up quickly. otherwise, i won¡¯t be able to save you!¡± shi man¡¯s entire body was burning, and the flames flowing through her body completely ignited her desire. she suddenly looked up and her gaze landed on song zhi¡¯s face infatuatedly. ¡°you, send me home.¡± song zhi wanted to nod, but chen zong, who was guarding at the side, had already walked over with his men. she was anxious and suddenly let go. she wanted to throw shi man to the ground and take the opportunity to spill the wine in her glass to wake shi man up. shi man was about to fall to the ground when her misty eyes suddenly widened. her eyes were filled with clarity. with a slight movement of her wrist, she easily cushioned the force and lay by the table unscathed. at this moment, chen zong had already walked closer. his eyes gestured for her to bring him over personally. song zhi swallowed her saliva and helped her up again. she took a deep breath and said, ¡°shi man, don¡¯t blame me. i didn¡¯t want to harm you. you drank that glass of wine too quickly.¡± shi man¡¯s long hair hung down naturally, perfectly covering the smile on her lips. chen zong thought that she had lost her mind after the drug took effect. coupled with the fact that she had completely lost consciousness from being drunk, he rubbed his hands excitedly and stared at shi man from head to toe, wishing he could take off her clothes immediately. song zhi helped her walk slowly. she glanced around and racked her brain to find a way to wake shi man up. coincidentally, a waiter with a pot of water passed by. song zhi pretended to slip and accidentally bumped into the waiter¡¯s arm. the kettle on the tray was crooked and finally stopped steadily. song zhi¡¯s eyes were about to pop out. the waiter, who had almost been knocked down by her, barely stabilized himself in shock. he hurriedly lowered his head and apologized. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i didn¡¯t hurt you just now, right?¡± song zhi felt her face burning. it was even hotter than shi man¡¯s body, which she was holding in her arm. she quickly shook her head and looked up to see chen zong¡¯s angry eyes. her heart skipped a beat and she did not dare to act rashly. she quickly walked to his side and handed shi man to him. ¡°don¡¯t play tricks!¡± chen zong gave her a warning look, then picked up the soft girl in his arms and got into the car parked at the back door anxiously. the lights in the bar were dim, so no one noticed the commotion. song zhi stood rooted to the ground and stared blankly at them as they left. the temperature of her limbs completely receded, and her entire body was cold. the overwhelming guilt almost dragged her into the abyss of sin. it was only when they had disappeared that she finally came back to her senses. the tears on her face had dried. bai yao nudged her shoulder mockingly and lowered her voice. ¡°you did well, song zhi. don¡¯t worry. when i become madam yi, i¡¯ll definitely help you do your family¡¯s things.¡± song zhi widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°so your target is actually brother yi zheng!¡± bai yao raised her eyebrows proudly. ¡°why? am i not worthy of him? the daughters of the bai family will never marry beneath their status. in the future, i¡¯ll be your sister-in-law, my good sister.¡± bai yao deliberately sneered in song zhi¡¯s ear, as if she was mocking her stupidity. shi man¡¯s words echoed in her ears for a long time. she suddenly understood how wrong she had been just now. shi man had sincerely wanted to help her just now, but she had colluded with this group of people to harm her! song zhi only had one thought now. she could not let bai yao and chen zong succeed. she had to save shi man. after making up her mind, song zhi pushed bai yao away and was about to run out of the bar when her arm was grabbed by someone. bai yao¡¯s dark face was no longer as pure as before. there was only a terrifying viciousness. she seemed to have seen through song zhi¡¯s thoughts. she grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the washroom. she gritted her teeth and pressed her against the wall, warning coldly, ¡°don¡¯t think i don¡¯t know what you want. let me tell you, don¡¯t even think about leaving before it¡¯s done!¡± she kicked open the partition door, picked up the rope that she had prepared beforehand, and tied song zhi to the toilet. she even stuffed a ball of rags into her mouth.. Chapter 313 - Chapter 313: Counterattack chapter 313: counterattack translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after doing this, she heaved a sigh of relief and lifted song zhi¡¯s chin. ¡°just stay here obediently. after i¡¯m done, 1¡¯11 come back and let you go.¡± song zhi¡¯s eyes widened. she struggled with all her might, but not only did the rope not loosen, but it also left a bloody mark on her wrist. it looked shocking and painful. after bai yao left, song zhi was completely locked in the cubicle. her hands and feet were tied with ropes, so she could only shrink her hands as much as possible and whimper, praying that the people coming to the washroom outside could hear her. however, as soon as it was time in the bar, deafening music suddenly sounded on the dance floor. many people shouted and twisted their bodies to party, completely drowning her weak voice. chen zong stuffed shi man into the backseat of the car and impatiently instructed the chauffeur to drive. there were a total of six men in the small van. all of them stared at shi man¡¯s hot figure enviously. the shortest man with the smallest eyes smiled wretchedly. ¡°big brother is still the most capable. if you really survive in the underworld in the future, we will definitely follow you to the death.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡± the others echoed, but their eyes were fixed on the motionless woman in front of them. they almost drooled. chen zong looked at their useless appearances and felt even more smug. he sat in the back seat and suggested with a naughty smile, ¡°brothers, do you want to play something exciting? how about in the car?¡± ¡°this¡­¡± the man with the smallest eyes glanced nervously at the driver in the front row and said hesitantly, ¡°why don¡¯t we wait until we reach¡­¡± ¡°get lost if you¡¯re timid. don¡¯t get in our way!¡± someone pushed him aside impatiently and started to untie his pants. chen zong kicked his butt and said fiercely, ¡°get lost. i haven¡¯t enjoyed her yet. how can you have a share? watch from the side and study hard!¡± ¡°yes, yes, yes.¡± the lackeys hurriedly nodded in agreement. they all moved aside to give chen zong space to use. they set up the video recorder that they had prepared long ago and waited at the side with lecherous smiles. chen zong had long been impatient. now that there were people watching from the side, the eldest daughter of the shi family was still under him. he was instantly filled with satisfaction. he unbuckled his belt excitedly and was about to pull down the zipper of his pants when the chauffeur suddenly stepped on the brakes. the person in the car suddenly rushed forward uncontrollably. chen zong¡¯s body tilted to the side. just as he was about to curse, he saw the chauffeur slowly turn around. the veins on his hand that had taken off his hat bulged, and his voice was low and angry. ¡°miss shi, we¡¯ve already driven to an empty place.¡± chen zong looked around through the car window in horror and felt that something was wrong. just as he was about to open the car door and run out, the chauffeur had already expected it and locked it in advance. chen zong felt his blood run cold. under everyone¡¯s gaze, a wave of anger suddenly surged into his mind and he shouted, ¡°what are you doing? who are you?¡± the chauffeur smiled sinisterly and said in a teasing tone, ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter who 1 am. what¡¯s important is¡­¡± he suddenly pointed at the girl lying in the back seat of the car. chen zong lowered his head with a numb scalp. he was caught off guard and met shi man¡¯s clear eyes. he was so embarrassed that he shrank in his seat and cried out. the others also felt their hands and feet turn cold as they muttered in disbelief, ¡°how could this be? wasn¡¯t she already drugged?¡± everyone¡¯s gazes landed on chen zong at the same time. unfortunately, the young master, who had always prided himself on being a big brother, was almost frightened out of his wits by shi man. he forced himself to calm down and looked at shi man¡¯s thin arms and legs. he pretended to be calm and said, ¡°what are you afraid of? she¡¯s a woman. how can she defeat so many of us? tie that chauffeur up for me. 1 want to see what he¡¯s capable of!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! there are many of us, so there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of!¡± the small-eyed man hurriedly echoed, but he himself shrank at the back of the crowd. as soon as he finished speaking, shi man suddenly sat up. an arm reached out in front of her to grab her hair. her eyes flickered as she moved her hand gently to remove the person¡¯s wrist. screams immediately sounded in the car, and the faces of the others turned pale. chen zong couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to teach her a lesson personally, but the arm that had just reached out was completely dislocated by her. she had even kicked him hard in the abdomen. it was so painful that tears came out. in the secluded wilderness, the pure white van swayed violently in the cold wind. the screams were perfectly isolated. a black car stood domineeringly in front of the van. the man who got out was filled with hostility and his expression was terrifyingly cold. the car door was suddenly opened from the inside. the chauffeur stood respectfully beside the man just now and reported with lowered eyebrows, ¡°master, miss shi has already packed up. what other instructions do you have?¡± yi zheng¡¯s cold gaze suddenly moved to the man who was covered in wounds and tied up in the car. he sneered and said, ¡°tang zhe, he just touched shi man. cripple his arms..¡± Chapter 314 - Chapter 314: Booking a Room chapter 314: booking a room translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios chen zong let out a whimper of horror, but because his mouth was gagged, he could only widen his eyes weakly and watch as the demon-like man slowly walked into the car. shi man opened the car door on the other side and jumped out. she took a breath of fresh air, and the heat in her heart dissipated a little. yi zheng walked to her side and reached out to touch her forehead to test her temperature. ¡°do you still feel uncomfortable? do you need me to detoxify you?¡± shi man glared at him and was not surprised. she said expressionlessly, ¡°there¡¯s no need. let¡¯s go back to the bar first. sean and the others are still waiting for me.¡± yi zheng suddenly grabbed her arm and said with a solemn expression, ¡°no, your body is too hot now. you have to get rid of the poison immediately. i¡¯ll send you to the hotel first.¡± shi man stood still and looked coldly at the impatience in his eyes. yi zheng sighed helplessly. ¡°i¡¯m asking you to take a cold shower. what are you thinking, little hooligan?¡± shi man blushed and turned her head away unnaturally. ¡°you¡¯re the hooligan.¡± yi zheng picked her up horizontally and lowered his voice to laugh under her shocked gaze. ¡°if you really want to, i¡¯m happy to serve you.¡± in the suite, yi zheng sat alone on the sofa and stared at the steaming shower next door with a dark expression. he did not know where to look. in order to let shi man force out the poison in her body quickly, he had no choice but to choose a nearby hotel. unexpectedly, the only remaining room was actually at a love hotel. the lights in the entire room were an ambiguous pink. the huge water bed would shake with just a light touch. he was shocked by the soft touch just now and hurriedly sat on the relatively normal sofa at the side, ignoring the various bedding piled on it. the bathroom door and enclosure were made of transparent glass which was frosted halfway up, barely covering the key parts. however, as the sound of running water sounded inside, yi zheng still couldn¡¯t help but look into the glass. he stared at a certain place in a daze for a while before suddenly coming back to his senses. he looked away in a panic and continued to look down, desperately warning himself to calm down. after shi man took a cold shower, the heat in her body completely dissipated. she glanced outside with a playful expression and saw yi zheng resting his arm on his knee. his hands were folded to cover half of his face, leaving only a pair of hawk-like sharp eyes. he seemed to be thinking about an unexplored problem in the universe, and his expression was so serious that it was cute. shi man sneered. she put on her clothes and walked out of the bathroom. she wiped her cold and wet hair and kicked him. ¡°what did you see?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t see anything!¡± yi zheng replied quickly and looked away guiltily. ¡°dry your hair before coming out. be careful not to catch a cold.¡± ¡°i¡¯m tired.¡± shi man had just fought in the narrow space and her arm was a little sore. coupled with the fact that the medicine had just worn off, she really did not have much strength in her body. she let go of the hair in her hand tiredly, and her long hair immediately cascaded down. water droplets dripped from the tips of her wet hair, soaking her clothes. yi zheng frowned and stood up as if he had been electrocuted. he pulled her into the bathroom and gently lifted her long hair with his hand. he said helplessly, ¡°why didn¡¯t you ask me if you were tired?¡± he gently dried her long hair, not leaving a single part wet. her wet back suddenly became warm, and even shi man¡¯s cold hands and feet gradually regained their warmth. she narrowed her eyes in comfort, enjoying the tickle of his fingers through her hair. in an extremely good mood, she asked, ¡°did sean and the others tell you?¡± ¡°yeah.¡± shi man did not know who else she was going to meet apart from song zhi. she wanted to catch them all this time, so she had no choice but to inform sean and the others to come out and work. fortunately, the people who needed to be dealt with this time were all young masters and young ladies who had been pampered. even if sean and the others were injured, it was not a problem for them to do this. however, they were discovered by tang zhe before they set off. sean knew that tang zhe and yi zheng were both on the same side now, so he did not hide anything and told him what shi man had told him. tang zhe immediately informed yi zheng, which led to the scene just now. shi man sneered, her eyes emitting a bloodthirsty cold light. ¡°looks like it¡¯s time to teach sean and the others a lesson. otherwise, they¡¯ll forget who their real boss is!¡± yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. he realized that shi man¡¯s hair felt good to the touch and suddenly couldn¡¯t bear to let go. he picked up the wooden comb at the side and continued to touch her hair for a while. ¡°don¡¯t blame them. they were just worried about your safety. and if something like this happens in the future, you have to let me know.¡± shi man turned her head to glare at him indignantly. ¡°i can handle it. why do you have to do this?¡± ¡°because i¡¯ll be worried.¡± yi zheng sighed softly with a melancholic expression. shi man felt guilty for no reason. she frowned and turned her head away. ¡°1 understand. 1¡¯11 tell you in the future..¡± Chapter 315 - Chapter 315: Extortion chapter 315: extortion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the private room above the bar. song zhi shrank in the corner with fear and trepidation, holding the steaming teacup in her hand. although her hands and feet were cold, she still refused to drink a sip. it was obvious that she was traumatized by the drug. she secretly sized up the bald burly man sitting on the sofa. seeing a trace of blood seeping out of the gauze on his arm, her heart stopped for a moment in fear. she exclaimed, ¡°you¡¯re bleeding!¡± sean glanced down and looked away indifferently. ¡°it¡¯s fine. it¡¯s just a small injury.¡± ¡°did i cause it just now?¡± song zhi pursed her lips guiltily. just now, this man suddenly barged into the cubicle of the female washroom. after kicking open the door, he started to touch her. she thought that bai yao was worried that she would leak the secret and dealt with her along the way. that was why she struggled recklessly and kicked his wound. when she reacted, she realized that he had untied the rope around her. her hands and feet were free again. she ran past him to the door in fear, but he glared at her fiercely, and her legs refused to listen to her again. sean grimaced and covered the wound, cursing. ¡°why the hell did you run? damn, it hurts!¡± at that moment, song zhi was hugging the door like a frightened rabbit, ready to open the door and escape at any time. ¡°you, you were sent by bai yao?¡± ¡°who the f*ck was sent by that bitch? i followed my boss!¡± sean patted his chest proudly. seeing song zhi¡¯s puzzled expression, he curled his lips speechlessly and said, ¡°it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t understand. in short, i¡¯m here to save you.¡± ¡°save me?¡± song zhi pointed at herself in disbelief. in the next second, she was sandwiched in the arms of this man. no matter how she kicked and struggled, she was still brought to this private room by him. the moment she entered, she suddenly stood up and broke free from under his armpit. she shrank into this corner and trembled. her legs were a little numb from squatting. seeing her cowardice, sean smiled evilly. ¡°didn¡¯t you do it? let me tell you, our boss will interrogate you in a while. after the interrogation, you¡¯ll compensate me for the injuries i suffered today.¡± song zhi was shocked and could not speak properly. ¡°how can i compensate you? can¡¯t i bandage you again?¡± sean sneered and crossed his legs. he turned his head and pointed at the azure dragon tattoo behind him. ¡°do you know what this is?¡± song zhi shook her head and stared at him warily with wide eyes. sean said proudly, ¡°this is the mark of my previous wandering. do you think i¡¯m so easy to fool? do i need you to bandage me?¡± song zhi swallowed in embarrassment and said carefully, ¡°then, how can i compensate?¡± ¡°compensate?¡± sean immediately perked up, and his eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°how much can you compensate?¡± song zhi thought about the savings she usually saved and looked at his superficial wound. she said softly, ¡°can it be 10,000?¡± ¡°10,000? are you dismissing a beggar!¡± sean slammed the table angrily, and the teacup on the table jumped a few centimeters. song zhi was so frightened that she cried. she said in fear, ¡°100,000, no more. i really don¡¯t have that much money.¡± sean rolled his eyes and clapped his hands. ¡°deal! but don¡¯t tell my boss about this later, or else,¡± he raised his hand and wiped it across the front of his neck, deliberately baring his teeth to scare her fiercely. song zhi nodded repeatedly. she hugged the bedside table and wished she could immediately crawl into the drawer and leave this burly and scary fatty. sean continued to swing his legs in satisfaction. he was thinking about how to squander the money when there was a knock on the door of the room. he bounced up from the sofa almost instantly and jogged over to open the door. song zhi hid behind the bed, only revealing her eyes to observe the scene outside. seeing this scene, she immediately found it unbelievable. who was the person who knocked on the door just now that even such a rough and fierce man had to tuck his tail between his legs? could it be the boss he was so proud of? song zhi¡¯s heart was in her mouth, but from her point of view, the door was blocked by a wall. she moved to the side quietly, and right on the heels of that, she suddenly heard a familiar female voice. ¡°is she in there? did you catch the accomplice?¡± sean scratched his head guiltily. ¡°sorry, boss. we only caught one woman. when i found her, she was tied up in the toilet, but the other person hasn¡¯t been found yet. i asked the others to investigate.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man walked into the house and glanced around. finally, her gaze landed on a lock of hair behind the bed. she curled her lips and smiled. ¡°so you hid here.¡± song zhi bent down and lay on the cold floor behind the bed. she covered her mouth tightly to prevent herself from making any sound. her pupils suddenly constricted and her heart began to beat violently. how could the person who came be shi man? hadn¡¯t she already been taken away by chen zong? had that man been lying to her just now? perhaps shi man was here to take revenge on her! Chapter 316 - Chapter 316: Negotiate chapter 316: negotiate translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios song zhi¡¯s body was still trembling violently when she saw a pair of women¡¯s leather boots suddenly stop in front of her. she looked up and her gaze swept past shi man¡¯s straight long legs and slender waist before finally stopping on shi man¡¯s expressionless face. holding her breath, song zhi trembled as she got up from the ground. she picked up the television remote control on the bedside table and held it between the two of them tightly. ¡°don¡¯t come over. i didn¡¯t mean to harm you. you drank that glass of wine yourself.¡± shi man slowly took the remote control from her hand and threw it aside. she said sarcastically, ¡°do you think you can guard against me with this?¡± song zhi¡¯s pupils trembled slightly as she said nervously, ¡°then what do you want? 1 wanted to remind you not to drink that glass of wine, but you moved too quickly. you drank it before 1 could say anything.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± shi man sat in the chair behind her and glanced at her. ¡°then how did you know there was something wrong with that glass of wine?¡± song zhi pursed her lips in a dilemma and went all out. ¡°i saw that attendant drug your wine. that drug was given by chen zong. 1 was forced to listen to him!¡± shi man¡¯s fingers tapped the table habitually. ¡°then who tied you to the washroom?¡± ¡°it was¡­¡± she looked at yi zheng hesitantly and made up her mind to tell shi man everything. ¡°it was bai yao! she¡¯s in cahoots with chen zong. it was the two of them who set you up. i just had no choice but to do as they said. it really has nothing to do with me!¡± shi man sneered and walked back to yi zheng. ¡°this is your cousin. deal with her yourself.¡± ¡°no, don¡¯t.¡± song zhi shrank her neck in fear and hurriedly said anxiously, ¡°i also know something you must want to know!¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°you want to use this to negotiate?¡± ¡°yes.¡± song zhi frowned, her expression solemn. ¡°this matter is especially important to you. 1 really promise, but you have to do what you promised me in the bar just now!¡± shi man slowly smiled sinisterly. ¡°then it depends on whether what you say is worth keeping my promise?¡± song zhi¡¯s throat rolled, and her heart beat as fast as possible. her face was red as she said, ¡°1 was actually the first person shi jing ran away to ask for help.¡± shi man¡¯s eyes darkened, and her casual expression instantly turned ferocious and terrifying. ¡°and then?¡± song zhi was frightened by her. she composed herself and continued to say in a trembling voice, ¡°although 1 didn¡¯t agree to her, i didn¡¯t take the initiative to hand her over. however, when she found me later, she said that someone was already willing to help her. it¡¯s just that she couldn¡¯t trust the other party completely; she told me about this so that if that person played tricks, she wouldn¡¯t die without anyone knowing.¡± ¡°who exactly is that person?¡± only then did shi man know how hoarse her voice was. three pairs of sharp eyes in the room shot at her at the same time. song zhi said nervously, ¡°it was also bai yao. she actually wanted to use shi jing to continue finding trouble with you, but 1 didn¡¯t expect her to attack su tang!¡± hearing this name again, shi man clenched her fists and gritted her teeth fiercely. ¡°so it was really her.¡± yi zheng gently held her hand and freed her palm from her nails. he held it carefully. ¡°calm down.¡± he turned his head slightly and his sharp gaze pierced through song zhi¡¯s heart with a sharp knife. ¡°if you dare to lie to live, i¡¯ll definitely make you regret having a tongue.¡± song zhi hurriedly guaranteed, ¡°cousin, everything i said is true. i¡¯m really not lying. after shi jing¡¯s accident, i wanted to use this to look for bai yao, but i don¡¯t have any evidence. moreover, my family can¡¯t match up to the bai family, so i haven¡¯t dared to say anything.¡± shi man exchanged gazes with yi zheng and said calmly, ¡°alright, 1 can keep my promise. moreover, on account of your intention to save me this time, i can forgive you. however, if there¡¯s a next time, 1 won¡¯t let you off easily. shi jing will be your outcome.¡± song zhi shuddered. thinking of how shi jing was covered in blood when she was discovered, her eyes were filled with panic. ¡°no, 1 won¡¯t dare to do it again. 1 won¡¯t provoke you again in the future!¡± shi man sneered and pulled her hand out of yi zheng¡¯s palm. ¡°let¡¯s go. there¡¯s nothing to see here.¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows slightly and followed her out of the room without a word. she walked very quickly and kept her head tilted to hide her emotions under her long hair, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking. it was not until they entered the elevator that yi zheng realized that the eyes of the girl beside him were filled with rolling hatred. she clenched her fists tightly and smashed them fiercely against the elevator wall. her lips curled into a bloodthirsty sneer. ¡°they harmed su tang. i definitely won¡¯t let their family have an easy time!¡± yi zheng held her hand tightly in his palm and sighed. ¡°don¡¯t worry. since they dared to harm you, they¡¯ve already given up their right to live..¡± Chapter 317 - Chapter 317: Confinement chapter 317: confinement translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai yao fled from the hotel in a panic and hailed a taxi home. when she reached home, she ignored her parents¡¯ questions and ran straight back to her room. she curled up under the blanket in fear and curled up into a ball. she had left suddenly because she had actually seen the burly man who had been hired by uncle fang to harm shi man previously at the bar. in a flash, she connected all the information. why did uncle fang¡¯s attitude towards her change drastically after that? why did the fang family disappear from then on? it turned out that all of this was because they had long fallen into shi man¡¯s trap! that man was very likely shi man¡¯s man! but why did she have power in the black market? the only explanation bai yao could think of was that the shi family¡¯s hands were not as clean as they looked! at the thought of this, she hurriedly crawled out of the blanket and hurriedly called the bodyguard in charge of that b*tch. after the call went through, she asked anxiously, ¡°did anyone find you?¡± the bodyguard was watching the television in boredom. when he heard miss¡¯s question, he hurriedly opened the lid of the basement and looked inside. he smiled and said, ¡°miss, don¡¯t worry. no one can find this place.¡± only then did bai yao heave a sigh of relief. she warned sternly, ¡°you can¡¯t relax. if that b*tch is saved, not only would 1 be in trouble, but none of you can escape!¡± the bodyguard smiled mockingly, but his words were respectful. ¡°don¡¯t worry. nothing will happen.¡± he took out a steamed bun from his pocket on the ground and threw it in. the woman, who was originally curled up in the corner, instantly turned into a vicious dog. she flew over to catch the food. she held the steamed bun in her hand with hungry eyes and ate it in big mouthfuls. as she moved, the chains on her wrists and ankles clanked. the light pouring down from the entrance shone on her dirty body. even the light seemed to be polluted. an unpleasant stench kept coming from her. the bodyguard closed the lid in disgust, hung up the phone, and sat back on the sofa to watch the television drama leisurely. however, the big metal door on the left was suddenly knocked on from the outside. he was shocked. he turned off the television and picked up the stun baton. he carefully walked to the door and said in a cold tone, ¡°who is it?¡± it was silent outside, except for the sound of the cold wind blowing snow. the bodyguard frowned and tentatively unlocked the door, trying not to make any sound. the moment the lock made a click, he suddenly picked up the electric baton and was about to strike the person outside. ¡°brother, don¡¯t hit me, don¡¯t hit me!¡± the person who came was a man in casual denim clothes. he looked to be in his early thirties and had a delicate appearance. however, there was a tattoo on the back of his neck that looked a little scary. when the bodyguard saw that it was him, he hurriedly looked around and pulled him into the house. he said sternly, ¡°why are you here? didn¡¯t i tell you not to come!¡± the man squeezed into the room and rubbed his hands which were red from the cold. he said with a cheeky smile, ¡°brother, 1 haven¡¯t seen you since we drank last time, right? your house is too remote. i was a little worried about you, so i came over to take a look.¡± the bodyguard sized him up and said, ¡°no one knows that you came over, right?¡± ¡°no one!¡± the man raised two fingers and promised again. then, he sat down on the sofa and placed the dishes on the table. ¡°brother, i brought you something good this time. do you still have wine here?¡± the bodyguard was about to say yes, but when he thought of bai yao¡¯s instructions just now, he narrowed his eyes and said coldly, ¡°no, leave quickly. don¡¯t come here in the future. otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡± ¡°what are you doing? why did you suddenly turn hostile?¡± the man looked at him in confusion and opened the packs on the table. ¡°brother, look. didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to eat delicacies last time? 1 brought them for you. why are you chasing me away?¡± the bodyguard looked inside and his eyes flickered. he sat beside him with a gentle expression and said, ¡°brother, thank you, but i¡¯m really not in the mood today. why don¡¯t we do it another day? i¡¯ll definitely treat you to a good meal to apologize.¡± ¡°why do you have to do it another day? can¡¯t you do it today? 1 heard you watching television outside just now. don¡¯t you have nothing to do?¡± the man complained to him with an aggrieved expression. little did he know that when the bodyguard heard his words, his expression suddenly darkened. he stared at him coldly and said, ¡°what else did you hear just now?¡± the man inexplicably felt that the atmosphere was a little off. he shrank his neck nervously and said, ¡°no, it¡¯s nothing. oh right, were you on the phone with someone just now?¡± the bodyguard¡¯s expression changed drastically. he looked at the man in front of him who was still talking non-stop and suddenly reached out to strangle him. his scarlet eyes emitted strong killing intent. ¡°brother, you asked for this.. don¡¯t blame me after you die!¡± Chapter 318 - Chapter 318: Lost Contact chapter 318: lost contact translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios all the companies in the shi family have started their annual break. shi man could finally sleep comfortably in bed until she woke up naturally. she was full of energy in the morning. she was about to run a few rounds around the manor to exercise when butler qi suddenly ran over in a panic. ¡°miss, bad news. fourth young master went out alone this morning. i saw that he looked especially anxious. did something happen with the bai family again?¡± shi man¡¯s eyes turned cold as she frowned and asked, ¡°how long has he been out?¡± butler qi glanced at the clock and replied seriously, ¡°it¡¯s been an hour and forty minutes. do you want to call him?¡± shi man took out her phone and dialed shi mu¡¯s number, but no one picked up. she instructed butler qi not to let anyone know about this first. then, she put on her coat and went to the garage to pick up the car. shi mu had gone out in a panic. something important must have happened. perhaps bai yao had realized that song zhi had betrayed her and wanted to advance her plan. as shi man drove, she guessed what she would do at this time. bai yao¡¯s goal was actually to get yi zheng. she did not listen to her family¡¯s instructions to seduce shi mu because she wanted to give herself a chance to be with yi zheng. shi mu was the only person in the shi family who objected to yi zheng and shi man¡¯s marriage the most. it was precisely because bai yao saw this in him that she beat him at his own game. she pretended to please shi mu, but in fact, she drugged him when he was unprepared and let him have sex with bai xue to threaten him. thinking of this, shi man suddenly stopped the car and hurriedly called yi zheng. coincidentally, no one picked up yi zheng¡¯s call. ¡°oh no, she will use shi mu to ask yi zheng out!¡± a strong anxiety appeared on shi man¡¯s face. she thought of the unknown mastermind who used su tang to lure yi zheng to the library. the blood on her face instantly drained. her hands and feet were cold and numb as she drove. she ran a few red lights and drove as fast as she could to the yi family¡¯s house. lu xiang was yawning and enjoying her morning tea in the living room. when she saw shi man, she immediately put down the snacks in her hand and pulled her to the table to sit down. ¡°manman, you came at the right time. auntie hired a new chef from the south. his culinary skills are especially good. sit down and try it.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not eating, auntie lu.¡± shi man took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, but her eyes kept glancing upstairs. ¡°is yi zheng at home?¡± ¡°so you¡¯re looking for xiao zheng.¡± lu xiang smiled and wiped the sweat off her forehead. she teased, ¡°why are you looking for xiao zheng so early? do you have something personal to say to him? come, come, sit down with auntie and have breakfast first. when he comes back later, you guys can go upstairs and have a good chat.¡± ¡°he went out? when did he leave?¡± shi man caught the main point and continued to ask anxiously. lu xiang sensed something amiss and frowned in thought. ¡°he¡¯s been out for more than half an hour. what¡¯s wrong? did you quarrel?¡± she looked at shi man¡¯s pale face and immediately felt that she had guessed the truth. she slammed the table fiercely and said, ¡°this bastard son, manman, don¡¯t be afraid. i¡¯ll stand up for you. when he comes back, i¡¯ll skin him alive.¡± ¡°no.¡± shi man quickly denied it, not daring to hide it. ¡°auntie, something might have happened to yi zheng.¡± lu xiang¡¯s mind went blank as she asked in disbelief, ¡°what did you say?¡± the streets in the morning were always a little deserted. the branches on both sides of the road were filled with glassy ice and snow. from afar, it looked like a series of white pear blossoms. the weather today was especially good. perhaps it was because it had just snowed last night, but even the perpetually hazy air had become refreshing. yi zheng slowly rolled down the car window and took a deep breath of the air outside. he suddenly took out his phone and dialed the nearest call. his voice was colder than the weather outside. ¡°i¡¯m here. where is he?¡± ¡°fourth floor.¡± after the man on the other end of the phone slowly spat out these words, he decisively hung up. yi zheng sneered, got out of the car, and entered the building alone.he came out of the elevator and slowly walked along the corridor to the innermost room. the door was ajar, revealing a small gap. he listened carefully to the movements inside warily. suddenly, he raised his hand and pulled the door open. a strange fragrance suddenly assaulted his face. the strong drug made him stagger. he hurriedly held the edge of the door and was about to turn around and leave when a slender arm suddenly grabbed his waist and pulled him in. bai yao looked smugly at the man who had always been high and mighty being defeated by her. seeing him leaning against the wall with heavy breathing and unable to even stand steadily, she suddenly felt happy. after locking the door, bai yao reached out and lifted his chin. seeing the clarity in his eyes gradually swallowed by the uncontrollable desire, her heart suddenly beat faster. ¡°brother yi zheng, don¡¯t worry. 1 won¡¯t harm you. i just want to give myself to you..¡± Chapter 319 - Chapter 319: Affected chapter 319: affected translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°get lost.¡± yi zheng shook off her hand fiercely, but because his movements were too big, his already dizzy mind suddenly went blank for a moment. bai yao saw an opportunity and pounced on him with her chest puffed out. although she had taken the antidote in advance, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel a little dizzy when she smelled such a rich fragrance. her body leaned gently into his arms. ¡°brother yi zheng, i¡¯ll satisfy you more than shi man. let¡¯s try it once, okay?¡± yi zheng was extremely disgusted. he endured the desire that was about to spew out of his chest and glared at her with red eyes. he threw her aside in frustration. ¡°get lost.¡± bai yao was thrown to the ground by him. her arm accidentally hit the shoe rack at the side, and she cried from the pain. ¡°brother yi zheng, what can¡¯t i compare to shi man? you¡¯re not married. you don¡¯t have to keep your chastity for her!¡± yi zheng couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at her. he calmed himself down, endured the flames running around his body, and walked towards the bedroom. bai yao was delighted and hurriedly got up to follow him. her face was red. ¡°have you thought it through? we¡¯re here today. other than you and me, no one will know what¡¯s going to happen between us.¡± she looked at yi zheng¡¯s handsome side profile shyly, and her heart thumped restlessly. this man was simply the best in the world. she had seen many men of all shapes and sizes, but only this person in front of her could catch her eye. bai yao felt that only yi zheng was worthy of having her completely from the inside out. she looked at the man¡¯s upright figure. under the effect of the medicine, her heart suddenly itched. she started to unbutton her clothes, baring her chest and about to pounce on his back. yi zheng carefully checked every place in the room where he could hide. the moment the woman behind him pounced on him, he suddenly raised his foot and kicked her. he turned his body to avoid her and let her fall to the ground again. ¡°you asked for this.¡± bai yao looked up in disbelief. her clothes completely slipped off her shoulders, revealing a large area of fair and alluring skin. ¡°brother yi zheng, don¡¯t 1 look good?¡± she crawled forward pitifully and knelt at his feet, ignoring her pride. ¡°look at me. i¡¯m willing to do anything for you. i¡¯ll definitely make you very comfortable.¡± after saying that, she suddenly looked down and her gaze quietly landed somewhere. her gaze became even more determined as she raised her hand to touch it. yi zheng dodged and the cold aura around him intensified. ¡°i don¡¯t like to attack women. give me the antidote. i¡¯ll only say it once.¡± bai yao¡¯s eyes flickered as she steeled her heart and took the initiative to take off her clothes. yi zheng turned around and left. bai yao followed unwillingly. from the looks of it, yi zheng was clearly affected, but why was this man still rational? thinking about how serious the consequences would be if this matter did not succeed, bai yao gritted her teeth and braced herself to block in front of him. her chest was exposed to the man. ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to leave. i must have you today. an outstanding man like you can only dote on me and love me. you can only belong to me!¡± yi zheng sneered and turned his head away from her. his expression became even colder. ¡°you asked for this.¡± bai yao was overjoyed. she thought that yi zheng finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. unexpectedly, in the next second, he actually tore the curtain apart and wrapped the layer of rags that was covered in dust tightly around her body. only when he wrapped her up like a mummy did he tie a dead knot at the end. then, he went to the bathroom to get a towel and stuffed it into her mouth. her eyes widened as she stared at him in disbelief, but all she could make was a barely audible whimper. her hands and feet were tied tightly, and she couldn¡¯t even move. her chest was constricted until she couldn¡¯t breathe. if this continued, she would probably suffocate. unfortunately, yi zheng had no intention of letting her live. he took out his phone and looked at the blocked signal. he sneered and prepared to leave the room first before letting tang zhe bring people to deal with bai yao. unexpectedly, just as he reached the door, the heavy anti-theft door was suddenly kicked open from the outside and almost hit his nose. he widened his eyes and looked at the valiant girl outside the door. suddenly, he thought of something and hurriedly pounced over to cover her mouth and nose. unfortunately, it was too late. shi man kicked the door open too hard, causing the air inside to suddenly rush out and the rich fragrance to enter her nose. at this moment, her body suddenly felt uncomfortable, and her heart was itchy. she suddenly realized what this fragrance was. she pried off his palm in disbelief and reached out to test his forehead. ¡°did you fall for it again? but you weren¡¯t affected much the last time. it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem this time, right? i¡¯ll take you to take a cold shower¡­¡± before she could finish speaking, shi man suddenly felt a strong arm tighten around her waist and a heavy head on her shoulder. the owner of the head was panting heavily in her ear. his voice was low and seductive. ¡°i, i¡¯m so hot, manman. 1 feel so uncomfortable. you have to help me this time..¡± Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: Pretending to Be Sick chapter 320: pretending to be sick translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man¡¯s body froze. she reached out and pushed the man who was hugging her tightly. her palm touched the hot temperature of his entire body and her eyes widened. ¡°let go quickly. i¡¯ll bring you to take a shower now.¡± ¡°manman.¡± yi zheng straightened up slightly and held her face with misty eyes. ¡°1 feel very uncomfortable. can you let me kiss you?¡± shi man was stunned on the spot as if she had been struck by lightning. she pushed the man against the wall unnaturally to let him find some rationality against the cold wall. ¡°don¡¯t be rash. 1¡¯11 take you away now.¡± yi zheng quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms. he placed his large palm behind her head and lowered his head to find the warmth he missed the most. he transferred all the heat from his body to her. shi man¡¯s body was already hot and uncomfortable after absorbing the aphrodisiac. now that she was stimulated by him, the strings in her mind suddenly snapped. she was actually dizzy from his kiss and almost had to cling tightly to his body to barely stand still. a mischievous smile flashed across yi zheng¡¯s eyes. he hugged the soft body in his arms and closed his eyes to grind her lips repeatedly. only when a certain part of his body began to change did he let go of her. shi man blinked at him blankly. it took her a while to react to what had happened just now. she pushed him away angrily and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°are you done?¡± ¡°almost¡­¡± yi zheng¡¯s burning gaze landed on her moist lips. thinking of the sweet smell emitted from her body just now and the scorching temperature of her body, his eyes darkened. shi man sized up him suspiciously for a long time and said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°you¡¯re done? you can relieve it after kissing for a while?¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows in amusement and hugged her again. ¡°of course not. but if manman is so kind-hearted and wants to help others to the end, 1¡¯11 definitely be extremely happy.¡± ¡°in your dreams.¡± shi man rolled her eyes. she estimated that the scent in the room should have dissipated by now. she pointed at the elevator and said, ¡°get in the car first. 1¡¯11 go down and find you later.¡± yi zheng smiled playfully. ¡°why? you don¡¯t trust me? do you want to go in and check yourself?¡± shi man snorted coldly. she crossed her arms and raised her head matter-of-factly. ¡°can¡¯t 1? or did you do something bad and feel guilty?¡± yi zheng pursed his lips and chuckled. he spread his hands generously. ¡°of course not. if manman is really worried, you can come out and do a full-body checkup for me after checking the one inside.¡± ¡°pfft.¡± shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. she stuffed him into the elevator and turned to walk back into the room. in the room, bai yao was still lying on the ground. unfortunately, yi zheng had tied her up too tightly. she was sweating profusely and had only moved a little forward. a pair of black boots appeared in front of her. bai yao looked up in disbelief. in an instant, she was dazzled by the sunlight behind her. her neck was sore and her head drooped, her eyes filled with hatred. shi man squatted down and took off the towel in her mouth, throwing it aside in disgust. ¡°to make a long story short, did you use the same method to poison yi zheng in the library half a year ago?¡± bai yao¡¯s expression changed slightly as she denied it. ¡°no, i don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± shi man chuckled and picked her up by her hair, forcing her to look up at her. ¡°i¡¯ll only give you this chance. tell me and i can let you die a little faster. if you don¡¯t tell me, i¡¯ll let you watch your mother be cut into pieces before dying with regret.¡± bai yao widened her eyes in hatred. her eyes were red as she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°shi man, you¡¯re not human. you¡¯re not allowed to touch my mother. otherwise, i¡¯ll ruin your entire family!¡± ¡°oh, you¡¯re referring to bai xue, right?¡± shi man smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯ve just found the hostage in your hand. bai xue personally accused you of threatening her and is now with my brother. do you have any last words?¡± bai yao lowered her head in shock, her chest rising and falling violently. however, because she was really bound too tightly, she couldn¡¯t catch her breath and suddenly coughed out. it took her a while to recover. she said breathlessly, ¡°shi man, 1 just wanted yi zheng and didn¡¯t do anything to harm you. why must you make things difficult for me?¡± she spat out a mouthful of blood and raised her head with all her might. ¡°shi man, don¡¯t you hate yi zheng? can you let me have him? 1 only want him. 1 don¡¯t mean anything else, really!¡± ¡°you didn¡¯t hurt me?¡± shi man stepped on her back and ground the heel of her boot hard. ¡°you didn¡¯t harm me directly, but you helped shi jing harm su tang and asked chen zong to drug me. if i¡¯m not wrong, it¡¯s all thanks to you that the fang family ended up like this, right?¡± bai yao¡¯s pupils dilated in pain, and traces of blood seeped out of the corner of her mouth. she raised her breath, but she couldn¡¯t let it go. her face turned red.. ¡°help, help!¡± Chapter 321 - Chapter 321: Gifted chapter 321: gifted translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man squatted down and stepped on her back. the corners of her lips curled up cruelly. ¡°tell me, did you do that?¡± bai yao¡¯s entire face scrunched up in pain. her strong desire to live made her completely abandon the pride she had been protecting. she lowered her head and begged for mercy. ¡°yes, it was me. i want yi zheng, but he won¡¯t talk to me no matter what. 1 can only use this method.¡± shi man retracted her foot and turned to leave. bai yao hurriedly called out to her. her vision turned black as she struggled to hold her breath and begged, ¡°can you untie me first? 1 really can¡¯t breathe. 1 beg you, 1 don¡¯t want to die. i¡¯ve already said everything i need to say.¡± shi man stopped in her tracks and turned her head slightly to look at the woman lying on the ground in pain. she said coldly, ¡°someone will deal with you later. just wait here patiently.¡± seeing that she was getting further and further away, bai yao suddenly took a deep breath and cursed venomously, ¡°shi man, if you dare to touch my mother, 1 won¡¯t let you off even if i become a ghost!¡± shi man did not intend to care about her anymore. after walking out of the room, she happened to meet tang zhe, who had rushed over with his men. ¡°miss shi, leave this to us. the master is waiting for you downstairs.¡± tang zhe politely stepped aside to make way for her to enter the elevator. shi man nodded slightly and did not ask how he planned to deal with it. she turned around and walked into the elevator to meet yi zheng downstairs. she was still thinking about the poison affecting yi zheng just now. she quickened her pace and walked out of the building. at a glance, she saw a man standing by the car door, exuding a cold and abstinent aura. when yi zheng saw her, a smile suddenly appeared on his originally expressionless face. he smiled and greeted her. ¡°why are you only out now? i¡¯m a little hungry from waiting for you. i¡¯ll take you to eat something delicious.¡± shi man frowned and held his hand to test the temperature. ¡°it¡¯s still a little hot. why don¡¯t you go home first? auntie lu happened to have hired a new chef to make a table of morning tea. you might be able to eat it if you go back now.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve been to my house?¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows slightly and held her hand. he pulled her back to the car. ¡°that¡¯s good. you can try the new chef¡¯s cooking too.¡± shi man shook her head gently and refused. ¡°i want to see my brother first. his problem with bai xue hasn¡¯t been resolved.¡± yi zheng shrugged and said with a smile, ¡°then i¡¯ll go with you. let¡¯s go. get in the car.¡± ¡°but the poison in you hasn¡¯t been completely removed.¡± shi man wanted to say something else, but yi zheng stuffed her into the car forcefully. he grabbed her hand and placed it on his forehead with sparkling eyes. ¡°feel it again. it¡¯s really fine. don¡¯t worry about me.¡± shi man blinked and felt the normal temperature under her palm. she said in disbelief, ¡°1 remember that you didn¡¯t seem to have much of a reaction last time. is this your personal physique?¡± yi zheng flicked her forehead in amusement. ¡°stupid. i¡¯ve been tortured by the heat poison for so many years. my body has long been immune to this aphrodisiac. i¡¯ll just feel a little dizzy at first. don¡¯t worry, my self-control is still very strong.¡± shi man nodded thoughtfully. every time the heat poison acted up, the level of torture was indeed much higher than this kind of unorthodox potion. if yi zheng didn¡¯t have extraordinary willpower, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand it. seeing her look of confusion, yi zheng shook his head helplessly. as he drove, he asked, ¡°what about you? you were also poisoned yesterday. how could you be fine?¡± shi man pursed her lips and chuckled. she tilted her head mischievously. ¡°guess?¡± yi zheng thought about it seriously for a while and casually guessed, ¡°could it be that you have a special physique and are talented?¡± shi man knew that he was teasing her. she smiled foolishly for a while and explained without leaving him hanging, ¡°that¡¯s because 1 spat out the wine when they weren¡¯t paying attention.¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows in understanding and deliberately dragged out the last words. his tone was filled with danger. ¡°so you knew that the other party had poisoned you, but you still chose to beat them at their own game and walked into their trap?¡± shi man felt that there was something wrong with his words, but after thinking about it carefully, she felt that he was right. she pouted and rolled her eyes helplessly. ¡°alright, alright, 1 know what you¡¯re going to say, but i¡¯m very confident that 1¡¯11 be successful. even if i¡¯m really tricked by those small fries, they¡¯re not my match.¡± yi zheng held his empty fist to his lips and coughed lightly. he asked seriously, ¡°then do you think i¡¯ll be your match if we¡¯re both hit?¡± shi man was stunned for a moment before she felt her hand itch. while he was parking the car and waiting for the traffic light to turn green, she pinched his arm hard. ¡°of course, you¡¯re not my match.¡± ¡°alright, let¡¯s try next time.¡± yi zheng endured the pain and let her pinch him as much as she wanted. to him, shi man¡¯s attack seemed to be forceful, but it was actually no different from a mosquito bite. he would just bear with it for a while. shi man had encountered his thick-skinned behavior more than once and could not be bothered to lower herself to his level. it was not until the car drove into bai hua district that she suddenly reacted and sized up him suspiciously.. ¡°how did you know my brother was here?¡± Chapter 322 - Chapter 322: Kneeling chapter 322: kneeling translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng parked the car and picked up the car keys in amusement. ¡°who do you think called me to see that woman?¡± a trace of anger appeared on shi man¡¯s face. she got out of the car, grabbed his arm, and pressed him against the car door. ¡°no matter how much my brother doesn¡¯t like you, he won¡¯t be selfish enough to betray you for his own matters. he¡¯s not that kind of person.¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows slightly and moved her closer and closer to him. he narrowed his eyes in enjoyment and said, ¡°yes, since you trust him so much, you should have guessed the truth, right?¡± shi mu had indeed followed bai yao¡¯s instructions and called yi zheng to meet him. he had no choice but to do so because of the shi family¡¯s reputation. but in reality, when he received a threatening call from bai yao early in the morning, telling him that he had to come to bai hua district, he knew that bai yao couldn¡¯t hold herself back and was about to make a move. that was why he had called yi zheng before he left to remind him of what might happen next. meeting yi zheng in front of bai yao was just a pretense. this was all because shi man had instigated bai xue to defect in advance and found out about bai yao¡¯s true plan. otherwise, even if shi mu had wanted to remind shi man, he would not have known the target. the two people beside the car were still in a deadlock when they suddenly heard a loud female voice coming from upstairs. from the window upstairs, bai xue looked awkwardly at the two of them who were pressed against each other. under shi mu¡¯s pressure, she braced herself and shouted, ¡°come up quickly. it¡¯s too cold outside!¡± shi man did not need to look up to know who had instructed her to shout. she felt a little embarrassed and got up from him expressionlessly. she turned around and left, but the tips of her ears were suspiciously pink. it was unknown if it was because of the cold weather outside or for some other reason. yi zheng chuckled and followed her upstairs. as soon as he entered, his vision was blocked by shi mu. bai xue held shi man¡¯s arm happily, but as soon as her fingers touched her, she was frightened by her cold gaze. she quickly let go and invited her into the living room. she knelt in front of the two of them. ¡°thank you. you saved my mother. i will definitely repay your kindness in the future.¡± yi zheng only glanced at her lightly before looking away. he casually looked at a certain someone standing at the side, as if he had nothing to do with this scene. shi mu touched his nose awkwardly. he lowered his head and said with a flushed face, ¡°hey, i have to thank you too. 1 know that even though i¡¯ve reminded you in advance, you could have chosen to leave me in the lurch and not get involved in this matter. if you hadn¡¯t gone, bai yao won¡¯t let me off either.¡± ¡°yes.¡± only then did yi zheng respond in a good mood. he leisurely walked to the sofa and sat down. ¡°it seems that you¡¯ve really learned a lot after experiencing this. at least your mouth isn¡¯t so annoying anymore.¡± shi mu gritted his teeth and turned his head away. he helped bai xue to pour tea for the two of them and pulled his sister to the other side to sit down. ¡°although you¡¯ve helped me a lot this time, 1 won¡¯t agree to you being with my sister so easily.¡± ¡°then what do you want?¡± yi zheng glanced at him with an unfriendly tone. shi man patted his tense shoulders gently and said helplessly, ¡°brother, now is not the time to quarrel.¡± shi mu snorted reluctantly. ¡°i¡¯ll monitor in the future. if 1 find out you treating my sister badly, i won¡¯t let you off.¡± bai xue tried her best to suppress her presence and not get involved in their family matters. when they had said everything they needed to say, she mustered her courage to out of the kitchen and pour hot tea for them. she looked at shi man hesitantly. ¡°i know what you want to say.¡± her body was still a little hot. perhaps it was because she had smelled the strange fragrance just now, so she did not touch the cup of hot tea. she said coldly, ¡°your mother was seriously injured when she was saved. she¡¯s in the hospital now.¡± bai xue suddenly raised her head, the tears in her eyes rolling non-stop. ¡°1 want to go and see her. can 1?¡± as if afraid that shi man still had concerns, she knelt in front of her again and begged humbly, ¡°please, i just want to see my mother safe with my own eyes. don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll abort this child immediately and won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡± for some reason, at the mention of the child, shi man inexplicably felt her brother¡¯s body freeze for a moment. her thoughts raced as she helped her up from the ground and comforted her. ¡°1 didn¡¯t let you see her just now because bai yao hasn¡¯t been caught yet. 1 was afraid that something unexpected would happen. now, it¡¯s fine. if you want to go, let my brother take you there.¡± bai xue quickly glanced at shi mu and shook her head. ¡°no, there¡¯s no need to trouble brother shi. 1 can go by myself. i¡¯ve already caused a lot of trouble for your family. it¡¯s just a small matter like going to the hospital. 1 can do it myself.¡± ¡°no.¡± shi man refused bluntly. when she saw bai xue¡¯s shocked gaze, she explained slowly, ¡°you¡¯re pregnant with my brother¡¯s child now. after all, you¡¯re a victim. he should be responsible for you. it¡¯s good even if he has to accompany you to send this child away..¡± Chapter 323 - Chapter 323: Pretty Boy chapter 323: pretty boy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man patted her brother¡¯s shoulder. he quickly reacted and said seriously, ¡°sister, you¡¯re right. you¡¯ve actually suffered the most in this entire matter. i¡¯ll compensate you well. if you need help in the future, you can look for me at any time.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and smiled in satisfaction. ¡°since my brother has said so, don¡¯t refuse anymore. taking ten thousand steps back, this child is half of my brother, right? if you don¡¯t let him compensate you, you¡¯ll be at a disadvantage.¡± bai xue hurriedly waved her hand and said, ¡°i don¡¯t want compensation. brother shi was implicated by me. i¡¯ve let him down.¡± shi mu changed his cold attitude and took the initiative to persuade her for a long time. only when bai xue relented did he heave a sigh of relief. he turned to look at shi man curiously. ¡°sister, how did you find bai xue¡¯s mother?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at yi zheng. she smiled and said, ¡°actually, he contributed to this matter.¡± actually, a few days ago, yi zheng had already investigated that there was a bodyguard in the bai family whose whereabouts had been strange recently. what was worth his attention was that this person was personally assigned by the bai family¡¯s head to ensure bai yao¡¯s safety. it went without saying that bai yao would need a bodyguard. however, this bodyguard was still quite vigilant. after following him a few times, the other party had shrewdly shaken off all the suspicious cars and personnel without leaving any traces. before this, shi man had suggested borrowing resources from the blood oath to investigate this matter. yi zheng had handed this matter to tang zhe. unexpectedly, the men at immaculate found out. after a discussion, sean and the others felt that this was a matter of immaculate¡¯s reputation. they immediately issued a summons and transferred a few very smart mercenaries from immaculate¡¯s headquarters in m city. in order to avoid unnecessary trouble if their identities were exposed, they were not brought to meet shi man. as soon as they arrived in g city, they started investigating bai yao¡¯s bodyguard. the few of them continued to monitor the movements of that person and the bai family until one of them realized that the bodyguard had a habit of drinking and gambling. he took this opportunity to approach him and win his trust. the handsome mercenary, lin si, had once been in charge of the casino¡¯s business and was very familiar with the casino¡¯s tricks. he had helped the bodyguard win a lot of money, and the two of them had a drink together. they were completely familiar with each other, so he naturally discovered where the bodyguard might be hiding. last night, lin si had come to that residence alone, but because the bodyguard was very vigilant when he wasn¡¯t drunk, he had almost been strangled to death by him. that night, the situation was critical. lin si could not breathe as he held him in his hand. in a moment of desperation, he picked up the wine bottle beside him and smashed it down, only to catch his breath for a moment. seeing that he still had the strength to fight back, the bodyguard was furious. he wiped the glass shards off his face and walked over with a ferocious expression. ¡°good kid, who are you? did you approach me on purpose that day?¡± lin si leaned against the wall and bent over to cough for a while, but his throat was still burning with pain. ¡°i don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. you want to kill me, so, of course, 1 have to fight back!¡± the bodyguard snorted coldly, picked up the iron rod in the corner, and slowly walked in front of him. ¡°you still dare to pretend? looking at your skills just now, you¡¯re probably a mercenary, right? tell me, who sent you?¡± lin si took a step back and sized up him warily. ¡°what mercenary? i don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. i¡¯m just here to drink with you. 1 really treat you as my big brother!¡± a trace of hesitation flashed across the bodyguard¡¯s eyes. he frowned and was about to hesitate if he should really kill the other party when he suddenly heard the sound of chains on the ground. the hesitation in the bodyguard¡¯s eyes instantly turned into ferocity, and his lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile. ¡°you heard it. you have to die now.¡± lin si¡¯s reaction was extremely fast. after confirming that this was where the hostage was being held, he no longer hid his strength. he suddenly squatted down, took out a gun from his boot, and aimed it at the bodyguard¡¯s head with a playful gaze. the bodyguard¡¯s hand that was raising the iron rod froze. his eyes widened in disbelief. the next second, his expression became even more ferocious and brutal. ¡°you really dare to lie to me! i¡¯ll kill you!¡± lin si didn¡¯t hesitate and shot him in the forehead. after the loud gunshot, a buzzing sound suddenly sounded in his ears. the bodyguard stared until the blood on his forehead flowed out before he fell to the ground unwillingly. when shi man told shi mu about the rescue process, she deliberately omitted the part about the murder. she only said that the people around yi zheng were skilled and subdued them in a few moves before bai xue¡¯s mother was saved. now, the way shi mu looked at him became a little subtle. he stared at yi zheng in confusion and muttered to himself, ¡°when did your yi family have such talent? why haven¡¯t 1 seen them before?¡± yi zheng coughed dryly and said, ¡°i¡¯ve always had them. they usually only protect us in the dark and won¡¯t show their faces easily.¡± realization dawned on shi mu. ¡°oh,¡± he said awkwardly. ¡°then i have to thank you. damn it, i really don¡¯t want to owe you a favor..¡± Chapter 324 - Chapter 324: Abortion chapter 324: abortion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°even if you don¡¯t want to, you already owe me.¡± yi zheng crossed his legs smugly. he did not have the self-awareness of stealing someone else¡¯s credit at all. he was showing off in front of shi mu. shi man could not stand it anymore. her intuition told her that the two of them were going to quarrel next. she quickly stood up and said, ¡°let¡¯s go. auntie lu must be very worried about you now. coincidentally, i¡¯m hungry too.¡± yi zheng followed her obediently. however, before he left, he did not forget to turn around and show off to shi mu. ¡°remember to repay me in the future, fourth young master shi.¡± shi mu gritted his teeth in hatred. he turned his head away with a cold expression and sat back on the sofa angrily. only the two of them were left in the room. bai xue approached shi mu timidly and personally brought him a cup of hot tea. ¡°brother shi, did i cause you trouble again? i can tell that you and the man that miss shi brought here do not like each other. i¡¯m really sorry for implicating you this time because of me.¡± ¡°don¡¯t say that.¡± shi mu took the teacup and placed it on the table in frustration. as his movements were a little too big, some hot water spilled out of the teacup. the strong tea dripped down the edge of the table and landed on bai xue¡¯s foot. she was so startled that she immediately retracted her foot and bent down in pain. shi mu quickly helped her to the side and sat down. he knelt on one knee in front of her and lifted her leg to take a closer look. bai xue lowered her head shyly. she was so nervous that her heart was beating like a drum. ¡°brother shi, i¡¯m fine. i was just startled just now.¡± shi mu examined her carefully before he was relieved. he let go of her and walked back to the bedroom to get her coat. he handed it to her with an unnatural expression and said, ¡°put this on. i¡¯ll take you to the hospital to see your mother now.¡± bai xue looked up in surprise. when she saw the cold expression on his face, the joy from before faded a little. she subconsciously touched her stomach. shi mu saw her actions and frowned. ¡°you¡¯re still young. if this child is born, it will only delay you. i¡¯m doing this for your sake. of course, if you want to give birth to him, i¡¯ll definitely take responsibility.¡± bai xue shook her head gently and tried hard to hold back the hot tears in her eyes. she smiled sadly and pitifully. ¡°no, i hope that my child can grow up under the expectations of his parents and not become a burden to anyone. brother shi, you don¡¯t have to blame yourself. this is my own decision. it has nothing to do with you.¡± shi mu tensed up and stared at the prenatal report on the cabinet with a gloomy expression. he smiled guiltily and said, ¡°you¡­ you have to have someone to take care of you after the miscarriage. why don¡¯t you come to my house? i¡¯ll get the nanny to take care of you. i¡¯ll get a nurse to take care of your mother.¡± bai xue touched her belly longingly. the mockery and abuse from her childhood were still vivid in her mind. she could not let the past resurface. she shook her head firmly and said, ¡°no need, brother shi. thank you for your kindness, but i can take care of myself. let¡¯s go.¡± as she lay on the operating table, her expression was calm and strong, but only she knew how much pain she was in. that night, when shi mu returned home, he was brought into the study by shi zhong. shen xian paced anxiously outside the door. finally, she could not take it anymore and pushed the door open. when she saw that the father and son were only sitting on the sofa drinking tea, she heaved a sigh of relief. when shi zhong saw his wife enter, he quickly got up to make room for her. he hugged her dotingly and said, ¡°why are you in such a hurry to come in? didn¡¯t 1 promise you that i wouldn¡¯t hit the child again?¡± shen xian rolled her eyes at him and pushed his hand away so that he could sit properly. she smiled at her pale son and said, ¡°xiao mu, you¡¯ve suffered during this period of time. i heard from manman that the child has been aborted. the girl¡¯s mother is also in the hospital now. there¡¯s no one to take care of her. why don¡¯t you let her stay at home?¡± shi mu smiled bitterly and shook his head. ¡°mom, 1 asked her to come, but she rejected me.¡± when shi zhong heard this, he was instantly angry. he expected better from his son and said angrily, ¡°then did you send a nurse over to take care of them?¡± ¡°i did¡­¡± shi mu lowered his eyes dejectedly and his voice gradually weakened. ¡°but she also returned it.¡± ¡°outrageous!¡± shi zhong slapped his thigh and said especially sternly. shi mu suddenly raised his head and wanted to explain for bai xue, but he saw shi zhong pointing at his nose fiercely and saying, ¡°i¡¯m saying that you¡¯re too outrageous. little brat, are you not going to do anything if she doesn¡¯t want anything from you? do you have any sense of responsibility?¡± shi mu heaved a sigh of relief and said aggrievedly, ¡°1 don¡¯t know what to do either. she refused to accept my kindness. i discussed it with her, and she said that it was not my fault and asked me not to be burdened. i really don¡¯t know what to do.¡± shen xian and shi zhong looked at each other and saw some helplessness in each other¡¯s eyes. this son of theirs was the most immature of the brothers, yet he was involved in such a matter. however, since shi mu could think of doing what he had just done, it was already considered a long-term consideration. they could not force him to do more. shen xian decided to set an example and teach her son how to coax a girl. she said decisively, ¡°give me that girl¡¯s contact information. i¡¯ll talk to her personally..¡± Chapter 325 - Chapter 325: First Time chapter 325: first time translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the next day, shi man stayed at home obediently and taught su tang body techniques. she saw shi mu rush in happily. butler qi hurriedly came over and asked anxiously, ¡°fourth young master, how is it? have you brought her back?¡± shi mu smiled and said, ¡°she¡¯s back, she¡¯s back. i came to get some warm clothes. it¡¯s too cold outside. bai xue¡¯s body is weak now. i¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± only then did the butler relax. after so many days, he finally saw the fourth young master who was always laughing and joking in the past. his anxious heart was finally relieved. he quickly took a thick coat and accompanied shi mu out to welcome him. bai xue walked into the living room with a face full of shame. she had aborted the shi family¡¯s flesh and blood, not given birth to a child for the shi family. she felt a little sorry to be so carefully cared for. shi mu had always been carefree and did not notice the blush on her face. however, shi man saw it clearly. she walked over with su tang and smiled as she said, ¡°you don¡¯t have to think too much. just stay at home. when you recover, we won¡¯t ask if you want to stay or leave.¡± as soon as bai xue saw her, a smile immediately appeared in her eyes. she nodded obediently and said, ¡°alright, 1 understand. 1 can only trouble you during this period of time.¡± shen xian was also smiling as she helped her to the guest room upstairs that had been prepared in advance. she advised earnestly, ¡°if you need anything, you have to tell me. if you feel embarrassed, you can tell shi mu or man man. just take this place as your home.¡± ¡°thank you, auntie.¡± bai xue¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears as she held shen xian¡¯s hand. she had thought that she would become a thorn in the shi family¡¯s side. after all, once her existence was known by outsiders, she was destined to tarnish the reputation of the shi family. who would have thought that this family would be so kind and persuade her to come under their care? she was really flattered. seeing that the atmosphere was about right, shen xian pulled her son over and pushed him to bai xue¡¯s side. ¡°let him help you put everything away. tell him what you want to eat. he¡¯ll be in charge of your meals and daily life from now on.¡± shi mu¡¯s face suddenly turned red. he stole a glance at bai xue carefully, but his gaze seemed to have been scalded. he instantly looked away. ¡°mom, don¡¯t say that. butler qi and the nanny at home are better at taking care of people than me. wouldn¡¯t it be better to instruct them to take care of bai xue?¡± bai xue thought so too. she did not want to trouble shi mu at all. she smiled politely and said, ¡°i know that auntie is doing this for my own good, but i really can¡¯t continue to trouble brother shi mu. 1 can take care of myself. auntie, don¡¯t worry.¡± shen xian was almost speechless. she secretly despised her son¡¯s cowardice in her heart, but she still had a kind expression on her face. ¡°alright, alright, alright. xiao xue is a capable child. auntie knows. 1 won¡¯t disturb your rest then.¡± with that, she turned around and left with shi man and su tang, leaving shi mu alone. as his mother, she could only help him to this extent. if he still did not understand, no one could do anything about it. they could only let him continue to comprehend slowly. shi man saw through her thoughts and accompanied her back to the living room. she asked with a smile, ¡°mom, do you think bai xue is a good girl and want her to be your daughter-in-law?¡± shen xian smiled slyly and glanced upstairs. she lowered her voice and said, ¡°you can tell? was my behavior so obvious just now?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not that obvious.¡± su tang pursed her lips and snickered. she agreed. ¡°bai xue is indeed not bad. she¡¯s filial and independent. 1 just don¡¯t know if fourth brother will like her.¡± shen xian knew her son the best. she looked like she was watching a good show and said, ¡°you don¡¯t know this, but shi mu has never been in a relationship before. ever since he was young, he would blush for a long time if other girls touched him. it would be strange if a person like him doesn¡¯t care about his first time!¡± first time? su tang was stunned for a moment before she understood. her face instantly turned red. ¡°mom,¡± shi man gave her a disapproving look. shen xian immediately smiled awkwardly and changed the topic. ¡°there are still three bachelors in our family who have yet to be settled. as a mother, how can 1 not be concerned?¡± su tang shyly agreed and suddenly felt like she was in an uncomfortable situation. shen xian immediately looked at her and sized her up. suddenly, a look of realization appeared in her eyes. shi man quickly stood up and pulled her behind her. ¡°mom, we still have to exercise. we¡¯ll go back upstairs first.¡± ¡°what kind of exercise do you want to go back to your room for?¡± shen xian asked curiously. however, she saw the two of them walking faster and faster. in the blink of an eye, they were out of her sight. she could only give up on the sudden thought and continue to think about who else was still unmarried. after su tang was rescued by shi man, the nervousness from before subsided slightly. shi man leaned against the door and looked down at her with a smile.. ¡°why? is the possibility of marrying into my family making you so flustered?¡± Chapter 326 - Chapter 326: Lesson chapter 326: lesson translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°no!¡± su tang quickly denied it. she did not think that marrying into the shi family would make her unhappy, but she did not plan to marry someone now. she still had many things she wanted to do. shi man did not intend to force her. she raised her eyebrows and sat at the desk as if nothing had happened. she casually picked up her drawing paper. ¡°how¡¯s the family portrait going?¡± ¡°i wanted to give that to you as a new year¡¯s gift.¡± she carefully took out a framed picture frame from the drawer and handed it to shi man. ¡°it¡¯s average. don¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s very well drawn.¡± in the photo, everyone in the shi family was smiling, but the meaning of their smiles was very different. her smile was cold, and shen xian¡¯s smile was gentle. the others also had characteristics that matched their personalities. when she looked at yi zheng again, he still looked cold. however, for some reason, she could see the deep affection in his eyes. she suddenly held her breath and hurriedly returned the painting to su tang. she took a deep breath and said, ¡°1 suddenly remembered that 1 have something to do. i¡¯ll go out for a while and come back to look for you later.¡± in the heat of the moment, she rushed out of the house and only calmed down a little when she got into the car. shi man was secretly shocked. she suddenly wanted to see yi zheng¡¯s devilish face. she immediately pulled a long face and forced herself not to think about him. she frowned and drove to the blood oath base. this was the first time the few people who had just come from m city had seen shi man in person. lin si took the lead and knelt on the ground, calling her boss. sean smiled and said happily, ¡°boss, do you think these people are alright? if you think they¡¯re alright, why don¡¯t you let them stay so that we don¡¯t have enough manpower?¡± ¡°yes, you¡¯ve considered this matter thoroughly,¡± shi man praised indifferently. sean felt a little smug. he scratched his head honestly and was about to say a few humble words when shi man¡¯s eyes suddenly flashed with a cold light. she said coldly, ¡°although you should be rewarded for your merits, you should also be punished for your crimes.¡± ¡°how?¡± sean blinked his big innocent eyes. he had always been eloquent, but at this moment, he was frightened by his boss and could not even speak properly. shi man sneered, took off her coat, and threw it to lin si. ¡°then let me test your skills.¡± ¡°it can¡¯t be, right? boss, you¡¯re going to train me yourself!¡± sean slowly shed tears of pain. shi man narrowed her eyes dangerously. ¡°huh? you¡¯re not willing?¡± ¡°yes!¡± he pointed at the two tears on his face and trembled with excitement. ¡°i¡¯m so touched that i¡¯m crying. boss, you could have beaten me up directly, but you still had to find a reason to train me. you really put in a lot of effort.¡± shi man pursed her lips and smiled. then, she said with a serious expression, ¡°as the second-in-command of immaculate, how can you not provide an example to your subordinates? come!¡± as the smoke rose, the two of them started fighting in the snow. shi man¡¯s every smooth move stirred up the snow on the ground. as she raised her hand, it stirred up white fog. from the perspective of a bystander, it was quite entertaining. however, sean, who was not a bystander, was in a very miserable state. he guessed that his boss did not kick him into the snow pile to save him some face. unfortunately, even if his boss deliberately cut him some slack, he was not enough. others might not be able to see it, but he knew very well that other than the injured areas on his body, there should not be any intact flesh. however, sean benefited a lot from fighting a strong player like shi man. he consoled himself that this was a one-on-one lesson that everyone was envious of. then, in front of everyone, he was beautifully thrown to the ground by shi man. sean quickly got up from the ground on his hands and knees and leaned over ingratiatingly. ¡°boss is so awesome. i feel like i¡¯ve learned a lot more after fighting with you.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows in amusement and teased him. ¡°but you¡¯ve indeed improved. 1 don¡¯t know how strong these newcomers are. arrange for them to participate in the training according to the plan.¡± ¡°yes, boss!¡± sean knew that he had passed this stage safely, so he smiled easily. lin si hugged shi man¡¯s clothes and walked up to her with a smile. ¡°boss is indeed skilled. no wonder brother sean admires you so much.¡± the moment shi man saw him, her cold eyes suddenly lit up. she took the clothes from him and put them on. ¡°you¡¯re lin si, right? it¡¯s all thanks to your quick-wittedness this time. go to sean and get an additional commission later. continue to work hard next time.¡± ¡°alright, i understand.¡± lin si¡¯s smiling gaze was fixed on her face. when he saw her beautiful face, he took out a hairpin he had bought on the black market. however, before he could give it to shi man, a figure filled with hostility suddenly stepped between the two of them. that person was wearing a tailored suit and looked at him arrogantly. ¡°do your job well. don¡¯t think about anything you don¡¯t deserve..¡± Chapter 327 - Chapter 327: Picked Up chapter 327: picked up translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when sean saw yi zheng, who was reeking of gunpowder, he quickly retreated to the side, afraid that the explosion would affect him. tang zhe walked out from the crowd and bowed to his side. ¡°master, the traces on those guns have been completely erased. no one will be able to see their original appearance.¡± yi zheng glanced at him from the corner of his eye with a cold expression. ¡°isn¡¯t there anything else to do after doing that?¡± tang zhe understood and quickly fled with the men from blood oath and immaculate. only lin si remained where he was and looked over with a smile. ¡°president yi, you¡¯ve misunderstood. this hairpin of mine is not an ordinary piece of jewelry. look.¡± he gently pressed the tip of the hairpin with his thumb, and a silver needle that shone with a cold light suddenly popped out from the bottom. judging from the color, that thing was much better than ordinary hidden weapons that could be seen on the market. shi man was suddenly tempted. she wanted to reach out to take it, but her wrist was wrapped tightly in yi zheng¡¯s warm palm in midair. yi zheng looked at her with a faint smile and said in a frivolous but threatening tone, ¡°manman, what do you like that 1 didn¡¯t give you? is this little thing that tempting you?¡± shi man coughed dryly and rejected lin si. ¡°this thing is exquisitely made. you should keep it for yourself.¡± lin si¡¯s expression changed slightly. he said reluctantly, ¡°boss, do you really not want it? the appearance of this hairpin suits you very well. you¡¯ll definitely look good wearing it.¡± yi zheng glanced at the thing in disdain and said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°what¡¯s the use of a lousy hairpin? manman, i can give you the batch of goods i captured last time.¡± shi man¡¯s eyes lit up. those were all top-notch goods that were difficult to find on the market. if yi zheng wanted to give them all to her instead of sharing them equally, the temptation would be too great. she immediately switched sides to yi zheng and said with a serious expression, ¡°alright, lin si, go find sean and ask him to arrange a mission for you. i don¡¯t need you here for the time being.¡± lin si put away the hairpin in disappointment and grunted heavily, like a puppy abandoned by its master. after the two of them walked away side by side, sean came out from behind the container not far away and bumped his shoulder in disbelief. ¡°no way, are you thinking that way about boss?¡± ¡°how is that possible?¡± lin si put away the hairpin and hid the loneliness in his eyes. he said in a low voice, ¡°i just know that our new boss is a girl, so i specially went to the black market to buy this as a greeting gift. it cost me a lot of money, but 1 didn¡¯t give it away.¡± sean patted his back helplessly. ¡°alright, our boss¡¯s family is especially rich. she doesn¡¯t lack these things. you should save up money in the future and keep it for your wife.¡± lin si glared at him angrily. ¡°who said i¡¯m getting married?¡± ¡°ouch.¡± amused, sean put his arm around his shoulder and teased, ¡°what are you going to do if you don¡¯t get a wife? you¡¯re about the same age as boss, aren¡¯t you? are you really going to do this for the rest of your life?¡± sean had picked lin si up from the side of the road when he was young. in sean¡¯s own words, lin si was the puppy he had personally brought back. at first, sean pitied him. a child was squatting by the side of the road, drenched in the rain, and crying. sean had taught him martial arts and brought him to participate in the training so that he could have the ability to defend himself. after all, this kid looked so weak back then, as if he would collapse with a casual punch. he did not expect this puppy to walk the same path as him when he grew up, but he did not want him to continue walking like this. he was used to living a life where his life was hanging by a thread. he actually yearned to be a stable ordinary person, so he naturally placed his hopes on lin si. however, this little brat was extremely talented. every time he was given a mission, he would complete it exceedingly well. take the matter of saving bai xue¡¯s mother for example. lin si did not need anyone¡¯s help to complete the mission independently for the organization. sean looked him up and down and punched his stomach. seeing him grimace in pain, he felt relieved. ¡°i didn¡¯t plan to let you come this time. it¡¯s fine if you want to get involved, but how dare you kill someone?¡± ¡°who¡¯s involved?¡± lin si rolled his eyes at him and said indifferently, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with killing people? which of us doesn¡¯t have blood on our hands?¡± this was his first time killing someone, but he did not panic at all. he only felt that it was normal. sean suddenly frowned. ¡°don¡¯t mess around. we agreed that you wouldn¡¯t touch these things. in a few years, when you¡¯re mature, you¡¯ll do something serious.¡± lin si stopped and looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°brother xiao, do you really think i have a chance to turn back now that i¡¯ve come this far?¡± it was true that he had never been involved in businesses that pertained to human lives in m city, but his actions could not let him return to the life of an ordinary person. if he said that he would stop now, it would bring him a fatal disaster. he could only continue, even if he knew that there might be a dead end ahead.. Chapter 328 - Chapter 328: Explosion chapter 328: explosion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios sean sighed and rubbed the back of his bald head. he said helplessly, ¡°1 really don¡¯t know if it was right to pick you up back then.¡± lin si turned to look at him with a dazzling smile. ¡°if you hadn¡¯t picked me up, i might have frozen to death outside.¡± sean snorted and pulled him into the training room. he pointed at the training plan on the wall and said, ¡°boss set this for us. practice according to this.¡± when he saw lin si frowning and looking closely, sean said smugly, ¡°don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. this is much stricter than when i trained you in the past. if you can¡¯t take it anymore, hurry up and go back to m city. don¡¯t get in the way here.¡± unexpectedly, after lin si looked at it carefully from beginning to end, a trace of yearning appeared on his face. there was still a bright smile on his lips. ¡°it¡¯s indeed more strict. i¡¯m very interested. let¡¯s start now!¡± in the office, yi zheng picked up the document on the table and handed it to shi man. ¡°take a look at this. the matter is finally about to end.¡± shi man read it from beginning to end. the first document was nighthawk¡¯s request for help and the benefits he promised to give to blood oath. the last one was hellgate¡¯s request for help. jun mo expressed his willingness to share the benefits with blood oath. yi zheng waited for her to finish reading before slowly putting down his teacup. ¡°which side do you want to help?¡± shi man casually threw the documents on the table, picked up the teacup, and took a sip. ¡°only children make choices. of course, 1 want them both.¡± ¡°you have a big appetite.¡± although yi zheng said that, there was no surprise in his eyes. ¡°let¡¯s end this before the new year and spend the new year together.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and said noncommittally, ¡°i¡¯m afraid even if we want to delay it now, hellgate can¡¯t afford it.¡± in the previous battle, nighthawk had lost his boss. now, the entire organization respected zhu wen and hoped that he could lead everyone to avenge zhu meng. it was a pity that they had lost their most precious batch of firearms and were now leaderless. they could only support a man who had yet to graduate as their leader. their strength was far inferior to hellgate¡¯s. if this continued, they would not be able to escape the fate of being annexed sooner or later. on hellgate¡¯s side, jun mo had already expected that nighthawk would ask blood oath for help. in order to prevent the other party from really helping, he took the opportunity to state his conditions. for a moment, blood oath became the dealer who could decide the outcome of the battle. although jun mo sensed that something was wrong, things had already come to this point. even though they knew that there was a trap set up in front of them, they had no choice but to step into it. if they hesitated even a little, they would be doomed. the two of them hit it off and immediately got to work on this matter. in the evening, both organizations received a reply from blood oath stating that they would provide support. jun mo slammed the table confidently and pointed at the secretary beside him. ¡°make the arrangements. we¡¯ll make nighthawk disappear tonight.¡± the secretary hurriedly agreed, but before he could walk out of the office, the building suddenly trembled violently. the deafening explosion seemed to echo in his ears, and the dazzling flames almost illuminated the entire sky not far away. the secretary looked in that direction through the window. his heart suddenly skipped a beat as he trembled and turned to jun mo. ¡°boss, that seems to be the direction of our main base! could it be that our firearms exploded?!¡± ¡°don¡¯t f*cking spout nonsense!¡± jun mo was also panicking. at the moment of the explosion, his entire body felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave. he quickly picked up the phone and called the caretaker who was guarding the area. unfortunately, no one answered. jun mo fell back into his chair in a daze. his eyes widened as he looked at the fire. his face was pale. ¡°let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go and take a look!¡± the secretary was still immersed in the intense shock just now and could not recover. he stared blankly into the distance without any reaction. jun mo was so angry that he kicked his butt and said fiercely, ¡°why are you in a daze? hurry up and prepare the car. let¡¯s go over and take a look!¡± ¡°oh! right away!¡± the secretary ran out in a panic. halfway there, he suddenly turned back. his hands and feet were so stiff that he almost fell. ¡°boss, should we send someone to clean up here and prepare to leave at any time?¡± jun mo gritted his teeth. his expression was dark and ugly. ¡°you¡¯re right. if our base really exploded, we can¡¯t stay here anymore. i¡¯ll go over myself. stay behind and organize people to evacuate the things to a safe place. you have to be fast!¡± ¡°okay, okay, okay. i¡¯ll go right away!¡± the secretary scrambled down the stairs, his heart almost jumping out of his throat. although they had yet to confirm the exact cause of the explosion at the event location, the most likely reason for such a commotion was that batch of firearms. jun mo gritted his teeth. his scarlet eyes stared fixedly at the area through the window. a few bloodstains flowed out from the gaps between his fists. shi man was originally eating at home with yi zheng. when she heard this explosion, she immediately stood up in disbelief. the two of them looked at each other and rushed out of the room without hesitation. behind them, shen xian and shi zhong thought that there was an earthquake and hurriedly ran out of the house with their families. however, when they went outside and saw the flames soaring into the sky in the distance, they realized what had just happened.. Chapter 329 - Chapter 329: Rescue chapter 329: rescue translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the explosion spread far and wide. not only was the pier completely razed to the ground, but many of the surrounding residents were also implicated. when shi man and the others arrived, the event location was filled with the smell of burning. the fire had been completely extinguished, and the rescue team was carrying out corpses from the burned houses one after another. the human world seemed to have turned into purgatory in an instant. miserable wails could be heard everywhere. the white cloth wrapped around these innocent people became the only bright color in the charred world. the sudden explosion shocked the entire city. the location of hellgate¡¯s base was completely exposed to the public. overnight, the once influential jun family became a street rat that everyone hated. jun mo disappeared without a trace. when shi ke found shi man, he saw her participating in the rescue with yi zheng. she had just saved a girl who had fainted from the ruins when she rushed into another burned house to bring the next person out. his heart ached as he grabbed her hand. only then did he realize that his usually calm sister was actually trembling all over. ¡°manman, take su tang and mom home first. leave this to us.¡± shi man shook her head in a daze. she could only hear heart-wrenching cries. all she could see was a dark world. a tear suddenly fell from the corner of her eye. ¡°rm not leaving. i have to stay. tell them to go back quickly.¡± shi ke grabbed her wrist disapprovingly. ¡°manman, it¡¯s too dangerous here. there might be a second explosion at any time. be good and go home, okay?¡± ¡°don¡¯t talk too much!¡± ever since shi man transmigrated, she had always been respectful to her brothers. this was the first time she had disobeyed shi ke loudly, but she could not care less now. ¡°brother, send su tang and mom home. 1¡¯11 be with yi zheng. nothing will happen.¡± yi zheng snatched her hand back from shi ke and said solemnly, ¡°let¡¯s do that. the situation is critical now. there¡¯s no time for us to waste.¡± the area affected by the explosion was too wide. if there was a second explosion, no one in g city would be able to survive. shi ke could not persuade her, so he could only choose to trust her. he nodded solemnly and said, ¡°alright, contact me anytime if there¡¯s anything. you must prioritize your safety.¡± after he left, shi man suddenly held yi zheng¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°do you think this has something to do with our response to the distress message today? could it be a method used by nighthawk to take revenge and completely eliminate hellgate?¡± yi zheng was worried about her mental state. he quickly grabbed her shoulder and looked at her seriously. ¡°don¡¯t let your imagination run wild before the matter is investigated. even if zhu wen sent someone to do it, it has nothing to do with you. he¡¯s the one who¡¯s crazy, understand?¡± shi man looked up at him in a daze. she suddenly took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. ¡°you¡¯re right. what we can do now is to try our best to prevent the second explosion and save more people.¡± su tang jogged over. the corpses that could not be dealt with in time made her tremble, but she still forced herself to persist until now. ¡°manman, i¡¯ll go with you. i can definitely do something.¡± shi man frowned and wanted to reject her sternly, but su tang had already made up her mind. she said, ¡°manman, i¡¯m no longer the useless little girl from before. i can do a lot of things. now, with one more person, you would have more strength, right?¡± her determined gaze shone brightly in this nightmarish night. shi man was slightly distracted and took a deep breath. ¡°alright, then follow me closely. you can¡¯t act on your own.¡± ¡°okay.¡± the three of them quickly entered the rescue. as shi man and yi zheng were familiar with the source of the explosion, they even investigated all the dangerous items that might cause a second explosion with the police. almost everyone in the city did not sleep at all that night. all of them looked at the city on tenterhooks. it was not until noon the next day that the officials announced that they had completely eliminated the danger that everyone heaved a sigh of relief. the originally lively city was suddenly in chaos. as shi man sat on a ruin, her entire body was dyed black by the charcoal fire. her face was also dirty, and her originally fair and delicate skin could not be seen. yi zheng handed her a bottle of water and advised softly, ¡°go home and rest first. you¡¯ve been busy for more than ten hours.¡± ¡°no need.¡± shi man¡¯s arm was still trembling when she unscrewed the bottle cap. she took a big gulp of water and the dryness in her throat from the thick smoke barely eased. tang zhe also handed su tang a bottle of water and some bread. ¡°the supplies have been distributed to the people who participated in the rescue. you guys should eat some too, or your bodies won¡¯t be able to take it.¡± shi man¡¯s mind was in a mess now. she smacked her lips in frustration and stuffed everything into su tang¡¯s hands. then, she frowned and stood up to leave. ¡°i don¡¯t need to rest. go do what you need to do. don¡¯t worry about me. i still have my own things to do.¡± ¡°are you going to look for zhu wen?¡± yi zheng stopped her from behind. although it was a question, his tone was very certain.. Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: The Boss of Immaculate chapter 330: the boss of immaculate translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°yes.¡± shi man turned around slightly, her eyes filled with anger. ¡°i have to ask him about it. if he really did it, 1 won¡¯t let him off.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go with you.¡± yi zheng instructed tang zhe to take care of the shi family and got into the car with shi man. ever since the two of them met, they had never been in such a sorry state. however, no one cared about this now, let alone laugh at anyone. zhu wen¡¯s address was not a secret. they arrived at the entrance of the villa without much effort. the zhu family¡¯s butler ran out in a panic. when he saw them, he was shocked. ¡°aiyo, ceo yi, miss shi, why are you here at this time? my young master went out early in the morning.¡± ¡°where did he go?¡± yi zheng frowned, his expression clearly unfriendly. the butler, old master, was shocked. he said with a troubled expression, ¡°he brought his subordinates to the docks to help. he left early in the morning and hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± shi man and yi zheng looked at each other hurriedly. they quickly got back into the car and drove to the docks. until now, the two of them had been rescuing ordinary civilians nearby because the innocent civilians there needed their help the most. however, in the entire incident, the pier where hellgate stored the firearms was actually the first event location. it was also the core location of the entire explosion. the damage there was far greater than the surrounding area. shi man and the others only drove nearby before stopping the car and walking because the road ahead could no longer be called a road. it was a hellish volcano with thick smoke. more than ten hours had passed since the explosion, but when one walked on it, they could still feel the scorching heat coming from the ground. everything was devastated. some of the crooked houses could only be seen with a roof. it was impossible to tell that they were once bustling docks. zhu wen¡¯s eyes were red. he wiped away the dust on his face and said sternly, ¡°have you found that bastard jun mo?¡± ¡°no.¡± the nighthawks lowered their heads in unison, afraid that they would provoke him at this moment. after zhu meng¡¯s death, the nighthawks were in a state of disunity. however, because of their hatred, they were still forcefully tied together. even if one or two elders were unwilling to accept it, they chose to turn a blind eye and tacitly allow zhu wen to take over. unexpectedly, before they could take revenge, such a big thing happened to hellgate. many people sighed and felt happy. however, when they were brought to the event location by zhu wen, all of them felt that this was too much. no matter who did this, it was a little too much. zhu wen turned around fiercely and instructed his subordinates to quickly distribute the supplies. unexpectedly, when he looked up, he saw two similarly dejected figures. he hurriedly jogged over and blocked their way in an unfriendly tone. ¡°shi man, i¡¯ll only ask you this once. are you the boss of the immaculate?¡± the two of them stopped in their tracks. shi man narrowed her eyes and looked at his haggard face. she nodded solemnly and said, ¡°yes.¡± zhu wen¡¯s expression could not be said to be very surprised, but a stunned expression still appeared on his face for a moment. then, he gritted his teeth and stared at her. ¡°alright, then 1¡¯11 tell you. my brother actually sent someone to destroy your amusement park.¡± ¡°i know that the workers who were innocently implicated by you have just been discharged from the hospital.¡± shi man looked back at him expressionlessly, waiting for him to continue. zhu wen was choked by her words and frowned. after a while, he opened his mouth and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°i¡¯m sorry about this, but the reason i chose to be honest with you today is to tell you that this explosion has nothing to do with nighthawk.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at her subordinate, who was panting heavily on the ground. her expression finally softened. ¡°you¡¯ve been busy here the entire night?¡± ¡°yes.¡± zhu wen sized her up for a moment and forced a smile. ¡°looks like you and president yi are the same.¡± ¡°have you confirmed that it was the batch of firearms from hellgate that exploded?¡± yi zheng saw the two of them talking very naturally and his heart skipped a beat. he frowned and interrupted with a serious expression. only then did zhu wen turn his gaze to him. he pursed his lips and said, ¡°yes, i¡¯ve already helped the police investigate last night. moreover, my subordinates have searched all night, but they haven¡¯t seen jun mo.¡± ¡°what about his other strongholds? have they all been there?¡± shi man continued to ask unwillingly. zhu wen¡¯s expression was solemn. he raised his hand and pointed at a row of corpses not far away that had yet to be dealt with. he said indifferently, ¡°i saw jun mo¡¯s people here. 1 can barely recognize their faces. they are people i¡¯ve seen before. jun mo isn¡¯t here. he shouldn¡¯t be dead yet.¡± shi man sneered, her eyes emitting a strong coldness. ¡°then he must be hiding. with such a big thing happening, even if he wasn¡¯t burned to death this time, he definitely won¡¯t be able to escape the law. however, this isn¡¯t the most important thing now.¡± zhu wen looked up at her in confusion. when he saw the coldness in her eyes, his heart trembled and he instantly understood.. Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: The Mastermind chapter 331: the mastermind translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios jun mo had his own way of dealing with firearms. it was impossible for him to trigger such a malignant explosion at such a critical moment when the two families were about to fight. since nighthawk wasn¡¯t the one who did it, the only possibility was that someone else was behind it. however, what kind of person could do such a ruthless thing? shi man racked her brains and thought about all the details in the original book, but she could not think of who this person was. then there was only one explanation left. this person had chosen this moment to attack because she had changed the plot of the original book. ¡°could it be someone else who has a grudge against jun mo?¡± zhu wen¡¯s face was pale. his eyes widened as he analyzed. however, as soon as he said that, he knew that if he continued to investigate like this, there would probably never be an outcome. jun mo had been in the underworld for so many years. in terms of enemies, they would probably line up from g city to overseas. moreover, this explosion was enough to destroy all evidence. everything that happened last night was burned down with this drastic change. there was no way to investigate. shi man turned around and left with a serious expression. zhu wen quickly stopped her from behind. ¡°wait, where are you going? it¡¯s too dangerous outside now. why don¡¯t you go back to the shi family quickly?¡± as soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered that jun mo had once said that there was an extremely cunning girl in blood oath. he was actually not even her match and she could even fight against many people alone. it was not a problem for her to face their encirclement. from the looks of it, this omnipotent girl was clearly shi man. since she had this ability, why did she need him to be concerned about her? zhu wen smiled bitterly and closed his mouth. just as he was about to turn around and leave dejectedly, shi man suddenly turned around to look at him. her expression was solemn but a little kinder. ¡°now is not the time to guess blindly. there are still many things waiting for us to do. yi zheng and i are going back to continue rescuing the affected people. i¡¯ll leave this place to you for the time being.¡± zhu wen suddenly paused, and a trace of surprise suddenly appeared in his eyes. then, he nodded solemnly and said, ¡°alright, leave this to me. don¡¯t worry.¡± only then did shi man bring yi zheng back to the car. she sat on the car seat tiredly, but she could not stop thinking for a long time. yi zheng took off his coat and draped it over her. he turned on the air conditioner in the car, and the entire car instantly became warm. ¡°sleep for a while on the way back. i¡¯ll wake you up when we get there.¡± it was the coldest day of the year before the new year. last night, shi man had been frozen outside for the entire night. now that he touched her hands and feet, they were cold. if this continued, no matter how good her body was, she would probably fall sick very quickly. shi man took off the coat and draped them over his shoulders again. ¡°1 don¡¯t need it. i¡¯m not cold. i¡¯m just wondering who would do such a crazy thing. is it really just an accident?¡± yi zheng pondered for a moment and said with a dark expression, ¡°1 can¡¯t figure out who this person is for the time being, but we can assume that there¡¯s such a person. we can infer from his motive for doing this.¡± shi man immediately perked up. her mind was in a mess and she needed someone with a clear mind to help her sort out the sequence of events. seeing that she had sat up again, yi zheng smiled and pressed her shoulder to let her relax and rest. ¡°exploding that batch of firearms will undoubtedly cause extremely serious consequences. that person must know this very well, but he still did it. what¡¯s his goal?¡± shi man frowned and tried her best to clear her mind. she muttered to herself, ¡°there¡¯s no benefit in doing this, but from jun mo¡¯s perspective, he will definitely die, and the entire jun family will no longer exist.¡± this was the most brutal and simplest way to get rid of the entire jun family. at the thought of this, shi man suddenly felt all the hair on her body stand on end and her scalp tingle. yi zheng narrowed his eyes and continued to guide her. ¡°then what other benefits will there be without the jun family?¡± shi man pursed her lips and her breathing suddenly became rapid. she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°the jun family has disappeared, and the hellgate has completely disappeared. nighthawk has also suffered heavy losses. then, only blood oath is left. only the yi family is left.¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a smile, ¡°isn¡¯t the countermeasure we discussed yesterday causing this situation?¡± shi man was shocked. she sat up in a hurry and grabbed yi zheng¡¯s wrist. ¡°does he want to make the blood oath unify all the underworlds or roast it over the fire?!¡± yi zheng curled his lips slightly and revealed a mocking expression. ¡°what do you think? our yi family will never do such a thing. if there¡¯s really such a person, he must be up to no good.¡± shi man retracted her hand weakly and lowered her eyes. no one knew what she was thinking. after a while, she looked up again and said, ¡°we¡¯re going to see auntie lu and uncle yi. with such a big thing happening, i¡¯m worried that someone will take the initiative to find trouble with them.¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid they¡¯re already causing trouble.¡± yi zheng sneered and drove straight to the yi family¡¯s residence.. Chapter 332 - Chapter 332: Yi Family Meeting chapter 332: yi family meeting translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the luxuriously decorated conference room was filled with people. yi long sat at the side with his wife, and at the master seat was a white-haired old man in a white tang suit. the old man sat in his seat and did not say a word, but everyone in the conference room did not even dare to breathe loudly. the atmosphere became more and more oppressive with the long silence. the temperature in the room that had fallen to the freezing point made people tremble uncontrollably. yi long frowned and thought carefully for a while before slowly breaking the silence. ¡°uncle, although yi zheng is personally handling the main matters of the yi family, he really has nothing to do with the huge commotion in the black market this time.¡± as soon as he said this, the other members of the yi family could not sit still anymore. yi kun glared angrily and said with a fake smile, ¡°cousin, how dare you say that this matter has nothing to do with yi zheng? don¡¯t think that only they know what he and the little girl from the shi family have done recently!¡± yi long immediately retorted disapprovingly, ¡°the conflict between the yi family, the jun family, and the zhu family doesn¡¯t only exist in yi zheng¡¯s generation. i think everyone knows the history of our three families. yi zheng only did what he thought was beneficial to the yi family, but the explosion has nothing to do with him!¡± yi kun was choked by him, but he could not spit out a breath from his throat. he could not find any words to refute his words, so he could only look to his father for help. the old man at the head of the table stroked his white beard with a serious expression. his voice was old and hoarse. ¡°yi long, no matter what, on the surface, the person who will benefit from this matter is yi zheng. don¡¯t blame us for being nosy. it¡¯s just that although the yi family is involved in both the legal and illegal fields, they never implicate innocent people. yi zheng has to give us a reasonable explanation for this.¡± yi long frowned tightly, and there was a hint of anger on her face. ¡°uncle, you¡¯ve watched yi zheng grow up. don¡¯t you know him well? yi zheng is definitely not someone who can harm so many innocent lives for fame and status.¡± ¡°i know, i know.¡± the old man patted yi long¡¯s hand on the table comfortingly, indicating for him to calm down first. he turned his gaze to lu xiang, who was sitting at the side. ¡°niece-in-law, i¡¯ll have to trouble you to call yi zheng back.¡± lu xiang looked at her husband uneasily, her eyes filled with grievance for her son. yi long lowered his head and sighed helplessly. his voice sounded so tired that he seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. ¡°call him. tell him to come back.¡± lu xiang agreed softly and pursed her lips as she took out her phone aggrievedly. however, before she could make a call, the door of the meeting room was suddenly pushed open from the outside. everyone in the meeting room was stunned by the appearance of yi zheng and shi man. ever since he was young, yi zheng had been slightly obsessed with cleanliness and did not like to interact with others. his room had to be cleaned five or six times a day. no matter how busy he was, his clothes were always bright and beautiful. now that they looked at the man covered in dust at the door and even a layer of dust on his face, they immediately did not dare to recognize him. yi kun widened his eyes in shock and pointed at him in disbelief. ¡°xiao zheng, why are you here dressed like this? don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re here to see your eldest grandfather? why are you here dressed like this? what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± before yi zheng could answer, shi man¡¯s sinister gaze turned into a sharp sword and shot straight at him. she said sarcastically, ¡°of course, you¡¯ll be clean if you keep sitting in the office and gossiping. yi zheng was busy in the ruins all night last night and didn¡¯t even have time to change his clothes. he still has to come here to deal with you.¡± ¡°you! this is a meeting of the yi family. it has nothing to do with you!¡± yi kun recognized shi man and slammed the table fiercely, wanting to chase her away. yi zheng stood in front of her and said with a dark expression, ¡°uncle, shi man is my fiancee. of course, she can attend this meeting. moreover, the reason why you organized this meeting is related to the two of us, right?¡± yi kun panted heavily. it was obvious that he was furious. he straightened his neck and glared, unwilling to give in. the young man at the side tugged at his sleeve and advised with a kind smile, ¡°dad, don¡¯t fuss about sister-in-law. grandpa is old and has been out for a long time. it¡¯s better for us to get down to business.¡± yi kun retracted his hand angrily and snorted coldly as he sat back in his seat. he turned his face away and said, ¡°i want to see how he will settle this matter completely.¡± seeing that his father had relented, the young man smiled sweetly at shi man and said, ¡°future sister-in-law, sit down with my brother. my father has agreed.¡± yi zheng coldly shifted his gaze to his father. after getting his permission, he first brought shi man to bow to the old man in the lead, yi ming. his attitude was so respectful that no one could find fault with him. only then did he find an empty seat and sit down. yi ming stroked his beard. his cloudy eyes were unfathomable. ¡°since you¡¯ve taken the initiative to come, explain the explosion..¡± Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: Argument chapter 333: argument translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng sat upright in his seat. although he was not at the head of the table, he had an innate leadership aura. under everyone¡¯s gaze, he opened his thin lips and said firmly, ¡°i¡¯ll only say this once. this matter has nothing to do with me or the shi family.¡± yi kun gritted his teeth. the light in the eyes of the smiling youth beside him became deeper and deeper. yi ming pondered for a moment and closed his eyes tiredly. ¡°reason.¡± yi zheng briefly explained that nighthawk had sent people to destroy the shi family¡¯s amusement park. he said that he had brought people to attack hellgate as a misjudgment of information. he did not mention anything else and pretended not to know. yi ming listened to the whole story without saying a word. he slowly nodded and said, ¡°yes, so it really has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°dad! this is a serious matter. we can¡¯t come to a conclusion so easily. we have to ask properly.¡± yi kun interrupted the old master indignantly and glared at yi zheng. ¡°i want to know why nighthawk wants to destroy the shi family¡¯s territory for no reason.¡± the man sitting at the end of the table was obviously in cahoots with yi kun. receiving his look, he quickly chimed in, ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. the shi family has never been involved in these things. why would they offend nighthawk for no reason?¡± the focus of the entire venue fell on shi man again. many people looked like they were watching a good show, waiting to see her make a fool of herself. although the shi family was the richest family, this eldest daughter was very unpresentable. everyone in the circle had an unspoken mutual understanding. shi zhong did not dote on this daughter much. in the past, yi zheng had also ignored her, but for some reason, he had started to protect her again recently. however, no matter what the reason was, it was an undeniable fact that shi man was a brainless and arrogant young lady. they did not take such a stupid person seriously at all. under everyone¡¯s gazes, this group of people only wanted to watch shi man stomp her feet in embarrassment. unexpectedly, the legendary willful and rude young lady did not blush at all when they stared at her with such blatant ridicule. instead, she sneered and raised her eyelids slightly. she looked at yi kun lazily and said in a disrespectful tone, ¡°this is the shi family¡¯s business. it has nothing to do with you.¡± yi kun was furious and was about to flare up on the spot. however, shi man did not intend to retreat just like that. she continued to look at him calmly. ¡°you wanted to chase me away just now because the yi family¡¯s meeting had nothing to do with me. i think so too. however, since the matter involves me, i can sit down and explain to you for yi zheng and uncle and auntie. however, don¡¯t forget that the shi family has nothing to do with you.¡± under yi kun¡¯s increasingly vicious gaze, shi man smiled mockingly and said leisurely, ¡°therefore, 1 don¡¯t have to report everything about the shi family to you. am i clear enough?¡± ¡°you!¡± yi kun stood up angrily, but the back of his hand suddenly touched a warm and rough palm. yi ming pressed his son down and finally opened his eyes. he smiled at shi man and said, ¡°you made it very clear. since the matter has nothing to do with you now, 1 think it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to ask miss shi to leave now and let our family stay to discuss some private matters, right?¡± shi man stood up without thinking. after saying goodbye to yi long and his wife, she turned around and walked out without hesitation. yi zheng wanted to follow her hurriedly. yi ming suddenly slammed the table and said, ¡°xiao zheng, the yi family¡¯s lifeline is in your hands now. is it appropriate for you to leave?¡± yi zheng¡¯s footsteps moved slightly, but he did not turn around. he only tilted his head and glanced at the elder in the lead from the corner of his eye. his tone was calm and cold. ¡°since you know that i¡¯m the head of the yi family now, you can come to me directly if you need anything in the future. one more thing. the city area where the explosion happened has suffered heavy losses. 1 hope everyone can do their best and not only start internal strife at a critical moment.¡± ¡°are you referring to me?¡± yi kun flushed with agitation. if yi ming hadn¡¯t stopped him, he would have rushed up to teach his nephew a lesson. yi zheng ignored him. after saying goodbye to old master yi ming, he glanced at his parents and turned to catch up with shi man. the office suddenly fell into a dead silence. yi kun tried to hold it in, but in the end, his anger exploded. he glared at yi long and said, ¡°it¡¯s all your fault. 1 told you not to give him the power so early, but you didn¡¯t listen. now, this little brat has grown up. he doesn¡¯t even care about me as his uncle!¡± yi long sneered in his heart, but his expression was peaceful. ¡°xiao zheng is right. the most important thing now is not to argue here, but to arrange for reinforcements as soon as possible.¡± yi kun was angry that he was biased toward yi zheng. he pointed at his youngest son beside him angrily and said, ¡°if only we had let these two brothers manage the company together back then. yi zheng wouldn¡¯t have been so lawless!¡± ¡°that¡¯s enough!¡± yi ming interrupted his roar in frustration. his brows furrowed into a few deep furrows. ¡°stop arguing. just do as xiao zheng says..¡± Chapter 334 - Chapter 334: Hug to Make Up For Sleep chapter 334: hug to make up for sleep translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when yi zheng reached her, shi man was waiting for him in the car. seeing her angry and dirty face, yi zheng¡¯s eyes were filled with heartache. ¡°i¡¯ll bring you home to wash up first. have a good sleep. then we¡¯ll do something else, okay?¡± shi man sighed. she was indeed a little tired after working so hard. she nodded and said, ¡°alright, this place is close to your house. let¡¯s go to your house.¡± ¡°okay.¡± yi zheng didn¡¯t say anything else. he drove her home and asked the butler to arrange a guest room for her. he also returned to his room to take a shower, changed into clean clothes, and lay down. however, when he closed his eyes, yi zheng could not fall asleep no matter what. his mind was filled with shi man¡¯s pitiful appearance of exhaustion, and his heart ached. the more he wanted to sleep, the harder it was to fall asleep. yi zheng simply got up and walked to the guest room door. after hesitating for a while, he raised his hand and gently knocked on the door. initially, he did not have much hope that shi man would open the door for him, but he did not expect the door to be opened from the inside in a second. shi man had just taken a shower, and her hair was dripping wet. she was wearing his shirt, and it was so long that it reached between her legs, making her skin look even fairer than snow. he looked away as if he had been electrocuted and muttered with an extremely unnatural expression, ¡°why didn¡¯t you ask the butler to bring you a suitable outfit?¡± ¡°does your family have one?¡± shi man looked at him as if he was a fool. she leaned against the door frame and asked lazily as she dried her hair, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± yi zheng swallowed and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°i¡­ i¡¯ll help you dry your hair. you must be very tired. your arm must be sore from helping save people yesterday, right?¡± ¡°yes, a little.¡± she saw his shy expression and suddenly wanted to tease him. she threw the towel into his arms. ¡°come in and dry my hair.¡± ¡°okay.¡± yi zheng didn¡¯t expect things to go so smoothly. he walked into the room with a towel and dried her hair obediently. he didn¡¯t dare to touch anything else. he didn¡¯t even accidentally touch her neck. shi man was amused. she knew that he was respecting her. at this moment, he probably did not even dare to look around. she immediately felt that this man was quite interesting. she suddenly turned around with a wicked smile and saw that his eyes were tightly closed, and his fingers were trembling as he held her hair. ¡°yi zheng,¡± she called out to him softly. only then did yi zheng open his eyes. he was caught off guard and saw the looked at the area near her collarbone. he looked away at a loss and said, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? did 1 hurt you?¡± ¡°no.¡± she gently pulled her hair which was no longer dripping water out of his hand. she lifted the blanket and lay on the bed. she patted the empty bed beside her and said, ¡°sleep here. we still have to go to the event location later. don¡¯t waste time.¡± yi zheng was shocked. he looked at shi man¡¯s alluring outfit in disbelief. he pursed his lips and stood up. ¡°no, i¡¯ll go back to my room. have a good rest.¡± ¡°yi zheng.¡± shi man called out to him indifferently and said expressionlessly, ¡°come here. i¡¯ll only say it once.¡± yi zheng hesitated again and again, but he did not want to anger her. he obediently lay down beside her, but his hands and feet were tense, as if he was afraid of touching her. shi man sneered and curled her lips. she could not help but mock, ¡°why are you suddenly so timid? i didn¡¯t expect you to have such an innocent side.¡± yi zheng suddenly turned his head and glared at her. his voice was filled with suppression and forbearance. ¡°manman, you¡¯re very tired today. 1 don¡¯t want to do anything to hurt you. hurry up and sleep. be good.¡± shi man smiled nonchalantly and changed into a comfortable position to lie down. she closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep. however, the person lying beside her clearly did not have such a good sleep. he had been tossing and turning in his room just now. now that he was on shi man¡¯s bed, his sleepiness instantly disappeared. he did not dare to make too much noise and wake up the sleeping girl beside him. he could only carefully turn over and face her sleeping face. his eyes were filled with gentleness and love that even he did not know. listening to the gradually long breathing beside him, yi zheng felt unprecedentedly at ease. he tentatively reached out and pulled her into his arms. his movements were extremely light. when she was completely pulled into his arms, a thin layer of sweat had already appeared on his forehead. the warm and soft body in his arms gradually transmitted warmth to him. sleepiness gradually squeezed into his mind. yi zheng closed his eyes and sniffed the fragrance of the girl in front of him. this time, he finally fell asleep. after he completely fell asleep, the girl in his arms who was still sleeping gently curled the corners of her lips. then, she moved her body slightly and found a more comfortable position to continue sleeping. it was not until sunset that the two of them woke up from their sleep. yi long and lu xiang had already returned, but when they heard that their son had brought shi man home, they quickly left the house and went to their friend¡¯s house to freeload, giving them some space. when yi zheng woke up, shi man happened to have just opened her eyes. he suddenly realized that he was still hugging her. he quickly looked away uncomfortably and argued awkwardly, ¡°i don¡¯t know how we got together. i¡¯m sorry..¡± Chapter 335 - Chapter 335: Different chapter 335: different translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man held back her laughter and sat up expressionlessly. ¡°it¡¯s fine. since you¡¯re awake, get up. 1 don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on outside.¡± ¡°yeah.¡± when the warmth in his arms suddenly disappeared, yi zheng was still in a daze. after a moment, he regained his composure and returned to his room to change. the butler had already prepared dinner for them downstairs. seeing the two of them go downstairs side by side, he could not help but sigh at how compatible they were. he smiled and his attitude towards shi man could be said to have changed 360 degrees. ¡°president yi, miss shi, the food is ready. when madam came back, she instructed us to prepare everything according to miss shi¡¯s taste. 1 specially called the chef and made it according to what madam said. try it and see if it suits your taste.¡± ¡°how thoughtful.¡± shi man casually picked up some food and ate it. she was about to ask yi zheng about the meeting just now when she saw the old butler¡¯s eager eyes from the corner of her eye. she immediately laughed and praised, ¡°it¡¯s delicious. i like it very much.¡± only then did the butler feel relieved. he smiled and said a few polite words before leaving the two of them alone. after the butler left, she asked nonchalantly, ¡°who was the man sitting opposite uncle yi at the meeting just now?¡± yi zheng frowned and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°that¡¯s my uncle, yi kun, my father¡¯s brother. beside him is his son, yi che. the person in charge of hosting the meeting today is my eldest grandfather, my grandfather¡¯s biological brother, yi ming.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and said, ¡°they seem to be very dissatisfied with you. do you have any grudges?¡± yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°we¡¯re all biological brothers and are connected by blood. what grudge can there be? the only thing that can make them bear a grudge is that grandpa handed the company to my father before he passed away, not uncle.¡± the type of conflict to that was prone to erupt in aristocratic families was power struggles. back then, yi zheng¡¯s biological grandfather, yi cheng, had relied on his own strength to raise the yi family to its current position and was respected by the entire yi family. however, before he died, he handed all his power and wealth to his only son, yi long. he only left some dispensable branches to his brother¡¯s family, making yi zheng¡¯s father the head of the yi family. how could yi kun not hate this? even now, he still made things difficult for yi zheng. he always wanted to stuff his son into the head office so that he could take the opportunity to take back the right that belonged to him. shi man looked at the man beside her and a seemingly blind thought suddenly flashed across her mind. yi zheng turned his head and met her unblinking gaze. he smiled gently and said, ¡°why are you looking at me like that? have you realized that you like me?¡± shi man pursed her lips and chuckled. she shook her head and said, ¡°i¡¯m thinking that even if your grandfather didn¡¯t leave everything to your father back then, the yi family will be in your hands sooner or later, given your ability.¡± ¡°are you that confident in me?¡± the smile on yi zheng¡¯s lips deepened. the man, who was always cold, suddenly smiled gently. he was like a stream that melted in spring, making people feel cold and intoxicated. shi man stared fixedly at the smile on his lips for a while. suddenly, she smiled and nodded frankly. ¡°yes, i know you can do it.¡± ¡°yi zheng.¡± shi man lowered her eyes slightly, her ears turning pink. ¡°i think you¡¯re very different from the you 1 knew at the beginning.¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows disapprovingly. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with that? haven¡¯t you changed a lot?¡± ¡°i changed a lot because¡­¡± shi man almost blurted out the truth about transmigration. she quickly shut her mouth and looked at his understanding expression. she suddenly realized that she had almost been tricked by him just now. her expression darkened. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. let¡¯s eat.¡± yi zheng knew from her expression that she had misunderstood him. he quickly explained, ¡°you¡¯ve misunderstood. i didn¡¯t mean to test you just now. i just wanted to say that it¡¯s good that you¡¯re like this. i like the current you.¡± shi man¡¯s hand that was holding the chopsticks suddenly paused. her gaze shifted unnaturally to the other side, but the corners of her mouth could not help but curl up. ¡°yes, stop nagging. let¡¯s eat.¡± of course, yi zheng doted on her. hearing her words, he immediately shut his mouth and ate quietly. the two of them had just put down their chopsticks when the butler rushed into the cafeteria. his face was red as he panted. ¡°not good. i just received a call from young master shi. he said that ceo shi and madam shi were robbed when they were distributing aid. madam shi was injured and has been sent to the hospital.¡± ¡°what?¡± shi man instantly jumped up from the chair, picked up her coat, and rushed out. yi zheng quickly followed her. he asked for the address of the hospital in detail and drove shi man over. in the ward, shen xian was sitting on the bed with a thick cast on her arm. she was eating the porridge that shi zhong had fed her. ¡°mom.¡± shi man rushed into the ward. when she saw her pale face and injured arm, she was furious.. ¡°how could there be a stampede? what were the bodyguards at the event location doing?!¡± Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: Stampede chapter 336: stampede translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the bodyguards guarding the ward hurriedly lowered their heads. the leader of the bodyguards said nervously, ¡°at that time, we were all distributing supplies in other areas and weren¡¯t by madam¡¯s side, so¡­¡± ¡°how dare you quibble! 1 think you don¡¯t want to work anymore!¡± shi man suddenly turned around and roared at him angrily. the leader hurriedly bowed and apologized. he repeatedly admitted that his negligence had caused madam to be injured and took the initiative to take all the responsibility. shen xian couldn¡¯t bear to see this. she sighed helplessly and called her daughter to her. ¡°alright, manman, this has nothing to do with them. 1 was careless. don¡¯t blame them.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± shi man wanted to say something, but shen xian quickly interrupted her. ¡°alright, mom is really fine. i just injured my arm. i¡¯ll be fine after recuperating for a while. don¡¯t make a fuss.¡± shi man¡¯s eyes were red. she waved her hand and asked the bodyguards to leave quickly. she sighed in self-reproach. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. if 1 hadn¡¯t left, this might not have happened.¡± shen xian laughed and wanted to reach out to rub her head. unfortunately, her arm was injured and she couldn¡¯t move. she could only comfort her in a gentle voice. ¡°it¡¯s really nothing serious. you and yi zheng are the most tired. 1 didn¡¯t help much. i just distributed some rescue supplies. by the way, where did you go just now?¡± shi zhong¡¯s scrutinizing gaze suddenly landed on the two of them. shi man casually pushed lu xiang out as an excuse and said that uncle yi knew about this and specially asked them to go back and rest. when shen xian heard this, she was relieved. she turned around and saw su tang, who was also red-eyed like an aggrieved rabbit. she said helplessly, ¡°this child must have been exhausted long ago. 1 asked her to go back and rest, but she refused. she listens to you the most. tell her.¡± su tang nestled pitifully beside shen xian. when she spoke, her voice was thick and nasal. ¡°mom, i¡¯m not leaving. it¡¯s very inconvenient for you to have an injured arm now. you need someone to stay and take care of you.¡± ¡°just let dad stay here and take care of her.¡± shi man took over naturally. she pulled su tang¡¯s arm and pulled her aside. ¡°go home and sleep. 1 have other missions for you later.¡± ¡°what mission? i can go now!¡± su tang was instantly energetic. she patted her chest and promised, ¡°don¡¯t worry, actually, 1 accidentally fell asleep in the car after you left. i slept for a while and am not tired at all.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you tired? look at your dark circles.¡± shi man pushed her out of the ward angrily and instructed the bodyguards to send her home. then, she returned to the ward, the gentle smile on her face disappearing without a trace. ¡°can you tell me what happened now?¡± shen xian looked at shi zhong hesitantly and pursed her lips. in the end, she decided to speak up. ¡°manman, actually, your father and i think that this accident is too strange, but i actually didn¡¯t want to tell you. i¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll do something stupid.¡± ¡°even if you don¡¯t say it, 1¡¯11 investigate it myself. instead of letting me waste my effort, why don¡¯t you tell me everything yourself?¡± shi man and yi zheng sat side by side on the sofa, ready to hear shen xian out. shi zhong glanced at his wife and patted her shoulder. he sighed helplessly. ¡°alright, let me say it. actually, the event location was a little chaotic at that time, but it wasn¡¯t to the point of being uncontrollable.¡± at that moment, shen xian personally returned to the company to organize the large-scale donation of supplies. after working with the financial warehouse management department for the entire day, she finally prepared all the supplies and personally drove them to the event location. shi zhong had been staying there to coordinate with his subordinates and help build a civilian tent for the temporary garrison. when he received shen xian¡¯s call, he immediately contacted the leader in charge of the event location and brought people to organize the distribution of supplies. ¡°it¡¯s just daily necessities and food. everyone will have a share. don¡¯t snatch it. line up and split it according to the number of people. don¡¯t take too much. it will be sent to everyone!¡± in front of the crowd, shen xian personally handed the things to everyone who was affected at the door of the temporary colored steel board room. many people knew that this was a free donation from the richest man in g city and were immediately grateful. however, there were a few sour-faced people who thought that the shi family was so rich, but they only donated so little. they complained unhappily. ¡°how can this little thing be enough for us to share? the shi family is so rich, but they can¡¯t bear to fork out money for the commoners at this critical moment. these few things are not even enough for me!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. i used to eat fish and meat at home, but now, everyone is only giving out a few pieces of beef. what¡¯s there to do? i usually buy a lot of his family¡¯s stocks. i helped them earn so much money, but now, they¡¯re actually squeezing out so little to patronize me.¡± ¡°as the saying goes, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. most of the money in our city has flowed into their pockets. my nephew¡¯s small company can¡¯t develop because they¡¯re suppressing it from above.. i¡¯ve long disliked them!¡± Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Rich and Imbecilic chapter 337: rich and imbecilic translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when the surrounding people heard their bold discussion, they turned around. some warm-hearted old people went up to persuade them but ended up being confused by them. those people were surrounded by the crowd and said righteously, ¡°you don¡¯t know, these people donated for the sake of the higher-ups. we commoners at the bottom can only try our best to fight for our rights. if we don¡¯t say anything, those rich people will only be more and more perfunctory in the future!¡± ¡°yes, let me show you the meat i just received. there are actually worms in it. it¡¯s disgusting!¡± someone carried a bag of smelly meat for everyone to see, immediately causing the crowd to be dissatisfied. the people who were still in the mood to speak up for the shi family just now suddenly felt that they had been deceived. their displacement and pain were mixed together, and they were completely ignited by anger. they began to vent all their hatred on shen xian. the originally orderly queue suddenly became chaotic. shen xian was shocked and hurriedly called out to comfort the crowd. however, their curses were too loud. even though shen xian had tried her best, she was still drowned in the surging crowd. everyone seemed to have found an opening to vent their anger. anything that had nothing to do with shen xian was maliciously blamed on her. even the culpability of the explosion, which was instigated by someone else, was pushed onto the shi family. the situation became more and more uncontrollable. shen xian hid in shi zhong¡¯s arms and buried her head into his shoulder aggrievedly, but her ears could still clearly hear the groundless curses. gradually, all the people who came to collect supplies in this city surrounded them. the overwhelming accusations almost drowned the two of them. they had never thought about how much money the shi family had spent on this rescue and how much effort shen xian had spent to get so many things. even when more than half of the city was affected, she could still get rare beef for everyone. all they could think of was that shen xian was mean to them because she was rich. someone in the crowd was the first to attack and actually pulled shen xian out of shi zhong¡¯s arms. shen xian was caught off guard and fell to the ground. she was still squeezing forward with all her might. people who wanted to snatch the supplies swarmed up and quickly buried her. shi zhong was so anxious that he almost went crazy. when he finally pushed through the crowd and found shen xian, he realized that she was hugging her arms in pain and curling up on the ground, wailing non-stop. her originally exquisite facial features were twisted in pain. he was instantly furious. he pushed down all the supplies and threatened to burn everything if they dared to snatch them again. only then did the noisy and chaotic crowd quiet down again. shi zhong hurriedly carried her and drove straight to the hospital. after a detailed examination, it was determined that shen xian¡¯s arm was broken. shi zhong was both regretful and sad. he suddenly became dejected and threw the mess in the city to his subordinates. he kept accompanying shen xian to eat in the hospital and refused to go back. after shi man heard this, she felt frustrated. she looked at shi zhong with increasing impatience. ¡°where are the few people who led the trouble? have you caught them?¡± shi zhong shook his head silently and looked down at the porridge bowl in front of him. he sighed and said, ¡°your brothers are already dealing with this matter. they¡¯re still at the scene and haven¡¯t returned. i¡¯m worried that something will happen to them.¡± shi man sneered and the corners of her lips curled up mockingly. ¡°don¡¯t worry. not to mention the four of them, just big brother alone won¡¯t let such a stampede happen to him easily.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± shi zhong suddenly looked up and met her eyes with heartache. ¡°do you think 1 want your mother to be so seriously injured? don¡¯t i want to protect her? there were too many people at that time. your mother and i were separated. i¡­¡± ¡°alright.¡± shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to his nonsense. she looked away impatiently and looked at shen xian with gentle eyes. ¡°mom, rest well in the hospital. 1¡¯11 help my brothers deal with this matter. don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t let those people off.¡± ¡°manman.¡± shen xian still wanted to persuade shi man not to argue with those people, but before she could finish, shi man had already turned around and left the ward. shi zhong frowned and hesitated for a moment. then, he put down the bowl and chased after her. he stood in front of her. ¡°manman, i know you¡¯re unhappy with me, but as a girl, don¡¯t join in the fun. the event location is really too dangerous. you haven¡¯t seen that scene at all.¡± ¡°i know.¡± shi man looked at the so-called father in front of her expressionlessly. there were no emotions in her heart. ¡°even if it¡¯s dangerous, 1 have to find out who hurt mom. let me do what you can¡¯t do.¡± shi zhong was slightly stunned. he stared at shi man¡¯s calm gaze and suddenly realized that shi man had really grown up under his deliberate neglect. such a determined gaze was the same as his high-spirited self in the past.. Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Mission chapter 338: mission translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios he suddenly had no reason to stop her because he knew that he would probably only be a burden to her. was he really getting old? shi zhong smiled bitterly and shook his head. without saying a word, he made way for shi man. looking at the two young figures walking away together, he realized the meaning of his white hair. at this moment, the event location was in chaos. the brothers of the shi family spread out and brought people to investigate the men who were stirring up trouble at that time. finally, they found some clues. when shi man arrived, the sky was already dark. after venting their anger, the people gradually calmed down. recalling what they had done just now, many people fell into deep regret. the biggest problem in front of them now was that they had accidentally injured madam shi in the afternoon, causing them to not have dinner tonight. shi ke looked at the surrounding commoners who wanted to say something but hesitated. he felt angry and could not bear to see them like this. although this group of people had accidentally hurt their mother, there was no lack of innocent old people and young children. these people were now staring at him eagerly, hoping that he would give them some supplies to fill their stomachs. shi yu couldn¡¯t bear it and said helplessly, ¡°forget it, brother. it¡¯s been a day. let everyone have a good meal first.¡± when the people wandering around heard this, the light in their eyes lit up. however, because of what happened in the afternoon, no one dared to take the initiative to go forward. shi ke sighed. just as he was about to instruct someone to organize everyone to line up in an orderly manner to collect the supplies that had not been distributed in the afternoon, he heard a stern female voice suddenly interrupt them. ¡°don¡¯t give it out!¡± shi man glared fiercely at the refugees who were fighting to gather nearby. her sharp gaze forced them to stay away instead of moving closer. only then did she turn to face her two brothers. ¡°i¡¯ve learned what happened this afternoon. i low¡¯s your investigation going?¡± shi ke¡¯s face was filled with guilt. he had been busy for the entire day and did not even have time to drink water, causing his voice to be a little hoarse. ¡°sister, we asked the crowd at that time. many people provided clues about the people who led the trouble, but we haven¡¯t found them yet.¡± ¡°1 understand.¡± shi man quietly listened to their characteristics and sneered. she said to the surrounding crowd who were staring at her, ¡°since you despise these supplies in the afternoon, we can take them back and give them to those who don¡¯t despise them.¡± ¡°we don¡¯t despise them. missy, we really don¡¯t. it was those people who instigated and caused trouble in the afternoon. we didn¡¯t want to hurt madam shi!¡± the surrounding people hurriedly cried to clear their grievances. however, shi man did not listen. her expression turned even colder. ¡°we don¡¯t want to donate anymore. if anyone dares to cause trouble, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± ¡°w-what do you mean? if you don¡¯t donate, won¡¯t we all starve to death?¡± another dissatisfied voice sounded from the crowd, but they did not dare to be too loud in the face of shi man¡¯s cold words. one or two evil words appeared sporadically but the speakers were quickly stunned by shi man¡¯s cold gaze. seeing that they would probably really starve tonight if this continued, they had no choice but to ask the shi family for help. they could only compromise and say, ¡°miss shi, 1 beg you. what will it take for you to give us a bite?¡± ¡°if you want to eat, sure.¡± shi man curled her lips slightly, a sly smile flashing across her eyes. when everyone heard that she was about to relent, they hurriedly struck while the iron was hot to please her. ¡°tell us, you can raise any conditions. we¡¯ll try our best to do everything for you.¡± shi man glanced coldly at the person who spoke. the person beside him hurriedly scolded him unhappily and immediately corrected him. ¡°i will definitely do it for you!¡± ¡°alright.¡± only then did shi man smile in satisfaction and put on a pleasant expression. ¡°there¡¯s no such thing as a free dinner in the world. since you want to eat, use your own labor to exchange for it.¡± hearing her say this, some smart people immediately reacted and said with a frown, ¡°missy, don¡¯t tell me you want us to catch those people who led the trouble? where are we going to find them? besides, even if we find them, we haven¡¯t eaten for a day and night. we might not even have the strength to arrest them.¡± ¡°yeah, yeah.¡± the surrounding people echoed and looked at shi man with even more eagerness. shi man gave them a relaxed smile and said briskly, ¡°there¡¯s no need. your mission tonight is to protect the old, weak, women, and children around you. i¡¯ll come and inspect you tomorrow. if anything goes wrong, i¡¯ll reduce the supplies accordingly. after all, resources are scarce now. i can donate to useful people to help rebuild the city.¡± ¡°we¡¯ll definitely do our best. don¡¯t give your things to anyone else!¡± the smartest man took the lead and agreed. now, as long as someone was willing to give them a bite to eat, they would be willing to do anything.. Chapter 339 - Chapter 339: Appointment in Danger chapter 339: appointment in danger translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man patted his shoulder and smiled. ¡°i see that you¡¯re quite smart, so i¡¯ll let you be the temporary supervisor. i¡¯ll give you more resources, but my people will also be everywhere and observe secretly. if you dare to play favorites¡­¡± that person quickly raised his hand and put his fingers together. he promised solemnly, ¡°absolutely not, miss shi. i, jiao kai, will definitely listen to your orders and help you settle the matter!¡± being able to personally obtain the important position given by the daughter of the shi family in public meant that he had a chance to walk into the sight of the richest family. after this disaster passed, wouldn¡¯t he be able to rise rapidly? jiao kai understood the logic of being able to eat his fill forever. at this moment, even if someone offered him ten thousand benefits to betray the shi family, he would not agree. the two of them decided on the leader selection. everyone looked at jiao kai with complicated expressions. they were very envious of him and acted more actively and obediently. this time, when they were queuing up to get their food, everyone followed the order. the line was silent, and there was not even anyone whispering. the distribution of supplies continued to be handed over to shi ke and shi yu. shi man brought yi zheng to the other two brothers to inspect. as shi he was a public figure, the commotion he could cause was too great. therefore, he was ordered by ning hui to stay in the car obediently and could only come out during the day. although shi mu¡¯s side was also in chaos, because of bai xue¡¯s gentle and calm temperament, they were able to miraculously calm the restless crowd down. however, they did not have any clues about the person who led the trouble. shi man did not expect them to really find anything. as usual, she chose someone to help her and stabilize the order before talking about anything else. yi zheng watched her smart appearance quietly from the side with sparkling eyes. shi mu saw it with his sharp eyes. just as he was about to go up and stab him, bai xue grabbed his arm. she gently placed the bento box in his hand and said gently, ¡°brother shi mu, eat something to fill your stomach first. if anything happens later, i still need you to keep an eye on me.¡± shi mu squatted on the ground with the lunch box in his hand in frustration, as if he was a refugee who had come to beg for food. he wolfed down a few mouthfuls of food and put the lunch box aside. ¡°i¡¯m not eating anymore. i¡¯m annoyed. this lunch box is so disgusting. who wants to eat it!¡± bai xue followed suit and squatted on the ground. her shoulder accidentally brushed against his, and the two of them actually blushed. she turned around slightly and stared straight at the soil in front of her. she advised seriously, ¡°eat more. you haven¡¯t had a single drop of water today. aren¡¯t you making your sister and aunt shen worried if you continue to simmer?¡± shi mu seemed to have his shortcomings pinched in an instant. he reluctantly picked up the lunch box and finished the food inside. then, he threw the lunch box away and said, ¡°why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± bai xue shook her head gently. ¡°i can¡¯t eat.¡± when shi mu heard this, he was even angrier. he frowned and said angrily, ¡°you knew to persuade me to eat, but you don¡¯t know how to cherish your body.¡± bai xue retracted her gaze and continued to stare at the black soil under her feet, ignoring him. shi mu paused for a moment and scratched his head guiltily. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, my attitude was a little bad just now, but you should go to the car and rest with my brother. ning hui and i will be fine here.¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± bai xue sighed softly. her gaze landed on the family of three not far away with a sad expression. ¡°brother shi mu, those three people are the bosses of a cafeteria i used to work for. they used to treat me very well and would always make me another dish when they saw that i was pitiful. but now, because of this fire, the cafeteria has completely burned down. what should they do in the future?¡± shi mu followed her gaze and happened to meet the woman¡¯s gaze. from afar, he should not have been able to see anything in the dark night, but he could clearly see the endless despair in the other party¡¯s eyes. he frowned and grabbed bai xue¡¯s hand from the fruits beside him, pulling her over. when the woman saw that they had really walked over, she pulled her son up in shock. her husband looked over in confusion. when he saw that it was actually bai xue, he immediately grinned in surprise. shi mu stood in front of them expressionlessly and stuffed the bag of fresh fruits into the child¡¯s arms. ¡°take it and eat it.¡± the man hurriedly took out the bag and stuffed it back into his hand. he shook his head repeatedly and said, ¡°that won¡¯t do. there¡¯s a shortage of supplies now. food is the most important. we can¡¯t take so many things for nothing. let¡¯s leave it for others to share.¡± ¡°cut the crap. take it. it¡¯s from bai xue.¡± he stuffed the thing back into the child¡¯s hand and said impatiently, ¡°don¡¯t return it to me, or i¡¯ll be anxious with you.¡± ¡°yes, yes, yes.¡± the man hurriedly thanked them with his wife. the woman looked at bai xue and wanted to say something, but she hesitated. in the end, all her words turned into hot tears in her eyes.. Chapter 340 - Chapter 340: Portrait chapter 340: portrait translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi mu¡¯s sharp eyes noticed the woman¡¯s expression, but he deliberately ignored her. he squatted down and patted the child¡¯s head. he smiled warmly and said, ¡°little kid, do you know this sister?¡± ¡°yes.¡± the little boy was not afraid of strangers at all. he refused to let go of the fruits he liked. shi mu took out another candy from his pocket and said with a smile, ¡°this sister is disobedient. can you help brother tell her off?¡± ¡°sister bai is very good.¡± the little boy blinked in confusion and drooled as he stared at the delicious candy. shi mu placed the candy in his hand and continued to guide her. ¡°but she refused to listen to me and go for dinner. is she very naughty?¡± when the little boy heard this, he puffed up his cheeks and lectured righteously, ¡°sister bai xue, you should eat well. mom said that only by eating well can you grow into a man.¡± bai xue couldn¡¯t help but laugh at this teasing. she compromised helplessly, ¡°alright, 1¡¯11 listen to little treasure and go eat now. you have to take good care of mom, okay?¡± ¡°okay!¡± little treasure obediently hooked his finger with bai xue¡¯s and did what the child thought was the most solemn guarantee ritual. only then did shi mu stand up. his always smiling eyes stared at her teasingly. ¡°can we eat now?¡± ¡°okay.¡± bai xue nodded in agreement. after bidding farewell to the couple, she took two lunch boxes back to the car and gave the other to shi he. shi man sat in the car and watched the two of them. she teased shi he, ¡°it seems that bai xue might really become my sister-in-law soon.¡± shi he looked out of the window thoughtfully and instantly retracted his gaze in disdain. ¡°no, bai xue doesn¡¯t like xiao mu.¡± shi man was amused by him. when they arrived, she stopped smiling and changed the topic. ¡°brother, mom is fine in the hospital now. dad is taking care of her. you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± at the mention of this, shi he¡¯s expression, which had softened when he saw shi man, darkened again. ¡°those people must have been deliberately sent by someone to cause trouble. otherwise, why can¡¯t i see them among so many people?¡± bai xue nodded and echoed, ¡°that¡¯s right. when 1 distributed dinner just now, 1 deliberately asked each of them to only take one serving. even if there are old people at home who can¡¯t move around, 1¡¯11 get the shi family to personally send food over. if those people are really residents here, it¡¯s impossible for them not to show up until now.¡± shi mu pondered for a moment and said suspiciously, ¡°maybe they have money on them, so they went out to eat?¡± after all, not everyone in g city was affected by the explosion. it was the coldest time of winter now. those who had a little money chose to stay in a nearby hotel and did not have to suffer the cold outside. shi man frowned and held back the anger in her heart. she heaved a long sigh of relief and said, ¡°we¡¯ll talk about this tomorrow. tomorrow, i¡¯ll mobilize the people here to help. i don¡¯t believe that half of the city can¡¯t find those beasts if they mobilize together.¡± ¡°manman!¡± the few of them were discussing in the car when someone suddenly knocked on the window outside. shi he hurriedly opened the car door and got her to get in. he gave her a seat in shock. ¡°why are you still here at this time?¡± su tang panted as she took out a page of drawing paper from her pocket and handed it to shi man. ¡°1 was also there in the afternoon, but i was a little far away and only saw the approximate appearance of those people. just now, i couldn¡¯t sleep when 1 went back, so i drew their faces based on my memory. i even let mom see them with her own eyes. they were the ones who led the trouble.¡± ¡°su tang, you¡¯re too amazing. you can even draw this? why didn¡¯t i think of this method?¡± shi mu took the portrait with admiration and looked at it with shi man. he commented angrily, ¡°bastard, you really don¡¯t look good!¡± shi he glared at him coldly. ¡°cut the crap. print a few more of these portraits at the print shop and send them to every resident. tell them that the shi family will definitely reward whoever reports these people first.¡± shi mu rubbed his fists and nodded. ¡°alright! i¡¯ll do it now!¡± he turned around and got out of the car. his movements were very neat, but halfway through, he turned back worriedly. he took two new blankets from the back of the car and handed them to bai xue and shi man. ¡°you two girls shouldn¡¯t wander around at night. stay in the car, understand?¡± bai xue pushed him out of the car helplessly. ¡°go quickly. the print shop will close if you¡¯re any later.¡± ¡°if it¡¯s closed, i¡¯ll go back to the company to print it!¡± shi mu glared at her unhappily. not only did he not receive any comfort from her, but the car door was also slammed shut by her. he was rebuffed by bai xue again. he couldn¡¯t help but turn around and leave angrily. he kept muttering, ¡°you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you. i¡¯m just concerned about you. how dare you find me annoying?¡± shi he saw his defeat and gave bai xue a thumbs up in admiration. ¡°only you can control that young brat. i¡¯ll leave him to you in the future..¡± Chapter 341 - Chapter 341: Target Discovered chapter 341: target discovered translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai xue lowered her head shyly and said with a coy expression, ¡°1 haven¡¯t repaid you for what happened last time. now that such a big thing has happened, i just want to help.¡± shi man recalled that when she first came to this area, the scene was indeed not as chaotic. her eyes darted around and finally settled on her calloused hand. ¡°by the way, 1 haven¡¯t asked you. you don¡¯t have your own job yet, right?¡± bai xue looked up in surprise and shook her head. ¡°no. before i was taken away by the bai family, 1 was working as a waitress in a cafeteria, but now, the cafeteria is gone.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good.¡± shi man promised readily, ¡°the higher-ups will basically hand over the reconstruction work to our family. when the time comes, follow me and i¡¯ll arrange a job for you.¡± bai xue¡¯s eyes suddenly widened to the maximum. she waved her hands in disbelief and refused. ¡°i can¡¯t do it. 1 don¡¯t know anything and i don¡¯t have an education. how can i enter the shi family¡¯s company to work?¡± shi he laughed heartily and explained patiently, ¡°you don¡¯t know yet, right? my sister is running a branch company independently now. if she said that she wants you, just follow her without worry.¡± bai xue had never thought that not only would she not be despised because of her identity one day, but she would also benefit from a disaster and obtain such a good job. she was so grateful that she almost knelt down to thank shi man. shi man hurriedly stopped her, her face filled with trust in her. ¡°this district will be under your responsibility for the time being. if you have any problems, you can look for me directly. i gave you my contact information. you didn¡¯t throw it away, right?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t throw it away. i¡¯ve been saving it well.¡± bai xue smiled from the bottom of her heart as if even the snow on the winter night had melted. the effect of distributing the portrait to everyone and linking it to their personal interests was indeed surprisingly good. before noon, shi man received a call from bai xue. she said that someone in their district had seen those troublemakers coming out of a hotel. from the contents of their call, they seemed to be going to the ski resort in the suburbs for a vacation. shi man asked for the address and handed the documents in her hand to meng hui to handle. she asked sean to temporarily be the chauffeur and drive her to catch those people personally. unexpectedly, just as the two of them got into the car, lin si smelled the action and came over. he leaned against the car door with one hand and used his body to block the cold wind outside. he smiled docilely and obediently. ¡°boss, why don¡¯t you leave this matter to me? i want to teach those bastards a lesson.¡± before shi man could speak, sean was the first to glare angrily. he pointed at his nose impatiently and said, ¡°go back and do your work obediently. didn¡¯t i assign you a mission? why are you here?¡± ¡°anyone can do those jobs well. i want to do something more meaningful to boss and the company.¡± lin siwei pouted aggrievedly and refused to even blink, afraid that he would miss the expression on shi man¡¯s face. sean quickly explained to her, ¡°this kid is still too young. don¡¯t lower yourself to his level. i¡¯ll chase him away now and not let him cause trouble for you.¡± ¡°no need.¡± shi man sized up the two of them calmly. she raised her chin slightly and gestured for him to sit in the front passenger seat. ¡°let¡¯s go together. since you¡¯re so confident, i¡¯ll leave the arrest to you later.¡± ¡°boss, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll definitely complete the mission!¡± lin si had achieved his goal. he happily sat in front and fastened his seatbelt. when he turned his head, he saw sean¡¯s expression that looked like he wanted to eat him up. he hurriedly switched to a fawning smile. ¡°brother xiao, boss asked me to go. you won¡¯t disagree, right?¡± sean wished he could crush the steering wheel and throw this kid back to the event location to move bricks. it was better than following him on another bloody mission. however, since shi man had already spoken, he had to listen. he could only hold back his anger and tense up along the way, not giving lin si any respect. shi man¡¯s interested gaze lingered on the two of them. she suddenly took the initiative to ask curiously, ¡°lin si, you seem to have a good relationship with your brother sean?¡± sean¡¯s body suddenly stiffened, and the car sped up significantly. lin si smiled and turned to explain to her, ¡°my parents died under the hands of mercenaries. at that time, i became a homeless orphan. it was brother sean who adopted me and brought me back to the organization. otherwise, 1 might have died outside.¡± ¡°oh?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at sean¡¯s straight back. she smiled and said, ¡°then have you avenged your parents?¡± ¡°of course, brother sean helped me take revenge.¡± lin si was about the same age as shi man, and there was always a smile in his eyes when he spoke. if he had not experienced that back then, he should be a good student studying hard in university now. the two of them seemed to get on well. sean listened with sweat on his forehead and suddenly stepped on the brakes. the car swayed forward with inertia. he quickly turned around and looked at shi man guiltily. ¡°boss, we¡¯re here..¡± Chapter 342 - Chapter 342: Forgetfulness chapter 342: forgetfulness translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°yes.¡± shi man gently looked up at lin si. the latter immediately understood and looked at the portrait seriously before taking the weapon from shi man and getting out of the car. sean was worried and wanted to follow, but he did not dare to act on his own. he could only ask shi man for help. ¡°boss, this kid has almost never gone on a mission alone. let me follow and watch him, lest he ruins your plan.¡± shi man leaned against the back seat and smiled casually. ¡°don¡¯t worry. didn¡¯t he complete his mission very well last time?¡± ¡°but there was only one target last time. this time, there are four men!¡± the more sean thought about it, the more he felt like he was in an uncomfortable situation. lin si was quite skilled, but he had never experienced a big scene. if something really happened and alerted the enemy, it would be difficult to catch these people in the future. shi man smiled and did not take it to heart. she raised her chin and gestured for him to look out of the window. she smiled and said, ¡°look, isn¡¯t he already back?¡± the entrance to the ski resort should have been the most crowded place at this time, but because of such a huge change in the past few days, there were really not many people who had the mood to ski. lin si caught these men in the toilet without much effort. before one of them could tighten his belt, he was pulled out by the collar in a sorry state. the others also looked miserable and more or less had injuries on their faces. ¡°better than your skills.¡± shi man glanced at sean, whose face was ashen, and gave a very pertinent evaluation. sean quickly got out of the car to receive them and threw them into the van that had followed them behind. he turned around and pulled lin si to the side with a dark expression. he lowered his voice and criticized sternly, ¡°what were you trying to do just now? didn¡¯t 1 say that you have to touch less of these missions in the future?¡± lin si was tall, and he looked especially tall in front of sean. his delicate face seemed to always have a friendly expression, giving people the impression that he was easy to manipulate. very few people could believe that a young and handsome young man like lin si could actually control the largest casino in m city on his own. but this result was nothing in front of sean. sean only hoped that lin si could live a normal life and not make the same mistake he did. lin si saw his worry and finally stopped smiling frivolously. there was more seriousness in his eyes. ¡°i¡¯m not showing off. i can clearly do it and do it very well. you should praise me and feel relieved for me because you taught me.¡± sean was so angry that he gritted his teeth. he glared and reprimanded him a few more times. lin si listened to his ineffective lecture obediently. his eyes darted into the car from time to time, as if he was complaining to the person in the car. shi man guessed his thoughts and slowly opened the car window, interrupting sean¡¯s earnest persuasion. ¡°it¡¯s about time. get in the car and go back.¡± sean had no choice but to go back and drive. lin si stuck out his tongue at shi man gratefully. after getting into the car, he continued to chatter with shi man. seeing that he was almost familiar with his boss, he stole a glance at her expression and tentatively revealed his true motive. ¡°boss, i heard from brother sean that our immaculate and blood oath are actually just a cooperative relationship. then why don¡¯t we return to our base to stay? why do we have to mix with them?¡± shi man raised her eyelids slightly, and two cold lights hit sean¡¯s back. sean felt a cold wind blowing behind him. he subconsciously turned up the air conditioner and reprimanded with a serious expression, ¡°shut up! is it your place to talk? how dare you criticize the decision made by boss?¡± lin si blinked innocently, and half of his body was about to reach the back row. ¡°boss, i¡¯m just making a reasonable suggestion for the development of immaculate. did 1 say something wrong?¡± ¡°how dare you say that!¡± sean wished he could find a piece of cloth to shut him up so that he wouldn¡¯t talk nonsense in front of his boss all day. unexpectedly, shi man agreed with him. the smile on her face did not fade. ¡°i have the same thought. in the past, 1 only let sean and the others go over to hide, but now, i don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need. we should return to our base.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! even if blood oath has a deep relationship with us, we¡¯re still living in someone else¡¯s territory. i feel uncomfortable all over.¡± lin si shook the hair on his body exaggeratedly and smiled sweetly. ¡°then when are we going back, boss?¡± ¡°after the new year.¡± shi man thought for a while and said calmly, ¡°there are too many things to do before the new year. it¡¯s not appropriate to make any big moves now. after the news of the new year passes, we¡¯ll move away.¡± seeing shi man had made a decision, sean could only listen. however, he suddenly felt a little reluctant to part with his brothers from blood oath. he could not be blamed for being contented at blood oath. it was really because they, the people from immaculate, were treated too well at the base of blood oath! he looked up through the rearview mirror to observe the expression on his boss¡¯s face and said hesitantly, ¡°then can our brothers still celebrate the new year with the people from the blood oath this time?¡± shi man smiled and couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°why, have you guys developed a bond?¡± Chapter 343 - Chapter 343: Sense of Crisis chapter 343: sense of crisis translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios sean smiled embarrassedly and said, ¡°no, no. no matter how good our relationship with the people of the blood oath is, it can¡¯t compare to the closeness of our immaculate internal department. 1 can still distinguish between the inside and the outside. don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll definitely do a good job of transferring the base after the new year.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll help too.¡± lin si smiled mischievously. ignoring sean¡¯s glare, he continued to report the operations of the casino in m city to shi man. with lin si by her side, there seemed to be endless things to say. shi man listened patiently until they got out of the car. at least in yi zheng¡¯s eyes, shi man¡¯s smile was much happier than when she was with him. yi zheng stood silently at the side and watched quietly. it was not until the two of them were about to walk into the company that he suddenly said, ¡°manman, it¡¯s not convenient to bring these people into the company. let¡¯s bring them to my base.¡± shi man stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. the smile on her lips had yet to fade. ¡°there¡¯s no need. these people instigated the crowd to hurt my mother in front of so many people. 1 should resolve this matter openly.¡± yi zheng understood what she meant. she was telling him that this matter was not done by the people from the underworld, so there was no need to go through so much trouble. ¡°then you should go to my place. 1 happen to have a house nearby that i can lend you.¡± when he spoke, his gaze would always land on lin si. for some reason, he kept feeling an inexplicable sense of danger even though this young man was just a newbie to him . it was as if this young man really had the ability to snatch her away from him. lin si looked into his eyes without backing down. he reached out provocatively to brush away the snow falling on shi man¡¯s shoulder and reminded him meaningfully, ¡°i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not good for ceo yi to interfere in this matter. let our boss handle it personally.¡± yi zheng¡¯s eyebrows suddenly tightened. his poisonous eyes stared fixedly at the finger that he had touched shi man just now. he clenched his fists by his side and said, ¡°it¡¯s not your place to speak. get lost.¡± lin si spread his hands innocently and complained with an aggrieved expression, ¡°i¡¯m reminding you out of kindness, ceo yi. you¡¯d better not interfere in this matter. otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to answer to your family in the end.¡± shi man glanced at him meaningfully and met his half-smile. she immediately turned to look at yi zheng. ¡°go back first. i¡¯ll contact you after i¡¯m done interrogating these people.¡± ¡°you¡¯re kicking me out.¡± yi zheng¡¯s expression darkened as he stared at lin si with his malicious eyes. he suddenly reached out and pulled shi man into his arms. in front of him, he gently kissed shi man¡¯s cold cheek. ¡°take this as your compensation to me. i¡¯ll see you later.¡± lin si¡¯s expression did not change. his smiling eyes slowly moved from his lips to shi man¡¯s face, and his smile became deeper. ¡°boss, let¡¯s go in quickly. i believe the answers these people brought are enough to surprise you.¡± shi man felt that the place where yi zheng had kissed her was still hot. she didn¡¯t want anyone to notice her blush, so she nodded and turned to leave. sean hurriedly pulled the person out of the van with a few bodyguards and sent him into the president¡¯s office. meng hui guarded the door nervously, not letting anyone approach. as soon as shi man entered, her expression changed. she casually picked up the silver dagger on the table and stabbed the person¡¯s arm. screams and the sound of muscles being pierced sounded in the office at the same time. outside the door, meng hui shivered and subconsciously took a few steps out before barely recovering from the chill. shi man looked at his pained expression in satisfaction. she pulled out the dagger mercilessly and aimed it at the next person. the others were so frightened that they could not stand steadily. they hurriedly knelt on the ground and begged for mercy. ¡°missy, please show mercy. we were instructed by someone. we really didn¡¯t want to harm your mother on purpose!¡± ¡°is that so?¡± shi man smiled fakely, her eyes becoming colder. ¡°then tell me who instructed you, when, and what your goal is. tell me clearly one by one. 1¡¯11 cripple whoever doesn¡¯t make it clear enough.¡± with the person beside them who had fainted from the pain as an example, the others did not dare to hide anything anymore. they hurriedly fought to explain, afraid that they would be punished if they said anything late. ¡°missy, it¡¯s the yi family. the yi family found us yesterday and gave us a sum of money to cause trouble when the shi family distributed supplies.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. they also said that the more trouble we cause, the better. as long as the trouble is big enough, they won¡¯t treat us badly.¡± ¡°him?¡± shi man raised the knife unhappily. that person immediately understood and hurriedly dodged back. he blurted out, ¡°it¡¯s the president of the yi corporation. he gave us 500,000 dollars and said that he would give us another 500,000 dollars after the matter is done.¡± ¡°oh?¡± shi man narrowed her eyes slightly and said expressionlessly, ¡°how can i believe that you¡¯re not framing him?¡± ¡°recording!¡± the person hurriedly took out the recording pen from his companion¡¯s pocket. when he saw the flashing red light on it, his heart skipped a beat.. Chapter 344 - Chapter 344: Betrayal chapter 344: betrayal translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°you, why are you still recording?¡± that person could not believe his eyes. he actually exposed his companion¡¯s thoughts just like that! the person beside him even had the intention to skin him alive. he turned around fiercely and knelt in front of shi man. ¡°missy, listen to me. i didn¡¯t mean to record it. i might have touched it in my pocket. i don¡¯t know why it¡¯s still lit up!¡± ¡°bring it over.¡± shi man reached out expressionlessly. that person hurriedly snatched the recording pen and presented it to her with both hands. lin si looked at the time of the recording and smiled. ¡°you actually started recording when i caught you. you still dare to say that you didn¡¯t do it on purpose, huh?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i know 1 was wrong. please spare me this time!¡± that person knelt down and kowtowed to shi man a few times. he was so afraid that he broke out in a cold sweat. sweat flowed down his forehead and into his eyes, but he raised his hand to wipe it away. shi man turned off the recording and held the knife to the front of the man¡¯s sweaty neck. she said slowly, ¡°is there anything i want in here?¡± ¡°yes, yes, yes. the yi family, ah! it¡¯s that old thief, yi kun. i recorded the entire process of his conversation with us!¡± he wanted to take credit and play the recording pen for her, but when he reached out his hand in midair and saw that his palm was covered in sweat, he wiped his hand on his clothes in embarrassment before reaching out again. ¡°there¡¯s no need.¡± shi man hated the smell of sweat on this person¡¯s body. she moved away in disgust and turned to another person. ¡°then you¡¯re useless.¡± ¡°missy, please spare me! if 1 hadn¡¯t taken out the recording pen just now, he would have taken this thing to yi kun to ask for credit!¡± the man kowtowed to shi man repeatedly and betrayed his companion without hesitation. the other person had just had a chance to protect his arm. after hearing his words, he immediately exploded in anger and grabbed the person¡¯s neck, refusing to let go. shi man slowly sat back on the sofa and enjoyed the show of betrayal. lin si even tactfully poured her a cup of tea. she was focused on watching the show, while lin si was focused on her. perhaps lin si¡¯s gaze was too direct, or perhaps this show was really boring, shi man suddenly retracted her gaze and her calm gaze suddenly shifted to his face. ¡°what are you looking at?¡± lin si smiled. a cold wind suddenly blew in from the french window behind her, messing up shi man¡¯s hair. for some reason, he reached out to help her cut the loose hair at her temples. however, before his fingers could touch shi man, sean grabbed him tightly. ¡°do you want to die?¡± sean glared at lin si fiercely. his voice was so loud that even the noisy people in the office stopped in an instant and looked over in a daze. lin si was slightly stunned. his gaze hurriedly swept across the dagger in shi man¡¯s hand. he lowered his head apologetically and admitted his mistake. ¡°boss, i¡¯m sorry. i just saw that your hair was messy and was afraid that it would go into your eyes. i went overboard. it won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°i hope there won¡¯t be a next time.¡± shi man glanced at him coldly from the corner of her eye and turned to the men on the ground again. ¡°sean, other than the person who gave me the recording pen just now, cripple everyone¡¯s tendons.¡± ¡°yes.¡± sean accepted the order and was about to attack when he suddenly heard shi man¡¯s cruel reminder behind him. ¡°remember, it¡¯s the right hand.¡± lin si raised his eyebrows unsurprised. if he was not wrong, shi man had indeed developed a fleeting killing intent towards him just now. if sean had not stopped him quickly, he would have been cut off by shi man the moment his fingers touched her. she was really¡­ a ruthless woman! the screams in the office rose and fell in his ears. the only man who was still intact looked blankly at his friend who was lying on the ground and twitching in pain. his face instantly turned pale. by the time sean finished dealing with these people, his hands were already covered in blood. the man was agitated by the blood on the ground. his legs went weak and he fell to the ground. it took him a long time to come back to his senses. he ran to shi man¡¯s feet and lay on the ground begging like a dog. ¡°missy, we really know our mistake. we shouldn¡¯t have been possessed. let us go, okay? i¡¯m willing to do anything you want!¡± ¡°i can give you this chance.¡± shi man picked up a handkerchief and slowly wiped the blood on the tip of her knife. she smiled unhurriedly and said, ¡°i want you to record a video and clarify that the people who built yi city asked you to do this. it has nothing to do with yi zheng.¡± ¡°as long as you tell me everything in detail, i¡¯ll let you go and let you walk out of here unscathed. how about that?¡± the man swallowed nervously and nodded repeatedly. ¡°alright, alright. i¡¯ll explain things clearly. thank you for not killing me, missy!¡± shi man gave sean a look. sean immediately understood and set up a video recorder to record the man¡¯s complete confession.. Chapter 345 - Chapter 345: Venting Anger chapter 345: venting anger translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°boss, what should we do now?¡± after recording, sean did not need shi man¡¯s instructions. he sent lin si and the other subordinates to get rid of these people. then, he walked to shi man¡¯s side with the storage card and waited for her instructions. shi man put away the silver knife, took the storage card, and inserted it into the computer. after backing up a video, she returned the card to sean. ¡°alright, send it to the yi city construction company. the signatory will be yi kun.¡± ¡°yes.¡± sean¡¯s sharp eyes could tell that shi man was in an extremely bad mood. he hurriedly put away the memory card and ran out to carry out the instructions, not daring to stay in front of her for another second. before entering the elevator, he didn¡¯t forget to tell meng hui to bring someone in to clean up. meng hui nodded in a daze. when she brought the cleaner in, she saw a few large pools of blood on the ground and was immediately shocked. she endured the wildly beating heart in her chest and nudged shi man step by step. ¡°president shi, madam¡¯s nurse called at noon and said that madam had a good lunch and was in good spirits in the hospital in the morning. she told you not to worry.¡± ¡°yes,¡± shi man replied softly. she looked at the information on the computer about the construction of yi city expressionlessly and subconsciously tapped her fingers on the table. ¡°get someone to pay attention to the movements of yi kun and his son in the company.¡± meng hui¡¯s heart skipped a beat. she said uncertainly, ¡°you mean¡­¡± shi man slowly raised a finger in front of her eyes and said word by word, ¡°find someone with a clean identity to enter their company. i¡¯ll pay double the salary to monitor the movements of every meeting in yi city.¡± meng hui understood and nodded with a solemn expression. ¡°i understand, ceo shi. after this explosion, our shi family has been at the front line. even madam was injured and hospitalized because she did it herself. we should be responsible for the city reconstruction, right?¡± shi man sneered and pointed at the blood on the ground that had not been wiped clean. ¡°don¡¯t you understand?¡± if not for the fact that the higher-ups had leaked the news, why would yi kun be so anxious to send someone to the event location to cause trouble? it was a sure bet that the reconstruction mission would be handed over to the shi family. shi man was almost certain. however, yi kun¡¯s attack reminded her that there were many people eyeing this fat piece of meat that would bring about a good reputation. it was time for her to let those people know that the shi family was in her hands and was not as easy to talk to as before. meng hui stood nervously beside her. clearly, she had thought of the same source as her. she said hesitantly, ¡°then shouldn¡¯t we strengthen our vigilance at the scene? the young masters of the shi family are still organizing the event location.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need. 1 have a way.¡± after shi man said this, she straightened her coat and left the office. meng hui hurriedly followed her and stayed one step behind her, not daring to go overboard. the longer she stayed by shi man¡¯s side, the more afraid she became. thinking of the screams in the office today, she was suddenly glad that she had only moved her lips when she first met shi man and had not actually done anything to provoke her. otherwise, her outcome would probably not be much better than those people today. ¡°by the way.¡± shi man looked at the empty secretariat and stopped in her tracks with a smile. she turned around and said, ¡°it¡¯s already the annual leave today, but i still called you over. it¡¯s been hard on you. remember to get three months¡¯ salary from the finance department.¡± meng hui held back the joy in her eyes and nodded excitedly. ¡°thank you, ceo shi. i¡¯ll continue to work hard next year.¡± shi man smiled and walked into the elevator to leave the company. she went straight to see yi zheng as promised. in the private room, yi zheng stared at the watch on his wrist with a dark expression. he drank a full glass of red wine in frustration before the closed door was finally pushed open. the person who entered was a young lady in her twenties in a uniform. yi zheng only looked up slightly, and the joy on his face disappeared. he pulled a long face and said impatiently, ¡°who let you in?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± the young lady stammered for a long time before she suddenly thought of a brilliant reason. she summoned her courage in surprise and smiled. ¡°our manager asked me to come in and ask if we can serve the dishes. those dishes have long been prepared. if we continue to place them aside, they¡¯ll probably turn cold!¡± yi zheng¡¯s eyes darkened. he reached out and knocked on the wine glass in front of him, changing the topic as if he was avoiding it. ¡°pour the wine.¡± the girl immediately nodded happily and jogged to yi zheng¡¯s side. she deliberately lifted her hair to reveal her exquisite collarbone and poured wine for him gently with a lingering gaze. however, yi zheng acted as if he did not see it. his dark eyes were fixed on the wine glass in front of him. it was not until the girl¡¯s shy face was reflected on the wine that he narrowed his eyes and his expression suddenly darkened. ¡°you dirtied my wine. get out.¡± the little girl was shocked by his sudden change in expression. she stood at the side in tears and hugged the wine bottle, not knowing what she should do now. fortunately, the door of the private room was pushed open from the outside again. the young lady looked over as if asking for help, but when her gaze met the other party¡¯s familiar face, she was suddenly stunned.. Chapter 346 - Chapter 346: Lin Family’s Sister chapter 346: lin family¡¯s sister translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as soon as shi man entered, she saw a teary-eyed girl standing beside yi zheng. a smile gradually appeared in her eyes. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? did he bully you?¡± yi zheng¡¯s expression was dark as he stared at her with his dark eyes. the little girl sobbed and wanted to respond. from the corner of her eye, she saw the cold-faced man beside her and couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°no, it¡¯s my fault. sir asked me to pour wine, but i was clumsy.¡± shi man smiled and reached out to take the bottle from her. her tone was very soft. ¡°leave this to me. can you help me serve the dishes now?¡± the little girl wiped her tears in a daze and nodded obediently. before she left, she turned around and asked hesitantly, ¡°um, miss, what¡¯s your relationship with this gentleman?¡± yi zheng¡¯s gaze suddenly became sharp. the smile on shi man¡¯s face grew wider and wider. she turned her head gently and replied, ¡°he¡¯s my boyfriend.¡± the little girl opened her mouth in shock. when she met the man¡¯s disdainful gaze, she hurriedly left the private room and walked all the way to the entrance of the hall. only then did the chill on her back completely dissipate. she heaved a sigh of relief and took out her phone to dial the number at the top. with a trembling voice, she said, ¡°brother, i saw shi man today.¡± ¡°where did you see her?¡± a lazy male voice came from the other end of the phone, right on the heels of the rustling of bedding. it was obvious that this person had not woken up yet. the little girl rolled her eyes helplessly and told him about seeing shi man just now. then, she covered her mouth nervously and lowered her voice. ¡°brother, do 1 need to do anything now? why don¡¯t you give up quickly? she has a boyfriend now!¡± ¡°isn¡¯t that yi zheng?¡± the man began to put on his clothes indifferently. he even specially chose a more flashy purple shirt with a blue feather brooch on his chest. ¡°but he¡¯s the president of the yi corporation!¡± the young lady persuaded worriedly. ¡°brother, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re coming over now?¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, 1 won¡¯t make you lose your job.¡± the man laughed sneakily on the phone and then induced excitedly, ¡°help me pay more attention to their movements later and see if they still have a date later. if not, 1¡¯11 intercept them.¡± ¡°alright.¡± the young lady¡¯s shoulders drooped helplessly. coincidentally, the manager came to look for her, so she hurriedly hung up the phone and lowered her head, looking obedient as if she was listening to a lesson. ¡°i said that you¡¯re not allowed to call during work hours, right?¡± the manager was an outstanding and exquisite woman. her hair was always tied up at the top of her head. when she looked at people, her chin would always be raised high. the young lady hurriedly apologized to her and barely shook her off with the excuse that shi man instructed her to serve the dishes. unexpectedly, just as she came out of the kitchen with a tray, the manager was still waiting for her in the lobby. when she saw her coming, she even took the initiative to walk to her side and forced a smile. ¡°i¡¯ll go with you so that you don¡¯t offend our esteemed guest.¡± ¡°oh.¡± the young lady did not dare to have any objections. she was just curious why the usually arrogant manager would suddenly be concerned about a small matter such as serving the guests. this restaurant was under the lin corporation. manager lin lin was ceo lin¡¯s niece. she came to this cafeteria to experience life. usually, she didn¡¯t take these waiters with no background and no future seriously. therefore, on the way to serving the guests personally with lin lin, she really received many surprised gazes from her colleagues. at the door of the private room, lin lin gently raised her chin and gestured for her to knock. the little girl bit her lower lip and held the tray in the crook of her arm. with difficulty, she freed one hand to knock on the door. it was yi zheng who opened the door. he was the first to see the waitress who had been staring at him with an infatuated gaze. the smile that had just appeared on his face immediately sank. lin lin was so nervous that her heart raced, especially when she saw that handsome face that could mesmerize her every time. she was so flustered that she didn¡¯t even know where to put her hands and feet. however, she came personally this time to talk to yi zheng. unwilling to leave just like that, lin lin snatched the tray from the waitress and looked at yi zheng with a fawning smile. ¡°sir, we¡¯re here to serve you. if you have any other instructions, you can tell me at any time. i¡¯m the manager of this place.¡± yi zheng¡¯s calm black eyes suddenly looked over. lin lin suddenly tightened her grip on the tray and let him sized up her uneasily. her face gradually turned red, and even her waist subconsciously went limp. unexpectedly, the man sneered in the next moment. a mocking smile gradually seeped out of his eyes. ¡°since it¡¯s food, give it to me and you can scram together.¡± ¡°what?¡± lin lin widened her eyes in disbelief and temporarily forgot her shyness. her face burned. yi zheng looked away coldly and took the tray from her hand. lin lin bit her lower lip indignantly and stared at his back with longing.. ¡°brother yi zheng, have you already forgotten me?¡± Chapter 347 - Chapter 347: Attacking Her Love Rival chapter 347: attacking her love rival translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man tilted her head and looked past yi zheng¡¯s broad chest at the pitiful woman outside. her eyes were filled with smiles as she teased, ¡°yo, which little sister is this?¡± yi zheng shook his head helplessly, his expression softening slightly. ¡°i don¡¯t know her. don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t misunderstand you.¡± shi man supported her head with one hand and looked at the door with a smile. she waved gently, indicating for the two of them to come in. the little girl was slightly stunned. thinking of the mission her brother had given her, this might be a good way to get close to shi man, so she braced herself and walked in. lin lin had already walked into the private room before her and glared at shi man angrily. ¡°why are you still pestering brother yi zheng? why are you so shameless?¡± with a bang, the tray was slammed onto the table by yi zheng. he turned his head slightly, his jawline tightening, his face filled with anger. ¡°if you can¡¯t watch your words, 1 don¡¯t mind throwing you out like trash.¡± ¡°brother yi zheng¡­¡± lin lin widened her eyes in disbelief and pointed at herself excitedly.¡± have you forgotten? i¡¯m lin lin. lin yue is my cousin. we met many times at the ball!¡± ¡°oh?¡± yi zheng looked over with indifferent eyes, his attitude still cold. ¡°i don¡¯t care who you are. shi man is my girlfriend. although she let you in, if you speak rudely again, don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡± lin lin¡¯s face flushed red, especially when she was insulted in front of her subordinate. humiliation and grievance immediately lingered in her heart, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°brother yi zheng, did this woman drug you?¡± the man clicked his tongue impatiently. just as he was about to throw her out, shi man suddenly raised her hand to stop him. a trace of interest appeared in her black eyes. ¡°are you from the lin family?¡± ¡°yes!¡± lin lin raised her chin proudly and said arrogantly, ¡°i¡¯m madam lin¡¯s biological niece. my status is not inferior to yours! moreover, brother yi zheng used to hate you very much. 1 don¡¯t believe he likes you much now!¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and suddenly remembered that in the original novel, when yi zheng dealt with the shi family, the lin family seemed to be involved, especially when they abused shi man. there seemed to be someone called lin lin who stabbed the host again when she was covered in wounds. however, this plot did not seem to be particularly important, so she did not take it to heart when she attended the lin corporation¡¯s gala last time. however, when she saw lin lin, she suddenly became interested. she tapped her finger on the wine glass and shi man said slowly, ¡°pour the wine, miss lin. do you know why 1 called you in?¡± the waitress tactfully filled the wine glass in front of her and quickly retreated to the side, trying to reduce his presence. lin lin frowned, as if she was thinking about her intention of asking this question. she muttered in confusion, ¡°aren¡¯t you worried that something will really happen between brother yi zheng and me, so you want to call me in to declare your sovereignty?¡± shi man could not help but laugh at her. lin lin¡¯s face turned green. she pointed at shi man¡¯s nose angrily and questioned, ¡°what are you laughing at? what¡¯s so funny?¡± shi man shook her head helplessly and took a sip of the red wine in the glass. the smile in her eyes did not fade. ¡°i called you in because 1 want you to see clearly today that yi zheng is mine now. if you choose to give up, we¡¯ll be fine. if you continue to pester¡­¡± ¡°what do you want?¡± lin lin trembled slightly with an inexplicable guilt, but in order to make her aura not look weak, she still raised her chin arrogantly. however, her stiff back and flushed face still betrayed the timidity in her heart. shi man shrugged and said matter-of-factly, ¡°then don¡¯t blame me for not being able to have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex. after all, i¡¯m still very petty.¡± lin lin¡¯s arrogance clearly weakened. her eyes were red as she looked at yi zheng, who was staring at the other woman infatuatedly. she suddenly stomped her feet in anger and felt embarrassed. she snorted and turned to leave the private room. the waitress hurriedly followed behind. halfway there, she turned back and bent down to apologize to shi man. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i didn¡¯t know that he had a girlfriend just now. please don¡¯t be angry.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not angry.¡± shi man narrowed her eyes and smiled, her expression lazy like an obedient kitten. the little girl blushed inexplicably. when she reacted, yi zheng¡¯s cold gaze had already landed on her. she hurriedly nodded and thanked him, before quickly slipping out of the private room. there was finally no one else in the room. yi zheng heaved a sigh of relief. as he helped her cut the steak, he teased curiously, ¡°why are you willing to talk so much to someone today? you¡¯re usually concise even when you talk to me.¡± shi man chuckled and took the initiative to hold his hand. she teased, ¡°because you can¡¯t be the only one working hard to chase away a love rival. i have to contribute too..¡± Chapter 348 - Chapter 348: Chance Encounter chapter 348: chance encounter translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°you¡­¡± yi zheng stared at her in disbelief. he suddenly saw his stunned reflection in her black eyes and suddenly felt a little silly. he chuckled softly.¡± have you thought it through? have you decided to be with me? ¡± shi man curled her lips slightly. the red wine in the glass was dark red under the light, making her expression even darker and harder to understand. yi zheng felt inexplicably flustered. he held her hand and squeezed out emphasized words from his dry throat. ¡°have you really decided? did the interrogation of those people today reveal something?¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man stared at him, the charm on her face disappearing without a trace. ¡°yi zheng, i can consider you the winner of that bet. i will acknowledge your identity, but at the same time, you can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± yi zheng frowned and said in a low and serious voice, ¡°i understand, manman. no matter what happens, you have to know that i must be on your side. but i hope you agree to be with me because you¡¯ve completely fallen for me, not for any other reason.¡± he had roughly guessed who was behind this. from shi man¡¯s attitude, it was not difficult to guess what she planned to do next. could it be that she had agreed to a formal relationship with him at this time so that he would not obstruct her revenge? yi zheng smiled bitterly and passed her the steak he had cut. he said with a downcast expression, ¡°let¡¯s eat first. i¡¯ll accompany you to the hospital to visit aunt shen later. we¡¯ll tell her this news.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man lowered her head and ate seriously. neither of them spoke for a moment. after dinner, shi man received a call from su tang. today, the rest of the shi family was in charge of helping the displaced people find a temporary place to live and let them spend new year¡¯s day in peace. there were many hotels under the shi family, so this matter was not difficult, so shi man did not interfere. at this moment, su tang called to report that her work had been completed. shi man listened quietly and told her that she was going to the hospital later. su tang also suggested visiting shen xian, but she would only arrive later. when she hung up, shi man turned around unintentionally and looked at the source of the gaze that had been staring at her. seeing the young lady who had confessed her mistake in the private room just now, shi man smiled politely at her and left the cafeteria with yi zheng. shen xian was a little tired today. she had heard that too many people were injured, so many people came to the hospital one after another to ask about her well-being. shen xian dealt with them for an entire day before sending them all away. at this moment, she only wanted to lie in bed and quietly eat the food shi zhong fed her. when shi man arrived, shen xian had just finished a small plate of fruits. there were still sparkling water droplets at the corner of her mouth. ¡°you¡¯re here. have you had dinner?¡± shen xian asked the two of them with concern. her gaze paused on their linked hands for a moment before she looked at the man beside her knowingly. ¡°looks like we¡¯re going to have good things in pairs.¡± shi man smiled and let go of yi zheng¡¯s hand. she sat by shen xian¡¯s bed and asked curiously, ¡°mom, what else is good?¡± shi zhong was very happy that the two of them could get together. the usual seriousness on his face faded as he smiled and said, ¡°the doctor said that your mother¡¯s arm has recovered well. she can go home to recuperate in a few days.¡± ¡°oh, right.¡± shi zhong suddenly looked up and said meaningfully, ¡°the doctor said to let the patient¡¯s family go over to get the medicine. i haven¡¯t had the time yet. help me get it.¡± ¡°okay.¡± shi man stood up and walked out. yi zheng raised his hand to stop her. ¡°i¡¯ll go. stay here and accompany aunt shen.¡± ¡°let shi man go.¡± shi zhong looked over with a serious expression. yi zheng could only make way helplessly, but he still instructed worriedly, ¡°be careful. call me if anything happens.¡± shen xian couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh when she saw their interaction. yi zheng was indeed very similar to shi zhong back then. as long as the person in his heart took a step away, he would be afraid. ¡°i¡¯m just going to get the medicine. what can happen?¡± shi man gave him a reassuring look and left the ward. shi zhong deliberately sent her away. he must have something to say to yi zheng alone. after she took the medicine, she sat in the courtyard for a while to empty her mind. it was rare for her to have a comfortable rest. who knew that she could be disturbed in such a secluded corner of the hospital? jiang sheng was wearing a dazzling purple shirt and holding a bouquet of gorgeous roses in his hand. he smiled and handed it to her. ¡°miss shi, what a coincidence. it seems that we¡¯re really fated to meet in the hospital.¡± only he would be stupid enough to think that she would believe such a lousy chance encounter. shi man snorted and opened her eyes lazily.. she said expressionlessly, ¡°coincidentally, you came to the hospital to check your brain?¡± Chapter 349 - Chapter 349: Firm Choice chapter 349: firm choice translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios jiang sheng¡¯s expression changed slightly. he awkwardly took back the roses and sat beside her impolitely. ¡°don¡¯t say that, miss shi. 1 haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. 1 miss you very much.¡± ¡°oh.¡± shi man leaned back in the wooden chair disinterestedly and closed her eyes gently. jiang sheng hesitated for a moment and was about to continue getting close to her when he heard shi man¡¯s distant voice. ¡°sit further away. the smell of your inferior perfume is too strong. i hate it.¡± jiang sheng¡¯s face turned pale. he subconsciously tightened his grip on the bouquet, but he was accidentally pricked by the spikes that had not been cleaned. he gasped in pain and said aggrievedly, ¡°miss shi, i¡¯m bleeding. open your eyes and take a look!¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you annoying?¡± shi man opened her eyes in disgust and glanced at him. she looked down on his weak appearance and said impatiently, ¡°that bit of blood won¡¯t kill you. stop groaning. if you can¡¯t calm down, i don¡¯t mind pulling out your tongue.¡± jiang sheng suddenly shrank his neck and hurriedly shut his mouth. he blinked in disbelief. wasn¡¯t missy¡¯s change too big now? previously, when he saw on the news that she was participating in the event location rescue, he was already shocked. however, he could not rule out the possibility of her putting on a show. after all, which young lady of an aristocratic family was not pampered? who could really do those dirty and tiring jobs? but now that he saw shi man, he suddenly believed that news. shi man was really different from before. not only did she know about armaments, but she could also rise to the occasion at a critical moment. the wind whistled through the snowy night, but he didn¡¯t seem to feel cold. all he could hear was the sound of his heart beating wildly. what should he do? he seemed to want such a bold young lady more and more. a snowflake fell and stuck to shi man¡¯s long eyelashes. jiang sheng¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. just as he was about to reach out and brush the snowflake away, a hand reached out from the side first. his wrist was caught off guard and tightened, causing him to gasp in pain. ¡°damn it, who is it? it hurts!¡± jiang sheng cursed fiercely. when he looked up and saw a handsome face that was as black as the bottom of a pot, he subconsciously shivered. ¡°president yi!¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t want this arm anymore, i can cripple it for you.¡± yi zheng pinched his wrist and suddenly tightened his grip. in the silent snowy night, one could hear the sound of bones breaking. jiang sheng¡¯s expression was twisted in pain. the roses in his hand fell to the ground weakly and were trampled into the mud by yi zheng. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯m sorry. i¡¯ll leave immediately.¡± he hurriedly apologized. cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his face instantly turned pale. only then did yi zheng let go. he took out a tissue to dry his hands in disgust and said coldly, ¡°get lost.¡± ¡°get lost, get lost. 1¡¯11 get lost immediately.¡± he took one last look at shi man indignantly and rushed into the hospital in a sorry state. this time, he was probably really going to look for a doctor! shi man raised her eyebrows and looked at the man above her in surprise. a reassuring smile appeared on her lips. ¡°why are you here? what did my parents say to you?¡± ¡°they asked me to take good care of you and discuss the city reconstruction cooperation.¡± yi zheng took off his coat and draped it over her before sitting beside her comfortably. the snow outside was getting heavier, but neither of them suggested going back. shi man was silent for a moment before asking with a frown, ¡°cooperation? how does my father want to cooperate?¡± yi zheng slowly leaned back with his hands folded behind his head. there was a dark sky above his head, but he was in a good mood. ¡°we¡¯ll be responsible together. you know that even if the city wants to leave this matter to the shi family, they can¡¯t put all the responsibility on your family, so they¡¯ll definitely find other companies of all sizes to do it together.¡± ¡°but the yi family¡¯s company in this collaboration is yi city.¡± shi man¡¯s voice was deep, and she frowned in dissatisfaction. yi zheng shook his head helplessly and chuckled. ¡°let me finish. manman, i know you can¡¯t trust me wholeheartedly yet, but 1 want to prove to you through this operation that you will always be my firmest choice.¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at him. coincidentally, yi zheng also turned around. their eyes met, and shi man could clearly see the unshakable determination in his eyes. she sighed softly. ¡°actually, you don¡¯t have to interfere in this matter. i don¡¯t want to kill yi kun.¡± ¡°i know, but 1 have to do this.¡± yi zheng stared at shi man undisguisedly. the emotions rolling in his eyes were too many and complicated. even shi man was lost in his gaze. after finally catching her breath, shi man suddenly looked away and said in a muffled voice, ¡°then i¡¯ll wait to see your determination. i hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡± yi zheng was a man of his word. over the past few days, he had gathered a lot of support from the shareholders of the yi corporation. the day shi zhong received the appointment letter, yi zheng had already obtained more than half of the shares of this company.. Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: The Beginning of New Year chapter 350: the beginning of new year translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios there was a messy bang in the study. most of the servants in the corridor held their breaths and subconsciously lightened their footsteps, afraid that they would vent their anger on themselves if they made any noise. on the black leather sofa, a naked woman was lying on it with a trembling body. her exposed back was covered in wounds, and blood flowed down her smooth skin to the ground, rippling into gorgeous and dazzling petals. the ferocious-looking man behind her was still waving the whip in his hand. when he was tired of beating her, he suddenly pried open the woman¡¯s pale chin and threw away the toy ball in her mouth. gritting his teeth, he opened her mouth and fed her another pink pill. the wound on her back was felt up and down by his large palm. the woman let out a whimper of pain, but she hurriedly covered her mouth, as her entire body trembled. fortunately, the man was immersed in her beautiful body and did not care about the sound she made against her will. the pill in her mouth quickly took effect. the woman¡¯s tense body gradually became soft and hot, and heavy panting suddenly sounded in the silent study. it was not until the man was tired of venting that he was finally willing to let go of the woman under him. he threw her to the ground like a broken doll and stepped on her flat and fair stomach. he ordered condescendingly, ¡°remember to take your medicine when you go back.¡± the woman lay on the ground; she was so tired that she did not want to move. it was not until the man removed his foot from her that she finally gathered her strength to get up. she put on her clothes one by one and slowly moved out of the study, enduring the pain in her body. the door opened and closed, and a young man with a cute face walked in with a smile. he glanced at the mess on the ground that had yet to be cleaned up and smiled apologetically. ¡°dad, 1 have something urgent. 1 didn¡¯t mean to disturb your mood.¡± yi kun stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and pushed open the window to take a breather. the lewd smell in the room finally dissipated a little. he turned around expressionlessly, his eyes like an eagle staring at its prey in the dark. his sharp gaze was fixed on the young man. ¡°what is it? yi zheng even dared to touch the largest piece of cake in our hands. what else does he want?¡± yi che smiled bitterly and said, ¡°dad, the appointment from the higher-ups has just been issued. the shi family has undoubtedly become the biggest winner, and our company¡¯s appointment document has actually been handed directly to yi zheng.¡± ¡°damn it!¡± yi kun¡¯s good mood completely disappeared again. he kicked the office chair beside him angrily and gritted his teeth as he glared at the share transfer agreement on the table. ¡°yi zheng, you win, but it¡¯s not so easy for him to monopolize such a big piece of fat meat!¡± yi che frowned and suggested worriedly, ¡°this matter is already a sure bet, a shoo-in, but yi zheng has never done anything in this aspect. if anything goes wrong, i¡¯m afraid even the shi family, who recommended him, won¡¯t be able to explain it to the higher-ups.¡± yi kun suddenly looked up, and a glint flashed across his eyes. the corners of his mouth curled up proudly. ¡°yes, good son, you¡¯re right. if there¡¯s a problem with the project led by yi zheng himself, it won¡¯t be our fault.¡± yi che nodded with a smile. ¡°dad, the project will start after the new year. it seems that we have to prepare well during this period.¡± in the blink of an eye, it was the new year. even though such an earth-shattering event had happened before the new year, the city was still lively this new year. all of this was because the shi family had spent a huge sum of money this time and donated a large batch of new year goods to the displaced people. the goal was to let them spend the new year happily. for a moment, the entire internet was full of good comments about the shi family. shi zhong and shi man were even rated as outstanding entrepreneurs by the city. on new year¡¯s day, the trophy and certificate were sent to the shi family. shen xian¡¯s arm had not completely recovered, but as long as she was careful, there would not be too many problems. moreover, the shi family had a professional doctor. therefore, shen xian specially applied to be discharged in advance this time because she wanted to spend the new year with everyone at home. this year, the shi family was different from before. not only was the atmosphere warmer and livelier than before, but the population had also increased by four people. su tang woke up early in the morning to help. one moment, she ran outside to paste the couplets, and the next moment, she went to the courtyard to help sweep the snow. she didn¡¯t even bother to drink her water, but the smile on her face never stopped. bai xue sat on the sofa with her mother and chatted with shen xian. she did not expect that shen xian would still be willing to let her stay for the new year. shen xian even considerately called her mother for her. her eyes turned red with gratitude. however, her nervousness was far inferior to shi mu¡¯s. the pompous monkey, who was always jumping up and down, was especially obedient and quiet today. even his words were precious. shi he was secretly laughing at him, causing shi mu to roll his eyes at him. bai xue¡¯s mother was an honest woman.. she vaguely understood what shen xian meant and asked casually, ¡°is xiao mu still in school?¡± Chapter 351 - Chapter 351: Not Worthy of Going to School chapter 351: not worthy of going to school translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°all, right!¡± shi mu quickly looked away from shi he and stammered as he nodded. mrs. bai looked at bai xue hesitantly. shi mu immediately understood and quickly explained for himself, ¡°i¡¯m going to the company for an internship after the new year. i can graduate from school soon. my results are outstanding. it won¡¯t be a problem for me to find a job.¡± shi he chuckled at the side at an inappropriate time. he only knew to restrain himself after being glared at by shi mu. bai xue kept her head lowered, so no one could tell what she was thinking. mrs. bai smiled politely and replied, ¡°xiao mu is indeed very outstanding. actually, xiao xue used to have good grades. it¡¯s all because of me that she can¡¯t continue school.¡± ¡°mom.¡± bai xue suddenly pushed her mother¡¯s arm and looked over with tears in her eyes, as if she was silently begging her not to continue. however, mrs. bai turned a deaf ear. she placed her hands between her knees and rubbed her hands uneasily. ¡°if she can continue school, i believe her future will definitely be worlds apart from now.¡± ¡°mom!¡± bai xue¡¯s eyes were red as she stood up excitedly to interrupt her mother¡¯s next words. her face was filled with pain. ¡°mom, stop talking. i¡¯ve already promised miss shi to work in her company. i already have a good future.¡± ¡°but you don¡¯t have an education! others will look down on you!¡± mrs. bai looked at her daughter with heartache and sighed. ¡°i know it¡¯s not appropriate for me to say this now, but i just want to fight for xiao xue. she¡¯s very hardworking in her studies and will definitely learn very well.¡± ¡°mom, i¡¯m begging you. stop talking!¡± bai xue bit her lower lip stubbornly, tears welling up in her eyes. shi mu reached out to tug at her sleeve tentatively. seeing that she did not refuse, he gradually became bolder. he pulled her to sit beside him and advised softly, ¡°xiao xue, 1 think what auntie said makes sense. if you¡¯re willing, 1 can help you enter cassel academy.¡± bai xue suddenly raised her head and stared at him in disbelief. her tears finally fell uncontrollably. she bit her lower lip and stubbornly dried her tears. her voice trembled imperceptibly. ¡°thank you for your kindness, but i don¡¯t need it. i¡¯m sorry. i want to go out and be alone. i¡¯m so sorry. excuse me.¡± ¡°xiao xue!¡± mrs. bai called her name worriedly from behind, but bai xue did not hesitate to leave. what she did not know was that every tear she shed just now was like a heavy hammer that smashed into shi mu¡¯s heart, making his heart ache. his expression darkened. he pulled mother bai, who was about to chase after her, and comforted her softly. ¡°just sit here. i¡¯ll go take a look. don¡¯t worry, with me around, nothing will happen to her.¡± mrs. bai¡¯s expectant gaze followed shi mu¡¯s back until he walked out of the villa and could not be seen anymore. shen xian sighed and comforted mrs. bai while promising that her family would help her fulfill her wish. however, she kept thinking about the two children outside. su tang was sweeping the snow in the courtyard. when she saw bai xue running out crying, she hurriedly handed the tools in her hand to the butler and jogged to stop her. ¡°xiao xue, what¡¯s wrong? did fourth brother bully you?¡± bai xue shook her head hard and pulled her arm as she begged in a low voice, ¡°is there any quiet place here? i don¡¯t want to be found by shi mu. i want to stay with you for a while.¡± ¡°alright, follow me.¡± su tang took bai xue¡¯s hand and brought her to a small wooden house at the back of the manor. she poured her a cup of hot tea and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, fourth brother won¡¯t be able to find this place. he never comes here.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good.¡± bai xue hugged the teacup with both hands to warm her hands as she stared blankly at the empty space in front of her. su tang also poured herself a cup of tea before sitting down beside her. she asked hesitantly, ¡°what happened to you just now? why are you crying like this?¡± bai xue let out a long sigh. her lower lip was bitten until she felt a sharp pain. she came back to her senses and said with a downcast expression, ¡°my mother just suggested to aunt shen that i continue school.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good!¡± su tang blinked and looked at her in confusion. ¡°don¡¯t you want to continue studying?¡± ¡°i want to.¡± bai xue looked down at the scar on the outside of her arm dejectedly. ¡°but a person like me is not worthy of walking into the classroom, let alone letting the shi family pull strings for me. even if 1 enter cassel academy, i¡¯ll only dirty that place.¡± ¡°what makes you think that? is it because of what happened at school in the past?¡± su tang patted her shoulder comfortingly. just like every time shi man comforted her in the past, she patiently advised, ¡°you can tell me what you¡¯re thinking. perhaps you¡¯ll be relieved after saying it?¡± ¡°will i?¡± bai xue looked up in surprise, but in an instant, the light in her eyes dimmed. ¡°but can someone like me really be forgiven?¡± su tang frowned in disapproval.. ¡°why do you need others to forgive you? you didn¡¯t do anything wrong at all!¡± Chapter 352 - Chapter 352: Childhood Nightmare chapter 352: childhood nightmare translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai xue had many nightmares. in her dreams, she returned to junior high repeatedly and sat in the seat she was most familiar with. however, what she heard was not the sound of reading that should be on campus. ¡°is her mother really a mistress? how can there be such a shameless woman?¡± ¡°it¡¯s true. the last time i passed by her house, i happened to hear someone causing trouble. that auntie looks very rich and very beautiful. she¡¯s worlds apart from her mother!¡± ¡°huh? 1 thought she was a good person. i didn¡¯t expect her to be such a person. perhaps her kindness in front of us in the past was all an act!¡± ¡°i heard that xiao feng even brought her home. now that i think about it, could it be that she deliberately approached xiao feng to let her mom hook up with a rich man again?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t know this. xiao feng has a very handsome brother in her family!¡± ¡°all? i see!¡± the endless discussion became a low moan in the snowy nightmare, pulling her soul back to that desperate dusk again and again. ¡°xiao feng is a very good girl. we used to be very good friends.¡± when bai xue said this, her face was filled with loneliness. su tang didn¡¯t dare to disturb her, but her grip on her shoulder tightened slightly. bai xue smiled bitterly and continued, ¡°actually, it¡¯s not that i¡¯m not strong enough. i¡¯ve told myself countless times not to take it to heart, but 1 can¡¯t forgive the mistakes i made in the past.¡± after school one day, bai xue went to the door of xiao feng¡¯s class, as usual, to wait for her to go home. on the way, she ignored the students pointing at her. she treated xiao feng as her best friend and believed that xiao feng would not despise her because of her family¡¯s matters and was unwilling to continue interacting with her. as expected, xiao feng did not take it to heart. instead, she held her hand tightly and comforted her. ¡°don¡¯t listen to their nonsense. i know what kind of person you are. don¡¯t worry, we will always be good friends.¡± ¡°yes!¡± bai xue raised her beautiful face, looking dazzling under the evening light. the two of them walked hand in hand to the entrance of the school building. unexpectedly, it started to rain heavily outside. xiao feng took off her school uniform jacket and covered their heads. she smiled and said, ¡°there¡¯s no choice this time. my house is slightly closer. go to my house first.¡± bai xue thought of what those people had said during the day and was about to reject her, but when she saw xiao feng¡¯s trusting smile, she hurriedly shook her head and expelled those words from her mind. the two of them looked at each other and smiled. they bravely stepped into the rain side by side. even though their clothes were completely drenched by the rain, it did not stop them from moving forward together. until an umbrella was held above their heads. bai xue looked up along the man¡¯s thin finger bones. her gaze passed the black umbrella handle and landed on the owner¡¯s narrowed peach blossom eyes. little feng called out ¡°brother¡± sweetly and pulled bai xue into the umbrella. ¡°this is good. we don¡¯t have to continue to be drenched in the rain!¡± although it was good to have an umbrella, it was still too crowded for the three of them. bai xue dodged to the side uncomfortably and said, ¡°i don¡¯t need it. i¡¯m already drenched anyway. go home with your brother quickly. 1¡¯11 run back myself.¡± ¡°how can that do? it¡¯s still a long way from your house!¡± xiao feng reached out to pull her back to her side. unexpectedly, bai xue took another step out. unfortunately, she stepped on a protruding stone. the stones that had been washed by the rain were especially wet and slippery. the snow fell back uncontrollably. just as she was about to fall to the ground, a pair of strong arms grabbed her in time. ¡°be careful.¡± the young man hurriedly pulled her back under the umbrella, but with this movement, the umbrella in his hand tilted slightly for a moment, and the rain mercilessly drenched half of his shoulder. bai xue was stunned as she was pulled into his arms. her nose touched the young man¡¯s hard chest, and the fragrance of soap suddenly entered her nose. the hot temperature on her wrist was still flowing over. she immediately broke free from his hand as if she had been scalded and hurriedly lowered her head to admit her mistake. the young man smiled indifferently and turned his head to hide the smile on his lips. he said calmly, ¡°let¡¯s go. if we stay any longer, the three of us will be drenched.¡± xiao feng also comforted her. ¡°that¡¯s right. listen to my brother. when we get to my house, 1¡¯11 find you a set of my clothes to change into. otherwise, you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± ¡°alright.¡± bai xue could not refuse. she could only endure the heat on her face and try her best to stand as far away from the young man as possible. however, every time she took a step out, the young man would extend his arm and pull her back under the umbrella with a smile. after going back and forth, she could not continue to struggle. she could only follow the two of them home with a flushed face. xiao feng brought her back to her room and found her a towel. ¡°i¡¯ll take a shower first. i¡¯ll come and change with you later. if you¡¯re cold, wait under the blanket.¡± ¡°okay.¡± bai xue nodded in agreement. after they left, she helplessly took off her wet clothes, but she forgot to lock the door. when the young man pushed the door open and entered, she was naked and looked into the young man¡¯s eyes awkwardly.. Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: Caught in the Bed chapter 353: caught in the bed translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai xue put her clothes back on in a hurry, but the young man at the door stood there in a daze, with no intention of avoiding her. bai xue wrung the corner of her school uniform at a loss, and a large puddle of water flowed down her pants. ¡°um, can you go out for a while? i want to change.¡± the young man pursed his lips. half of his face was hidden under his long bangs, making it impossible to see what he was thinking at this moment. however, his sudden step forward made bai xue realize something. she subconsciously hugged her shoulders and stared at the young man¡¯s every move in fear. seeing him walk into the room step by step and lock the door tightly, bai xue¡¯s heart could not help but thump. it was raining heavily today, so xiao feng¡¯s parents came back a little late from work. when they entered, they heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom. the two of them looked at each other and smiled. xiao feng¡¯s mother knocked on the frosted glass door of the bathroom with concern and said, ¡°you were drenched in the rain, right? didn¡¯t your brother pick you up?¡± ¡°yes, mom. a classmate came to our house today. let¡¯s make more delicious food tonight.¡± xiao feng turned off the tap and took the initiative to suggest to her mother through the glass door. ¡°which classmate? it can¡¯t be that bai xue, right?¡± xiao feng¡¯s mother frowned and lowered her voice to scold her. ¡°aiya, didn¡¯t i tell you not to interact with her? why don¡¯t you listen?¡± ¡°mom, xiao xue is really not the kind of person you¡¯re talking about. she¡¯s a very good person. have you forgotten that i was almost bullied by my classmates previously? she was the one who took the initiative to help me.¡± no matter how others badmouthed bai xue behind her back, xiao feng always believed that the girl who was willing to stand up and protect her at the critical moment was not a bad person. madam feng couldn¡¯t win against her. she could only let out a long sigh and ask helplessly, ¡°hey, why don¡¯t i see your brother?¡± ¡°my brother? isn¡¯t he in his room?¡± xiao feng was also a little strange. she shivered and said indifferently, ¡°mom, i¡¯ll take a shower first. 1 won¡¯t talk to you anymore. it¡¯s a little cold here. i¡¯ll catch a cold later.¡± ¡°alright, then quickly wash up and come out for dinner.¡± madam feng placed the groceries into the kitchen. when she heard the television in the living room, she immediately walked out unhappily and started nagging. ¡°you started watching television as soon as you got home. can¡¯t you help me wash the vegetables?¡± ¡°aiya, i¡¯m coming, i¡¯m coming. why don¡¯t you ask your son to help you?¡± xiao feng¡¯s father turned off the television impatiently and walked to his son¡¯s room. just as he was about to knock on the door, he suddenly heard a strange sound in the room and was immediately suspicious. he frowned and opened his son¡¯s door. he thought that this kid was doing something shameful by locking himself in the room, but no one was inside. father feng thought that he had heard wrongly and was about to turn around and leave when an exclamation suddenly sounded from the room behind him. only then did he realize that the voice had come from his daughter¡¯s room. but wasn¡¯t her daughter taking a shower in the bathroom now? father feng felt that something was wrong and hurriedly ran to the kitchen to call his wife along. he twisted the doorknob of his daughter¡¯s bedroom uneasily, but the room was actually locked from the inside. only then did the two of them know what might be happening inside. father feng smashed the door angrily and roared angrily, ¡°young brat, open the door for me. let me see what you¡¯re doing. little brat, you¡¯ve got guts!¡± xiao feng heard the commotion outside in the bathroom and thought that her brother had caused trouble again and made her father angry. she hurriedly put on her clothes and rushed out, only to see her brother coming out of her room in a mess. ¡°dad, mom.¡± the young man frowned aggrievedly. he secretly glanced at his sister before quickly looking away. ¡°brother, why are you in my room?¡± she looked at her brother¡¯s untied belt in surprise and suddenly realized something. she trembled and pushed him away. when she saw the naked girl lying on the ground, her eyes widened in fear. ¡°how could this be? brother, how could you do such a thing?¡± the young man was caught red-handed in bed and immediately panicked. seeing that his father¡¯s slap was about to land on his face, he quickly thought of something and quickly shied away from the responsibility. ¡°she seduced me! she changed her clothes and didn¡¯t lock the door. she even invited me in!¡± madam feng had always wanted to protect her son. now that she heard this, she was furious. she pointed at bai xue and scolded angrily, ¡°i knew it. what good can a vixen¡¯s daughter be? how dare she seduce my son? i¡¯ll skin you alive today!¡± ¡°mom! xiao xue is not such a person!¡± xiao feng ran into the house with heartache and hurriedly pulled the blanket from the bed to cover her. ¡°xiao xue, are you alright? xiao xue?¡± the girl on the ground did not move. the bright red palm print on her face made her skin look even paler than paper. she was so fragile that it seemed that she would shatter if she used a little strength. bai xue¡¯s dull eyes slowly regained their expression, and tears of despair slowly fell from the corners of her eyes. her voice was so weak that it was almost inaudible. ¡°xiao feng, 1 didn¡¯t seduce your brother..¡± Chapter 354 - Chapter 354: Threat chapter 354: threat translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°i know, i know.¡± xiao feng wiped her tears and wanted to help her up, but her mother pulled her away disapprovingly. ¡°come here.¡± mother feng glanced at bai xue on the ground and pulled xiao feng to a corner. ¡°are you stupid? that¡¯s your biological brother! if you don¡¯t believe your biological brother, do you have to believe an outsider?¡± xiao feng roared indignantly, ¡°mom, xiao xue won¡¯t do that. this is clearly brother¡¯s fault!¡± ¡°shut up!¡± father feng interrupted her angrily. he walked up to bai xue and slowly squatted down. bai xue was so frightened that she wrapped the blanket around her even tighter and stared at the man in front of her in horror. father feng suppressed his anger and persuaded softly, ¡°you and my son are still young. now is not the time to do such a thing. you can only do it when you grow up. do you understand what i¡¯m saying?¡± tears suddenly flowed out of bai xue¡¯s eyes. she reached out from under the blanket and grabbed his sleeve, begging pitifully, ¡°uncle, i really didn¡¯t seduce him. i don¡¯t know him either. he suddenly rushed in¡­¡± father feng¡¯s expression darkened completely and he smiled fakely. ¡°what do you mean?¡± bai xue looked at xiao feng in fear and couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡°get out first. all of you, get out. i want to put on my clothes first.¡± father feng stood up with a dark expression. he looked at his wife and dragged his daughter out of the room. only bai xue was left in the bedroom. she curled up helplessly and hugged her knees as she cried. when she was done crying, she slowly put on the clothes that xiao feng had given her and opened the door to walk out. in the living room, the man¡¯s deep voice roared into her ears with uncontrollable anger. ¡°this is the only way. otherwise, your brother¡¯s life will be ruined! our family won¡¯t be able to raise our heads for the rest of our lives!¡± ¡°no! bai xue is clearly the victim. how can we wrong her again?¡± xiao feng argued with her father in disbelief. mother feng sat on the sofa and cried bitterly. she pointed at xiao feng and scolded, ¡°you unfilial daughter, this is your biological brother. how can you not speak up for him? your brother is clearly the victim!¡± ¡°my brother isn¡¯t!¡± xiao feng couldn¡¯t take it anymore and roared at her mother, but what she received in return was a heavy slap from her father. a crisp sound suddenly sounded in the living room, and all the noise returned to silence. bai xue suddenly loosened her grip on her school bag. it hit the ground heavily with a sound, and everyone¡¯s gaze finally landed on her. her hand trembled as she widened her eyes and looked at them in fear. xiao feng¡¯s brother ran over first, grabbed her shoulder, and shook her desperately. ¡°xiao xue, listen to me. i didn¡¯t do it on purpose just now. you won¡¯t call the police, right? i didn¡¯t do anything to you. i didn¡¯t do anything at all!¡± bai xue struggled to break free from his hand. her huge fear made his lips tremble. ¡°no, you, you took off my clothes and hit me. i want to call the police. i have to tell the police!¡± the young man looked at her in a daze and a mocking smile appeared on his lips. ¡°is that so? in that case, don¡¯t blame us.¡± ¡°what do you want?¡± bai xue quickly picked up a vase from the other side and pointed it at him threateningly. ¡°don¡¯t come over. xiao feng will help me!¡± xiao feng hesitated and was about to walk forward when father feng quickly grabbed her arm and threw her onto the sofa. he said coldly, ¡°wife, take good care of your daughter. leave this to us.¡± ¡°dad, what are you doing?¡± xiao feng struggled in her mother¡¯s arms crazily, but she could only watch helplessly as xiao feng¡¯s wrist was grabbed by her brother and father, while she was locked in the bedroom by her mother. she cried and knocked on the bedroom door with all her might, begging her mother to be moved and not let her father and the others make mistakes again. unfortunately, no one outside was willing to listen to her. if they let bai xue call the police, their family would be completely finished. information in the town was limited. any family with the slightest bit of scandal would be known by everyone. if this ugly matter was exposed, their son¡¯s life would be in this little girl¡¯s hands! who did she think she was?! she was just someone a vixen had secretly given birth to! the vase in bai xue¡¯s hand was easily snatched away by father feng. the young man grabbed her wrist with a ferocious expression and shifted his gaze to her collar. he did not hide his naked gaze. ¡°if you dare to call the police, don¡¯t even think about leaving our house today.¡± bai xue glared fiercely at his gradually enlarging face in front of her. when his large hand reached for her clothes again, she suddenly turned around and ran. unfortunately, there was only a dead end waiting for her behind. soon, she was forced into a corner by two men. fear and despair gradually made her recognize reality. she closed her eyes in pain and grabbed her collar. her face was pale. ¡°1,1 know. i won¡¯t call the police anymore. let me go.¡± the two men looked at each other and smiled. the young man walked up to her with an arrogant expression and said calmly, ¡°you said it. don¡¯t forget that i haven¡¯t done anything to you. even if you go to the police, the police won¡¯t do anything to me without evidence, but i won¡¯t let you off..¡± Chapter 355 - Chapter 355: Gossip chapter 355: gossip translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when su tang heard this, she subconsciously tightened her grip on her hand. ¡°did you go to the police in the end and tell them?¡± bai xue shook her head silently and held back the sour tears in her eyes. she said slowly, ¡°i didn¡¯t dare to call the police, let alone tell mom about this.¡± su tang sighed and comforted her softly. ¡°it¡¯s not your fault. you don¡¯t have to blame yourself.¡± however, not only did bai xue not relax at all, she even covered her face and cried. su tang was shocked. she quickly took out a tissue and handed it to her. she asked uneasily, ¡°then, what happened after that?¡± bai xue raised her wet eyes in pain, her face filled with despair. ¡°after that, they still refused to let me go.¡± xiao feng¡¯s family had a guilty conscience. they were afraid that bai xue would tell others about what happened that day and ruin their reputation, so they started a rumor that bai xue had deliberately changed in front of brother feng when xiao feng was not around. he rejected her sternly, and bai xue ran home crying. it was rare for people in the town to hear such things. the last time was when bai xue¡¯s mother was beaten up by the first wife. at this moment, before that matter completely disappeared, bai xue actually came to seduce her classmate¡¯s brother again. their originally disdainful gaze toward her became even more unrestrained. everyone in the town knew about it. even when bai xue walked around the school, she would be pointed at. no one was willing to believe her innocence just because her mother had been deceived by that man in the past and committed the unforgivable sin they spoke of. but weren¡¯t bai xue and her mother victims too? the consequence of this matter spreading was that bai xue was targeted everywhere in school. the teacher deliberately made things difficult for her in front of the entire class. the principal looked for her to talk several times, and even her classmates who were close to xiao feng¡¯s brother came to find trouble with her one after another. after school that day, she was pushed onto the cement ground again. her entire body was covered in mud. she looked up and happened to see xiao feng passing by. she reached out helplessly and opened her mouth, but the words for help were still stuck in her throat. xiao feng actually left quickly without looking sideways, leaving her with a cold back. after the group of children had caused enough trouble, they hurriedly dispersed, leaving bai xue sitting alone on the cement ground. the door behind her was suddenly opened from the inside. the man suddenly saw that the cement he had just laid had been destroyed and the culprit was still sitting on it. he was instantly furious. he pointed at her nose and scolded, ¡°don¡¯t you have eyes, child? you spoiled it for me as soon as i was done. where¡¯s your parent? get your parent to compensate me!¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± bai xue stood up in a daze. her cement-covered hand reached into her school uniform pocket to get the money, but she only took out a few dollars. that person was instantly furious. he grabbed her collar and wanted to look for her parents. bai xue hurriedly looked up and begged with tears in her eyes, ¡°please, don¡¯t look for my mother. i¡¯ll compensate you!¡± ¡°yo, it¡¯s you!¡± that person saw her face clearly and rolled up his sleeves playfully. he sized her up with a lecherous gaze and said, ¡°you¡¯re compensating me? what are you going to compensate me with? don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to seduce me too?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t seduce anyone!¡± bai xue defended herself helplessly. she bit her pale lower lip and said with a conflicted expression, ¡°i¡¯ll work to compensate you slowly, okay?¡± ¡°no, 1 want money now!¡± that person deliberately made things difficult for her. he looked around with his sneaky eyes. seeing that there was no one around, he immediately lowered his voice and went to her side. ¡°why don¡¯t you sleep with me for the night so that i don¡¯t have to pay you? how about that?¡± ¡°no!¡± bai xue rejected him decisively in fear. her eyes widened in disbelief. seeing that the man was about to reach out to grab her, she ran home desperately until she locked the door. then, she leaned against the door and slid to the ground. tears blurred her vision. bai xue seemed to see xiao feng¡¯s cold back as she left. she remembered that she had said in the past that she would believe her. she remembered the scene of her brother pouncing on her like a hungry wolf that day and sitting by the door for the entire night. the next day, before she could compose herself for school, she received a call from the principal at home. it turned out that the man had caused trouble in school yesterday and insisted that her family give an explanation. her mother could only obediently admit her mistake and bring bai xue to school to apologize to that person. from then on, people from the school took the initiative to find trouble with her every few days. her classmates could not tolerate her anymore. in addition, her mother was not in good health at that time, so bai xue could only choose to drop out. on the day she left school, she went to see xiao feng for the last time. at the door of the class, bai xue finally saw her former good friend, but her eyes were unexpectedly calm. ¡°why are you here?¡± xiao feng looked at her expressionlessly. the students stopped in their tracks, waiting to enjoy this show. bai xue smiled bitterly and said, ¡°don¡¯t think too much. i just want to say goodbye to you. i¡¯m leaving here.¡± ¡°where are you going?¡± after xiao feng asked this, she looked at the surrounding students unnaturally and immediately changed her words. ¡°where you are going has nothing to do with me..¡± Chapter 356 - Chapter 356: A Warm Hug chapter 356: a warm hug translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°can i talk to you alone?¡± bai xue bit her lower lip and clenched her fists pleadingly. ¡°i won¡¯t take up too much of your time. i just have something to ask you in person!¡± xiao feng suddenly turned her head away. her shoulders trembled slightly, but her voice was especially cold. ¡°i have nothing to say to you anymore.¡± ¡°feng¡­¡± bai xue called her name weakly. unexpectedly, xiao feng suddenly roared at her in agitation, ¡°i said i have nothing to say to you! get lost! 1 don¡¯t want to see you again!¡± with that, she knocked bai xue¡¯s shoulder away in a sorry state and ran down the stairs without looking back. the students¡¯ ridicule in the corridor kept entering her ears, but bai xue didn¡¯t care. her mind was filled with xiao feng¡¯s nasty words when she left. ¡°then we never saw each other again.¡± bai xue sighed softly and barely calmed herself down. ¡°so 1 think i¡¯m not suitable to go to school. i¡¯m afraid someone like me will dirty that place. studying is a good thing, but it¡¯s not suitable for me.¡± su tang held her hand tightly in disapproval. ¡°no, this isn¡¯t your fault at all. they¡¯re selfish. in order to absolve themselves, they threw the blame on you. your mother¡¯s matter is also the bai family¡¯s fault. they can¡¯t blame you at all.¡± bai xue was silent. after a while, she retracted her hand and shook her head gently. ¡°1 think i¡¯ll forget it. mom¡¯s health is getting worse and worse. i can¡¯t let her earn money to support my studies. now is the time for me to take care of her.¡± su tang frowned and advised worriedly, ¡°you should consider it again. after all, this is a matter of life. 1 think auntie will definitely support you.¡± bai xue still shook her head. she looked at the clock on the wall and forced a smile. ¡°let¡¯s go back quickly. they won¡¯t be able to find us. i¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll be worried. it¡¯s the new year today. i don¡¯t want them to be unhappy because of me.¡± ¡°alright.¡± su tang couldn¡¯t persuade her, so she planned to tell shi man about this when she returned. in the face of difficulties, su tang would always be the first to think of shi man. when she did things, she would subconsciously learn from her. she felt that if shi man was here today, she would definitely have a good way to convince bai xue. the two of them pushed open the door and the cold wind blew in. bai xue immediately raised her arm to block the snowflakes, but in the next second, the cold wind suddenly disappeared in front of her. she lowered her hand in a daze and suddenly saw shi mu blocking the door, using his body to block all the cold. ¡°brother shi mu, why are you here? when did you come?¡± bai xue looked at him in a daze. her gaze landed on his cold and red hands. she quickly pulled him into the house anxiously and poured a cup of hot tea for him to warm his hands. shi mu sat on the sofa, his body still trembling slightly, but he looked at bai xue firmly. ¡°do you want to continue studying?¡± ¡°huh?¡± bai xue was stunned for a moment before slowly shaking her head. ¡°since you heard it, you should know what i¡¯m thinking.¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m asking if you want it or not.¡± shi mu¡¯s dark eyes stared straight at her. ¡°don¡¯t think about others, don¡¯t think about the past. just ask yourself if you want it or not.¡± bai xue was stunned and did not speak. her mouth opened slightly in disbelief as if she did not understand why he was so obsessed with her. however, shi mu promised her word by word, ¡°if you still want to study, the shi family will support you to go to cassel academy unconditionally. if you think you shouldn¡¯t take this money, you can return it to the shi family after graduation. you don¡¯t have to consider any other interference. now, i¡¯m only asking you if you want it or not.¡± ¡°i¡­¡± bai xue opened her mouth helplessly and lowered her head. her fingers subconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes. ¡°it wasn¡¯t easy for me to escape such an environment. i don¡¯t want to be pointed at anymore.¡± ¡°bai xue, look at me.¡± shi mu held her shoulder, his gentle and magnetic voice enchanting. bai xue looked up blankly. she met his especially serious gaze and was caught off-guard. her heart suddenly skipped a beat. shi mu¡¯s eyes were filled with complicated emotions. there was a deep affection hidden in his dark eyes that even he did not notice. ¡°you can leave the rest to me. you just have to tell me if you still want to go to school.¡± ¡°i¡­¡± bai xue bit her lower lip until it turned pale. then, she nodded with tears in her eyes. ¡°i want to, but i can¡¯t cause trouble for mom again.¡± a trace of joy finally appeared on shi mu¡¯s serious face. he hugged her excitedly and patted her back as if he was coaxing a child. ¡°don¡¯t worry. you went to school to have a better future. you¡¯re not trouble. you¡¯re the best girl i¡¯ve ever seen other than my two sisters. it¡¯s their loss that cassel academy doesn¡¯t have you..¡± Chapter 357 - Chapter 357: New Year’s Gift chapter 357: new year¡¯s gift translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios his embrace was very warm, so warm that bai xue¡¯s stiff hands and feet gradually became conscious. no one had ever been willing to help her unconditionally. the shi family was a rare warmth to her in this world. the grievances she had suppressed for many years were vented with her spewing tears. when she was tired of crying, her rationality returned. she realized belatedly that she was still being hugged tightly by shi mu. she hurriedly pushed his chest away and looked away uncomfortably. ¡°thank you, brother shi mu, but i¡¯ve already agreed to miss shi¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s okay. i¡¯ll talk to manman!¡± shi mu looked at her arm, which was still warm, in disappointment. he restrained himself and distanced himself from her. he scratched his head guiltily. ¡°then it¡¯s settled. you can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± ¡°yes, i won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± bai xue smiled and nodded. suddenly, she thought of something and looked around uneasily. when she saw su tang, who was facing the wall in the corner, her face instantly turned red. ¡°tangtang, i¡¯m sorry. i¡­¡± su tang, whose face was red, immediately turned around and hurriedly waved her hand with a smile. ¡°it¡¯s okay. 1 suddenly realized that the paint on the wall had fallen off a little. 1 was just thinking of hanging a painting to block it. you guys go ahead. i¡¯ll leave first!¡± ¡°tangtang!¡± bai xue lowered her head shyly. under shi mu¡¯s burning gaze, she slowly moved to su tang¡¯s side and held her arm. ¡°let¡¯s go back together. don¡¯t let aunt shen worry.¡± ¡°alright.¡± su tang pursed her lips at shi mu helplessly. this was bai xue who wanted to leave with her! fourth brother must not blame her! shi mu did not move and stared at their backs. bai xue felt her face burning. when she reached the door, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. she turned her head slightly and looked at shi mu apologetically. ¡°you should go back with us. it¡¯s the new year today. you should still have a lot of things to do, right?¡± ¡°okay!¡± only then did a smile appear on shi mu¡¯s face again. he followed behind bai xue happily. in the living room, shi man and yi zheng had already returned from outside. the two of them had gone out to the base to visit immaculate and the blood oath mercenary groups. it was almost lunchtime, so they rushed home and waited for a reunion meal with their families. seeing that the three of them had also returned, butler qi walked to shen xian and shi zhong with a smile and said, ¡°madam, master, the food is ready.¡± shen xian immediately called mrs. bai over and held her arm warmly. the two of them were so close that they did not look like they had just met, but like good friends who had been friends for many years. bai xue was surprised to see the smile on her mother¡¯s face. in her memory, it had been a long time since she had seen her mother smile. however, she often saw her mother secretly cry alone in the night. every time this happened, she could only curl up helplessly under the blanket and force herself to sleep. then, she would wake up the next day and continue to work hard to earn money as if nothing had happened. shi man took the initiative to walk to her side, her eyes filled with admiration for her. ¡°i heard from auntie that she wants you to go to school. from your expression when you came back just now, you should have thought it through, right?¡± ¡°yes.¡± bai xue nodded apologetically. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i promised to work at your company.¡± ¡°what¡¯s wrong with that? you can still come after you graduate!¡± shi man smiled casually. ¡°but when you come again in the future, i believe it will definitely be a brand new you. at that time, you¡¯re welcome to come to my company to demonstrate your abilities.¡± ¡°okay!¡± bai xue smiled from the bottom of her heart. her heart, which had been frozen for a long time, suddenly moved a little. maybe she could trust someone else again. the new year¡¯s reunion meal passed happily with congratulations. everyone in the shi family prepared a new year gift for each other. shen xian even gave su tang and bai xue an additional red packet each. originally, shi man also had a share, but she refused to accept it. instead, she gave su tang a big red packet from her own pocket. shi mu had prepared some exquisite ornaments. unexpectedly, he even brought something for yi zheng. however, when he was giving the gift, shi mu was still awkward and said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°don¡¯t misunderstand. this is for auntie lu to play with at home. i just asked you to pass it to her for me.¡± ¡°okay,¡± yi zheng agreed readily and prepared a gift for everyone. only when it came to shi man did he keep her in suspense. he lowered his voice and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°i¡¯ll give it to you alone later.¡± su tang¡¯s gift was naturally the family photo she had personally drawn. shen xian couldn¡¯t bear to part with it. she asked butler qi to hang it in the most eye-catching place in the house. she didn¡¯t forget to hold bai xue¡¯s hand and said meaningfully, ¡°i hope we can take a family photo together.¡± bai xue blushed at her words and lowered her head uncomfortably, but the corners of her lips could not help but curl up. ¡°auntie, 1 don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about..¡± Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: Stars in the Sky chapter 358: stars in the sky translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shen xian smiled mischievously and winked at shi mu. she patted her hand and said earnestly, ¡°it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t understand now. you¡¯ll understand in the future.¡± on the night of the new year, the shi family sat together and watched the television. they only dispersed when the bell rang at midnight. yi zheng held shi man¡¯s hand mysteriously and pulled her back to her room. shi zhong stared warily at the two of them as they left side by side and gave shi mu a look. shi mu immediately understood and tiptoed up the stairs. he leaned against shi man¡¯s door to eavesdrop. unexpectedly, the door was suddenly opened from the inside. shi man looked at her brother expressionlessly and said angrily, ¡°go back to sleep. tell dad that he doesn¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± ¡°huh?¡± before he could finish, shi man closed the door with a bang. shi mu happened to touch his nose and squatted down to cover it in pain. bai xue happened to see this scene from behind and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. when shi mu heard that someone was laughing at him, he was about to turn around and scold her when he saw that it was bai xue. his anger instantly subsided. he scratched his head with a smile and said, ¡°it¡¯s you. why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± ¡°i heard from sister su tang that she knows how to design clothes, so 1 want to go to her room to take a look. aren¡¯t you going back?¡± bai xue looked at him from a distance with a smile. shi mu quickly raised his hand with feigned interest. ¡°i¡¯m interested too. can i go with you?¡± bai xue blinked in surprise, but she still nodded and agreed. ¡°alright, come with me. sister su tang won¡¯t stop you from entering, right?¡± ¡°of course not. i have a good relationship with su tang!¡± shi mu replied casually. looking at bai xue¡¯s smiling eyes, he suddenly stammered and explained, ¡°she¡¯s also my sister, so we¡­¡± ¡°i understand.¡± bai xue smiled in understanding. she turned around and stopped talking, but her face was slightly red. shi man heaved a sigh of relief when she heard the distant voice outside. she glared at the man in front of her. ¡°tell me, what do you want?¡± ¡°didn¡¯t 1 say that i wanted to give you your present when we re alone?¡± yi zheng sat on her sofa as if he was familiar with her, and looking like he was staying there for the night. shi man rolled her eyes and sat down opposite him. she opened her palm matter-of-factly. ¡°where¡¯s the gift? give it to me.¡± ¡°close your eyes,¡± yi zheng said with a wicked smile. although it was already past midnight, the fireworks outside still illuminated the entire sky. colorful light shone through the window on his face. the light flickered, and shi man really closed her eyes. yi zheng looked at her quietly for a while. from her exquisite and beautiful eyebrows to her thin chin, his gaze finally landed on her fair and slender fingers. he slowly took out the gift he had prepared from his pocket. shi man felt someone suddenly put something cold on her finger. she opened her eyes in shock and saw a gem ring flickering with a red glow on her finger. ¡°you¡­¡± shi man looked at yi zheng in shock. only then did she realize that he had knelt on one knee in front of her. his eyes were filled with hot and seductive love. ¡°let¡¯s get engaged, okay?¡± yi zheng¡¯s dark eyes were filled with the reflection of a girl. from the first time he noticed shi man¡¯s change, he had been hopelessly fascinated by her. shi man was stunned for a moment before the corners of her lips curled up unconsciously. she teased in a frivolous tone, ¡°president, isn¡¯t your proposal too sloppy? i saw on television that proposals by a domineering ceo are filled with flowers and balloons. is this what you use?¡± she waved her finger proudly, and the ruby glowed brightly. yi zheng smiled and took her hand to the window. he pointed at the suddenly silent sky outside and said calmly, ¡°who said i didn¡¯t prepare anything? 1¡¯11 give you all the stars in the sky.¡± ¡°where?¡± shi man stuck her head out and saw the dark night. she couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°you didn¡¯t see the weather forecast, right? it¡¯s not sunny these two days, but there are no stars for you¡­ look!¡± before she could finish speaking, a loud bang suddenly came from outside. right on the heels of that, dozens of fireworks bloomed in the air at the same time. they connected in the pitch-black night sky, illuminating the night into day. in the end, they connected in an overwhelming manner. ¡°manman, can you get engaged to me?¡± shi man looked blankly at the fireworks that had lit up above her head for a long time. she turned around in disbelief and met yi zheng¡¯s eyes, which were even brighter than the fireworks. he hugged her waist tightly and whispered into her ear, ¡°manman, without the real stars, i¡¯ll make a star screen for you myself. do you like it?¡± shi man was shocked. after being stunned for a moment, she raised her hand mischievously and shook her finger with the ring. she changed the topic. ¡°you¡¯re in the wrong order. you can only put it on me if i agree.¡± yi zheng pursed his lips and chuckled. he planted a kiss on her finger as they got closer and closer. ¡°yes, but i¡¯m confident of success..¡± Chapter 359 - Chapter 359: First Temptation chapter 359: first temptation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°yi zheng.¡± shi man¡¯s eyes were dark as she looked at the man in front of her with special focus. ¡°i¡¯m not ready to spend the rest of my life with someone. 1 admit that i have a lot of good feelings for you, but i don¡¯t think this good feeling alone can support us for the rest of our lives.¡± yi zheng seemed to have expected her to say this. there was no disappointment on his face. instead, there was a hint of certainty. ¡°but you¡¯ve never had such a good impression of anyone other than me, right?¡± ¡°yes, i admit that too.¡± shi man had never liked any man. she had been a walking killing machine in the past. her first friendship had been given to su tang, and her first love had been given to him. yi zheng smiled in satisfaction, and his voice was relaxed and happy. ¡°that¡¯s why i¡¯m the most likely candidate to be with you for the rest of my life. moreover, you were the one who said that i won this bet. i don¡¯t believe that you will fall in love with someone else when you like me.¡± ¡°so your choice can only be me,¡± he said especially firmly. for a moment, shi man, who was thinking clearly, could not help but be stunned. for a moment, she could even hear her manic heartbeat. she was indeed tempted. she had only delayed it until now because she wanted to be extremely careful with her feelings. shi man lowered her eyes and thought for a while. yi zheng stood quietly in front of her and accompanied her. the longer he waited, the more tormented he felt. it was not until the air gradually became tense that he sighed. just as he was about to find a way out for himself, he heard shi man¡¯s cold voice suddenly sound in his chest. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll agree to be engaged to you, but i still have to think about getting married. if you¡¯re unwilling to wait, then let¡¯s¡­ hmm?¡± before she could finish, he pulled her into his arms. his chin rested gently on her shoulder, and his large palm on her back sent her his warmth. yi zheng felt that the huge rock that had been pressing on his heart had suddenly been moved away. his body and mind were so light that he could float at any time. he hugged the person in his arms as if he was holding a rare treasure, and his eyes lit up. ¡°thank you. thank you for being willing to give me this chance. 1 will spend the rest of my life proving to you that your choice is definitely not wrong.¡± ¡°alright, i¡¯ll wait and see.¡± for some reason, shi man felt relieved after saying this. when her nerves relaxed, sleepiness gradually crept into her mind. she couldn¡¯t help but yawn, and there were still crystal-clear tears in the corners of her eyes. yi zheng smiled and held her face, drying her tears. just as he was about to say something, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open from the outside. the ambiguous atmosphere between the two of them in the room stopped abruptly. shi man glared at the door with an unfriendly expression and saw shi zhong staring at them with a straight face. ¡°it¡¯s getting late. why don¡¯t you talk tomorrow?¡± yi zheng nodded in amusement. he let go of shi man and walked to the door. ¡°uncle, i¡¯m done talking. i was just about to leave.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi zhong sized him up warily and looked suspiciously at shi man¡¯s clothes before making way for her. ¡°let¡¯s go. i¡¯ll get butler qi to arrange a guest room for you.¡± ¡°okay.¡± yi zheng looked like an obedient son-in-law. before he left, he winked at shi man and mouthed ¡°goodnight¡± before leaving with shi zhong. shi man couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his pitiful appearance. she looked down and saw the ruby in her hand. she subconsciously reached out to touch it. when she came back to her senses, she sneered at herself for being childish. she washed up, slept, and emptied her mind. she no longer thought about what had happened tonight, but the corners of her mouth could not help but curl up. when lu xiang and su tang returned, it had not even been a month. however, the shi family¡¯s mission was difficult and they had started preparing early. the house was empty again, and only bai xue and su tang stayed at home to accompany shen xian. one of them was preparing for the upcoming entrance examination, and the other was drawing costume designs every day. their days were quite fulfilling. however, shen xian was very free every day. her arm had not fully recovered, so she could not do anything. she could only watch the television and wait to watch her son¡¯s television drama. other than that, she lay on the sofa and slept. when lu xiang entered with a few large boxes of gifts, she saw shen xian lying lazily on the sofa, eating peeled nuts. when shen xian saw her return, she almost jumped up from the sofa. she smiled in surprise. ¡°you¡¯re back so soon? i thought you were going to play for a few more days!¡± ¡°i¡¯m just thinking about your injuries.¡± before lu xiang left, she went to the hospital to see shen xian. if her son hadn¡¯t crazily hinted at her to leave g city as soon as possible so that he could naturally celebrate the new year with the shi family, she wouldn¡¯t have abandoned shen xian and gone out to play with her family. this time, she even specially brought the medicine prescribed by an expert from overseas. she carefully held shen xian¡¯s arm and looked at it carefully a few times. she sighed and said, ¡°our yi family has let you down this time.¡± shen xian teased her in amusement, ¡°what are you talking about? what has this got to do with your family?¡± Chapter 360 - Chapter 360: Something Happened chapter 360: something happened translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios lu xiang blinked in shock. after a while, she came back to her senses and said, ¡°didn¡¯t manman tell you?¡± shen xian grabbed her arm solemnly. ¡°tell me clearly what happened.¡± lu xiang did not expect shi man to keep this matter from her. now that she had exposed the matter, she could only explain it to shen xian. yi kun and yi zheng¡¯s father had been on bad terms for a long time. shen xian knew this in her heart, but she never expected yi kun to send people to the event location to cause trouble for the sake of power. he simply didn¡¯t care about human lives. when shen xian heard this, she was furious. ¡°we have to let shi zhong know about this. it¡¯s easy to block an open spear, but it¡¯s difficult to guard against a hidden arrow. now, the people at the front of the shi family are him and manman. 1 don¡¯t want the two of them to be harmed.¡± lu xiang patted her leg and comforted her softly. ¡°don¡¯t worry, manman is far more capable than we thought. she can handle these things.¡± the task of rebuilding the city could not be delayed. after new year¡¯s day, the disaster area began to arrange for construction. fortunately, the frost and snow had stopped during this period of time, so it did not slow down the progress. the area that shi man was in charge of had the fastest progress. she did not take everything just because her family was rich. instead, she appropriately leaked some benefits to other companies to ensure efficiency and win goodwill. yi zheng was mainly in charge of the construction of yi city, and the project was also proceeding smoothly. during this period of time, yi kun did not look good every time he came to the company. the position he coveted was occupied by his biological nephew. it was obvious how much hatred he had in his heart now. originally, at this time every year, he and his son would go to various banquets and receive many benefits just because they were from the yi family. however, this year, because of yi zheng¡¯s sudden interference, his status plummeted. not only did the people who gave him the gifts disappear, but even his close friends avoided him. anyone with discerning eyes could tell that yi zheng was targeting them, so they all avoided them. yi kun gritted his teeth in hatred, but he could only endure it for the time being. shi man and yi zheng were watching him too closely, and he had yet to have a chance to attack. the two sides were in a stalemate. yi kun walked around the company with a straight face every day. finally, he saw an opportunity. on this day, shen xian was in the hospital for a checkup and preparing to remove the cast. shi man took the initiative to accompany her. yi zheng naturally would not let go of this opportunity to see shi man. he abandoned tang zhe and ran to the hospital to meet them. yi kun knew that this might be his only chance. he immediately called the workers who had been lying in ambush. after instructing them, he sat in the office and closed his eyes in enjoyment. not long after, the phone on the table suddenly rang. yi kun slowly picked up the receiver and pretended to widen his eyes in surprise. ¡°what did you say? someone died at the event location?¡± when yi zheng received the news, he was accompanying shen xian for a detailed checkup. tang zhe was extremely anxious on the phone. his voice was so loud that shi man could hear him from afar. ¡°master, the safety rope of the operator in the sky suddenly snapped in midair. he fell from the fourth floor and has been sent to the hospital.¡± ¡°i understand. protect the event location and don¡¯t let anyone approach.¡± yi zheng hung up after giving a few instructions. he walked up to shi man and rubbed his eyebrows tiredly. ¡°manman, i have something to go back to.¡± ¡°i heard everything. i¡¯ll go with you.¡± shi man felt that this matter was strange and wanted to go with him to see if she could find any clues. ¡°but aunt shen¡­¡± yi zheng wanted to persuade shi man to stay. su tang hurriedly walked over and promised, ¡°go ahead and do your work. leave this to me.¡± shi man nodded in agreement and quickly rushed back to the event location with yi zheng. tang zhe was so anxious that he paced around on the spot. finally, he looked forward to yi zheng¡¯s car and rushed over anxiously. ¡°master, there¡¯s still no news from the hospital. i don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on now. it¡¯s all my fault. i should have kept an eye on this side.¡± ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± yi zheng looked at the large pool of blood on the ground in front of him and frowned. tang zhe admitted his mistake in detail. ¡°it¡¯s all my fault. at that time, there was a problem with the machine on the other side, so 1 brought people over to take a look to prevent delaying the construction process. unexpectedly, as soon as 1 left, the person working above fell.¡± he explained helplessly, ¡°before he went up, 1 carefully checked the safety measures. 1 don¡¯t know how the safety rope broke. if something really happened, i¡¯m willing to take full responsibility.¡± his attitude was very sincere. he was sweating profusely in the cold winter. at this moment, no words of comfort were more valuable than finding the truth. shi man didn¡¯t say anything else and said calmly, ¡°where¡¯s the rope? let me see it.¡± tang zhe hurriedly got someone to bring the item over, his entire body still trembling. he was not afraid of the dead. he was afraid that yi zheng¡¯s previous efforts would be wasted because of his negligence.. Chapter 361 - Chapter 361: Eyewitness chapter 361: eyewitness translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the rope had indeed snapped in the air, and the incision was in the shape of a tear. it seemed that it had indeed been an accident caused by the rope. however, shi man¡¯s sharp eyes still noticed a strange place on the cut. there wouldn¡¯t be such a big mistake at the event location that yi zheng personally supervised, but the matter happened after he left. shi man couldn¡¯t help but suspect that someone was amiss. her eyes drifted around thoughtfully, and finally landed on a man with an abnormal expression who was trembling as he put away his cell phone. she pouted in the direction of the person. tang zhe immediately understood and went forward to twist the person¡¯s arm and send him over. shi man sized him up and confirmed that she had never seen this person before. she narrowed her eyes and hooked her finger. ¡°give me your cell phone.¡± the person looked flustered and hurriedly covered his pocket. ¡°why? are you my leader? this is my personal privacy. even if you¡¯re my leader, you can¡¯t just look at it.¡± shi man sneered and looked impatient. ¡°give it to me.¡± the person still held his pocket tightly. he glanced at yi zheng in a panic and quickly looked away. although tang zhe did not know shi man¡¯s intentions, he had long treated her as another master. he immediately snatched the cell phone from the man¡¯s pocket and handed it to her. that person glared angrily with his scarlet eyes and hurriedly reached out to snatch it. as he struggled under tang zhe¡¯s shackles, he shouted, ¡°who are you? what right do you have to snatch my cell phone? do you believe that i¡¯ll call the police to arrest you?¡± ¡°then call the police.¡± shi man slowly slid open his phone screen and found the social media app that had been opened recently. she flipped to the video of the accident at the scene and said coldly, ¡°i suspect that this matter has something to do with you. come to the office with me.¡± ¡°what does it have to do with me? what has this got to do with me? don¡¯t malign a good person!¡± the person hurriedly looked at yi zheng for help and said with an aggrieved expression, ¡°president yi, president yi, this really has nothing to do with me. xiao liu fell from above himself. i was down there at that time. 1 really didn¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°it has nothing to do with you. come back to the office with us first.¡± yi zheng gave tang zhe a look and turned to leave. tang zhe immediately understood. he held the man¡¯s arm and said, ¡°are you leaving on your own, or should 1 get someone to carry you over?¡± ¡°no, no, no. i, i know i was wrong!¡± the person seemed to be afraid of being involved in this matter and hurriedly begged for mercy. ¡°i¡¯ll delete the video, okay? 1¡¯11 delete it immediately!¡± shi man returned the phone to him expressionlessly. the person was stunned for a moment and quickly deleted the video with trembling hands. then, he swallowed nervously. ¡°can you let me go now?¡± ¡°what¡¯s your name?¡± shi man¡¯s dark eyes stared straight at him. that person stole another look at yi zheng¡¯s expression and shrank his neck timidly. ¡°they all call me dali.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man¡¯s intimidating gaze finally moved away from him. before that person could heave a sigh of relief, he heard shi man say coldly, ¡°during this period of time, look for tang zhe to clock in every day. everyone else has to sign in on time at the sign-in office as usual. you¡¯re not allowed to be late. otherwise, all your bonuses for this month will be deducted.¡± when the surrounding workers noted the trouble they were in, they immediately gasped and hurriedly nodded in agreement. only then did shi man let them go and follow yi zheng back to the office that had been temporarily built with colored steel plates at the event location. at this moment, the person in charge of this project was in the office. when he saw the two of them return, he hurriedly made way for them. yi zheng saw that shi man¡¯s fingers were red from the cold and personally poured her a cup of hot tea. he said thoughtfully, ¡°did you see something just now?¡± everyone¡¯s eyes immediately stopped on her. shi man took a sip of tea calmly, her eyelids twitching slightly. she shook her head regretfully and said, ¡°it looks like it was indeed an accident. i¡¯m afraid the project will be suspended. if we can¡¯t find the real reason for the accident as soon as possible, i¡¯m afraid it will be very difficult to obtain the approval of the higher-ups to resume work.¡± when the manager heard this, he hurriedly wiped the sweat off his forehead and said with a difficult expression, ¡°i¡¯m afraid this is an oversight on our side. it¡¯s our responsibility. we should contact the family as soon as possible to compensate them. otherwise, once this matter ferments, it will be even harder to clean up.¡± shi man looked up at him and said calmly, ¡°who was at the scene when the fall happened?¡± the leaders of the various departments in the room looked at each other, but only a thin man in the corner raised his hand and said in a small voice, ¡°i was there. at that time, i was the one who said that there was a problem with the machine and asked secretary tang to go over.¡± ¡°yes.¡± tang zhe nodded and admitted, ¡°at that time, i went to check the machine and asked xiao zhao to temporarily replace me in the project of watching the the top.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and asked the rest of the people to leave first.. then, she invited him to sit opposite her and said in a gentle voice, ¡°then tell me, what did you see?¡± Chapter 362 - Chapter 362: Prepared chapter 362: prepared translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios xiao zhao hesitated for a moment and lowered his voice. ¡°actually, i don¡¯t think it was an accident. brother liu has been doing high-altitude homework for many years, and there have never been any accidents. moreover, he¡¯s especially careful. every time he uses the safety rope, he checks it once to ensure it does not suddenly break.¡± shi man pretended to be surprised and continued to ask, ¡°then do you have any other evidence to prove that this wasn¡¯t an accident?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± xiao zhao suddenly lowered his head and thought seriously for a while before making up his mind to tell the truth.¡± actually, 1 think i vaguely heard brother liu talking to someone downstairs, but i was too far away and didn¡¯t hear clearly.¡± shi man and yi zheng looked at each other and nodded. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll investigate the clues you just provided seriously. if you think of anything else, please contact us as soon as possible.¡± ¡°leader, will brother liu be fine? i want to go to the hospital to see him, okay?¡± xiao zhao begged pitifully. ¡°brother liu used to take good care of me. he still has a daughter in junior high school to raise. i¡¯m really worried about him.¡± ¡°if there¡¯s any news from the hospital, we¡¯ll tell you immediately.¡± seeing that shi man and the others had nothing else to ask, tang zhe politely sent him out of the office. yi zheng did not say a word during shi man¡¯s questioning just now. he did not interrupt her train of thought and sat calmly at the side drinking tea. even shi man admired his calmness and said angrily, ¡°your project has already killed someone. why don¡¯t you seem anxious at all?¡± yi zheng smiled in amusement. ¡°if being anxious is useful, why do we need the police?¡± ¡°you want to call the police?¡± shi man frowned in confusion and sighed. ¡°i don¡¯t know how long it will take for them to find out. the reconstruction project can¡¯t wait. i¡¯m afraid you would have to return the rights you obtained with great difficulty to yi kun.¡± yi zheng took a sip of tea with a smile and glanced at her. shi man suddenly thought of a possibility and blinked in shock. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you want to fight to the death and completely eliminate the yi family from the city?¡± ¡°why not? my main business is not in this area. isn¡¯t it better to give the yi family¡¯s share to the shi family?¡± yi zheng shrugged indifferently and smiled. ¡°this is an opportunity for the shi family.¡± of course, shi man knew how much the shi family would benefit from this. not only would participating in the city construction bring a lot of profit, but they could also accumulate goodwill among the ordinary people. it would be beneficial without any harm. however, yi zheng was willing to transfer such a good opportunity to her without thinking. shi man could not help but be shocked. her cold hand subconsciously tested the temperature of his forehead. ¡°if you don¡¯t have a fever, could this be the legendary love brain?¡± yi zheng¡¯s expression instantly darkened. he pulled her hand down and held it in his palm. he leaned forward and trapped her in front of him. he said in a threatening tone, ¡°what did you say 1 am? a love brain?¡± shi man stuck out her tongue playfully and kissed him on the lips. she coaxed him coquettishly, ¡°i¡¯m praising you for being good to me! don¡¯t misunderstand. 1 like the way you put me first in everything.¡± yi zheng scratched the tip of her nose dotingly. ¡°naughty girl, this is the office. i¡¯ll let you off first.¡± he straightened up and tidied her clothes first. when the heat on her face completely dissipated, he called the person waiting outside the door in. tang zhe walked into the room and tried his best to reduce his presence. like an emotionless machine, he said sternly, ¡°master, miss shi, there¡¯s news from the hospital that the worker who fell off the building is out of danger, but he hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± ¡°it¡¯s good that he¡¯s not dead.¡± shi man heaved a sigh of relief. yi zheng smiled and pulled her cold hand into his pocket. he smiled and said, ¡°let¡¯s go. i¡¯ll take you to eat first, then we¡¯ll go to the hospital to take a look.¡± ¡°wait!¡± shi man still wanted to discuss with him what to do about this matter, but the man was very strong and stuffed her into the car without giving her a chance to speak. yi zheng drove her back to the base without even bringing the chauffeur and tang zhe. shi man was dumbfounded. after getting out of the car, she saw sean with a smile on his face. she acutely reacted and turned around to glare at yi zheng. ¡°did you use my people to help you again?¡± ¡°it¡¯s all thanks to you this time. let¡¯s go in and talk.¡± yi zheng brought her back to the office. a little girl in her teens was actually sitting timidly on the sofa with her bag in her arms. when she saw someone enter, she instantly bounced up. she was so nervous that she didn¡¯t know where to put her hands and feet. ¡°uncle xiao, who are they?¡± sean smiled and quickly explained to her, ¡°this is my boss and my boss¡¯s fiance. they sent me over to save you..¡± Chapter 363 - Chapter 363: Information chapter 363: information translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when the little girl heard this, the fear on her face immediately turned into joy. she bowed and thanked the two of them. sean quickly helped her sit down on the sofa again. yi zheng sat opposite her with shi man and smiled warmly like a big brother next door. ¡°did you bring the item?¡± ¡°i brought it!¡± the little girl immediately took out a fountain pen from her pocket and a letter from the page of the textbook. she placed it on the table and retracted her hand timidly. ¡°it¡¯s all here. i¡¯ve been hiding without being discovered by them.¡± yi zheng nodded in satisfaction. under shi man¡¯s increasingly suspicious gaze, the smile on his lips widened. ¡°if you¡¯re curious, open it yourself.¡± shi man frowned and opened the envelope. only then did she realize that it was a threatening letter. the signature was tender and unfamiliar, completely different from the elegant handwriting on it. ¡°liu xin?¡± shi man slowly read the name. the little girl opposite them hurriedly sat upright like a frightened rabbit. her red eyes widened as she said solemnly, ¡°1, i¡¯m here!¡± shi man put down the letter and glanced at the leisurely man beside her with an unfriendly expression. ¡°you knew that something would happen today, so you insisted on following me to the hospital. you deliberately revealed a loophole and waited for someone to fall into the trap you set.¡± yi zheng nodded in relief and said, ¡°yes, you¡¯re so smart. as expected of my fiancee. even tang zhe doesn¡¯t know about this.¡± shi man took a deep breath and pointed at the fountain pen on the table before giving an answer with certainty. ¡°a disguised recording pen, right? how did you know that the other party would attack today? you even prepared in advance?¡± ¡°of course, someone tipped me off. otherwise, even if 1 wanted to guard against it, i wouldn¡¯t know so much.¡± yi zheng took the time to give sean a look. sean immediately understood and leaned in front of liu xin with a smile. ¡°go eat with uncle first, okay?¡± ¡°but my father¡­¡± the young lady looked up worriedly, wanting to take the initiative to ask yi zheng. however, for some reason, she felt afraid when she saw his eyes. her body trembled, and she did not dare to finish her sentence. yi zheng tried his best to soften his tone and not scare the child. he smiled patiently and said, ¡°your father is fine. he¡¯s just a little injured, but i¡¯ve already asked someone to take good care of him in the hospital. when i catch the bad person who harmed you, i¡¯ll let you see your father, okay?¡± ¡°good!¡± liu xin nodded obediently. although the man in front of her was a little scary to her, she knew that this person was different from the group of people who had captured her. he was a good person, but he looked a little cold. sean was shocked that yi zheng was actually willing to coax the child. he stood rooted to the ground in a daze for a while. under the two cold gazes, his body subconsciously trembled and he instantly came back to his senses. he did not dare to delay and hurriedly left the office with liu xin, leaving the two of them alone. only then did shi man cross her legs solemnly and say in an interrogative manner, ¡°can you tell me now? who tipped you off?¡± yi zheng didn¡¯t leave someone hanging. the smile on his face disappeared without a trace. ¡°it¡¯s yi kun¡¯s son, yi che.¡± in the top-floor office of yi city, yi kun looked at the police officers standing in front of him expressionlessly and said impatiently, ¡°i¡¯ve said many times that this has nothing to do with me. yi zheng is in charge of the entire project now!¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry, mr. yi. we found out that you¡¯re the legal representative of this company, so we still need you to cooperate with the investigation.¡± the police put away pen and paper and recording equipment, clearly not giving up until they achieved their goal. yi kun hated dealing with these police officers the most, but since they had already come looking for him, he could only brace himself to answer a series of questions. the frustration in his heart rose to the peak. the entire interrogation process lasted for an hour before yi kun finally sent them away. after returning to the office, he angrily called his father to complain. yi che still had a good temper. he stopped his father¡¯s actions with a smile and reminded him in a low voice, ¡°although cousin chose to call the police this time and this is extremely disadvantageous to us, he didn¡¯t do anything wrong in the overall situation. even grandpa can¡¯t do anything to him. instead, he will accidentally expose us.¡± yi kun¡¯s hand that was holding the phone paused for a moment before he rubbed the space between his eyebrows in frustration. ¡°then what do you think we should do now? my original intention was to chase yi zheng away and regain control of the company. then, i¡¯ll use some methods to let this fat piece of meat fall into our mouths. now that he¡¯s made a scene, i¡¯m afraid no one will benefit. instead, the cooked duck will fall into someone else¡¯s pocket.¡± ¡°but at least yi zheng hasn¡¯t won yet. it¡¯s not entirely a bad thing for us.¡± yi che held his father¡¯s shoulder and sat him down. he patiently analyzed for him, ¡°father has controlled the city-building company for so many years and has done many projects of various sizes, but there has never been any accident. on the other hand, yi zheng actually caused a huge incident for the yi family this time.. isn¡¯t this a great opportunity for us?¡± Chapter 364 - Chapter 364: Transferring the Base chapter 364: transferring the base translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°you¡¯re right.¡± yi kun only thought for a moment before realizing the crux of the matter. he nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°son, we can¡¯t let go of such a good opportunity. how¡¯s the hospital? is that person already dead?¡± yi che shook his head with a solemn expression. ¡°i¡¯ve sent someone to the hospital, but yi zheng¡¯s people are watching very closely. at the moment, they can¡¯t know liu de¡¯s true situation. however, didn¡¯t we send someone to take a video at the scene? as long as this matter blows up, it¡¯s impossible for yi zheng to not be affected.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll get my secretary to call that person now.¡± yi kun walked out of the office and called for his secretary, who was guarding outside. he instructed her about the arrangements just now before returning with a happy expression. ¡°son, you did well this time. when dad regains control of the shares, i¡¯ll arrange a position for you in the company. in the future, i¡¯ll leave the company to you.¡± the corners of yi che¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and an imperceptible cold glint flashed across his eyes. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll definitely help you run the company.¡± under the bright light, shi man pushed the man who refused to move at all and rolled her eyes helplessly. ¡°so yi che told you yi kun¡¯s plan from the beginning. everything you showed outside today was just an act, and the few workers we saw today who took the initiative to stand up and make their presence known are very likely to have been bribed by yi kun?¡± ¡°yes, manman is so smart. i just need to say a simple sentence and you can understand everything.¡± yi zheng pecked her lips in reward and tightened his grip on her arm. shi man twisted her body uncomfortably and felt the person pressing down in front of her suddenly stiffen. she immediately reacted and quickly bent her knees to push against his belt, barely pulling away. ¡°you, get up quickly. you¡¯re so heavy.¡± ¡°no, you were the one who teased me at the scene just now.¡± yi zheng lowered his head to kiss her again, his voice hoarse and seductive. shi man felt that there was a big dog lying in front of her. she couldn¡¯t push it away or dodge it. she could only give up struggling and close her eyes helplessly to enjoy the rare warmth. ever since the two of them confirmed their relationship on new year¡¯s day, they had started to busy themselves with their work. they would only meet in a hurry for a few days. it was indeed rare to have a chance to take a break like today. shi man suddenly felt that it was not impossible to indulge this man. it was only when a warm hand was about to reach into her clothes that she suddenly came back to her senses. while he was in a daze, she pushed him away forcefully and tidied her clothes while panting. ¡°that¡¯s enough. it¡¯s time to get down to business.¡± yi zheng frowned regretfully and stared at her with his black eyes. shi man had no doubt that if yi zheng had a pair of dog ears at this moment, they would have long drooped pitifully. however, she did not intend to soften because of his aggrieved expression. she pretended to be calm as she drank her tea to hide the blush that flashed across her face. ¡°it¡¯s useless for you to look at me like that. 1 guess yi kun will definitely blow things up next. you should think of a way to deal with it as soon as possible.¡± yi zheng turned around and took a while to recover. then, he got up and put on his coat. he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°i¡¯m just afraid that he won¡¯t blow things up. you don¡¯t have to interfere in the aftermath. what do you want to eat? i¡¯ll get someone to arrange it.¡± ¡°anything is fine.¡± shi man leaned lazily on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. yi zheng looked at her deeply for the last time and forced himself to look away from her face. he said calmly, ¡°alright, wait for me here obediently. don¡¯t run around.¡± after yi zheng left, shi man quickly called sean over. she did not expect lin si to follow him. as soon as he saw shi man, his face was immediately filled with a smile. ¡°boss, long time no see. happy new year.¡± ¡°happy new year,¡± shi man replied simply. then, she restrained her smile and said solemnly, ¡°how¡¯s the arrangement for the transfer of the base?¡± sean nodded solemnly and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, boss. we can move at any time. i¡¯ve already informed my brothers. 1 just don¡¯t know if i should tell ceo yi.¡± lin si stared at shi man with a faint smile. before she could speak, he stopped her with a smile. ¡°in my opinion, it¡¯s better not to say anything. otherwise, once he puts down his pride and comes to keep her, boss will probably not be able to leave this time.¡± shi man frowned and thought of yi zheng¡¯s reaction. she nodded in agreement. ¡°yes, sean, arrange liu xin¡¯s matter. our people will retreat to the base tonight.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the most desirable thing about sean was that he would not drag things out. that night, everyone from immaculate, who had been stationed in the blood oath for a long time, brought the new batch of firearms that they had accumulated during this period and quietly retreated to their former base in g city. when tang zhe reacted, it was already noon the next day. at that moment, yi zheng had just finished an emergency meeting and suppressed the public opinion that yi kun had deliberately created outside. when he heard this news, his expression immediately darkened. ¡°i understand. since this is manman¡¯s idea, let her be..¡± Chapter 365 - Chapter 365: Visit from the Crew chapter 365: visit from the crew translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios a major safety accident happened at the construction event location of yi city, and it became a hot topic on the internet. yi kun had hired many paid netizens who would pretend to be whistleblowers so they could vaguely expose the change in the yi corporation¡¯s rights. many people on the internet believed it and targeted yi zheng, pointing out that he had caused such a huge safety accident to fight with his uncle for power. shi man hurriedly took a few glances at the overwhelming online criticisms before turning off her cell phone. her face was extremely cold. meng hui quietly sized up her expression and asked tentatively, ¡°ceo shi, should we help president yi clarify? now that the netizens are all on the opposite side of president yi, i¡¯m afraid the yi corporation is not doing well.¡± shi man shook her head gently and drummed her fingers on the table out of habit. ¡°we don¡¯t have to interfere in this matter. let yi zheng resolve it himself. 1 have other missions for you to do.¡± ¡°what brief do you have for me?¡± meng hui immediately straightened her attitude and looked like she was all ears. shi man pointed at the entertainment news on the table and said thoughtfully, ¡°the daughter of the lin corporation suddenly brought in funds. i¡¯m very interested in this matter now. i¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°huh?¡± meng hui did not expect the mission shi man handed her at this juncture to be entertainment news! she was stunned for a second before reacting in shock. ¡°ceo shi, this doesn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with us, right?¡± ¡°of course it¡¯s related.¡± shi man recalled the woman she had met in the cafeteria last time who claimed to be the biological niece of the lin family. she sneered sarcastically and said, ¡°this is the eldest daughter of the lin family, lin yue. my brother just signed this high-profile production team.¡± once bitten twice shy. moreover, now that two brothers had gotten into trouble because of a woman, shi man had to be careful. meng hui nodded in confusion. for the first time, she was trying to reach into the entertainment industry. fortunately, the shi family had a lot of connections and had built up a reputation. it did not take her much effort to investigate. after tidying up, she immediately reported it to shi man excitedly. ¡°ceo shi, lin yue seems to be really here for third young master this time! that production team had originally planned to have a female lead, but miss lin used her capital to squeeze her out before inserting herself as the new lead. now, this matter is still spreading like wildfire in the industry, but no one dares to discuss it in person.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man stood up with a smile and patted her shoulder. ¡°looks like we have to go to the production team to visit. come with me.¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± meng hui felt as if a cluster of electric currents had suddenly flashed past the place she had patted. although shi man was all smiles now, she still keenly smelled a trace of danger. it seemed that miss lin was really unlucky this time. if she provoked shi man, she would probably not be able to keep her spot in the entertainment industry. in the production team, the director was arranging for the actors to read the script. this time, the drama was mainly about the sudden explosion before the new year. therefore, the script was written in a hurry. the actors could only see the script for the first few episodes. the drama would be filmed and broadcast at the same time. developments in the plot would be changed at any time according to the audience¡¯s online comments. lin yue sat in the middle. on her left was the male lead, shi he. other than the two of them, the other supporting actors would always peek at lin yue from time to time while reading the script. the actress whom she had nudged out this time had once worked with shi he in a movie and had a good relationship with him. therefore, everyone guessed that best actor shi would deliberately embarrass lin yue during filming and embarrass her. however, this group of actors who were watching the show were quickly disappointed. shi he had always been strict with himself in the production team. during the entire process of reading the script, he did not reveal any excess emotions. even when it was time for his scene with lin yue, he did not show any disgust. the director looked at the two protagonists who were quite compatible, in satisfaction, and the worry in his heart gradually dissipated. he could not afford to offend either the lin family or the shi family. if the two of them really fell out on the spot, he would probably suffer the most. after the first round of reading, the director wiped his sweat and was about to heave a sigh of relief when he saw the assistant rush in from outside. ¡°director zhang, the daughter of the shi family is here to visit the production team!¡± shi he jumped up from his chair almost immediately and grabbed his wrist in surprise. ¡°my sister is here. where is she?¡± ¡°brother, i¡¯m here.¡± shi man stood at the office door with meng hui with a smile and lifted her arm slightly against the light. shi he happily gave shi man a big hug in public. then, he patted her head and said dotingly, ¡°why did you think of visiting work? isn¡¯t the company very busy recently?¡± during this period of time, shi man had been busy rebuilding the city and almost did not go home to eat. the siblings had not spoken properly for a long time. shi man smiled and pointed in the direction of the office. ¡°is it convenient to talk inside? brother, i specially put down my work to accompany you today..¡± Chapter 366 - Chapter 366: Professional Actress chapter 366: professional actress translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios director zhang walked over with a smile and shook shi man¡¯s hand warmly. ¡°aiya, miss shi has personally come to the production team. our office is really honored. please come in. assistant, bring the office chair over.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the assistant quickly rushed to the office next door and borrowed a chair. shi man glanced at lin yue, who was sitting beside shi he, and smiled as she asked her assistant to help place the chair beside the director. director zhang was immediately flattered and personally poured her a cup of hot tea. ¡°miss shi, you haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? how about i arrange for you and xiao he to go out to eat together later?¡± ¡°no need. you guys should continue. don¡¯t worry about me. i¡¯m here to see my brother.¡± shi man called for everyone to sit down. her seat was facing lin yue, so she could see the expression in her eyes clearly. director zhang did not force it. soon, he organized the actors to start the second round of reading. shi man sat at the side and listened quietly. she did not interrupt or do anything to disturb their work progress. this shocked those in the industry who had heard of shi man¡¯s past style. it was rumored that shi man was a spoilt rich daughter who was used to doing whatever she wanted. they did not expect to see her in person today. not only was her image completely different from the rumors, but she was also a little quieter, making people unable to help but have a good impression of her. only meng hui knew what her boss was thinking. her gaze landed on lin yue, who was acting with shi he. meng hui couldn¡¯t help but sweat for her. after work, in order to welcome shi man, director zhang took the initiative to get his assistant to book a restaurant. the group sat in their cars and went straight to the cafeteria. shi he only had a chance to talk to shi man alone when he got out of the car. before the others arrived, he pulled shi man to the corner and asked in a low voice, ¡°manman, do you have something especially important to do here?¡± shi man smiled and narrowed her eyes. she said meaningfully, ¡°brother, can¡¯t 1 just come to see you because 1 miss you?¡± shi he scratched the tip of her nose in amusement. ¡°of course, i¡¯m happy if you really miss me. but even if you have something else to do, i won¡¯t mind. just tell me the truth.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°brother, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange that lin yue insisted on fighting against public opinion and starring in this television drama with you?¡± shi he immediately understood what she meant and rubbed her head helplessly. ¡°you¡¯re really thinking too much this time. she¡¯s not doing it for me.¡± shi man stared at him in surprise. shi he softened his heart and explained to her in a soft voice, ¡°director zhang is famous for being a big director in the industry. recently, a few dramas that he has led have become popular online. moreover, this is the first script that is closest to reality after the waves of popularity. the industry has long fought to snatch the role of this protagonist. it¡¯s not surprising that lin yue thinks highly of this drama.¡± ¡°that¡¯s not necessarily true.¡± shi man thought of her brothers¡¯ tragic encounters and immediately frowned with an unfriendly expression. ¡°coming from the lin family, she definitely didn¡¯t enter the entertainment industry to earn money. i¡¯m worried that she has other motives.¡± ¡°her real motive?¡± shi he had interacted with lin yue a few times over the years and had some guesses about her. ¡°i think she might really treat acting as her dream. i even heard that she once soaked in the river for three hours in the cold winter to film. with her status, it can be said that she¡¯s really working hard to achieve this.¡± ¡°brother, so you admire her?¡± shi man pouted sourly. shi he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he hugged her shoulder helplessly and coaxed her patiently, ¡°what are you thinking? i don¡¯t have much interaction with her. 1 heard about this. in short, the industry has a good evaluation of her. she¡¯s a very down-to-earth and hardworking girl.¡± ¡°alright, but 1 have to come into contact with her personally to know.¡± shi man snorted. her gaze passed shi he and landed on lin yue, who had just gotten out of the car. her eyes suddenly lit up. lin yue was indeed worthy of being the eldest daughter of the lin family. the noble aura around her could not be cultivated overnight. even shi man could not help but have a good impression of her. no wonder she had been doing well in the mixed entertainment industry. lin yue seemed to have sensed her gaze. she turned her head slightly and smiled in her direction before walking over under director zhang¡¯s lead. ning hui had just returned to the company to do something. when she heard that shi man had actually gone to the production team to visit, she hurriedly rushed over, afraid that shi man would suddenly change her mind and specially come to the production team to cause trouble for shi he. in the past, shi man had come to visit, but she liked to throw tantrums wherever she went. she had to be coaxed and pampered before she was willing to be magnanimous and let others continue working. ning hui was really afraid of her. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have thought of such a bad idea in the past to let a group of young hunks circle around her to attract her attention.. Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: Apologizing On Her Behalf chapter 367: apologizing on her behalf translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios at this moment, he hurriedly greeted director zhang and walked over quickly. he stared at shi man. ¡°missy, why did you suddenly think of coming over?¡± ¡°i¡¯m here to see my brother.¡± shi man didn¡¯t pay much attention to him. she turned to look at director zhang. ¡°let¡¯s go in and talk first. everyone has been busy all morning and is probably hungry.¡± ¡°alright, alright, alright.¡± director zhang quickly invited her into the private room respectfully. shi man sat beside him as usual, and shi he sat beside her. after lin yue entered, she looked around and chose a seat slightly away from shi he. beside her was an actress she had met a few times in other production teams. ning hui stole glances at shi man from time to time, afraid that she would do something shocking after drinking. however, to his relief, shi man was really just exchanging pleasantries with director zhang politely and did not cause any trouble for shi he. it seemed that missy had really changed 360 degrees from the inside out! ning hui was inexplicably relieved. ning hui, who looked like an old father, picked up his wine glass and took a sip. he heard shi man¡¯s faint voice suddenly come from behind. ¡°i heard that miss lin was able to enter the production team and participate in this drama this time. she even experienced many twists and turns. 1 believe there must be something in this drama that attracts miss lin very much.¡± before ning hui could swallow the wine, he almost spat it out. he looked at shi man in horror, not understanding why she would bring the topic to lin yue. lin yue smiled calmly and nodded. ¡°yes, 1 like the script very much. miss shi, you might not know yet, but the prototype of the female lead i¡¯m acting in this time is you.¡± ¡°me?¡± it was shi man¡¯s turn to be stunned. she pointed at herself in disbelief and smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°why me?¡± director zhang smiled and rubbed his hands to explain to her, his tone a little shy. ¡°miss shi, you might not know this, but the video of you ignoring your own safety and throwing yourself into the rescue has already become popular online. our screenwriter wants to mold the female lead into a role like you this time.¡± shi he patted his sister¡¯s shoulder proudly. ¡°manman, you don¡¯t have to feel troubled. they just arranged such a plot. the female lead is different from you in other aspects.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t feel troubled. it¡¯s my honor.¡± shi man drank another glass of wine with director zhang politely. however, when she saw the calm lin yue from the corner of her eye, she would always have some admiration. after eating and drinking, the production team had other work to do. the other actors had their own schedules. shi he had to rush to the next advertisement shoot before he could move around freely. shi man had something else to do in the afternoon, so she bade farewell to shi he. before she left, lin yue suddenly stopped her and brought her to the private room next door. she said apologetically, ¡°i know that lin lin caused you and president yi a lot of trouble some time ago. i¡¯m here to apologize to you on her behalf.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and said casually, ¡°if you didn¡¯t mention it, 1 would have forgotten. you don¡¯t have to apologize to me personally, right? however, 1 accept it.¡± lin yue heaved a sigh of relief and a proper smile returned to her face. ¡°1 know why you¡¯re here this time. don¡¯t worry, i didn¡¯t enter the production team for your brother. i like the female lead in this drama very much.¡± when she said this, her light-colored eyes were sparkling, and they looked especially good on her exquisite face. shi man looked at her deeply and said with a faint smile, ¡°miss lin is frank and cute. i admire you. 1 hope you and my brother can cooperate happily.¡± lin yue blushed slightly, but her expression returned to normal in an instant. ¡°yes, thank you.¡± shi man did not say anything to her and left with meng hui. on the way, meng hui sat in the front passenger seat. after hesitating for a while, she could not suppress her curiosity and asked carefully, ¡°ceo shi, do you think this miss lin is here for third young master?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t think so, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± shi man lay on the chair with her eyes closed to rest. although the wine just now wouldn¡¯t make her drunk, she was really a little sleepy under the effect of the alcohol. why didn¡¯t it matter? meng hui wanted to know what the two of them had said when they went next door alone, but shi man did not want to say it, and she did not have the courage to ask in detail. she could only endure it. in the next few days, shi man would visit the production team when she was free to watch shi he film. ning hui was already used to this. anyway, as long as shi man did not cause trouble, he had nothing to worry about. shi man watched the show for a few days and realized that shi he¡¯s evaluation of lin yue was not wrong. she could indeed be considered a very professional actress. no matter how dirty and bad the conditions at the event location were, she had no complaints and had to do it until she was satisfied. occasionally, lin yue would walk over and chat with her during the filming period. the two of them became familiar not long after. lin yue looked at shi man¡¯s thin and determined side profile and would sometimes be in a daze. she blurted out, ¡°you¡¯re very similar to someone i knew in the past..¡± Chapter 368 - Chapter 368: Savior chapter 368: savior translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°who?¡± shi man turned her head and blinked curiously. lin yue sighed and said, ¡°actually, 1 was almost kidnapped when 1 was young. someone passed by and saved me. otherwise, i don¡¯t know what would have happened to me now.¡± shi man seemed to understand something and smiled. ¡°you didn¡¯t see each other again, right?¡± ¡°yes, i can¡¯t find the person, but i really want to meet that person again.¡± lin yue sighed softly. her fingers subconsciously fumbled with the script¡¯s pages, and her lips curled into a bitter smile. ¡°actually, i entered the entertainment industry for this reason, but i¡¯m afraid that person won¡¯t recognize me at all.¡± shi man patted her shoulder. under her surprised gaze, she smiled comfortingly and said, ¡°if you¡¯re fated, you will definitely meet again.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± lin yue¡¯s eyes were filled with gratitude. coincidentally, director zhang sent an assistant to call her over to film. she immediately composed herself and said goodbye to shi man, but she turned around and entered the battlefield that belonged to her. recently, the criticisms of yi zheng on the internet had been calmed down. after the netizens were furious, they gradually regained their rationality. this was all thanks to the high compensation that yi zheng was willing to pay the injured worker. the yi family¡¯s apology was very sincere. the subsequent matters were handled well. in addition, the worker¡¯s life was not in danger. the higher-ups unanimously decided to continue handing this matter to yi zheng. when yi kun received this news, his hand holding the belt was trembling violently. on the carpet, the woman was lying on it humbly. the old scars on her back had new wounds. her empty gaze was fixed on the burning fireplace opposite, but the fire could not completely illuminate her eyes. ¡°useless thing, get lost! get lost!¡± yi kun swung his belt and hit the woman hard. he kicked her naked slender waist in disgust and spat on it. the woman was already numb to these kicks and did not show any joy when she heard his words. she only stood up from the ground mechanically and staggered to put on her clothes. when she pulled open the door, she was caught off guard and met a pair of deep and hateful eyes. the emotions in that person¡¯s eyes disappeared in an instant. when the woman investigated further, she could only see guilt in them. yi che helplessly turned to the side and made way. he smiled and said, ¡°go get the medicine from the butler. the weather is cold. be careful not to affect your wound.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the woman lowered her head humbly. she was suddenly at a loss for what to do when she was cared for. yi kun looked at the woman¡¯s red ears expressionlessly and stared at her back with a ruthless gaze. his voice was like a demon that had crawled out of hell. ¡°why aren¡¯t you getting lost? haven¡¯t you been beaten enough?¡± the woman shivered and quickly ran out of his sight. yi che immediately put on a respectful smile and shrugged helplessly. ¡°father, don¡¯t be angry first. although they didn¡¯t take down yi zheng this time, at least they don¡¯t have any evidence related to us.¡± yi kun glared at him gloomily and mocked angrily, ¡°what do you know? this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. if we don¡¯t succeed this time, yi zheng will definitely be more vigilant. it¡¯ll be difficult for us to find trouble with him again.¡± ¡°yes, but what we should pay attention to now is not how we should do it next.¡± yi che sat on the sofa and picked up his teacup thoughtfully. ¡°the video sent by shi man shows that they clearly know that we were related to shen xian¡¯s incident the last time, but shi zhong hasn¡¯t made a move yet. father, don¡¯t you suspect something amiss?¡± when yi kun thought of this, he was angry. he kicked the desk impatiently. ¡°how else do they want to attack? if not for that matter, why would yi zheng have designs on us for no reason? that young brat helped the shi family deal with his own uncle before marrying someone else¡¯s daughter!¡± ¡°father, i¡¯m worried that the shi family won¡¯t give up and will continue to attack you.¡± yi che casually picked up a document on the table and placed it in his hand. ¡°have you forgotten that your proudest work is within the shi family¡¯s sphere of influence?¡± yi kun¡¯s eyes widened, and his hands suddenly clenched into fists. how could yi kun not remember? back then, he had used illegal methods to snatch a piece of land in the city center from the shi family. then, he used this piece of land to earn a lot of money. it was indeed his proudest work. however, his power was declining now. if the shi family really wanted to attack that piece of land, he could only use the resources he had accumulated over the years to fight them head-on. yi kun was still thinking of a countermeasure in a daze when the secretary outside rushed in with the phone. when he saw yi kun, his tears almost flowed. he was so frightened that he was incoherent. ¡°president yi, bad news. our entertainment city in the city center has just been sealed by the police. they brought people to investigate the drug trade. now, the leaders of the city are looking for you!¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± yi kun did not expect shi zhong to be so ruthless. he was so ruthless that there was no room for him to salvage the situation.. Chapter 369 - Chapter 369: Taking the Blame chapter 369: taking the blame translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios he fell into a chair in a daze, his gaze fixed on the void. after a while, he came back to his senses and muttered to himself, ¡°does shi zhong want me to die?!¡± in anticipating shi zhong¡¯s methods, he had thought that shi zhong would just find a few local hooligans or bribe a few people to make him suffer some losses. when the time came, he would counter every move. at most, he would let shi zhong take advantage of him. however, he never expected shi zhong to go for the kill. moreover, it seemed that shi zhong had not only obtained evidence of his crime in the past few days. the shi family either knew about it long ago or there was already a traitor beside him! a sinister gaze suddenly shifted to yi che. yi kun¡¯s voice was bone-chilling. ¡°son, how do you think shizhong knew about this? or rather, how did he find evidence so quickly and contact the police to seal our place?¡± yi che frowned as if he was in deep thought. after a while, he said hesitantly, ¡°dad, there are only two reasons i can think of.¡± ¡°speak.¡± yi kun stared straight at him. yi che returned his gaze frankly. ¡°the first possibility is that shi zhong already knew what father had done all these years and was brooding over the fact that father had snatched his business away at that time. he has always wanted revenge. the other possibility is that a traitor next to father leaked the secret.¡± his words immediately made the secretary gasp and raise her voice in disbelief. ¡°young master, did you say that there¡¯s a traitor beside ceo yi? how is that possible? those who know about this are the most trusted people in our family. this is absolutely impossible!¡± yi kun was silent. his fingers tightened slightly, and it was unknown what he was thinking. after a moment, he suddenly turned it and looked at the secretary. ¡°go and check who suddenly had a large sum of money in their account recently, or who has close ties with the shi family.¡± ¡°yes, president yi, don¡¯t worry. 1¡¯11 definitely do it well for you.¡± although the secretary was shocked, he quickly restrained his emotions. although he didn¡¯t believe that anyone around him would betray yi kunx, he really couldn¡¯t eliminate this possibility at the moment. his duty was to resolve his boss¡¯s worries. after the secretary left, only yi kun and yi che were left in the study. yi kun¡¯s expression softened as he personally poured a cup of tea for yi che. he smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°if we can successfully find the mole this time, 1¡¯11 give you another huge credit. however, someone from the police has to appear and suppress the matter for the time being. do you understand what i mean?¡± yi che seemed to have expected him to say this. or rather, he was already used to this so-called father in front of him abandoning him at a critical moment. he smiled and nodded sincerely. ¡°don¡¯t worry, father. if you really need me at the critical moment, i will definitely do my best.¡± ¡°yes.¡± yi kun patted his shoulder in satisfaction. the atmosphere between the father and son actually became strangely warm. at night, yi zheng appeared at the shi family¡¯s door on time with gifts. butler qi came over to open the door and took the things from him with a smile. ¡°ceo shi and missy are waiting for you in the study. go over quickly. stay here for dinner tonight before leaving.¡± ¡°alright, thank you.¡± yi zheng had always been polite to people. no matter how important his status was, he had never been bossy to the servants at home. butler qi smiled and made way for him. then, he turned around and walked into the kitchen to continue supervising today¡¯s dinner. yi zheng found the study with familiarity. just as he was about to knock on the door, he heard a strong male voice from inside. ¡°the head of the yuan family came to the company to have tea with me in the afternoon. do you know why he did it?¡± shi man acutely sensed an additional aura at the door. she frowned and nodded. ¡°i can roughly guess. i¡¯ll handle this matter myself.¡± ¡°that¡¯s not what i want to say.¡± shi zhong walked around the desk to his daughter¡¯s side and sighed. ¡°back then, in order to shake off yi zheng, you used a lot of methods. this doesn¡¯t matter. now, as a father, i¡¯ll ask you solemnly. are you really willing to marry yi zheng?¡± shi man did not want to answer this question yet, but the sudden heavy breathing outside the door inexplicably made her swallow her denial. she looked away and her voice was unnaturally hoarse. ¡°yes, i¡¯ve already agreed to be engaged to him but i don¡¯t want to get married so soon.¡± ¡°you young people.¡± shi zhong sighed and his gaze suddenly became distant. ¡°back then, when your mom and 1 were together, there weren¡¯t so many twists and turns. it¡¯s better to be simple about relationships. why make it so complicated?¡± shi man did not want to discuss this with him now. he did not know, but she knew very well that a certain someone outside was probably eavesdropping on how she was going to answer! however, shi zhong clearly wanted to take this opportunity to make things clear with shi man. he rubbed his daughter¡¯s head earnestly and spoke to shi man as a kind father for the first time. ¡°do you like yi zheng or not? if you like him, i can agree to see your matter immediately..¡± Chapter 370 - Chapter 370: Undercover chapter 370: undercover translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man held her forehead speechlessly and looked even more helpless. ¡°dad, the most important thing now is not me. moreover, i haven¡¯t finished my studies. i don¡¯t want to mention marriage before graduation.¡± shi zhong was stunned for a moment, as if he had not adapted to the fact that his daughter valued her studies so much. just as he was about to say something, someone suddenly knocked on the study door. shi man heaved a sigh of relief and turned to look at the door. she saw yi zheng standing against the light and staring at her with a smile. ¡°uncle shi, manman, i¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting. something happened in the company just now.¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to be so polite. sit down.¡± shi zhong smiled and invited yi zheng to sit on the sofa beside shi man. he sized up the two of them with a gratified expression and nodded in satisfaction at their compatibility. ¡°have you settled the company¡¯s matters?¡± ¡°it¡¯s settled. it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± yi zheng glanced at the girl with a straight back and smiled meaningfully. ¡°my mother said that my engagement to manman should be put on the agenda. 1¡¯11 set an appointment for tea with you another day.¡± ¡°alright, the two of you can finally get together. i¡¯m happy. you have to drink a few more glasses with me during dinner later!¡± shi zhong had watched yi zheng grow up and was very satisfied with this child since he was young. now that he had become his son-in-law, it was equivalent to yi zheng becoming his son. the more he looked at yi zheng, the more he liked him. since his daughter could marry a man who was very outstanding and motivated, what was there to be picky about? for a moment, the scene of a father being kind and a son being filial played in the room. shi man listened to the two of them chatting happily expressionlessly and interrupted coldly, ¡°dad, i didn¡¯t call yi zheng over today to talk about these nosy things, right?¡± ¡°how can this be nosy?¡± shi zhong glared at her unhappily and did not say anything else. he instantly changed his words. ¡°you should know about yi kun, right? i¡¯ve revealed that old fellow¡¯s background, but that bastard actually dared to let his son take the blame!¡± ¡°yi che confessed. we have to help him reverse the case,¡± shi man concluded concisely. it was all thanks to yi che¡¯s tip-off that they could catch yi kun this time. if not for him, it would not have been so easy for the shi family to catch him so quickly. they had promised to protect yi che. this time, yi kun had taken such a dangerous move. they could only think of another way to get yi che out. yi zheng listened quietly. sensing shi zhong¡¯s hesitant gaze, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°uncle, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll definitely stand on her side in matters related to shi man.¡± ¡°yes!¡± shi zhong was extremely satisfied with him. he patted his shoulder in trust. ¡°yi zheng, i can already see your heart for manman. uncle is very relieved to leave her in your care.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t need anyone to take care of me. can we get back to business?¡± shi man¡¯s impression of this old man has refreshed again. she couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes in her heart. yi zheng curled his lips in amusement and nodded. ¡°this matter isn¡¯t difficult. yi che didn¡¯t do this. even if he confesses, the police actually won¡¯t be able to obtain any conclusive evidence about him. without evidence, the case can¡¯t be closed.¡± ¡°but we don¡¯t have direct evidence to prove that yi kun did this.¡± shi zhong frowned, but he was still puzzled. yi kun was still very careful in doing these things. although the police knew that this matter must be related to him, they could not arrest him without key evidence. moreover, yi che had taken the initiative to be the scapegoat. yi zheng pondered for a moment and said, ¡°uncle, i know someone. she should have evidence.¡± ¡°who is it?¡± this time, even shi man could not help but be curious. yi kun was such a serious person. he was even guarded against his own son and refused to hand over his power. who could have such a strong hold on him? yi zheng shrugged helplessly and sighed. ¡°this method is a little dishonorable. i hope you won¡¯t change your impression of me after i say it.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, tell me. how can uncle not know what kind of person you are?¡± shi zhong took a sip of tea indifferently and waited for yi zheng to continue. yi zheng did not hesitate. he was prepared for the worst this time. he did not want to lie to shi man, so he chose to tell her frankly. ¡°1 planted someone beside yi kun.¡± shi zhong heaved a sigh of relief and waved his hand in amusement. ¡°what¡¯s this? which of our aristocratic families hasn¡¯t buried spies in the other party¡¯s company? however, the person you planted is really capable. he actually found such key evidence!¡± ¡°she¡¯s indeed not bad, because she¡¯s not an ordinary person lying in ambush beside yi kun.¡± yi zheng frowned, his face revealing some disgust and disdain. ¡°she¡¯s a bed partner i arranged for yi kun and a tool to satisfy his strange habits..¡± Chapter 371 - Chapter 371: Staking Everything chapter 371: staking everything translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios a few years ago, yi zheng had just inherited the entire yi family from his father. the hearts of the various branches of the family wavered, and the lineage represented by yi kun went against yi zheng everywhere. at that time, tang zhe was assisting yi zheng in the open, and liu ran was secretly assisting him in the dark. in order to train his son, yi long left the country resolutely with his wife. he had no intention of interfering. yi kun was brazenly causing trouble for yi zheng. liu ran couldn¡¯t bear to see her master rack his brains and waste time every day for such a wicked person. she risked everything to get close to yi kun behind yi zheng¡¯s back and became the most glamorous woman beside him. it was already too late when yi zheng found out. at a banquet where many big shots in the business world were gathered, yi zheng saw yi kun¡¯s hand wrapped around liu ran¡¯s waist. the two of them were acting intimately. only then did he know what liu ran had been busy with recently. yi zheng held back his anger at that time, but he still asked tang zhe to ask her personally. liu ran had made up her mind. moreover, she had already successfully approached yi kun. although she had yet to gain his trust, this did not mean that she had no chance at all. there was no turning back. in order not to arouse yi kun¡¯s suspicion, she chose to stay by his side and secretly inform yi zheng. because of her occasional help, yi zheng completely suppressed yi kun¡¯s aura, cleared the obstacles, and became the new head of the yi family. however, she never expected that yi kun¡¯s gentleness was just an illusion. the expiration period of his good temper was too short. when he still had the ability to compete with yi zheng, he was a gentle elder and leader in front of everyone. however, after he completely lost to yi zheng, he no longer hid his nature. the first person to suffer was liu ran. she used to be skilled, but in order not to waste the trust she had cultivated by yi kun¡¯s side for so long, she endured for so many years without retaliating. when yi kun was furious, he liked to vent his anger on women. before liu ran, he had never revealed this perverted desire. however, later on, when he had nothing and could only guard a small company, his frustration turned into lust. he urgently needed a tool on whom he could vent at will. the best target for him was liu ran. there was not much furniture in the dilapidated room. the room was warm in the winter and hot in the summer. even the most ordinary servant in the yi family would not be arranged to stay in such a place. however, liu ran was already used to it. after enduring yi kun¡¯s inhumane torture again, she returned to the small house alone. she took out the medicine from the drawer and used up all her remaining strength to apply the medication on herself. she could not reach the wound on her back, so she could only apply the medicine on the gauze and use the gauze to wrap the wound tightly so that the exposed flesh could not be treated. but even so, her healed and festering wounds still tortured her every day. ¡°as long as 1 endure a little more.¡± liu ran clenched her palms and gritted her teeth to prevent a tear from falling. she had been by yi kun¡¯s side for many years and had collected a lot of evidence of yi kun bit by bit. as long as she endured tonight, she would hand everything to her master tomorrow. that way, she would be completely free. shi zhong stared at yi zheng in shock. it took him a while to understand what he meant. he gasped and said, ¡°you already expected this day?¡± yi zheng shook his head gently and sighed helplessly. ¡°i¡¯ve advised her many times not to do this, but she¡¯s already made up her mind and won¡¯t listen to my arrangements. if 1 forcefully send her away, it will arouse yi kun¡¯s suspicion, so 1 can only let her be.¡± ¡°where is this woman now?¡± shi man looked up expressionlessly, a dangerous undercurrent flowing in her eyes. yi zheng said honestly, ¡°she¡¯s still with yi kun. she¡¯ll contact tang zhe first tomorrow. i¡¯ll inform you and uncle shi if there¡¯s any news.¡± shi man stopped talking and leaned back on the sofa in silence. she placed her hands on her abdomen and crossed her fingertips. shi zhong coughed dryly to break the sudden silence in the study and comforted him with a dark expression, ¡°xiaozheng, this can¡¯t be considered your fault. actually, in the business world, such things are common. it¡¯s just that yi kun is too much of a beast. we can¡¯t let him off this time.¡± yi zheng¡¯s firm gaze remained on shi man, and his thin lips were a little helpless. ¡°1 know you must disapprove of this, but what 1 want to say is that liu ran¡¯s operation was not my intention, but she is wholeheartedly for me. i can¡¯t deny her contributions over the years. when this matter is completely over, 1 will try my best to compensate her.¡± ¡°how do you want to compensate?¡± shi man looked at him playfully, her eyes filled with a teasing smile. yi zheng paused for a moment and answered frankly, ¡°i¡¯ll give her wealth that she can¡¯t spend in her entire life so that she can stay away from such a life for the rest of her life and do everything she wants.¡± the corners of shi man¡¯s mouth curled up sarcastically, and the smile in her eyes disappeared without a trace.. ¡°then what if you¡¯re what she wants?¡± Chapter 372 - Chapter 372: Reason chapter 372: reason translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng was slightly stunned. he sat up straight and asked seriously, ¡°do you mind?¡± ¡°no.¡± shi man restrained the mockery on her face and said apologetically, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i just couldn¡¯t stand it just now, but this is indeed not your responsibility. i believe you can handle it and wait for your good news.¡± yi zheng looked at her deeply. after confirming that she was just testing him and did not really mind liu ran¡¯s existence, he was relieved and nodded helplessly. ¡°yes, as long as you¡¯re willing to believe me, i have nothing to worry about.¡± shi man looked up and her sharp eyes were like knives as she stabbed at yi zheng. the atmosphere between the two of them was inexplicably solemn. shi zhong coughed lightly and changed the topic. ¡°it¡¯s getting late. let¡¯s go downstairs for dinner first. we¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± yi zheng almost instantly regained his calm expression and a standard polite smile appeared on his face. ¡°alright, uncle shi, please go ahead. manman and i will be there soon.¡± ¡°alright.¡± shi zhong turned around and turned his back to yi zheng. he secretly gave shi man a look, indicating that she should not say too much lest she caused any unhappiness. shi man nodded at him helplessly before shi zhong was willing to leave the study ahead of them. yi zheng pursed his lips and gently moved to sit beside her. he pulled her hand and placed it on his lap. he said with a lonely expression, ¡°are you blaming me?¡± ¡°why did you let her stay by yi kun¡¯s side for so long?¡± shi man did not retract her hand, but her gaze was fixed on the subtle expression on his face. yi zheng sighed softly. after interacting with shi man for so long, he had long known her principles. whether it was towards su tang, who she had once treated as her love rival, bai xue, who had been instructed to frame shi mu, or the female attendant who took the initiative to fawn over her in the cafeteria last time, she seemed to have always been gentle and patient with girls. she shouldn¡¯t be used to using women as tools. yi zheng knew that if he didn¡¯t explain it to her clearly this time, she would probably still have a grudge against him. he rubbed the calluses in her palm helplessly and explained to her carefully, ¡°actually, i had long thought of sending her away. moreover, 1 did instruct tang zhe to do so, but liu ran didn¡¯t agree to leave.¡± ¡°why?¡± shi man frowned in confusion. she had more or less heard of what kind of person yi kun was. rumors about his hobbies were definitely not groundless. if liu ran was really only doing this for yi zheng, her loyalty had long exceeded the standards of a subordinate to a superior. shi man did not think that she would be willing to leave so easily after everything was done. however, if it was yi zheng¡¯s instructions, shi man would have to reconsider her engagement with this man. yi zheng was silent for a moment. after hesitating for a while, he sighed and told her everything. ¡°because she told me that she fell in love with a man.¡± in the dilapidated room, the cold wind whistled past her head. even though liu ran had already covered herself with a thick blanket, her body could not help but shiver in the cold wind. when yi kun did not come to look for her, she often lay on the bed in a daze. she stared blankly at the floating ashes on the ground and watched them be blown to the corner by the cold wind. it was as if she saw herself drifting like a duckweed. the door of the room was pushed open from the outside. liu ran jumped up from the bed warily and assumed a combat posture as she stared fixedly at the door. however, when she saw the person, a trace of shock flashed across her face. ¡°butler, why are you here?¡± the old butler walked into the house expressionlessly and handed the medication in his hand to her. ¡°before young master left, he asked me to give this to you.¡± liu ran reached out to take it in a daze and relaxed. only then did she realize that the wound behind her had been torn again because of her movements. she gasped in pain and covered her shoulder with cold sweat. ¡°thank you. put it on the bedside table. i¡¯ll apply the medication myself later.¡± the butler placed the medication according to her instructions and turned to leave. liu ran suddenly called out to him, ¡°where did young master go?¡± ¡°this is not something you should ask.¡± the butler turned his head slightly and looked at her coldly. ¡°do what you have to do. don¡¯t ask or care about the rest. otherwise, master will be angry.¡± liu ran lowered her head silently and put on a respectful and humble posture. it was not until the butler left the room that she picked up the medication again. her eyes were filled with worry. she had been in the yi family for so many years and had long seen through yi che¡¯s ambition. she also knew that it was difficult for him to move around in this family. they were like a pair of butterflies who appreciated each other. although they were in a cage, they yearned for the freedom that came with breaking out of the cage. her grip on the medicine bottle tightened, and the worry in liu ran¡¯s eyes gradually became firm. she changed into black clothes and endured the tearing pain in her back. taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around, she quietly opened the door and sneaked into the night.. Chapter 373 - Chapter 373: Collapse chapter 373: collapse translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man raised her eyebrows in understanding. ¡°so she has been staying by yi kun¡¯s side for yi che¡¯s sake, even if she was tortured by yi kun for many years?¡± ¡°yes.¡± yi zheng tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°now that you know the truth, will you still change your opinion of me because of this?¡± ¡°no, this matter is indeed not your responsibility.¡± shi man sympathized with liu ran, but that was all. she had chosen the path herself. she was a butterfly trapped in a cage, but she had dug her own grave. as a bystander, shi man could only hope that she could really get her wish. other than that, she could not help. this small episode finally passed. yi zheng heaved a sigh of relief. he only cared about shi man¡¯s thoughts about him. as for the others, he had never cared, let alone explain himself in such a serious and detailed manner. however, he always had extraordinary patience for shi man. the next day, liu ran brought good news. no matter how clean yi kun¡¯s actions were, there would definitely be mistakes. his weakness was hidden in the safe in the study. it contained the truest accounts of the construction of yi city. not only did it record the amount of bribes he received in detail, but it also contained the dubious income brought by his subordinates running the entertainment center. with this thing, yi kun could not defend himself. it was already too late when yi ming learned this news. the old man, who was originally still in good health, suddenly fainted after hearing the news of yi kun¡¯s arrest. the first thing he did when he woke up was to send someone to smooth things over and vouch for his grandson, yi che. his biological son could no longer be saved. all he could do now was support his only grandson. otherwise, the only right in their lineage would fall into yi zheng¡¯s pocket. however, what he did not know was that yi zheng was not that interested in the yi family¡¯s city construction at all. he had never thought of monopolizing this company. if yi kun had not taken the initiative to attack the shi family, he had never thought of coming for them. with yi kun¡¯s downfall, the various shareholders in the company followed yi zheng¡¯s lead. however, to everyone¡¯s surprise, yi zheng only retained a portion of the company¡¯s shares and transferred the rest to yi che for free. from then on, the owner of yi city had completely changed. in the office, yi che personally poured tea for shi man and yi zheng with a kind expression. he smiled and said, ¡°thank you for trusting me this time. otherwise, i wouldn¡¯t have succeeded so easily.¡± shi man put down her teacup and said expressionlessly, ¡°even without us, you would have reached this outcome step by step. i¡¯m just curious. what did yi kun do to you to make you hate him so much?¡± yi che suddenly tightened his grip on the teacup. a trace of resentment flashed across his face, but he quickly hid it. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. 1 know that a portion of the shi family is in sister-in-law¡¯s hands now. 1 hope we have a chance to cooperate in the future.¡± ¡°there will be.¡± a portion of the shi family¡¯s business overlapped with the yi family¡¯s, but it was unclear if they would cooperate or compete. the three of them were chatting when a charming woman suddenly walked in. shi man only glanced at her and could almost confirm her identity. liu ran. the woman who had been undercover by yi kun¡¯s side for many years just to help yi che achieve his goal. after she entered, she first glanced at yi zheng and smiled at him without revealing any flaws. then, she walked leisurely to yi che¡¯s side and said with a solemn expression, ¡°young master, yi kun said that he wants to see you. do you want to go?¡± the gentle smile on yi che¡¯s face faded completely, and his expression was cold. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll see him in the afternoon. coincidentally, there are some things i want to explain to him.¡± ¡°then i¡¯ll arrange it now.¡± liu ran turned around and left, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed. yi che smiled bitterly with a helpless expression. ¡°your injuries haven¡¯t completely healed yet. why are you running around? just let someone else do this small matter.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± liu ran bit her lower lip uneasily and pulled her wrist back as if she had been electrocuted. she lowered her head and said at a loss, ¡°let me go. i can do it, really!¡± ¡°what are you doing?¡± yi che rubbed his eyebrows in frustration. realizing that there were two other people in the room, he swallowed the words he was about to say and could only nod in compromise. ¡°alright, then find someone you can trust personally and let him do it well. that should be fine, right?¡± liu ran still stood stubbornly in place and did not make a sound. yi che sighed softly. ¡°i have to have someone i can trust by my side at any time to listen to my arrangements. what will happen to me when you go out?¡± only then did liu ran nod solemnly, but with a smile in her eyes. ¡°alright, 1 know what to do.¡± shi man saw this scene and suddenly stood up expressionlessly. she looked down at yi zheng. ¡°i¡¯m tired. i¡¯m going back. do you want to go together?¡± yi zheng naturally had no objections. he held her hand and left. liu ran was slightly stunned when she saw the two of them holding hands tightly. when she came back to her senses, someone had stuffed a note into her hand.. Chapter 374 - Chapter 374: A Gap Between Father and Son chapter 374: a gap between father and son translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the prison¡¯s reception room, the iron door was pulled open with a click. yi kun was handcuffed and pressed onto a wooden chair by the police. ¡°thank you for your trouble. i¡¯ll leave after a few words with my father.¡± yi che thanked the police politely. when the iron door was closed from the outside, he turned to look at the haggard man opposite him. in just a day after being locked up, yi kun seemed to have aged ten years. his hair, which had always been meticulously styled in the past, was now in a mess. the black and hard stubble on his jaw made him look especially sloppy. yi che looked at the change in his appearance coldly and felt relieved. ¡°if there¡¯s anything you want to see me about, just say it.¡± yi kun¡¯s expression was almost ferocious. he lowered his voice and said fiercely, ¡°the traitor beside me is you? why did you betray me? i¡¯m your biological father!¡± ¡°yes, but you¡¯re also a beast.¡± yi che crossed his legs casually, his long and narrow eyes narrowed into slits. anyone who saw him would think that he was very easy-going and gentle. however, this was the fuse to ignite yi kun¡¯s anger. he slammed the table angrily, wishing he could pounce on the unfilial son in front of him and strangle him to death. ¡°what good will it do you to take me down? do you think yi zheng will treat you well just because you use me as a pledge?¡± yi che gritted his teeth and tore apart the fig leaf that looked like a loving father and filial son. ¡°it has nothing to do with others. you brought this on yourself.¡± ¡°what are you talking about?¡± yi kun frowned tightly, and a trace of confusion flashed across his eyes. ¡°i¡¯m your biological father. is this how you treat me?¡± ¡°then tell me how my mother died!¡± yi che widened his eyes and looked at his ferocious father in front of him. in a daze, his recollection returned to that rainy night in the past. at that time, yi che was still underage. he was the only one guarding the house alone. it was raining heavily outside. he hid in his mother¡¯s room in fear and hid under the blanket, not daring to come out. the cruel sound of thunder resounded through the clouds, and lightning illuminated a corner of the room through the window. yi che blinked in confusion. with the help of the faint light outside, he could vaguely see a thick diary on his mother¡¯s desk. for some reason, he jumped out of bed curiously and jogged to the desk to open the first page of the book. another clap of thunder exploded in his ears, but yi che could no longer hear anything. his pupils trembled as he stared at the letter paper in the notebook. ¡°xiaoche, i¡¯m afraid 1 won¡¯t be able to survive after knowing your father¡¯s secret, but you have to live well and stay by his side. find evidence of his crimes and hand it to your brother yi zheng. if i really leave, you have to protect yourself. i believe you¡¯re a strong child. i¡¯ll always love you.¡± he stared at the letter that his mother had not been able to give him for a long time and could not come back to his senses. the heat in his hands and feet was sucked away in an instant. when he came back to his senses, there were strong footsteps outside the room. he hurriedly picked up the letter and flushed it into the toilet. the door of the room was pushed open from the outside. yi kun¡¯s face was cold as he circled the room expressionlessly. finally, his cold gaze landed on the pale yi che. ¡°what are you doing here?¡± yi che opened his mouth and thought of the contents of the letter just now. he was so afraid that his entire body trembled. ¡°where¡¯s mom? why didn¡¯t she come back with you? it¡¯s my birthday today.¡± yi kun stared at his face for a long time before sighing. he squatted down and pulled him into his arms. ¡°xiaoche, i¡¯m sorry. the hospital called me just now and said that your mother had an accident on the way back.¡± ¡°mom, what happened to mom?¡± yi che¡¯s eyes widened with a pale face. his fingers tightened around his clothes, and his violently beating heart made his vision darken. yi kun rubbed his head guiltily and coaxed softly, ¡°mommy went to a very distant place, but she will continue to protect you. xiaoche is a man and will definitely be strong and obedient, right?¡± ¡°i want to see mommy.¡± a tear fell from the corner of his eye. yi che bit his lower lip tightly to prevent himself from crying. his blurry vision seemed to soften the hatred in his eyes. yi kun did not see anything from it. instead, he hugged him with a pained expression. ¡°alright, daddy promises you that i¡¯ll bring you to see mommy tomorrow, okay?¡± yi che could no longer remember how he walked out of the hospital¡¯s morgue. he only knew that his heart had been cold ever since. he glared at yi kun with red eyes. after enduring the vigilance and suppression of his so-called father for so many years, he could finally avenge his mother. yi kun smiled bitterly, his eyes filled with mockery. ¡°so you knew long ago. i was too soft-hearted back then and didn¡¯t strangle you to death!¡± ¡°you¡¯re not human!¡± yi che glared at him fiercely and grabbed his collar angrily.. ¡°you actually took mom¡¯s life to cover up your drug dealing! she¡¯s your wife!¡± Chapter 375 - Chapter 375: Regaining Freedom chapter 375: regaining freedom translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios outside the metal door, the police heard the intense commotion inside and instantly rushed in to separate the two of them. yi kun tidied his collar proudly. there was no longer any warmth on his face. ¡°do you think she died because of this? you¡¯re too naive.¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± yi che gritted his teeth and wanted to rush up to him to ask him. however, the police had already taken yi kun away to avoid an accident. yi che was the only one left in the reception room. he stood rooted to the ground and replayed the last sentence yi kun left in his mind in disbelief. if this was not the secret her mother had discovered, what did she know that yi kun would kill her so cruelly?¡¯ in the blood oath base office, liu ran knelt on the ground with a plop. her face was pale. ¡°master, i¡¯m sorry. please forgive me for acting on my own for the past few years.¡± yi zheng leaned lazily on the chair and played with shi man¡¯s fair and slender hand with his well-defined fingers. he glanced sideways at the woman kneeling on the ground. ¡°get up. i didn¡¯t come to talk to you about this.¡± liu ran looked at tang zhe in surprise. after seeing him nod at her, she stood up nervously and stood rooted to the ground. shi man retracted her hand that he kept fiddling with and rolled her eyes at him speechlessly. when she looked at liu ran, she put on a pleasant smile. ¡°1 know why you stayed by yi che¡¯s side. 1 called you here today to tell you about my decision with yi zheng.¡± she told liu ran how yi zheng had decided to compensate her and let her regain her freedom. liu ran stood quietly on the spot and listened. she shook her head with a lonely expression. ¡°no, i don¡¯t need these compensations. 1 want to stay.¡± she raised her head abruptly and looked at the two of them pleadingly. ¡°i still want to stay. i won¡¯t expose my connections to blood oath with yi che. 1¡¯11 keep my mouth shut and not cause trouble for master. i just hope that you won¡¯t send me away.¡± shi man seemed to have expected her to say this. she silently took out a bank card from her pocket and placed it in front of her. ¡°take the money here first. if you regret it in the future, at least there will be enough money for you to settle down.¡± ¡°i¡­¡± liu rail¡¯s eyes gradually turned red, and the hand holding the bank card trembled slightly. after being by yi kun¡¯s side for a long time, she was already used to the darkness of the human heart. she was already a dirty person. she had never thought that she could be treated so gently. shi man sympathized with her, but she was helpless against her decision. she could only persuade her softly, ¡°yi kun has fallen. although yi che is in charge of the company, he might not be your best choice. 1 hope you can consider your future carefully.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve thought about it. i want to stay.¡± liu ran bit her lower lip firmly, her eyes filled with anticipation for the future. shi man couldn¡¯t persuade her anymore. she smiled helplessly and said, ¡°alright, in that case, from now on, you have nothing to do with blood oath. everything you do in the future isn¡¯t for yi zheng. do you understand?¡± the blood on liu ran¡¯s face receded in an instant. she knelt on the ground in shock and begged, ¡°master, are you blaming me for taking matters into my own hands, so you don¡¯t plan to want me anymore? 1 can still do many things for the blood oath. i don¡¯t want to leave!¡± shi man stood up and helped her up helplessly. she patted her shoulder and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry. 1 don¡¯t mean to let yi zheng draw a line with you.¡± hope reignited in liu ran¡¯s eyes. she grabbed her hand urgently and said, ¡°don¡¯t chase me away, okay? blood oath is like my home. 1 don¡¯t want to be homeless.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve already said that blood oath is your home. how can we bear to use you to do those things again?¡± shi man sighed and made things clear. ¡°what i meant just now was that you¡¯ll be a free person in the future. you don¡¯t have to do anything you don¡¯t want for anyone else, but if you need it, blood oath and 1 will provide you with the help you want at any time.¡± liu ran widened her eyes in disbelief. she turned to tang zhe, hoping to see the answer in his eyes. tang zhe also felt sorry for liu ran¡¯s encounters all these years. he touched his nose and said seriously, ¡°madam doesn¡¯t mean that she doesn¡¯t want you anymore, but she wants you to regain your freedom and have a way out at any time.¡± ¡°this is a real home, isn¡¯t it?¡± shi man hugged her shoulder and her magnetic and seductive voice exploded in her ear. ¡°you don¡¯t have to be burdened anymore in the future. you can do whatever you want. if you need anything, you can come and look for me.¡± liu ran held her hand back and her eyes turned red with gratitude. ¡°thank you. don¡¯t worry, i will never do anything to let blood oath down. i will live as a blood oath member and die as one.¡± ¡°alright, you just have to remember that you can be with yi che as much as you want now, but you can also leave him at any time.¡± shi man was only worried that she would jump into another fire pit, so when she came out of yi che¡¯s office, she secretly slipped her a note and asked her to meet them.. Chapter 376 - Chapter 376: Public Election chapter 376: public election translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios since they had made it clear, there was no need to continue the conversation. liu ran took advantage of the time when yi che went to the prison to see his father to go to blood oath for the meeting. it was almost time now. if she went back late, she was afraid that it would arouse yi che¡¯s suspicion. after all, in yi che¡¯s eyes, liu ran had been under yi kun¡¯s control for the past few years and rarely came into contact with the outside world. the city reconstruction was still underway. at cassel academy, the long winter vacation had finally ended and its community welcomed the new school season. bai xue entered the school as she wished. as a transfer student, she attended class f with shi man and su tang. at first, geng hui was worried that she would not be able to keep up with the class¡¯s learning progress, but after a while, he realized that this child was actually as hardworking as su tang. he could not help but feel even more gratified. now, class f¡¯s learning efficiency was improving. this was all thanks to the developments in school. at the beginning of the new semester, shi mu could not wait to bring shi man into the student union and tell everyone that shi man would be the next president to replace him. the selection of the student union originally needed to be done in progressive stages. the next president would usually be the assistant of the previous president. however, shi man had brazenly snatched the position. no one dared to voice any objections, but there would be many criticisms behind her back. shi mu¡¯s former assistant was a senior two years older than shi man. he had always been arrogant. other than shi mu, he never took anyone seriously. occasionally, when he was stubborn, he even dared to refute shi mu¡¯s orders in public. he thought that he would naturally inherit the position of the president. unexpectedly, a presidential candidate appeared out of nowhere at the beginning of the new semester. moreover, she was just a junior girl. he was immediately very unconvinced. that afternoon, shi man was once again dragged into the student union by shi mu to familiarize herself with various matters. as soon as she entered the office, she saw the vice president, gu fan, sitting in the seat below, marking the internal documents with a serious expression. when he saw shi mu return, he only looked up with a disdainful expression. his lips moved as he greeted shi mu, ignoring shi man. shi man could not be bothered with him. he pretended not to see her nine times out of ten times when she came to the office. the other time, he mocked her sarcastically when shi mu was guiding her. she could roughly guess what the other party was thinking, but she was determined to get the position. shi mu had looked for shi man this time to tell her about the student deduction system controlled by the student union. this had always been what shi man was most interested in. she listened attentively, but there was always a sharp gaze above her head that annoyed her. shi man remembered all the rules and regulations that shi mu had explained. only then did she take the time to look up at the owner of the gaze. ¡°have you seen enough? can i interpret your current gaze as your curiosity about your future superior?¡± gu fan¡¯s expression changed slightly. he gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few mocking words. ¡°you should know very well the difference between securing your position and purely competing with your own strength, right?¡± ¡°gu fan!¡± shi mu could not stand him giving his sister a cold face a few times. in the past, this person liked to go against him, but he tolerated it on account that he was dedicated to working for the student union. however, shi man was not someone he could mock just because he wanted to! gu fan raised his chin arrogantly and threw away the pen in his hand. he crossed his arms and twitched his lips in disdain. ¡°why? is there a problem with what 1 said? president, i don¡¯t object to you choosing a suitable candidate to inherit your position, but it¡¯s probably not appropriate to find a newcomer who doesn¡¯t know anything, right?¡± shi man tilted her head and raised her eyebrows with a faint smile. ¡°does that mean you have a more suitable candidate than me?¡± ¡°of course.¡± gu fan proudly crossed his legs and swayed his toes. ¡°there are many people more suitable than you.¡± ¡°oh.¡± shi man casually placed her chin on the back of her hand and nodded seriously. ¡°vice-president gu is obviously the kind of person who is selfless and subservient to the public. i believe you won¡¯t recommend yourself, right?¡± the first half of her words made gu fan feel a little smug, but when she reached the second half, he realized that shi man was not as harmless as she looked. she was digging a pit for him! gu fan sneered and did not fall for it easily. ¡°the president of the student union should be selected by the entire school. it¡¯s not something i can control alone. of course, if everyone thinks that i¡¯m more suitable, i¡¯ll definitely do my best to be the president and not let everyone down.¡± ¡°gu fan, do you mean that you want to hold a public election?¡± shi mu frowned and glared at gu fan. the president of cassel academy¡¯s student union did not have to be appointed by the previous president. another way was to run openly, but this meant that it would take a lot of effort.. Chapter 377 - Chapter 377: Agreeing to Competition chapter 377: agreeing to competition translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios he was not worried that shi man would not be selected, but with his sister¡¯s expression, she probably would not agree to such a troublesome matter. shi mu suddenly felt a headache. it had not been easy for him to get his sister to agree to be elected as the next president of the student union, but this gu fan had found trouble for him. ¡°there was once a rule in the student union that if the president has a candidate for the next heir, there¡¯s no need to run openly. gu fan, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know?¡± shi mu rejected his suggestion without waiting for his answer. if his sister ran away because she found it troublesome, he didn¡¯t know how much effort he would have to spend to coax her over. shi man was the best candidate in his heart. after the reconstruction of the city, everyone in the family knew shi man¡¯s ability. it was said that there had been a huge safety accident in yi zheng¡¯s project this time, but this was the first time shi man had done such a thing without any mistakes. this was enough to show shi man¡¯s ability. although gu fan had seen videos of shi man¡¯s rescue at the event location on television, in his eyes, these young ladies were used to being pampered. occasionally, they would be on television to put on a show. he did not believe that shi man would really guard a disaster area that could erupt at any time from the beginning to the end and be the saint who did things without asking for anything in return. as expected, most of the reconstruction mission fell into the hands of the shi family. this confirmed his thoughts. everything shi man did was just the shi family deliberately grooming a young lady to reap benefits. he shrugged his shoulders indifferently with a fearless attitude. he smiled arrogantly and said, ¡°mr. president, i¡¯m afraid your candidate doesn¡¯t meet the expectations of the other members of the student union and all the students of cassel. such arbitrariness is not your usual style.¡± shi mu frowned in dissatisfaction. he was very disgusted by his sarcastic tone. ¡°how do you know that everyone will object to my decision like you?¡± ¡°of course, i do, because i¡¯ve already done the questionnaire. most people don¡¯t want a newcomer who¡¯s never handled a student union to run such an important institution as the school.¡± gu fan threw a thick stack of documents on the table with a determined smile on his face. ¡°president, take a good look. public opinion is also very important. if the person you choose is not convincing, i¡¯m afraid the student union¡¯s work will not be easy to carry out in the future, right?¡± shi mu frowned and picked up the document to take a closer look. sure enough, many people raised objections, but shi mu dared to guarantee that these people had either received gu fan¡¯s bribe or believed his slander. that was why they had such strong opinions about shi man. ¡°how is it? mr. chairman, have you thought it through? will you ruin the trust and goodwill you¡¯ve accumulated in school for your sister¡¯s sake, or agree to a public election and let someone really suitable take your place?¡± gu fan¡¯s aggressive aura made the already solemn atmosphere even tenser. shi mu was about to reject him when he saw shi man leaning against the master seat slowly as if she was already the master. ¡°alright, i agree to the public election. you can choose whatever you want. when the time comes, i¡¯ll make you admit defeat.¡± ¡°miss shi, you¡¯re so arrogant.¡± gu fan¡¯s lips twitched with a fake smile, and a smug glint flashed across his eyes. he had already secretly asked around about shi man¡¯s personality. the students in her grade seemed to have changed their opinion of her, but there were also many people who disliked her. with her reputation of courting death in the past, it was simply a fool¡¯s dream to compete with him! in gu fan¡¯s opinion, shi man¡¯s current aura was just because of shi mu¡¯s love. this time, he wanted her to know that her brother could not protect her all the time. without the shi family, she was nothing! as if afraid that shi man would go back on her word, gu fan quickly handed the date and content of the election to shi mu and sneered. ¡°the scope of the public election would be expanded to the entire school. all students who want to participate can sign up.¡± ¡°alright, i¡¯m easy. you decide.¡± shi man didn¡¯t even look at the plan that gu fan had prepared. she placed her arm on the armrest of the chair and gently propped up her tilted head with her fingers, looking bored and sleepy. ¡°what are we competing on? just say it.¡± gu fan was waiting for her to say this. he was so excited that his voice was trembling. ¡°as everyone knows, the president of the student union of cassel academy needs to have various attributes such as good academic results, physical education results, ability, social skills, and so on. if you¡¯re in a lower grade, i won¡¯t bully you. how about we compete in the last three?¡± a faint smile appeared on shi man¡¯s lips and gu fan felt his hair stand on end. his eyebrows twitched slightly as he frowned in confusion. ¡°what are you smiling at?¡± as shi man looked up slightly, her beautiful eyebrows curved into a pair of crescent moons. ¡°i¡¯m laughing at you for overestimating yourself. even in terms of results, you can¡¯t compare to me..¡± Chapter 378 - Chapter 378: The Rules of Inequality chapter 378: the rules of inequality translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios gu fan¡¯s eyelids twitched repeatedly in anger. his face gradually turned red. ¡°alright, you said it. i¡¯m not bullying you!¡± ¡°yes, i said so.¡± shi man nodded slowly and changed into a more comfortable position to sit back in the chair. ¡°continue. how else do you want to compete?¡± gu fan was a little angry when he saw her confident look, but he still suppressed the anger in his chest. he snorted and said, ¡°in terms of physical education, we shall compete in the skills learned in the various physical education classes in school. as for ability and social skills, that will depend on who has more political achievements before the real speech campaign.¡± ¡°alright, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡± shi man still had a nonchalant attitude and did not take him seriously at all. gu fan was angry, but his smile became even more treacherous. ¡°little girl, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. this is your independent election. you can¡¯t let your brother help.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m more than enough to deal with you alone.¡± shi man stood up with a relaxed expression. under gu fan¡¯s increasingly gloomy gaze, she slowly opened the office door. ¡°alright, i¡¯m going to eat. brother, do you want to join me?¡± ¡°oh, okay!¡± shi mu quickly followed. before he left, he didn¡¯t forget to turn around and glare at gu fan. it was already too late to go to the canteen, so shi mu drove shi man out to eat. as soon as she entered the private room, shi mu grabbed her wrist anxiously. ¡°sister, are you really confident in winning against him?¡± if shi man lost to gu fan in the public election, the subsequent campaign speech would be meaningless. no one would choose a loser to be the president. however, gu fan¡¯s conditions were too harsh. in terms of learning, the two of them were not in the same grade at all. no matter how smart shi man was, she probably could not master more than two years of knowledge in a short period of time. moreover, the school¡¯s sports were not as simple as running. there were also categories such as swimming and other high-level sports. there was a difference in physical fitness between men and women. gu fan was simply being unfair by competing. shi man could have rejected this directly just now, but she agreed without hesitation. this made shi mu a little worried. however, shi man did not care at all. after ordering a few favorite dishes, she took a small sip of the fruit juice in the glass and blinked innocently. ¡°of course i¡¯m confident. how is that gu fan stronger than me?¡± shi mu pursed his lips and explained hesitantly, ¡°gu fan was able to become the current vice president because of his own ability. he¡¯s diligent and many students like him. there must be many people supporting him this time.¡± ¡°so?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows, indicating that he could finish speaking. shi mu shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°you don¡¯t understand. in fact, the presidential election doesn¡¯t include the first two aspects at all. however, gu fan raised this matter this time to give you an opening gambit. he wants everyone to know the difference between the two of you and win the votes.¡± ¡°oh, what a coincidence.¡± shi man smiled like an obedient kitten, but a trace of playful cunning flashed across her eyes. ¡°that¡¯s what 1 plan to do. if we don¡¯t compete publicly, how will everyone know how outstanding their future president is?¡± ¡°are you serious?¡± shi mu suddenly couldn¡¯t understand his sister¡¯s thoughts. the two people were clearly not at the same stage of learning and should not be compared at all. if it were anyone else, they would definitely not agree to this, but she was confident. shi mu admitted that shi man had indeed changed a lot, but it was impossible for people to break through their limits in a short period of time. even if she was indeed outstanding now, she would not suddenly soar like a cheat. shi man knew that it was useless to promise him now. the proof was in the pudding, so she only gave him a reassuring look and changed the topic. the elections for the student union president to was a big deal. after all, this might affect everyone¡¯s personal interests. for a moment, the school was filled with rumors about the components of the election. when they saw references to the results and sports competition, everyone was shocked. bai xue looked at the rules in black and white on the announcement in disbelief and tugged at su tang¡¯s arm in a daze. ¡°the student union¡¯s requirements are so strict? do they even have to compare these? i thought you just have to sign up to participate.¡± ¡°this is a little strange. gu fan seems to be in the senior group. how can their academic results be compared?¡± su tang frowned and fell into deep thought. although she was very puzzled about this, she was not so worried when she heard that shi man had personally agreed to this. nothing would go wrong with what manman was willing to do. she was always inexplicably willing to believe this. although this election was public, most people still had the mentality of watching a good show. only a few people signed up to participate, but they only wanted to join in the fun and did not really want to be the president of the student union.. Chapter 379 - Chapter 379: School Change chapter 379: school change translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man became busier recently. yi zheng was going to cause trouble for the gu family after knowing about the election. however, shi man did not agree with him. the best way to deal with someone like gu fan was to shut him up by demonstrating her strength. using external pressure would only achieve the opposite effect. moreover, shi man also secretly learned that although gu fan looked a little annoying, he was actually a down-to-earth and willing student union cadre. shi man still had a big heart for such a talent and was prepared to continue to use him after the election. yi zheng could only stop interfering. shi man¡¯s competition this time was high-profile and the ability component was based on gu fan¡¯s grade. she asked geng hui to tutor her and teach her the knowledge for the next two years. geng hui was dumbfounded when he found out. he stated plainly how much of a fantasy this matter was, but during the learning process, he discovered that shi man¡¯s level of knowledge acquisition was incredibly extraordinary. she could remember all the knowledge points as long as he explained them slightly. in just a few days, she had finished half of the courses. the public election was set to be in a month. shi man had plenty of time to prepare for battle. the academic and sports components were easy for her. relatively speaking, the more difficult ones were her real political achievements. cassel academy had been established for a long time, and many rules and regulations had been perfected. it was not easy to break or find loopholes. shi man observed for a while and asked su tang and bai xue to help collect the students¡¯ suggestions. finally, she found something worth improving. that was the attitude of the teachers of cassel academy towards their students. although every grade had been divided into various classes according to level, it was inevitable that there would be students who could not keep up with their studies in a class. the teachers of the academy placed too much emphasis on academic results, so they ignored the uniqueness of each student and could not see everyone¡¯s merits. shi man had always thought that academic results were not the only measure of a student¡¯s good or bad. many students mentioned in the suggestions that they had received unequal treatment in the class, but because of the pressure from their families, they did not dare to transfer to a class suitable for them, bringing immense psychological pressure to themselves. not only did their academic results not improve, but even what they were good at gradually became a burden. shi man especially went to the principal to give her opinion on this matter. after discussing it with the principal in the office for the entire afternoon, she finally perfected the school¡¯s rules and regulations in this aspect and redefined the scoring standards of the students and the teachers¡¯ year-end bonus. when the teacher of class s, hu jing, heard that this matter was actually related to the bonus, she rushed into the principal¡¯s office angrily to reason. the students outside did not know what method shi man had used to convince hu jing. they only knew that when hu jing returned to class again, she was surprisingly gentle to those students she usually looked down on. many students even said that the teachers were finally willing to listen to them patiently and especially gave them a chance to use their specialties. for a moment, the atmosphere in the school slowly improved. shi man was very satisfied with this change because only by displaying the students¡¯ specialties could she choose truly talented people to use in the future. chen wei benefited a lot from this change in policy. in the past, he was at the bottom of class f. however, because of shi man¡¯s reform, he displayed his talent in sports and was even lucky enough to be recommended by the school to the city to participate in long-distance running competitions. although his family was not very illustrious, they still valued family status. in the past, his parents would never allow him to slack off in school. this indirectly led to him always bullying his classmates in school and secretly playing tricks because school would only become a shackle to him. the more he wanted to resist, the more deviant he would be, causing him to eventually become a thorn in the eyes of the school¡¯s management. however, ever since this change, his parents had changed their attitude and began to seriously consider his talent in his field. this time, he had won a good result by representing the school in the city competition. it lit up a bright path to his university life, which he had thought would be destined to be dark. shi man¡¯s actions won unanimous praise from the entire school. gu fan saw all of this. although he was anxious, he vaguely realized that shi man was different. therefore, he looked forward to the confrontation between the two of them in the future. soon, it was time to agree on the ability and sports competition. the principal specially gave all the students a chance to watch the competition on this day. under the witness of the entire school, shi man sat at the head of the conference room and buried her head in answering questions that did not belong to her grade. geng hui was nervous below the stage, and his palms were covered in a thin layer of sweat. however, when he thought of shi man¡¯s previous test results, he pretended to be calm and swallowed his saliva as he secretly cheering her on.. Chapter 380 - Chapter 380: Competition Begins chapter 380: competition begins translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the results of the written test were out very quickly. shi man and gu fan¡¯s papers were projected on the big screen at the same time. under everyone¡¯s witness, gu fan¡¯s year head personally graded them. to everyone¡¯s disbelief, just like every test shi man had taken in the past, her papers were neat and clear. just looking at them made people feel happy. the year head carefully scrutinized every word the two of them wrote. under everyone¡¯s held their breaths and focused gazes, he slowly wrote down the perfect score on shi man¡¯s paper. the lower-year students could not understand the questions and could only watch the commotion. however, gu fan¡¯s peers knew very well. the teacher who set the questions this time did not show any mercy. even they might not be able to get the last two big questions absolutely correct. gu fan had miscalculated a piece of data during the solution of the last question, causing him to miss the perfect score. however, shi man¡¯s answer was so accurate that no one could find fault with it. not only that, but from the look of her examination just now, she actually looked relaxed and did not look troubled at all. the senior students who had disdained shi man because of the rumors in the past had to look at her in a different light now. gu fan was stunned on the stage. he picked up shi man¡¯s paper in disbelief and read it a few times. in the end, he could only put down the paper dejectedly and admit that he had lost in front of everyone. however, the competition was not over yet. gu fan was not prepared to give up so easily. the next component was to be moved to the field. the sports event led by the principal this time was even more magnificent than every sports meet in the past. all the teachers and students sat around the field and stared at the two figures on the track with widened eyes. just as shi man had said, although gu fan was annoying, he was still outstanding in other aspects. to dress for the occassion, he deliberately changed into a suitable sports suit, revealing a straight and slender calf under his loose shorts. his leg muscles were especially developed. it was obvious that he was the kind of boy who often exercised and had strict requirements for himself. looking at shi man¡¯s casual grayish-black work clothes, she did not look like she was here for a long run. the student who had thought highly of shi man just now could not help but feel worried for her. gu fan was famous for being strict. he was strict with himself and treated others strictly. he would appear every time at the same grade sports meet. moreover, as long as he was around, he would definitely win first place. there was a natural difference in strength between men and women. when the two were compared, everyone couldn¡¯t help but feel that gu fan was too ungentlemanly. he actually bullied a thin little girl in public. it would simply be an unfair victory. only the students of class f knew how powerful shi man was. during that practical training, chen wei was personally pulled up the city wall by shi man. only he had personally experienced shi man¡¯s extraordinary strength. her strength was far from what she looked like. with the whistle of the command gun, the noisy arena suddenly fell silent. shi mu sat on the rostrum and clenched the armrest of his chair nervously. his heart was in his throat as the referee moved. everyone¡¯s eyes landed on the two of them without blinking. the referee raised his brightly-colored chess piece and ordered the gun to suddenly make a loud sound in the frozen air. two figures quickly bounced out from the starting line. in this competition, gu fan originally wanted to give in to shi man for being a girl and only wanted to run a sprint competition, but he did not expect shi man to reject him expressionlessly. at that time, she looked at gu fan casually and casually threw her coat to the girl beside her. she smiled at him and said, ¡°no, 1 heard that you¡¯re excellent at the 5,000-meter long run. let¡¯s compete in this.¡± gu fan calmly adjusted his breathing. while stabilizing his rhythm on the track, he also guaranteed his speed. soon, he throw out from his mind the lackadaisical expression on shi man¡¯s face when she last spoke to him. the corners of his mouth slowly curled into a mocking smile. just as he was about to turn around and look at shi man, who was far behind him and was trying her best to catch up, he turned his head and met shi man¡¯s smiling eyes. ¡°how is it, vice president gu? if you¡¯re tired, you can call for a stop at any time. i won¡¯t despise you for being embarrassing.¡± shi man ran casually on the outer track and turned her head to look at him with a smile. gu fan widened his eyes in shock. after meeting shi man¡¯s playful gaze, his stable heart suddenly skipped a few beats, disrupting his breathing. he hurriedly stabilized his heartbeat and turned his head to look ahead. after adjusting his breathing, he accelerated slightly and distanced himself. however, he quickly realized that shi man was like a tail he could not shake off. no matter how fast he increased his speed, she could always follow on his right. her face was not red or panting, as if she was not running at all but just taking a walk with him. gu fan¡¯s dignity as a man was inexplicably provoked. he gritted his teeth and increased his speed again, throwing away all his concernsspro. he only wanted to pull away from shi man at this moment.. Chapter 381 - Chapter 381: Winning Another Round chapter 381: winning another round translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the wind whistling past his ears became faster and faster, and gu fan¡¯s heavy breathing suddenly quickened. for long-distance running, the most important thing was to maintain stability and conserve strength to last until the end. however, he could not care less now. if he kept letting shi man stick to him, it would only prove that he was not strong enough. gritting his teeth and increasing his running speed, gu fan ran two rounds while panting. just as he was about to reduce his speed to give his body a chance to rest, a brisk female voice suddenly sounded behind him. ¡°why aren¡¯t you running anymore? can¡¯t you run anymore?¡± shi man kept a close distance from him with a smile. when she saw him run away, she did not make a sound. she silently accelerated when he accelerated. now that he took the initiative to slow down, she had no intention of surpassing him. she adjusted to his pace unhurriedly and was especially patient like a cat catching a mouse. gu fan turned his head in shock and realized that this woman had been following him. moreover, after the acceleration just now, he was already physically tired. however, when he looked at shi man again, he saw that she was strangely at ease. was she faking it? gu fan gritted his teeth, adjusted his breathing, and said coldly, ¡°1 don¡¯t believe you can last the entire 5,000 meters!¡± he turned around and looked ahead, cheering himself on in his heart. now, he had only run 1,000 meters. he admitted that shi man¡¯s physical fitness could already be considered outstanding among the girls, but the next 4,000 meters would only become more and more difficult. he did not believe that shi man could really run the same distance as him. gu fan stopped talking and started to run. shi man was bored. her gaze occasionally swept across the worry on shi mu¡¯s face on the rostrum and she couldn¡¯t help but think of another man who might be paying attention to this competition elsewhere. in the spectator area, everyone was shocked by the short competition between the two of them. they did not expect gu fan to be so daring. in every sports meet in the past, gu fan would conserve his strength in long-distance running competitions and never use his strength recklessly until the last moment. however, the speed just now had actually exceeded his speed in the final sprint. if they continued to run like this, the two of them would not even need to run the entire distance. they would probably compete to see who could last. shi man, who looked thin and weak, could actually keep up with his speed easily. anyone with a discerning eye could tell that shi man had not used her full strength just now, while gu fan¡¯s condition had been mostly exhausted. gu fan tried to shake off shi man in the remaining 4,000 meters, but she followed him closely. he gradually felt that his stamina was running out, and the soreness in his abdomen reminded him that he should temporarily reduce his speed and adjust his breathing. however, shi man¡¯s teasing voice was still echoing in his mind. no matter what, he refused to suffer humiliation and slow down. soon, there were only 1,000 meters left. gu fan gritted his teeth and endured the pain in his abdomen until now, just to surpass shi man in one go and win the competition under the cheers of the entire audience. he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with determination. ¡°speed up! gu fan is starting his final sprint!¡± the classmates in the audience who were familiar with gu fan let out an ear-piercing scream. the passion of the entire audience was suddenly ignited at this moment. everyone could not help but stand up and shout as the two of them passed in front of them. bai xue nervously pinched su tang¡¯s wrist. she couldn¡¯t bear to blink as she stared at the arena. when shi man passed by them, she even took the time to turn her head and make a face at them. at this moment, gu fan had already moved almost half a circle away from shi man. ¡°finally got rid of her.¡± gu fan turned to look at the empty track beside him, and his expression became even more determined. heat flowed from his collar to his cheeks, and the cheers in his ears gradually faded. his mind went blank for a moment, and right on the heels of that, violent shouts suddenly exploded in the audience. the end was right in front of him. gu fan held his breath and was about to make a final acceleration sprint when a figure quickly passed by him, making him forget which leg to take next. his breathing seemed to have stopped in an instant. he raised his head in a daze and looked at the figure that was getting smaller and smaller in front of him. only then did he realize that the person just now was shi man. ¡°damn, this is a monster! i¡¯ve never seen anyone run so fast. it¡¯s actually a girl!¡± ¡°she¡¯s too strong. at this speed, she can even participate in the national team. isn¡¯t it said that shi man is a useless young lady? she can even bring glory to the country!¡± ¡°she¡¯s too dashing, and she seems to be very relaxed. look, she¡¯s not sweating!¡± the student with the binoculars observed shi man¡¯s expression through the camera in shock. the students beside her hurriedly borrowed the binoculars from her curiously. in the camera, the corners of shi man¡¯s mouth were still slightly curled up, and there was not a drop of sweat on her face. on the other hand, not only was gu fan¡¯s collar wet, but his face was also red.. Chapter 382 - Chapter 382: Accepting Failure chapter 382: accepting failure translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the moment shi man crossed the finish line, everyone forgot to cheer for her. the entire venue fell into dead silence. it was not until the rostrum announced the final results of the competition that the students in the audience suddenly came back to their senses and let out an ear-piercing scream of disbelief. bai xue jumped up excitedly and shook su tang¡¯s hand desperately. ¡°she won, she won, manman actually won! she¡¯s really amazing!¡± su tang smiled proudly and said confidently, ¡°as expected.¡± gu fan looked at the finish line that was inches away and suddenly did not have the courage to run anymore. his footsteps gradually stopped. he stood rooted to the ground as if his feet had been nailed to the track. he wanted to escape, but he could not move his legs. shi mu personally walked down the rostrum to welcome shi man. he held her hand and wanted to bring her to the rostrum to complete his final speech. after these two competitions, all the teachers and students in the school should have seen shi man¡¯s strength. he was absolutely confident that shi man would be the only candidate for the presidential sear today. shi man allowed him to pull her to the last stage. however, when she passed by gu fan, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and examined the man in front of her expressionlessly. ¡°can¡¯t you tolerate your own failure?¡± gu fan suddenly raised his head and glared at her with red eyes. his hands were clenched into fists by his sides. ¡°i, it¡¯s not that i can¡¯t accept it. i just¡­¡± ¡°you just didn¡¯t expect to lose, let alone lose so badly.¡± shi man curled her lips mockingly, the mockery in her eyes undisguised. veins suddenly bulged on gu fan¡¯s forehead, and his fists were clenched. shi mu stood in front of his sister worriedly and reprimanded her coldly, ¡°what are you doing? do you still want to hit someone after losing the competition? our shi family is not to be trifled with!¡± ¡°brother.¡± shi man grabbed shi mu¡¯s arm and gestured for him to move aside first. she met gu fan¡¯s gaze fearlessly and slowly took a step forward to stand in front of him. ¡°don¡¯t you think you look very ugly now?¡± gu fan gritted his teeth, his entire body trembling from her humiliation. ¡°are you hitting me when i¡¯m down? you must be very proud to see me suffer a crushing defeat, right?¡± ¡°what¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but laugh. she shrugged her shoulders indifferently. ¡°i didn¡¯t think about the possibility of you winning from the beginning. you just can¡¯t accept the truth. you don¡¯t even have the courage to complete the competition in the end, yet you still want to compete with me for the position of president?¡± gu fan¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly, and his adam¡¯s apple bobbed. he said in a low voice, ¡°what exactly do you want to say?¡± shi man raised her head slightly and gestured for him to turn around. gu fan hesitated and did as he was told. only then did he see that many students in the audience behind him were looking over. there was no lack of support from his classmates, his former good friends, and his beloved teachers. ¡°have you forgotten that they¡¯re still watching you? you don¡¯t even have the courage to end the competition. are you worthy of their cheers for you just now?¡± shi man¡¯s voice sounded behind him. gu fan felt his back stiffen and he clenched his fists again. he suddenly took a deep breath and roared angrily as he ran towards the finish line. the silent audience erupted in cheers again. even though this cheer was only from a small portion of the spectators, it was enough to support gu fan¡¯s courage to complete the competition. shi man was right. this was not just his competition. he was also carrying the expectations of his classmates and teachers. he couldn¡¯t lose so badly. he couldn¡¯t embarrass them. even if he wanted to lose, he should do it openly! shi mu looked at gu fan in shock. this was the first time he had seen this man, who was always so rigid, abandon his rationality. ¡°brother, we can leave now.¡± shi man looked at gu fan, who was panting at the finish line, in satisfaction. then, she turned around and followed shi mu to the center of the podium. the cheers that resounded through the sky stopped abruptly. everyone held their breaths and focused at the same time. they raised their heads and stared at the girl standing in front of the microphone. gu fan hunched his back and held his legs. his violently beating heart seemed to be about to break through his chest at any moment. he stared fixedly at the position that should have belonged to him until the dazzling sunlight forced him to lower his head in resignation. perhaps it was not sunlight, but the girl who was so dazzling that he did not dare to look at her directly. after the speech, the principal announced that shi man would be the designated candidate for the next president. gu fan closed his eyes gently and wiped the bean-sized sweat off his forehead. he turned around and left dejectedly. unexpectedly, a group of people surrounded him at some point. all of them smiled at him. the male classmate who was closest to gu fan even punched his shoulder and joked with a smile, ¡°not bad. that last sprint was very impressive. it seems that it¡¯s not a waste of money for you to install a gym at home. i¡¯ll install one next time. help me choose the equipment..¡± Chapter 383 - Chapter 383: Obstacle to Engagement chapter 383: obstacle to engagement translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°you¡­¡± gu fan muttered and opened his mouth. after a while, he let out a weak voice,¡±but i¡¯ve already lost.¡± ¡°what does it matter? if you lose, so be it. haven¡¯t you won a lot too?¡± the students began to count the various awards gu fan had won in school in the past few years. they knew every one of them like the back of their hands. it turned out that there were so many good friends who remembered the glory he had achieved in the past. gu fan¡¯s violently beating heart suddenly stabilized. he lowered his head and smiled bitterly. forget it, he had only lost the competition. could he really be as sore as shi man had said? ¡°looks like you¡¯ve figured it out.¡± shi man stood behind the crowd with a smile; her voice was light enough to attract everyone¡¯s attention. gu fan slowly turned around, and a rare smile suddenly appeared on his usually cold and serious face. he walked to shi man¡¯s side, his eyes focused and burning. ¡°thank you for letting me understand such an important principle. don¡¯t worry, since we¡¯ve already competed openly once, 1 won¡¯t cause trouble for you in the future.¡± ¡°i know.¡± shi man smiled confidently and extended her right hand to him politely. ¡°i¡¯ll let you continue to be the vice president. happy cooperation.¡± gu fan did not hesitate. after wiping the sweat from his palm, he politely held half of shi man¡¯s finger and let go decisively. ¡°happy cooperation.¡± ¡°okay.¡± shi man turned to leave with shi mu. gu fan hesitated for a moment before suddenly calling out to her. his already red face seemed to heat up again. ¡°well, i think we still have a lot of things to get used to in the future. why don¡¯t we eat together tonight so that i can discuss work matters with you in the future?¡± ¡°huh?¡± shi man turned her head and was about to agree when a familiar figure in the distance caught her off guard. tang zhe was wearing an ironed suit and sunglasses. he put a serious face between the two of them. ¡°miss shi, my master wants to see you. please follow me.¡± ¡°what¡¯s the matter with yi zheng?¡± shi mu went forward to stop him unhappily. his sister must be tired after winning the competition. why couldn¡¯t yi zheng say it himself but only send his secretary over? ¡°i¡¯m sorry, fourth young master. i¡¯m not sure about master. miss shi, please follow me.¡± tang zhe gave a standard mechanical reply. shi mu wanted to mock him again, but shi man stopped him. ¡°brother, i¡¯ll be back soon. there¡¯s nothing else here anyway. you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± shi man persuaded shi mu with a few words and gestured for tang zhe to lead the way. the eye-catching black car was indeed parked at the school gate. after tang zhe opened the car door for her, he hid a little further away and stood still like he was getting punished. shi man obediently got into the car. a slender arm stretched out in front of her, and a bottle of mineral water with the cap unscrewed was held in his bulging hand. ¡°congratulations on becoming the president-designate of cassel academy.¡± yi zheng smiled as he watched her swallow the water. he suddenly felt his throat tighten. ¡°thank you.¡± shi man twisted the cap and placed it on the small table. she glanced at him playfully. ¡°what is it? tell me.¡± ¡°you won such an important competition today. as your fiance, 1 naturally have to take the initiative to celebrate with you.¡± yi zheng smiled and tucked her scattered hair behind her ear again. however, shi man had always trusted her intuition. she felt that yi zheng must be hiding something from her, and it was very important. she narrowed her eyes slightly and reached out to tug at his tie, pulling him towards her. she smiled and brought her lips to his, allowing their wet and hot breaths to intertwine. ¡°tell me, what exactly is it? if you confess now, i can deal with it leniently.¡± yi zheng chuckled and stared at her lips. ¡°i have good news and bad news. which one do you want to hear first?¡± ¡°don¡¯t give me that.¡± shi man rolled her eyes at him and leaned back in her chair. ¡°good news.¡± ¡°my parents went to your house just now.¡± yi zheng smiled. under shi man¡¯s shocked gaze, he frankly said the main point. ¡°to propose marriage.¡± ¡°i wasn¡¯t even there!¡± shi man widened her eyes in disbelief. she was set up with a man just like that? although she had already agreed to be engaged to yi zheng, she thought that it would be a very formal occasion to discuss the engagement. she did not expect these parents to act so quickly! shi man suddenly felt a little dazed. yi zheng nodded seriously. ¡°yes, but your parents have already agreed.¡± shi man frowned and clicked her tongue. she pursed her lips unhappily. ¡°what about the bad news?¡± yi zheng¡¯s originally smiling eyes suddenly darkened. ¡°my eldest grandfather doesn¡¯t agree to the marriage between our families. he urgently called my parents to the main residence just now and even coerced my parents as an elder to prevent us from even getting in touch..¡± Chapter 384 - Chapter 384: Hospitalized for Myocardial Infarction chapter 384: hospitalized for myocardial infarction translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°you mean yi ming?¡± shi man had never thought that this person would pose a threat to her, but if he really stopped her as an elder, even yi zheng¡¯s parents would not be able to forcefully go against his wishes. ¡°yes, my parents are coordinating this with big grandpa. i¡¯m also investigating how he found out about our engagement.¡± yi zheng tightened his grip on shi man¡¯s hand, afraid that it would ruin her mood from winning the competition. he coaxed her softly, ¡°1¡¯11 bring you to celebrate your victory first. leave the rest to me, okay?¡± shi man, on the other hand, did not seem to be in the mood to be affected. she frowned and thought carefully about where to start investigating this matter. she raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°before uncle yi was called to the main residence, did anyone else see your eldest grandfather?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve checked. big grandpa receives different guests every day. yi che even went there in the morning. do you suspect him?¡± yi zheng played with her slender fingers. the soft touch from his fingertips made him reluctant to let go- ¡°before the truth is revealed, anyone is worthy of suspicion.¡± shi man opened the car window and knocked on the car door. tang zhe immediately heard the commotion and looked over. shi man shouted, ¡°get in.¡± tang zhe hurriedly got into the car and looked at the two of them through the rearview mirror. ¡°master, where are we going?¡± shi man tilted her body lazily and leaned her head on yi zheng¡¯s shoulder. she closed her eyes gently. ¡°since you¡¯re going to celebrate for me. aren¡¯t you already prepared?¡± ¡°yes.¡± yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he patted her head and let her sleep on his shoulder for a while. he instructed tang zhe to go to the cafeteria that he had booked in advance. as soon as the two of them sat down, yi zheng¡¯s phone began to vibrate in his pocket. after the call was picked up, yi long¡¯s deep and powerful voice came from the receiver. ¡°son, where are you now? are you with manman?¡± ¡°yes, we were just about to eat.¡± yi zheng held shi man¡¯s hand that was about to pour wine and said calmly, ¡°dad, what happened?¡± it was noisy where yi long was calling from. when he spoke, there was a loud echo. ¡°your eldest grandfather has just been sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. if it¡¯s convenient, you can come to the hospital to take a look.¡± ¡°alright, 1 understand.¡± yi zheng hung up the phone and took a deep breath. he poured her wine with an apologetic expression. ¡°i can¡¯t stay with you for too long. 1 need to go to the hospital.¡± ¡°i heard you.¡± shi man took a sip of wine and put down the wine glass. she said indifferently, ¡°go now. 1¡¯11 go with you.¡± ¡°i can eat with you before leaving.¡± although yi ming was yi zheng¡¯s eldest grandfather, the two families had not been close all these years. compared to him, yi zheng¡¯s heart ached even more for shi man. she had just exhausted a lot of stamina, but she still had to run around with him on an empty stomach. however, shi man did not care. living in the wind and sleeping in the open was nothing to her, let alone having a late meal now. moreover, she was very curious why yi ming suddenly didn¡¯t agree to the engagement between the two families. the shi family and the yi family would only work together. there would be no drawbacks. if he had to say that there was, then yi zheng¡¯s lineage would become stronger with the support of the shi family. if the old master had come with this intention to stop the marriage between the two families, then yi che was probably also inseparable from this matter. ¡°just make it up to me for a meal next time.¡± she took yi zheng¡¯s hand and sat back in the car. the two of them quickly arrived at the hospital. the surgery had just ended. on the hospital bed, yi ming was wearing an oxygen mask. his narrowed eyes revealed a hint of shrewdness. yi che was carefully wiping old master¡¯s hands. yi long was standing at the side talking to him softly. the moment yi zheng stepped into the ward, old master¡¯s sharp gaze suddenly turned in his direction. when he saw the two of them holding hands tightly, he started to cough violently. shi man let go of yi zheng¡¯s hand expressionlessly and stood at the side with her arms crossed. only then did old master gradually stabilize his breathing. panting, he pointed at yi zheng and said, ¡°get the unrelated people out first. 1 have something to tell you.¡± other than lu xiang, everyone in the room had the surname yi. it was obvious who the unrelated person was. shi man rolled her eyes. seeing that he was really pale from a serious illness, she did not want to argue with an old man like him. she turned around and was about to leave the ward. unexpectedly, a pair of warm hands suddenly grabbed her wrist. along the slender arm, shi man¡¯s gaze landed on yi zheng¡¯s firm and calm face. ¡°first grandpa, shi man is my fiancee and not an unrelated person. if you have anything to say, you can say it in person.¡± shi man gently retracted her arm, and yi zheng tightened his grip on her wrist. seeing that old master was looking at her as if he wanted to eat her, shi man did not want them to waste time because of her in the ward. she took the initiative to persuade yi zheng. ¡°uncle yi and auntie lu must not have had dinner yet. 1¡¯11 go buy some food back.. let go of me first, okay?¡± Chapter 385 - Chapter 385: Premarital Assessment chapter 385: premarital assessment translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°i¡¯ll get tang zhe to buy it.¡± yi zheng stubbornly pulled her to his side and turned to look firmly at the old man lying on the hospital bed. ¡°big grandpa, you can say it here. there¡¯s no need to deliberately hide it from shi man.¡± ¡°you unfilial son!¡± yi ming was so angry that his eyes widened, and even his pale face turned a little red. he raised his hand, pointed at him, and reprimanded him sternly, ¡°do you think you can look down on me as an elder just because you¡¯re in charge of the yi family now?¡± ¡°i never thought that way. you¡¯re the most senior elder in the family. 1 respect you and my parents, but the fact that you forced my parents today was not wise. i¡¯m an adult man with the ability to act. 1 can¡¯t just let it be.¡± yi zheng¡¯s words were powerful and confident. even yi che, who was carefully reducing his presence, could not help but exclaim. after being glared at by yi ming, he quickly lowered his head quietly. yi long also looked at yi ming with a troubled expression. ¡°uncle, we can agree to your other requests, but the engagement of the two children is their own wish. there¡¯s really no need for us to stop them.¡± ¡°don¡¯t forget, 1 raised you myself!¡± yi ming took off his oxygen mask angrily and threw it aside. he pointed at the tip of yi long¡¯s nose while panting. ¡°are you trying to anger me to death? your father has already left. can¡¯t my words count?!¡± ¡°but why don¡¯t you agree to this marriage?¡± yi long hurriedly supported her and asked the deepest doubts in her heart. yi ming¡¯s gloomy and vicious gaze slowly swept across shi man and finally landed on yi long. his old and rough fingers were like a tree branch that was about to wither as he grabbed his wrist tightly. ¡°the shi family is not the best choice. although your families have been close all these years, don¡¯t forget what kind of business the yi family secretly does!¡± yi long widened his eyes slightly. his wrist was suddenly tightened by him, and his fingertips turned cold. ¡°no, even if shi zhong knows what we do, he won¡¯t do anything. we¡¯ve known each other for many years and are family friends. he won¡¯t do anything to us.¡± ¡°why are you so naive?¡± yi ming lowered his voice and looked at shi man with a sinister gaze. ¡°this little girl is not simple. think about her changes. what was she like in the past? now, she looks like a completely different person. how do you know that this is not the shi family¡¯s scheme? can you guarantee that the shi family has no other intentions for this marriage?¡± ¡°big grandpa.¡± yi zheng frowned and vaguely heard what he had said to his father just now. he had roughly guessed those whispers in his heart, so he became even more calm and composed. ¡°you¡¯re totally overthinking. on the contrary, only the shi family can help us continue to gain a foothold. i don¡¯t think there¡¯s a better choice than her.¡± yi ming¡¯s eyes widened in anger, and even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were flattened. ¡°did she drug you with some bewitching potion?! you have no right to interrupt me when i¡¯m talking to your father!¡± shi man turned her head slightly and looked at him playfully. she lowered her voice and whispered into his ear, ¡°aren¡¯t you afraid that i¡¯ll misunderstand?¡± ¡°then will you misunderstand me?¡± yi zheng asked honestly, his sparkling eyes filled with smiles. shi man deliberately pretended to think seriously and shook her head with a smile. ¡°no, because compared to me helping you, you seem to help me more.¡± ¡°at least you still have a conscience.¡± the smile in yi zheng¡¯s eyes deepened. if not for the fact that there were elders present, he really wanted to pull this obedient little girl into his arms and reward her for her trust in him. yi ming looked at the two of them biting their ears as if no one was around and was so angry that his face turned green. he held his breath in his throat and said in a hoarse and angry voice, ¡°yi long, do you still have any influence over your own son? if you can¡¯t, i¡¯ll invite the elders of the yi family over!¡± ¡°uncle, i can¡¯t go back on my word now.¡± yi long¡¯s attitude was also very firm. he had long decided that shi man would be his daughter-in-law. he was definitely unwilling to go back on his word just because of yi ming¡¯s threats. if he offended his future in-laws, would he have a good time? lu xiang helped the old master lean against the head of the bed to rest. she carefully poured a cup of hot tea and handed it over. she advised gently, ¡°uncle, manman is smart and capable. she can preside over the reconstruction of the city at such a young age and is very smart. you can try to get to know her.¡± other than yi che, who had been silent in the room, everyone else was speaking up for shi man. seeing that this matter could not be dissuaded, yi ming¡¯s turbid eyes darted back and forth, and his expression softened a little. he pondered for a moment and said, ¡°alright, since you all say so, 1 can¡¯t force you anymore. however, xiaoxiang is right. 1 should get to know her before making a decision.¡± ¡°you mean¡­¡± an ominous feeling suddenly arose in yi long¡¯s heart. sure enough, he made an unreasonable request right on the heels of that. ¡°in the future, shi man has to see me every morning and night. if she can last a hundred days, 1¡¯11 agree to their engagement..¡± Chapter 386 - Chapter 386: Exasperated chapter 386: exasperated translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was not difficult to meet yi ming, but no one could guarantee that yi ming would not do anything to shi man. moreover, shi man was currently working multiple jobs. not only did she have to be busy with the student union in school, but she also had to complete her studies. she usually had to go to the company. she was already too busy. now that she had to come to the hospital in the mornings and evenings, she was really unable to do anything. yi zheng refused on behalf of shi man without thinking. ¡°no, big grandpa. manman has her own study mission and work. if you want to see her, i can take the time to come over and see you with her.¡± ¡°yi zheng, it seems like you want to do this the hard way!¡± yi ming punched the bed frame angrily and said fiercely, ¡°i¡¯ve already given in on account of your father. if this little girl can¡¯t even be so filial to her elders, what right does she have to be your wife?¡± yi zheng frowned and retorted coldly, ¡°manman won¡¯t marry me in the future to be our nanny, let alone a nurse for you. if you need me, i can hire the best nurse for you, but manman has her own things to do like me. she can¡¯t do such a thing.¡± yi ming was so angry that the whites of his eyes were bloodshot. the humiliation of being suppressed by yi zheng returned, and his hands and feet were cold. ¡°are you trying to anger me to death? if 1 die, what benefits do you think you have? the heavens are watching! your biological grandfather is watching you from above!¡± yi zheng pursed his lips tightly and frowned. he still wanted to say something, but shi man had already reached out to stop him. she looked calmly at yi ming, who was pretending to be old and sick on the bed. ¡°alright, 1 promise you that as long as 1 persist for a hundred days, you won¡¯t interfere in yi zheng¡¯s matters, right?¡± yi long turned to look at her in disbelief. he clearly did not want shi man to agree to such a ridiculous request. however, yi ming would not give him this chance. seeing shi man jump into the trap he had set, how could he be willing to let shi man get away? yi ming hurriedly narrowed his muddy old eyes and vowed, ¡°yes, your fate as well as yi zheng¡¯s fate is in your hands now.¡± ¡°alright, in that case, i¡¯ll come tomorrow morning.¡± shi man agreed surprisingly readily. yi ming was slightly stunned, but joy quickly appeared in his eyes. ¡°alright, you said it. if you can¡¯t hold on, don¡¯t blame me for forcing yi long to go back on his word.¡± yi zheng looked over with disapproval. he was about to persuade shi man to reconsider, but he was stunned by the determination in her eyes and could not speak for a long time. yi ming did not expect the matter to be finalized so quickly. he was overjoyed, but when he thought of the next plan, he suppressed the smile on his face and lay back on the bed calmly. seeing that he was fine, shi man turned around and left the ward. yi zheng quickly followed. when the two of them walked out of the hospital, yi zheng grabbed her arm and asked worriedly, ¡°were you angry just now?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not angry.¡± shi man curled her lips playfully and smiled. ¡°if your eldest grandfather wants to test me, then tell him to come at me. do you think i¡¯m afraid of him?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t know, he¡­¡± it was obviously not good for a junior to speak ill of an elder behind his back, but in order to prevent shi man from jumping into the fire pit, yi zheng explained with a serious expression,¡± big grandpa was infamous for being vicious among his peers back then. back then, when my uncle wanted to get married, he tortured him. 1 don¡¯t want you to suffer from him for no reason.¡± ¡°why are you so sure that i¡¯ll be wronged?¡± shi man retracted her arm indifferently and walked down the steps at the hospital entrance. ¡°alright, don¡¯t worry. i can handle it. if you¡¯re not eating, i¡¯ll go home.¡± yi zheng had no choice. he sighed and chased after her. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll come with you tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°don¡¯t. i¡¯ll be fine on my own.¡± shi man smiled mysteriously. ¡°i won¡¯t be able to perform well with you at the scene.¡± yi zheng frowned and didn¡¯t say anything. on the way to work the next day, he was still a little worried and asked the chauffeur to change directions to the hospital. unexpectedly, as soon as he walked out of the elevator, he heard a noisy discussion in the corridor, followed by yi ming¡¯s roar right on the heels of that. yi zheng¡¯s heart tightened. he quickened his pace and pushed through the crowd to walk over. he saw shi man standing at the door of the ward with an innocent expression. she blinked and said pitifully, ¡°big grandpa, didn¡¯t you ask me to come and see you earlier? why are you chasing me away now?¡± in the ward, yi ming smashed the cup fiercely. his hands trembled as he said angrily, ¡°get lost! don¡¯t disturb me here!¡± after saying that, he lost his breath because he had shouted too loudly just now. he held his stomach and bent over to cough. yi zheng looked at the scene in front of him in shock. just as he was about to go in and see the situation inside, shi man suddenly grabbed his arm. ¡°let¡¯s go.. aren¡¯t you going to work? why are you here?¡± Chapter 387 - Chapter 387: Angering Yi Ming to Death chapter 387: angering yi ming to death translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity. when shi man got into the car, he couldn¡¯t help but grab the car door and squeeze into the back seat. shi man rolled her eyes at him speechlessly and looked at the car in front of her. ¡°president yi, you got into the wrong car, right? your car is in front.¡± ¡°tell me first, what happened just now?¡± yi zheng stared into her smart and playful eyes and asked. shi man shook her head mysteriously. ¡°this isn¡¯t worth mentioning. don¡¯t worry, 1 can handle it.¡± yi zheng looked doubtful, but before he could ask in detail, shi man had already closed her eyes and leaned on his shoulder. she took a nap on the way to school. it was still early. shi man must have woken up earlier than usual today. at this moment, even if yi zheng wanted to know what had happened in the ward this morning, he could not bear to wake her up. when the car drove steadily to the school gate, shi man woke up faintly. she moved her neck, which was a little stiff from sleeping, and said sleepily, ¡°alright, i¡¯m going to class. remember not to go to the hospital at night.¡± when shi man said this, there was a naughty smile on her lips. at night, as expected, another roar came from the ward. shi man sat leisurely on the sofa with a teacup and read, but yi ming, who was on the hospital bed, was so angry that his nose was crooked. he asked her to come over every day to torture her and make her suffer so that she would retreat. he didn¡¯t invite a great buddha over to anger him to death! yi ming panted heavily and composed himself. his rotten voice sounded faintly in the ward. ¡°shi man, pour me a cup of tea.¡± ¡°yes,¡± shi man agreed quickly. she gently put down the book and slowly picked up the teapot under yi ming¡¯s surprised and smug gaze. then, for some reason, her hand suddenly did not listen to her. the teapot fell to the ground. the boiling water happened to splash on yi ming¡¯s feet, which were hanging by the bed, immediately scalding him. yi ming glared at shi man in disbelief. enduring the pain in his foot, he pointed at her nose and scolded, ¡°what¡¯s the use of you? you can¡¯t even make a cup of tea. a useless piece of trash wants to marry yi zheng?¡± ¡°huh?¡± shi man slowly raised her eyes and her gaze paused on his dry lips for a moment. the corners of her mouth suddenly curled into a wicked smile. ¡°it seems that the blister in your mouth has already healed, big grandpa?¡± yi ming suddenly shut his mouth and glared at shi man in fear. in an instant, he felt that it was too embarrassing for him to be afraid of a junior like this. his expression became even uglier. ¡°you jinx, you¡¯re deliberately making things difficult for me, right?¡± ¡°how could that be? there aren¡¯t many children like me who are willing to serve their elders personally. you should be satisfied. please forgive me if i did anything wrong.¡± shi man walked around the coffee table to the bed and picked up a fruit knife from the bedside table. the blade shone with a lethal cold light under the moonlight. yi ming shivered for no reason and said nervously, ¡°you, what do you want? let me tell you, this is the hospital.¡± ¡°what are you thinking?¡± shi man took out another apple from the fruit basket with an innocent expression. ¡°1 wanted to ask if you wanted fruit.¡± ¡°no.¡± yi ming stuffed his scalded foot under the blanket angrily. the burning pain had already subsided. in order to preserve his dignity, he leaned against the head of the bed with a serious expression and gently closed his eyes. ¡°massage my shoulder. you¡¯re not allowed to stop until i say so.¡± ¡°okay.¡± shi man nodded decisively. this suddenly gave yi ming an ominous feeling. however, in the next second, reality happened to verify his premonition. he had never thought that the little girl¡¯s grip would be so strong. the pressure on his shoulder did not seem like she was massaging him, but like she wanted to crush his bones. he could even vaguely hear the sound of bones dislocating. ¡°stop, stop, stop.¡± yi ming waved shi man¡¯s hand away with a ferocious expression. the expression on his face was conflicted until it finally turned into smugness. ¡°there¡¯s no need for you to massage my shoulders. i¡¯m hungry. go buy me dinner.¡± he had the intention to torture shi man well, so he naturally did not intend to let her get away easily. he deliberately made a long list of his requests for dinner, not caring if shi man could remember. when he finished speaking, his throat was a little dry. shi man stood quietly at the side and listened. she deliberately waited for him to finish before sitting back on the sofa. she leaned back in her chair and adjusted her comfortable posture. she took out her phone with a smile. ¡°wait a minute. 1 didn¡¯t remember a word you said just now. why don¡¯t you repeat it so that 1 can record it and not buy it wrongly?¡± yi ming rolled his eyes in anger. he was just spouting nonsense and deliberately making things difficult for her. how could he repeat it? now that she asked, he could only take advantage of his seniority and deliberately widen his eyes to scold her. ¡°you can¡¯t even remember this.. do you still want to marry yi zheng and be madam yi?¡± Chapter 388 - Chapter 388: Torturing Each Other chapter 388: torturing each other translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°if you don¡¯t want to say it, then i¡¯ll buy it according to my taste.¡± shi man ignored his useless shouting and wanted to call the restaurant downstairs. yi ming gritted his teeth and stopped her. with a cold expression, he repeated, ¡°sea cucumber braised wuchang fish, but i don¡¯t want to see a single fish bone inside.¡± lie had just finished speaking when shi man interrupted him sincerely. ¡°no, eldest grandpa, the doctor said that you can¡¯t eat stuff that is too greasy, and you can¡¯t touch seafood. why don¡¯t you change it to chicken soup? let the chef boil a pot of thick black chicken soup to nourish your body.¡± yi ming¡¯s expression darkened as he said angrily, ¡°am i the one eating or you?¡± ¡°oh.¡± shi man continued to fiddle with her cell phone and said calmly, ¡°then continue.¡± yi ming gritted his teeth in hatred when he saw her leisurely appearance. he nimbly repeated the second half of the sentence and glared at shi man. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you still don¡¯t remember this time?¡± ¡°no, i recorded it.¡± shi man smiled calmly, but she still lay on the sofa without moving. yi ming frowned and urged unhappily, ¡°if you remember, why aren¡¯t you going? look at what time it is now?¡± shi man put down her phone and finally took the time to glance at him. she said matter-of-factly, ¡°but you haven¡¯t paid yet.¡± yi ming was dumbfounded. he did not expect this wretched girl to be so difficult to deal with. he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. ¡°when you marry yi zheng, you¡¯ll have endless wealth! do you still care about this bit of money!¡± ¡°does that mean you agree?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and looked over. she moved her body slightly and changed to a more comfortable position to lean against. yi ming smiled proudly. ¡°you want to trick me? no way! we agreed on a hundred days. not a day less!¡± ¡°oh.¡± shi man picked up her phone again in disappointment and said, ¡°then you have to pay me. otherwise, it will be very difficult for me to work for you.¡± yi ming was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak for a long time. he opened his mouth and scolded in exasperation, ¡°are you a money-grubber?! you¡¯re not going, right? if you¡¯re not going, i¡¯ll call yi long now and let him know what kind of person his future daughter-in-law is!¡± shi man leaned against him and did not move. she looked at him with a smile. yi ming was completely angered by her expression. he picked up the phone and called yi long. unexpectedly, as soon as the call was picked up, shi man stood beside him and started playing the recording before he could say a word. yi long held the phone and listened to yi ming deliberately make things difficult for her. he held her forehead speechlessly in his heart. he waited for the recording to end before he persuaded helplessly, ¡°uncle, if you want to eat anything, you can tell me. i¡¯ll definitely help you.¡± yi ming was so angry that his eyes widened and he could not say a word. shi man answered for him with a smile, ¡°uncle yi, eldest grandpa wants to eat those things. by the way, the doctor said that drinking some black chicken soup at this time is very nourishing.¡± yi long knew that shi man wanted to eat it herself and agreed with a smile. yi ming hung up decisively and glared at shi man. ¡°you¡¯re shameless!¡± this was only the first night. shi man had almost finished the milk and fruits in his ward, but he did not even drink any water! in order to make things difficult for shi man, he specially sent everyone away, but he did not expect to make things difficult for himself! it was inconvenient for him to move now and he could not get out of bed. he was counting on shi man for everything, but she was showing off! yi ming narrowed his eyes and looked down at his trembling legs, thinking about something. a glint of calculation suddenly flashed across his eyes. he hardened his heart and suddenly pretended to fall off the bed unintentionally. a smug smile appeared on his lips. however, before he could do anything else, an arm stretched out in front of him and stopped him firmly. a huge force drove his body and threw him back onto the bed. when yi ming fell back onto the pillow, he felt his heart tremble violently. he straightened his neck and glanced at shi man with sinister eyes. shi man completely ignored his gaze. she covered him with the blanket with a smile and moved a chair to sit by his bed. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you think yi zheng will give up on me just because your condition worsens under me?¡± yi ming swallowed nervously. his eyes flickered as if he was so angry that he refused to say a word to her. shi man did not care. she picked up the washed grapes on the plate and threw them into her mouth. ¡°then you¡¯ve underestimated yi zheng. or rather, you¡¯ve overestimated your status in the yi family.¡± this time, yi ming was finally not easily angered by her. he spoke to her with a rare calm expression. ¡°what do you want to say?¡± shi man chuckled and shook her head helplessly. ¡°i just want to remind you that the reason why i agreed to waste time with you here is not because you¡¯re important to yi zheng, but because i¡¯m sure you¡¯re the one who can¡¯t last to a hundred days.¡± yi ming gritted his teeth and said fiercely, ¡°are you that confident?¡± Chapter 389 - Chapter 389: The Older the Wiser chapter 389: the older the wiser translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°well, let¡¯s try it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and walked back to the sofa to lie down. she continued to stare at the phone screen. shi man now had her own company and had a lot of documents to deal with every day. in order to go to school, she could not work in the company all the time, so she could only ask meng hui to send important documents to her phone. she had been in the hospital for so long and was busy with all kinds of documents. the city reconstruction project could not be ignored. shi man had to keep an eye on it despite the distraction from yi ming. not long after, yi long brought lu xiang and yi zheng to the hospital. they were each holding a thermos container, which was made according to yi ming¡¯s request. yi ming¡¯s expression was tense. he did not give them any respect. yi zheng put down the thermos and walked to shi man¡¯s side. he patted her shoulder comfortingly. ¡°are you okay?¡± shi man shrugged indifferently. yi ming immediately glared in their direction. ¡°what can happen to her?! ever since she came, i¡¯ve never felt comfortable!¡± lu xiang hurriedly walked over to calm the old man down and coaxed him in a gentle voice, ¡°uncle, eat something first. we¡¯ve already informed yi che. he¡¯ll come here to accompany you in a while.¡± yi ming took a deep breath and said coldly, ¡°don¡¯t think that this can change my mind. 1 have time to play with this brat.¡± yi long and lu xiang looked at each other. looking at the broken porcelain pieces and water stains on the ground, lu xiang quickly contacted the nurse to come in and clean up. she secretly gave yi zheng a look. yi zheng nodded knowingly. just as he was about to send shi man home first, she was unwilling to leave. she put away her cell phone and lost her casual attitude. instead, she became respectful. ¡°1¡¯11 stay here and have dinner with eldest grandpa before leaving. i have to finish what 1 started.¡± this shocked even yi zheng. before coming, he had heard that yi ming was making things difficult for shi man. he was still very worried and regretted not rejecting yi ming¡¯s suggestion forcefully. unexpectedly, shi man took the initiative to stay. yi ming snorted. he was the person present who knew shi man¡¯s schemes the best. this little girl did not stay to accompany him. she had clearly been busy the entire night and had not eaten. she was waiting to freeload here! thinking of this, yi ming started to get angry again. he slapped the bedside table in frustration. ¡°where¡¯s the food 1 asked you to bring? can 1 eat?!¡± ¡°yes, of course.¡± yi long was obviously relieved. he quickly opened the thermos and placed it in front of him. shi man could smell the fresh fragrance of black chicken soup from afar. her gluttony was immediately aroused, and her eyes lit up. she solicitously walked over and personally scooped a bowl of soup for yi ming. then, she wanted to scoop another bowl for herself. yi ming¡¯s cold gaze drifted to her. he suddenly thought of something and his lips curled into a sly smile. he coughed violently at the black chicken soup. his saliva splashed into the soup and contaminated the entire thermos. shi man raised her eyebrows slightly. her hand that was scooping the soup paused and she looked at the old man with dark eyes. after being angered by her, yi ming finally got back at her. he shook his head proudly and drank the bowl of clean soup in front of her. yi long watched this scene awkwardly from the side and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little amused. he patted shi man¡¯s shoulder helplessly. ¡°uncle yi will still bring it for you next time, okay?¡± shi man did not say anything and kept staring at the old man drinking the soup. yi ming could feel her staring at him, and his face became even more smug. his posture of drinking the soup subconsciously became elegant. shi man sneered and sized him up. suddenly, she said with a serious expression, ¡°although eldest grandpa looks much better today than last night, his breathing is still a little difficult. we should get a doctor to do a full checkup.¡± yi ming stopped drinking the soup and looked up at her in confusion. yi long, on the other hand, was interested in this matter. he frowned and stared at yi long¡¯s expression. he nodded and said, ¡°manman is right. it won¡¯t hurt to have another layer of insurance. i¡¯ll contact the doctor now.¡± ¡°no need. sit down and have a good dinner. i¡¯ll go.¡± shi man acted obedient and sensible. yi ming couldn¡¯t help but snort coldly. he completely treated shi man¡¯s words as flattery for yi long and his wife, and his expression became even more disdainful. the older, the wiser. since this little girl knew that she had to please yi long and lu xiang, he had grasped her weakness. as long as he mentioned yi long from time to time, he did not believe that this little girl could continue to be lawless. shi man knew what he was thinking with just a glance. the smile in her eyes deepened. she rejected yi zheng¡¯s request to accompany her and left the ward to look for the doctor. yi ming ate dinner in a good mood. he actually felt that this meal was even more delicious than the delicacies he had eaten in the past. however, he was destined to have a rough meal. as soon as he took a bite of fish, shi man led the doctor in, followed by two nurses holding medicine bottles.. Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Hidden Treasure chapter 390: hidden treasure translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°what are you doing?¡± yi ming looked at the few people who suddenly barged in in a daze. yi long also stood up from the sofa and looked at shi man inquisitively. however, this time, there was no need for shi man to explain personally. the attending doctor took the initiative to advise seriously, ¡°the patient has just finished the surgery. although the surgery is not big, it¡¯s not suitable to eat these things. we have to do a simple physical examination of the patient now.¡± ¡°but my uncle hasn¡¯t had dinner yet.¡± yi long frowned in confusion, feeling that something was wrong. shi man nimbly took away all the bowls and chopsticks in front of yi ming. she did not even let go of the chopsticks in his hand. her face was filled with concern for him. ¡°eldest grandpa has to listen to the doctor. you can¡¯t eat these now.¡± yi ming¡¯s jaw almost dropped. before he could react, the doctor had already quickly checked his vital signs. then, he instructed the nurse to give him a nutritional injection and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, your body is in stable condition, but you can¡¯t eat these fish and meat now. you have to control your diet.¡± ¡°you, you¡­¡± yi ming looked at the doctor and then at shi man, who had a serious expression. he was suddenly furious and roared fiercely in the ward, ¡°get lost! get out! i don¡¯t want to see you!¡± another violent cough made yi ming feel uncomfortable in his heart. he hurriedly controlled his emotions and closed his eyes as he lay on the bed. it took him a while to catch his breath. the doctor immediately felt a headache when he saw this. he had been a doctor for so many years and hated such patients who refused to cooperate with treatment and had a bad temper. he frowned and called yi long and the others out of the ward. after giving them some instructions, he left with the nurse. only yi zheng and shi man were left guarding the ward. yi ming opened his eyes slightly and saw shi man¡¯s smiling face. he hurriedly closed his eyes and swallowed hard. ¡°if my life is really gone because of you, i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to marry yi zheng for the rest of your life.¡± shi man chuckled and shrugged her shoulders indifferently. ¡°don¡¯t worry. with me around, 1 definitely won¡¯t let anything happen to you. you¡¯ll definitely recover quickly. i¡¯ll continue to visit you tomorrow. good night, eldest grandpa.¡± yi ming closed his eyes and did not move. shi man did not expect him to respond. this old man probably still did not know how to scheme against her. however, shi man really didn¡¯t care. she knew medicine and knew how to control herself. she would definitely not let him cause any issues. the next morning, shi man woke up especially early. after a morning run, the sky had just lit up. after taking a shower and eating breakfast, she drove to the hospital alone. yi ming had been tortured badly last night and was still unconscious, but the ¡°alarm clock¡± he had personally set came. shi man pushed open the ward door and looked at yi ming¡¯s pale face. she pushed his arm expressionlessly. ¡°eldest grandpa, wake up. are you alright? please don¡¯t scare me.¡± she spoke anxiously, but there was no worry on her face. only when yi ming was finally woken up by her did she retract her arm and smile at him. ¡°eldest grandpa, is there anything i can do for you today?¡± yi ming gritted his teeth and stretched out his trembling hand after a while. ¡°you, help me sit up.¡± ¡°okay.¡± shi man bent down and leaned closer. she lifted the old man¡¯s waist and helped him up. unexpectedly, yi ming suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly, leaving a red mark on it. shi man continued to support her against the bedhead without changing her expression. she slowly retracted her hand and looked at the flesh that was gradually turning purple. she said with a fake smile, ¡°aren¡¯t you afraid that i¡¯ll be more vicious and hide a needle in your pillow?¡± yi ming¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface. he only shifted his waist against the pillow without batting an eyelid. when there was no pain from any needle, he was completely relieved. he sneered and said, ¡°how dare you? if you really do that, 1 have even more reason to make you scram.¡± ¡°yes, it¡¯s not to the extent of hiding needles, but why do 1 smell something else in your room?¡± shi man¡¯s sensitive nose sniffed around the ward and finally locked onto the drawer of the bedside table. a trace of nervousness suddenly appeared on yi ming¡¯s calm face. he frowned and put on an impatient posture. he started to chase her away angrily. ¡°leave first. i don¡¯t need you this morning. come again tonight.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly. her gaze swept across the drawer before she turned around and left. however, when she walked out of the ward, shi man¡¯s expressionless face suddenly became gloomy. if she didn¡¯t guess it wrongly, there was a rare ¡°big treasure¡± hidden in yi ming¡¯s bedside table. she walked to the nurses¡¯ station and asked patiently, ¡°did anyone come to see my eldest grandfather last night?¡± shi man had caused quite a commotion in the hospital these past few days. the nurse knew whom she was referring to. after thinking for a while, she nodded and said, ¡°yes, after you left yesterday, a young man came to see that old man. other than that, there¡¯s no one else..¡± Chapter 391 - Chapter 391: Arranging Work chapter 391: arranging work translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man narrowed her eyes and suddenly understood something. she casually took out a piece of paper and wrote down her contact information. ¡°thank you. i¡¯ll have to trouble you with one more thing. in the future, if anyone comes to visit in that ward, please contact me immediately.¡± the nurse knew that the two of them were relatives, so she didn¡¯t think too much about it. she nodded readily and agreed. ¡°alright, don¡¯t worry.¡± after shi man left the hospital, she called sean. it had been too long. she urgently needed to confirm if the smell she had accidentally smelled in the ward was that thing. yi ming waited for the voices outside to subside before opening the drawer sneakily. a small black box lay quietly on a stack of test results. inside was what he had asked yi che to get yesterday. after interacting with yi zheng for the past few days, he surprisingly realized that the poison in yi zheng¡¯s body seemed to be slowly receding. it was probably very difficult for people who did not know the medicinal properties to notice this change, but yi ming knew this medicine very well. yi zheng¡¯s expression was almost no different from an ordinary person¡¯s. the poison must be decreasing bit by bit. thinking of this, yi ming narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at the medicine in his hand with a dark expression. no one should be able to detoxify this poison now. could it be that yi zheng had actually found a famous doctor who could detoxify it without him knowing? if that was the case, this poison would probably not be of much use next time. however, if yi zheng¡¯s body was intact, the yi family¡¯s business would probably never have anything to do with him¡­ yi ming frowned and hid the medicine again. he lay back on the bed and carefully thought about shi man¡¯s reaction. in school, because shi man had long finished learning the future courses, she was reviewing all kinds of information about the project during class. the entire class was already used to this and kept a respectful distance from shi man. however, their parents were not fools. since shi man was already in charge of a portion of the company and shi zhong was still willing to let her do such an important project, it could only mean that shi zhong planned to count on this daughter again. they knew what was going on and started to urge their children to build a good relationship with shi man while she was still in school. this would be hard on the students of class f. almost every one of them had offended shi man. it was just that the extent differed. it was easy to live peacefully with her, but if they wanted to be friends with her, they could only flatter her. however, they had to complete the mission given by their families. they were not in the mood to attend class all day long. they all stared at shi man in a daze, thinking of countermeasures. it was not until chen wei blocked their vision that they suddenly realized that class had already ended. looking at chen wei and shi man chatting and laughing, they began to regret not seeing the situation clearly earlier and taking sides early. su tang was still as focused as ever in class. although she no longer needed to take notes in class, she did not miss out on any knowledge points. at this moment, the class had just ended. she happened to have a question to ask shi man, but the words she had yet to say were suddenly held back by chen wei. under everyone¡¯s envious gazes, chen wei went to shi man¡¯s side proudly and rubbed his hands shyly. ¡°boss, 1 have something very important to discuss with you.¡± ¡°speak.¡± shi man did not look up and continued to look down at the document in her hand, but she still divided her attention to listen to him. chen wei swallowed nervously and lowered his voice. ¡°is there anything i can do for your reconstruction project? i also want to do something for you.¡± only then did shi man look up at him. she put down her pen and smiled. ¡°why, do you want to jump ship?¡± chen wei¡¯s family was into engineering. however, this time, he was not in the ranks of the city reconstruction. his family was pressing him, wanting him to take the opportunity to learn more. that was why he shamelessly went to shi man to ask for a position. ¡°yes, boss, i¡¯ll follow you in the future. you can¡¯t abandon me!¡± chen wei pressed his palms together beggingly. under shi man¡¯s cold gaze, he became even more obsequious. ¡°boss, i beg you. 1 can really do anything!¡± ¡°then i¡¯ll let you go to the event location for construction. are you going?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and asked him. chen wei nodded without any hesitation. ¡°as long as it¡¯s your order, i do it!¡± seeing his serious expression, shi man was finally amused by him. she said seriously, ¡°alright, then go to the event location.¡± ¡°all?¡± chen wei opened his mouth in shock. the thought of going back on his word only appeared in his mind for a moment before he ruthlessly extinguished it. he said with a generous expression, ¡°alright! i¡¯ll listen to you.¡± if he rejected her now, he would be getting further and further away from shi man! even if he had to put on a hard hat to do construction, he had to do it. shi man shook her head helplessly and smiled. ¡°alright, i¡¯m just teasing you. go and help me supervise. watch the event location and don¡¯t let anything go wrong. i¡¯ll get the staff at the scene to connect with you..¡± Chapter 392 - Chapter 392: Poison chapter 392: poison translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°good, good, good!¡± chen wei was about to cry tears of joy. in the past, he was publicly acknowledged as a wastrel in the family. even his biological father did not dare to hand over important things to him. however, shi man was willing to give him this opportunity to prove himself. other than gratitude, he felt a trace of warmth. in the past, he was such a bastard that no one was willing to believe him now. however, after experiencing so much and such a huge disaster in the city, he really wanted to contribute. he didn¡¯t want to be a useless hedonistic son again. even if shi man really asked him to do construction now, he could put down his pride and do it. shi man¡¯s work at the scene was now in jiao kai¡¯s hands. when shi man investigated the mastermind behind the commotion, she discovered this person¡¯s merits and arranged for him to supervise the scene. jiao kai had been in this line of work for many years and lacked a chance to stand out. now that shi man was so confident in him, he had long been loyal to her. therefore, when he saw chen wei, who was also introduced by shi man at the construction site, he immediately felt a little happy. he did not despise his young age at all and brought him to familiarize himself with the work at the event location like a mature senior. at night, shi man still came to the hospital. the nurses in the hospital did not contact her for the entire day, which proved that no one had come to the ward today. she gently pushed open the ward door and saw yi ming sleeping soundly on the bed. she walked to the bed expressionlessly and glanced at the bedside table. her nose twitched slightly, but she did not notice the strange fragrance in the morning. just as her slender fingers raised to reach the drawer, the man on the bed suddenly opened his eyes. he stared at the woman who had appeared at the head of the bed in horror. he was stunned for a while before coming back to his senses. his turbid eyes were filled with coldness. ¡°what are you doing?¡± shi man sneered and said calmly, ¡°i saw that you were sleeping too soundly, so 1 wanted to test your breathing.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not dead yet.¡± yi ming glared at her angrily. he leaned against the head of the bed and instructed her, ¡°go get me a glass of water.¡± shi man did not deliberately make things difficult for him this time. she poured a cup of tea nimbly, but when he reached out to take it, she suddenly retracted her hand. yi ming raised his head and glared at her coldly without saying a word. shi man slowly took out a white pill from her pocket and threw it into the cup in front of him. she shook her wrist gently before handing it to him. ¡°here, eldest grandpa, please have some tea.¡± yi ming stared at him with a dark gaze. his lips were purple with anger. ¡°how dare you poison me?¡± ¡°why wouldn¡¯t i dare?¡± shi man sent the cup forward again and said, ¡°eldest grandpa, do you want to drink tea or listen to me?¡± yi ming let out a long sigh and looked away angrily. he narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°what do you want to say?¡± shi man didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with him and asked bluntly, ¡°yi zheng¡¯s grandfather passed away back then. why didn¡¯t he leave any rights to you?¡± yi ming had just thought of a reason to brush shi man off and fool her about discovering the medicine, but he never expected her to ask about this! his pupils suddenly constricted, and yi ming¡¯s lips trembled. it was unknown what memories he had recalled, but his face suddenly turned pale. shi man frowned and suddenly reached out to hold his wrist. realizing that there was really something wrong with his heart and he was not pretending, she hurriedly took out the silver needles she carried with her to treat him. half an hour later, yi ming returned to normal. his entire body was covered in a thin layer of sweat. the wet sweat stuck to his white beard, and his muddy eyes were filled with pain. ¡°you, why did you mention this? this has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°i¡¯m just wondering what you did to yi zheng¡¯s grandfather back then to make him hate you so much.¡± shi man lowered her eyes slightly and pulled out the silver needle. her tone was so relaxed, as if she was not discussing other people¡¯s secrets, but casually chatting with him. when yi ming saw the needle, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°you know medicine!¡± ¡°i just know a little.¡± shi man slowly sat back on the sofa and took a sip of the teacup she had given yi ming. yi ming widened his eyes and pointed at her. ¡°what you drank just now was¡­¡± ¡°you¡¯ve never taken vitamins?¡± shi man played with the exquisite porcelain teacup in her hand with a playful expression and said slowly, ¡°1 just wanted to test you just now. now, i already know the answer. thank you.¡± ¡°what do you know!¡± yi ming barely propped himself up, but because of the pain in his heart, he still fell heavily back onto the bed and looked at the ceiling above his head, panting. shi man smiled faintly and said, ¡°i know a lot of things i shouldn¡¯t know. it depends on which mistake you made. why don¡¯t we talk about old matters first?¡± yi ming coldly retracted his gaze and looked up. his voice was hoarse. ¡°i don¡¯t believe you. if you really knew everything, you wouldn¡¯t be sitting here chatting with me. you¡¯re just trying to get information from me now..¡± Chapter 393 - Chapter 393: The Mastermind chapter 393: the mastermind translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man was not embarrassed at all. instead, she said calmly, ¡°1 got someone to investigate the yi family¡¯s past. yi zheng¡¯s grandfather, yi cheng, has spent almost his entire life in mutual deception. the only person he trusted back then was probably you.¡± yi ming¡¯s eyes flickered, and his voice gradually became deeper. ¡°i¡¯m yi cheng¡¯s biological brother. if he doesn¡¯t trust me, who else can he trust?¡± ¡°i heard that a very bad kidnapping happened in the yi family back then, causing yi zheng¡¯s grandmother to unfortunately die. yi cheng also couldn¡¯t recover from this setback. the company¡¯s matters were handed over to you for a period of time.¡± shi man put down the teacup and habitually tapped her fingers on the coffee table. every tap seemed to knock on his heart. ¡°the mastermind was not caught later, but after yi cheng pulled himself together, he took back the power you controlled bit by bit. i¡¯m telling the truth, right?¡± yi ming slowly curled his lips and sneered in the silent ward. ¡°yi cheng is selfish and enjoys his rights in his own hands, but if he dies, won¡¯t he be unable to take anything away? in the end, he¡¯ll just be a handful of ashes!¡± ¡°what about you? why do you want so much power?¡± shi man frowned in confusion, as if she was trying to tell if his words came from the bottom of his heart or if he was just using them to brush her off. ¡°i¡¯m just taking back what¡¯s mine!¡± yi ming glared fiercely and clenched his fists. ¡°everyone outside says that it¡¯s the foundation yi cheng built. then what am i doing for the yi family? do you know how much 1 sacrificed for the yi family?!¡± shi man was slightly stunned. she retracted her gaze thoughtfully and looked at the time on her phone. she said calmly, ¡°i¡¯ve finished asking what 1 wanted to ask. i know that no matter how 1 interrogate you, you won¡¯t tell me the truth, so our conversation today ends here. i¡¯ll go back first.¡± ¡°stop right there!¡± yi ming propped up his upper body and glared at her back. ¡°i advise you not to investigate the yi family¡¯s past. this won¡¯t do you any good. the more you know, the harder it will be for you to marry yi zheng.¡± ¡°if you had stopped long ago, 1 naturally wouldn¡¯t have continued to investigate.¡± shi man turned her head slightly and her cold gaze slowly landed on him. ¡°but i¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have this intention.¡± she was referring to what he had hidden in the drawer this morning. yi ming understood, so he was even more certain. the violent cough brought a faint pain to his chest. he glanced at the bottom of the pillow and lay down on it weakly, a mocking smile on his lips. it turned out that the person who cured yi zheng was shi man. however, he did not know what expression shen xian and her husband would have when facing shi man, who knew how to hide her sharpness. outside the yi corporation¡¯s building, yi che was about to get into the car when the phone in his pocket suddenly began to vibrate. he threw his bag into the front passenger seat and reached for his phone. when he saw the unfamiliar caller id, his pupils constricted. he looked around guiltily before picking up the call nervously. on the other end of the phone, a rough male voice that had been changed sounded faintly. ¡°i¡¯ve already let you know the answer to that drug, right? i¡¯m not lying to you.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the light in yi che¡¯s eyes suddenly dimmed. he lowered his voice and said, ¡°but isn¡¯t it too late for me to know this? shi man knows medicine and has a mercenary group under her like my brother, but i don¡¯t have anything. why are you looking for me to cooperate?¡± ¡°because you have nothing.¡± the man seemed to be very satisfied with his reaction at this moment. he chuckled and continued to guide him. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t have anything. what i need is your clean hands.¡± ¡°what else do you want me to do?¡± yi che frowned. thinking of the message he had inexplicably received some time ago, his heart thumped. if it weren¡¯t for this person pushing him from behind, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to make up his mind to use liu ran to take down his biological father. he did not regret avenging his mother, but he was very afraid that another unknown person was hiding in the dark and knew everything about him. the man smiled comfortingly and said, ¡°you don¡¯t have to be so nervous. even if you don¡¯t listen to me, your grandfather will definitely force you to do this. now that shi man¡¯s whereabouts are very fixed, we can start the next step of the plan.¡± ¡°what plan?¡± yi che subconsciously tightened his grip on his cell phone. when he heard the voice coming from the phone, his pupils subconsciously dilated. it was coming to a week since shi man insisted on coming to the hospital to visit yi ming. yi zheng realized that the two of them, who had been at daggers drawn at the beginning, had become strangely harmonious. yi ming would sometimes instruct her to do things and shi man would have no complaints. however, when their gazes met occasionally, it would lower the temperature of the surrounding air. on this day, after shi man finished watching yi ming, she was about to leave the hospital to go to school. on the way, she received a call from su tang asking her to go home to get her homework. shi man agreed without thinking. after hanging up, she was surprised to see a familiar face in the mirror.. Chapter 394 - Chapter 394: Car Accident chapter 394: car accident translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi che stared fixedly at the license plate of the car in front of him. he took a deep breath and suddenly stepped on the accelerator and rushed over the moment the car turned around. shi man¡¯s car was about to turn into another street, but she noticed yi che¡¯s abnormality. through the half-opened window, she saw the person inside in a daze. then, she looked at his speed and was shocked. yi che¡¯s car was about to fly towards the big truck on the opposite street. if it crashed, the car would probably be destroyed and he would die. shi man frowned and turned the steering wheel. she used the front passenger seat of her car to barely stop yi che from rushing towards the traffic and stopped the car. the car shook violently for a moment, and the deafening collision frightened all the cars at the intersection to stop their wheels. through the car window, shi man could see yi che resting his head on the steering wheel in the other car. he seemed to have lost consciousness. she hurriedly got out of the car and stopped yi che¡¯s car. only then did she heave a sigh of relief. when the police at the intersection saw the soul-stirring scene just now, they hurriedly rushed over to maintain order. shi man gently pushed the unresponsive yi che and frowned to check his breathing. seeing that he had not lost his breath, she heaved a sigh of relief. the police didn¡¯t give her much time to observe yi che¡¯s expression. they had already called the ambulance and walked over to express their gratitude for shi man¡¯s heroic feat. shi man did not say anything. she just looked at the back of yi che¡¯s head lying on the steering wheel and felt that this matter was too strange. the ambulance quickly rushed over from a nearby hospital. a few doctors saved yi che from the driver¡¯s seat and even carefully asked about shi man¡¯s condition. the phone screen that had lit up in his pocket darkened again. no one noticed the urgent message that had already been sent. yi zheng was also driving to work when his cell phone suddenly vibrated. he frowned and turned on his cell phone. when he saw the message on it, he was shocked. he quickly turned the car around and rushed to the event location. shi man¡¯s car had just been damaged, so she simply left it where it was and waited for the police to deal with it. she casually took out her phone to tell yi zheng about this, but for some reason, her phone couldn¡¯t be dialed a few times today. she could only give up and tell the doctor that she knew the injured and unconscious yi che and accompany him to the hospital. yi che¡¯s various tests were normal, but he was still unconscious. in order to stop the car, shi man could only crash into the driver¡¯s seat in a hurry, causing yi che to hurt his legs. at this moment, after the doctor¡¯s emergency treatment, there was no longer much of a problem. after the matter was finally settled, it was already time for class. only then did shi man remember that she had not retrieved her homework from su tang. she hurriedly took out her phone to call her to apologize. unexpectedly, the doctors passing by pushed the stretcher anxiously and passed by her in a hurry. they even accidentally bumped into her shoulder. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, please make way.¡± the doctor hurriedly apologized and hurriedly cooperated with the others to continue transporting the injured. shi man didn¡¯t care. just as she lowered her head to look at her cell phone, she heard the doctor rushing past her whispering to each other. ¡°hey, why does the injured person who was sent here look so familiar! is he the president of the yi family that you saw on television?¡± ¡°yes, yes, yes. 1 think it¡¯s him too. it¡¯s just that there¡¯s too much blood on his forehead. i can¡¯t see what he looks like!¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± shi man grabbed that person¡¯s arm angrily, her face seemed to be covered in a layer of frost. ¡°who did you say was injured?¡± ¡°i, i don¡¯t know. the one who was pushed there just now?¡± the doctor timidly pointed at the stretcher that had been pushed into the elevator and stammered, ¡°i, i was just guessing. that seems to be president yi, right? is his name yi zheng?¡± the doctor was still wondering if that person was yi zheng when shi man had already run towards the elevator. seeing that the elevator door had just closed in front of her, she took a deep breath and rushed stiffly to the safe passage on the other side. in the past, she did not even pant when she ran for 5,000 meters, but now, she was already in a mess after climbing four levels. the heat on her face gradually rose, and her heart was beating so violently that it was about to break out of her chest. however, she was not in the mood to pay attention to this at all. there was only one thought in her mind. nothing must happen to yi zheng. she prayed in her heart as she rushed to his bed before he was pushed into the operating theater. blood was still flowing out of the open wound on his forehead. his long eyelashes covered his originally light and bright eyes. shi man knew how tempting those eyes would be when they were affectionate, and how mesmerizing his pale thin lips were. it was yi zheng! it was really him! ¡°miss, are you the family of the injured? please wait outside. we have to operate on the injured immediately.¡± shi man lay by the bed in a daze. her arm was grabbed and pushed away. her entire body hit the wall, but she did not feel any pain.. Chapter 395 - Chapter 395: Mysterious Photo chapter 395: mysterious photo translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the stretcher was quickly pushed in, and the red light of the operating theater lit up high above. shi man looked at the red words in a daze and suddenly realized that she could not even see them clearly. her vision was so blurry that she could only see a patch of red. she couldn¡¯t tell if it was blood or something else. when yi long heard the news and rushed over, the surgery was not over. lu xiang sat on the bench crying and wiped her tears forcefully. she walked to shi man, who was squatting in the corner. she patted shi man¡¯s shoulder gently and realized that the petite body under her palm was actually trembling. a poignant feeling suddenly surged up. lu xiang looked at her steadily and forced back the tears in her eyes. she hugged her and comforted her softly, ¡°manman, xiao zheng will definitely be fine. he will definitely be safe.¡± shi man slowly came back to her senses, and her dazed eyes regained focus. ¡°auntie, go and rest for a while. i¡¯ll guard here.¡± lu xiang shook her head hard and suppressed the soreness in her throat. she said in a hoarse voice, ¡°no, auntie will guard here with you. xiao zheng must be able to sense that we¡¯re worried about him. he can¡¯t bear for you to be sad for him, so he will definitely be fine.¡± shi man slowly held lu xiang¡¯s hand, and a trace of rationality gradually returned to her blank mind. ¡°auntie, how did you and uncle know about yi zheng¡¯s accident? how did it happen?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t know?¡± lu xiang wiped her tears in shock and looked at the man behind her. her probing voice was as weak as a mosquito. ¡°yi zheng¡¯s secretary, tang zhe, called and said that he had received a warning that yi zheng¡¯s cell phone had sent a distress signal. then, we received a call from the hospital. i thought he had been with you.¡± ¡°where¡¯s tang zhe?¡± shi man frowned tightly. thinking of yi che¡¯s abnormality this morning, she was suddenly afraid that yi zheng would have the same abnormality. lu xiang hurriedly picked up her phone and called tang zhe. the person on the other end of the phone said something. she suddenly widened her eyes in shock and looked at shi man, who was squatting in front of her in disbelief. she hung up the phone in a daze. shi man sensed a trace of strangeness from her surprised gaze and hurriedly grabbed her arm anxiously. ¡°auntie lu, what¡¯s wrong? what did tang zhe say just now?¡± only then did lu xiang come back to her senses. she sized shi man up again and said, ¡°he said that yi zheng received the news of your car accident this morning, so he temporarily diverted to the event location of your accident. he didn¡¯t expect to encounter the same thing halfway.¡± ¡°car accident?¡± shi man narrowed her eyes. thinking of what had happened this morning, she quickly took out her phone. this time, the communication function of her cell phone had returned to normal. yi zheng¡¯s calls from an hour ago were appearing on the screen one after another. someone had tampered with her phone and interfered with the communication signal. this thought suddenly appeared in her mind, and she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. she was the leader of the hacker field herself. all the communication equipment related to her had been personally encrypted by her. ordinary people could not even take the key to unlocking her confidentiality, let alone implement such a big trick on her cell phone. if there was really such a person, it could only mean that this person¡¯s skills were probably above hers. for some reason, shi man suddenly connected this person to the mastermind behind the explosion. she stood up in disbelief and looked at the door of the operating theater that was still closed. she bit her lower lip and her expression was extremely cold. ¡°uncle, auntie, i¡¯ll leave this to you guys for now. if there¡¯s anything, contact me at any time. 1 still have something very important to investigate.¡± lu xiang stood up in a daze. just as she was about to reach out to stop her, her wrist was gently held by the man beside her. ¡°let her do it. i¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t a simple accident. yi zheng has already fallen. someone has to step forward and investigate all of this.¡± yi long sighed and stared at shi man¡¯s back until she walked into the elevator and completely disappeared. shi man left the emergency room. after confirming that no one was following her, she called tang zhe to ask about the progress of the investigation. tang zhe was also very surprised to receive shi man¡¯s call. even his voice subconsciously increased. ¡°madam, you¡¯re actually fine? but why did president yi receive a photo of the event location of your accident?¡± shi man suddenly frowned. ¡°what kind of photo? send it to me.¡± ¡°oh, okay!¡± tang zhe quickly sent a photo over. in the scene, shi man¡¯s car collided with another car. her license plate number was clearly captured, but the other car was not captured with any valuable information. shi man narrowed her eyes and called tang zhe again. ¡°can you find the source of this photo? did something happen to yi zheng on the way to look for me? which intersection is it? give me the address.¡± tang zhe quickly sent the information shi man needed. without a word, shi man hacked into the traffic camera and pulled up the recording of yi zheng¡¯s incident.. Chapter 396 - Chapter 396: Fatal Phone Call chapter 396: fatal phone call translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the surveillance video showed a large car passing through a red light and crashing into the car yi zheng was driving. shi man¡¯s heart tightened. the image was magnified, and she could clearly see the man sitting in the car on the phone. it was also because of this call that he missed the only chance to turn the steering wheel and avoid a collision. she then found the surveillance cameras that captured what happened to her and yi che. according to the angle of the photos, she intercepted the photos of the car that might reveal the mastermind and sent them to sean to investigate the owner¡¯s information. after doing this, she called a taxi and went straight to another hospital not far away. at this moment, the news of the two car accidents today was broadcasted everywhere in the ward. shi man hurriedly ran into the elevator and kept looking at the time on her phone. when the elevator door opened with a ding, she quickly rushed out of the elevator and stood in front of the nurses¡¯ station, panting. ¡°hello, did anyone come to the hospital to see my eldest grandfather today?¡± the nurse was stunned for a moment. seeing that her face was a little pale from anxiety, she thought that something big had happened. she hurriedly shook her head and said, ¡°i don¡¯t know. i just came on duty. i can help you ask my colleague.¡± ¡°alright, sorry to trouble you.¡± shi man subconsciously knocked on the platform of the nurses¡¯ station with her finger. after waiting for a while, she quickly received a negative answer. ¡°miss, 1 checked for you. no one came to visit the old master today. did something happen?¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine, thank you.¡± shi man closed her eyes and walked into the ward faster. at this moment, yi ming was lying obediently on the bed and cooperating with the doctor¡¯s examination. when he saw shi man push the door open and enter, he opened his mouth in shock. ¡°why are you in the hospital at this time?¡± ¡°i have something to talk to you about.¡± shi man¡¯s gaze quickly swept past the doctor. she took a deep breath and walked to the sofa to wait. after the doctor finished his routine checkup, he gave a few instructions to take note of before leaving with the nurse. without the surrounding people, yi ming felt that the air in the room was much fresher. he raised his eyebrows at her playfully. ¡°you came back. don¡¯t tell me you have something to ask of me?¡± after being angered to death by shi man so many times, he thought that this girl was born with a calm appearance. unexpectedly, she would be so abnormal. yi ming immediately thought that his chance had come. shi man ignored the smugness in his eyes and stared at him with a straight face. ¡°did you deliberately arrange yi che¡¯s matter?¡± ¡°yi che?¡± yi ming paused in shock for a moment and turned to look at her in confusion. ¡°what do you mean? what do you know now?¡± shi man closed her eyes. when she opened them again, her eyes were cold. ¡°what are you and yi che planning? tell me now. i¡¯ll let bygones be bygones on account that you¡¯re yi zheng¡¯s eldest grandpa.¡± ¡°are you threatening me?¡± yi ming¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. he snorted disdainfully and said, ¡°do whatever you want. in any case, i¡¯m already paralyzed on the bed and about to die. however, before 1 die, i¡¯ll definitely drag you down.¡± shi man narrowed her eyes. after confirming that he really didn¡¯t know what had happened today, the coldness in the depths of her eyes subsided slightly before she told the truth. ¡°something happened to yi che.¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± yi ming almost fell off the bed in shock, but shi man held him firmly with one hand. ¡°speak clearly. what happened to xiao che?¡± in the ward, all the doctors were helpless against the unconscious person on the bed. the hospital could not inform the family, so they could only stabilize the patient¡¯s vital signs for the time being and leave the ward with a sigh. the noisy breathing around him completely disappeared. yi che slowly opened his eyes and looked at his legs hanging high. he looked away with a cold expression. his own phone was on the bedside table. yi che struggled to hold it in his hand and found a call at the top. he dialed it while there was no one around. a familiar voice quickly came from the other end of the phone. ¡°the matter has been successful. you¡¯ve done very well. i promise you that in the future, all the business in g city will belong to you. i¡¯ll be in charge of the secret matters. our cooperation will definitely surpass your brother¡¯s business.¡± ¡°how long do 1 have to continue pretending?¡± yi che lowered his voice and roared impatiently. when he received this person¡¯s call last night, he was momentarily possessed and agreed to complete his plan. however, he suddenly regretted it now. in the plan, yi zheng needed to have a very serious car accident, just like yi cheng back then. after he collapsed, he would replace yi zheng and take over the yi family¡¯s business. this was the simplest and crudest method, and also the shadiest method. although yi che had listened to someone else¡¯s nonsense this time, he had indeed harmed his brother, who still doted on him. ¡°don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t take long. the golden age your grandfather wants will be realized by you soon.¡± that person said this mysteriously and hung up. no matter how yi che looked for him, he did not pick up the phone again.. Chapter 397 - Chapter 397: Sudden Heat chapter 397: sudden heat translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when shi man came out of yi ming¡¯s place, it was already close to noon. she did not appear in school for the entire day. su tang and bai xue were already anxious. later, after class, they happened to hear their classmates discussing two car accidents. worried that something had really happened to her, they hurriedly called shi man as soon as school ended in the afternoon. shi man reported to them that she was safe. after instructing them to be careful in school, she received a call from sean. ¡°boss, we checked the owner information of all the cars. there were no suspicious people. they were all ordinary office workers. at that time, they happened to be behind president yi¡¯s car. they should be just for work.¡± ¡°impossible.¡± shi man frowned and looked at the surveillance video again. after pointing out a few suspicious points, sean refuted them all. shi man frowned and held her cell phone without saying anything. the door on sean¡¯s side seemed to have been opened and closed again. right on the heels of that, sean¡¯s angry scolding could be heard. ¡°where did you go this morning? why can¡¯t i see you? were you secretly watching third young master¡¯s television drama again?¡± just as he finished scolding, lin si¡¯s voice came from the receiver. it seemed to be a little far away, and his voice was muffled. ¡°i went out for a walk. that drama won¡¯t be updated until eight tonight. brother sean, did something happen? why are you in such a hurry?¡± sean pushed his hand away irritably and said impatiently, ¡°go and continue training with them. don¡¯t run around such that we can¡¯t find you.¡± ¡°oh.¡± lin si pouted. when he happened to see the words ¡°boss¡± written on sean¡¯s lit screen, he immediately perked up and shouted, ¡°boss, so it¡¯s you. is there another mission?¡± shi man rubbed her eyebrows with a headache and said helplessly, ¡°just listen to your brother sean¡¯s arrangements. continue investigating on your side and inform me immediately if there are any clues.¡± ¡°yes, boss,¡± sean agreed and was about to hang up. shi man suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°does lin si like to watch the television drama my brother starred in?¡± ¡°ah? oh! that¡¯s right!¡± sean was stunned for a moment as if he did not expect his boss to care about such a small matter. he replied with a smile, ¡°i realized that this kid is secretly chasing after celebrities. he likes the female lead inside¡­ oh!¡± before sean could finish speaking, lin si covered his mouth. the rest of the words were stuck in his throat. shi man had no time to care about such a small matter. just now, a thought flashed across her mind, but after being joked about by the two of them, she forgot what to say. she simply ignored it and hung up after giving a few instructions. she called for a car to drive her back to the hospital. the surgery had just ended, but the outcome was not optimistic. there was still poison in yi zheng¡¯s body, to begin with. although there shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem, the heavy bleeding triggered the poison in yi zheng¡¯s body and actually caused a high fever. if he didn¡¯t cool down as soon as possible, his life would probably be in danger. however, the problem was that there was no medicine to treat this poison at the moment, and there were no records of this poison in medicine. therefore, the doctor only knew that there was something wrong with his body, but he did not know the real cause of the illness. he did not dare to use any treatment on yi zheng rashly. lu xiang¡¯s heart ached as she cried at the side. she leaned into yi long¡¯s arms and cried silently. her son was originally smart and capable. unexpectedly, a car accident made him lie on the hospital bed. lu xiang felt like her heart was about to break when she saw all kinds of instruments being used on him. if yi zheng could not hold on this time, she would lose the hope of continuing to live. shi man clenched her fists in front of the bed in self-reproach. only she knew what yi zheng¡¯s illness was. she originally had a chance to completely detoxify him, but for her own selfish desires, she added another layer of poison to him, causing him to still be on the verge of danger. facing yi long and lu xiang¡¯s worried gazes, shi man gritted her teeth and took the initiative to say, ¡°i have a way. i can try to lower his temperature.¡± the doctor turned to look at her and couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°what can you do? young lady, the patient¡¯s high fever is different from ordinary fever. i¡¯m afraid ordinary physical methods to lower the temperature won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°i know. i have a way. go out first. 1¡¯11 call you in later.¡± shi man¡¯s expression was dark, and her eyes were locked on yi zheng. the doctors exchanged glances and saw the disapproval in each other¡¯s eyes. in the end, they shifted their gazes to yi long and her husband and handed the decision to yi zheng¡¯s biological parents. lu xiang looked at shi man, who had a straight face. after hesitating for a while, she finally took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°alright, manman, i believe you. we¡¯ll wait for you outside. call me if anything happens.¡± hearing lu xiang¡¯s affirmative answer, shi man heaved a sigh of relief and said calmly, ¡°alright, auntie, leave this to me.¡± after they left, only shi man and yi zheng were left in the ward. she sat by the bed and reached out to gently stroke his sweating forehead. her eyes were intoxicated. ¡°i¡¯ll treat you now and apologize to you..¡± Chapter 398 - Chapter 398: Confession chapter 398: confession translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios half an hour later, the door of the ward was opened from the inside by shi man. lu xiang was the first to pounce on her. her throat rolled up and down, but she was so nervous that she could not speak. she only asked shi man silently with her eyes. the doctors outside had not yet left. although they were very busy, they also wanted to know what she could do about this illness they were helpless against. shi man nodded at her with a smile. lu xiang almost cried tears of joy. she patted shi man¡¯s hand gratefully and bypassed her to rush into the ward. she touched her son¡¯s cold forehead with her own hands and was relieved. tears fell from her eyes. surprised, the doctors came in to check on yi zheng¡¯s physical condition. they realized that not only had his fever completely subsided, but his pale skin had also regained some color after losing too much blood. he looked like he was indeed out of danger. they could not help but look at shi man in shock. ¡°young lady, how did you do it?¡± the old doctor in glasses asked the question that everyone present wanted to ask in disbelief. even lu xiang and yi long looked at her. shi man shook her head gently and changed the topic. ¡°how long before he wakes up?¡± the doctor pondered for a moment and roughly estimated the time. ¡°at the latest, tomorrow night. that depends on the patient¡¯s own condition.¡± ¡°alright, thank you.¡± shi man sent the doctor away gratefully. after closing the door of the ward, she walked up to yi long and his wife and said in a low voice, ¡°yi zheng¡¯s body was very hot just now. have you seen such a situation before?¡± she needed to confirm if yi long¡¯s father knew anything before asking. yi long and lu xiang looked at each other, frowned, and nodded. ¡°we¡¯ve seen it before, but we all thought he had already recovered. we didn¡¯t expect him to have an attack at such a time.¡± shi man nodded in understanding. ¡°then when did he first have this symptom?¡± yi long recalled carefully and said hesitantly, ¡°it should have been a year before yi zheng inherited the company. at that time, he hadn¡¯t graduated from cassel academy.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and quickly understood yi zheng¡¯s intention to hide his condition. this was a blatant conspiracy to stop yi zheng from inheriting the family business. poisoning yi zheng on the eve of graduation caused a huge problem with his body, making yi long hesitate about the final ownership of the family business. however, the person who poisoned him clearly did not expect yi zheng to be able to endure the illness for so many years without saying a word. shi man knew best that it was unbearable when this illness acted up, so she felt even more guilty towards yi zheng. she was about to take the initiative to explain the cause and effect of the matter when the person on the hospital bed suddenly moved his fingers. lu xiang hurriedly ran to yi zheng¡¯s side in surprise, but she waited and waited, but her son did not open his eyes. yi long retracted his gaze silently and slowly looked at shi man. ¡°manman, do you know something? yi zheng won¡¯t tell us anything, but i don¡¯t think he will hide it from you. what do you know about his illness? can you tell us?¡± lu xiang slowly raised her head and looked at shi man expectantly. but this time, she would not speak no matter what. shi man sighed quietly and shook her head. ¡°i don¡¯t know. the situation is similar to what you know.¡± yi long looked away doubtfully. just as he was about to say something, shi man interrupted him. ¡°uncle, auntie, you¡¯ve been living in fear and haven¡¯t eaten yet. i¡¯m afraid you¡¯re tired. why don¡¯t you go eat something first? i¡¯ll take care of this place. you can rest assured.¡± yi long was strong and could still hold on, but his heart ached for lu xiang, who had been frightened time and again, so he agreed to shi man¡¯s suggestion. after they left, shi man slowly sat by the bed. her warm hand gently cupped his large palm, and her eyes were filled with a gentle smile. ¡°open your eyes. i know you¡¯re already awake.¡± only then did the pale man on the hospital bed slowly look up. seeing shi man sitting beside him unscathed, he felt a little relieved. ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine. i¡¯m sorry to have made you worry.¡± shi man shook her head gently. her eyes were red and bloodshot, and there were actually tears hidden in them. ¡°i should be the one apologizing to you. every time i detoxified you, i added something else.¡± she thought that if she told the truth, she would anger yi zheng, but the guilt in her heart made her choose to tell the truth frankly. she didn¡¯t want this matter to become a time bomb in their future. unexpectedly, yi zheng only smiled when he heard this. not only did the smile in his eyes not disappear, but it also deepened. shi man wiped her tears and pushed his arm angrily. ¡°what are you smiling at? were you hit silly?¡± yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he didn¡¯t even care about the wound on his head. ¡°i¡¯m laughing at you for being stupid. who is your fiance? don¡¯t i even know this?¡± this time, it was shi man¡¯s turn to be completely shocked. she opened her mouth, but she could only let out a weak exclamation.. ¡°you actually knew?¡± Chapter 399 - Chapter 399: Luring the Snake Out of the Cave chapter 399: luring the snake out of the cave translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°yes.¡± yi zheng gently held her hand and said, ¡°let¡¯s not talk about me. what happened today? did tang zhe find the person who sent me the photo?¡± shi man shook her head gently and sighed. ¡°not yet. yi zheng, who do you think did this?¡± she recounted the collision with yi che from beginning to end. the two of them first eliminated yi ming. after shi man¡¯s test just now, yi ming had not been in a good state from the beginning to the end. this could only mean that he really did not know anything. moreover, they did not think that yi ming would easily plot yi che¡¯s life for benefit. it was difficult to guess who the mastermind was. from the current situation, the greatest beneficiaries of yi zheng¡¯s accident were none other than yi ming and yi che. however, both of them were actually in the hospital now. their situation was not much better than yi zheng¡¯s. yi zheng endured his headache and frowned as he carefully sorted out his thoughts. he said in a low voice, ¡°how¡¯s the situation on yi che¡¯s side? is he still unconscious?¡± shi man sighed softly and said, ¡°i¡¯ve already instructed the nurses in the hospital to go in for ward rounds every once in a while. once he wakes up, she will contact me, but i haven¡¯t received a call from her yet.¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows and said expressionlessly, ¡°why did he fall unconscious on the way? do you know the reason? was he poisoned? or did he have an emergency?¡± this was what puzzled shi man. when the doctor was not paying attention, she secretly took yi che¡¯s pulse. not only did he show no signs of being poisoned, but his physical fitness was also very good. he should not have fallen into such a deep coma. yi zheng suddenly couldn¡¯t help but laugh when he saw her thinking hard. the corners of his mouth curled up into a gentle smile. ¡°as long as 1 see that you¡¯re safe, i¡¯m relieved. we can slowly investigate the rest.¡± shi man frowned and thought of something. she suddenly grabbed yi zheng¡¯s hand and said, ¡°i have a guess, but i don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right. 1 need you to cooperate with me.¡± ¡°tell me.¡± yi zheng stopped teasing and stared at her seriously. shi man pursed her lips and said hesitantly, ¡°i want you to continue to be unconscious to lure the snake out of its hole.¡± the next night was the time the doctor said that yi zheng would wake up at the latest. however, lu xiang looked at her son, whose lips were a little dry and cracked, but she did not wait for him to open his eyes. she panicked for no reason and hurriedly held the doctor¡¯s hand. she asked anxiously, ¡°doctor, why isn¡¯t my son awake yet? didn¡¯t you say that he can wake up tonight?¡± the doctor lifted yi zheng¡¯s eyelids to take a closer look and checked his other vital signs. he clicked his tongue in surprise and said with a puzzled expression, ¡°it¡¯s time for him to wake up, but we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that he¡¯s in a more serious coma because of the heavy blow to his brain. how about this? we¡¯ll immediately arrange for a radiographic film to see if there are any lesions in his skull.¡± ¡°lesions?¡± lu xiang stood up from the chair with a whoosh, trembling all over. yi long quickly stabilized her wife and hugged her comfortingly. ¡°don¡¯t worry. the doctor is just suspicious now. let¡¯s just wait for the results. xiao zheng will be fine.¡± ¡°if something really happens to xiao zheng, i won¡¯t live anymore!¡± lu xiang lay on yi long¡¯s shoulder and cried until she was out of breath. the shi family, who had rushed over after hearing the news, also looked at the man on the bed with worry. in the end, their gazes landed on the expressionless shi man. shi mu patted his sister¡¯s head and comforted her with concern. ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. you still have your brothers.¡± shi man shook her head at him. other than the worry she deliberately revealed, there was also a shrewd scheming look in her eyes. it was soon late at night. the test results showed that there was indeed a large area of blood clot in yi zheng¡¯s skull. it was basically impossible to treat it with medicine. the only feasible way now was to operate. however, the risks accompanying intracranial surgery were immeasurable. the doctor could only explain the pros and cons and let the family make the decision themselves. lu xiang lay by the bed in grief. her trembling hands could not sign her complete name. the ward was instantly covered in a haze. shi man stood at the side in silence with her fists clenched. time passed bit by bit on the clock. just as shi man was about to take the initiative to persuade lu xiang, someone suddenly knocked on the door of the ward behind her. her head snapped back, her eyes fixed on the door, her face frosted over. ¡°who is it?¡± ¡°it¡¯s me. i¡¯m here to see my brother.¡± outside the door, yi che¡¯s haggard and hoarse voice suddenly sounded. shi man was shocked and hurriedly opened the door. she saw a man sitting in a wheelchair outside with bandages wrapped around his legs. his nails dug into his palms. ¡°sister-in-law, i¡¯m here to see my brother.¡± yi che looked over with red eyes. on closer look, she could see the tears in his eyes. shi man made way for him without a word and let liu ran push his wheelchair into the crowded ward. the atmosphere in the room was so heavy that it was impossible to breathe normally. yi che¡¯s gaze slowly swept past everyone and finally landed on yi zheng.. Chapter 400 - Chapter 400: Taking the Bait chapter 400: taking the bait translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when he opened his mouth, he realized that his voice had become so hoarse. ¡°brother, why haven¡¯t you woken up?¡± yi long sighed and told him about yi zheng¡¯s examination results. yi che could only stare and not speak. his hands on his lap were clenched into fists, and the veins on the back of his hands were bulging. shi man¡¯s gaze slid from his hand to his face and she said in a low voice, ¡°do you remember what happened to you?¡± yi che¡¯s hesitant gaze turned to her as he shook his head in panic. ¡°1 don¡¯t remember anything. i only remember that i was suddenly very tired when i was driving. i suddenly couldn¡¯t open my eyes. when i opened them again, 1 was already in the hospital and my leg was like this.¡± he gently stroked his bandaged legs with a pitiful expression. even though yi kun had gone overboard in the past, yi long still doted on his nephew. he took the initiative to pat his shoulder comfortingly. ¡°don¡¯t be sad, xiao che. uncle will definitely think of a way to treat your leg.¡± ¡°the problem now is brother.¡± yi che looked at yi zheng with his watery eyes. blood seeped out of his bitten lower lip. ¡°is there really no other way to wake brother up?¡± the doctor nodded firmly and said, ¡°there¡¯s no other way. besides, we can¡¯t guarantee that the patient will completely return to normal after the surgery. it might take a long time of maintenance.¡± yi long frowned tightly. ¡°but the yi family can¡¯t be without a backbone for a day. there are too many things to do in the company every day. we can¡¯t delay it like this.¡± yi che lowered his head in silence as if he was hesitating about something. the room fell silent. just as yi long was hesitating if he should take charge of the company again, yi che suddenly looked up and said nervously, ¡°uncle, if you trust me, i can help share brother¡¯s responsibilities in the company¡¯s matters during his treatment.¡± yi long recalled what his father had said before he died and fell into a deep dilemma. at that moment, the old master was only left with one breath, but he still insisted on letting everyone leave the room, leaving yi long alone. he held his son¡¯s hand and instructed weakly, ¡°we can¡¯t let your uncle touch the yi family¡¯s foundation, including his son, yi kun. if you feel bad, just give him a small company. the rest will be in your hands.¡± yi che understood yi long¡¯s concerns and continued, ¡°uncle, don¡¯t worry. when brother gets better, i will definitely return everything to him. i just hope that i can be a man at this time and stand up to bear the responsibility of the family. i don¡¯t mean anything else.¡± yi long frowned and thought carefully for a while. before yi cheng died, he only reminded him not to let the company be tainted by yi kun and yi ming. he did not say anything and did not explain the reason clearly, so he was conflicted. yi che was still young. even if his father and uncle had an irresolvable conflict back then, this should not be blamed on yi che. if that was the case, handing it over to yi che was a good plan. just as he was about to agree, a lukewarm female voice suddenly broke the silence in the ward. ¡°uncle yi, yi zheng¡¯s situation is unclear now, and the company¡¯s matters need to be dealt with urgently. you¡¯re the most familiar with the company¡¯s matters, so it¡¯s best to leave it to you.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± lu xiang looked at her husband worriedly and sighed.¡± manman, you don¡¯t know. back then, the reason why your uncle yi handed the company to yi zheng so early was that he was not in good health and couldn¡¯t stand overwork. h yi che lowered his head and did not say anything. he quietly listened to the conversation and did not fight for himself. yi long looked at his nephew, who was thinking for the family and sighed slightly. ¡°forget it. let¡¯s do as yi che says. he¡¯ll be in charge of the company for the time being. i¡¯ll help from the side. if xiao che has anything he doesn¡¯t understand, feel free to come and ask me.¡± yi che looked up in surprise, his silent eyes suddenly brightening. ¡°uncle, are you really willing to believe me?¡± seeing that this matter was about to become a foregone conclusion, yi che clenched his fists in ecstasy and tried his best to hide the excitement in his heart. before he could recover from his joy, a faint female voice behind him instantly pulled him into hell. ¡°xiao che, you did a good job, but you were too anxious.¡± yi che trembled violently and turned around in disbelief. ¡°sister-in-law, what are you talking about? i don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t understand, but there¡¯s something you¡¯ll understand after seeing it.¡± shi man slowly took out her phone and casually swiped the screen a few times. she found the sender box of the message and turned the screen in front of him with a smile. ¡°is this message familiar?¡± ¡°yi zheng can¡¯t wake up anymore. now is the best time to attack. if you miss it, you won¡¯t have another chance.¡± this short line of words exposed his ambition. yi che¡¯s pupils constricted, and his fingertips were cold. his blood seemed to have been sucked dry in an instant, and there was only one thought left in his blank mind. he had been tricked! Chapter 401 - Chapter 401: Confession chapter 401: confession translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°that message was sent by you¡­ you!¡± yi che was so shocked that he was dumbfounded. he suddenly pounced on the cell phone and half of his body leaned out of the wheelchair. shi man retracted her hand and looked away from him. her eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°yi zheng, you can wake up now.¡± yi long¡¯s mouth fell open in disbelief. he could not understand what was happening in front of him for the time being. the moment shi man finished speaking, she suddenly turned around and looked at yi zheng, who was on the bed. lu xiang exclaimed and covered her mouth in shock. ¡°manman, what are you talking about? what message? can yi zheng hear us?¡± before she could get confirmation from shi man, the sound of bedsheets rubbing suddenly came from the bed. yi zheng slowly opened his eyes and nodded at shi man with a smile. ¡°my manman is smart to think of this method to catch this big fish.¡± as the big fish in his words, yi che was trembling all over. he looked at yi zheng with extreme fear. ¡°brother, you, how did you¡­¡± before he could ask, he reacted on his own. his surprised expression gradually darkened. ¡°you joined forces to trick me.¡± shi man smiled and took out a cell phone from his pocket. she swiped the screen a few times and found what she wanted. ¡°did the person who instructed you to do this use these unfamiliar numbers to text and call you?¡± yi che¡¯s mind was blank at this moment. the sweat on his forehead kept sliding down, and his lips were as pale as an old illness. ¡°i don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. i don¡¯t know about these text messages!¡± ¡°manman, xiao zheng, what¡¯s going on?¡± lu xiang looked around, but she couldn¡¯t figure it out. on the other hand, yi long could tell a lot from this. with a serious expression, he said in a low voice, ¡°xiao che, do you have anything to do with your brother¡¯s injury?¡± yi che denied it and swallowed nervously. he loosened his collar and said, ¡°uncle, this has nothing to do with me. i was threatened. i didn¡¯t know that my brother would be injured because of this! it really has nothing to do with me!¡± although yi zheng had already woken up, the injuries on his body were not fake. he could only barely sit by the bed now, but his cold eyes did not show any signs of illness. ¡°yi che, tell the truth now. i can forgive you on account that you¡¯re my brother.¡± yi che pursed his lips and lowered his head in silence. yi long tugged at her tie and frowned in frustration. ¡°xiao che, what exactly is going on?¡± the atmosphere in the ward was tense for a moment, and all eyes were on yi che. shi man looked down at his flustered expression, but he was clearly racking his brains to find an excuse to brush it off. she sneered and said, ¡°uncle yi, auntie lu, let me speak on his behalf.¡± she handed yi che¡¯s phone to yi long and his wife. her voice was neither loud nor soft as she said word by word, ¡°yi che received a call from a stranger not long ago. the person on the other end of the phone must have promised yi che something to make him attack yi zheng.¡± ¡°however, yi zheng is vigilant and it¡¯s very difficult to find a chance to attack. therefore, that mysterious person thought of a way, which is to use yi che himself to cause a car accident.¡± this time, it was not shi man¡¯s turn to explain. yi long took over first. ¡°he asked yi che to use himself to lure you to save him. he took a photo of the event location of your accident and sent it to yi zheng, making him think that something had really happened to you. while he was flustered, he got into a serious car accident.¡± lu xiang exclaimed and walked up to yi che in disbelief. she questioned sternly, ¡°xiao che, is this the truth?¡± yi che kept his head lowered. the veins on the back of his hand bulged. the tension was so strong that his entire arm was trembling. shi man continued to explain calmly, ¡°after the accident, my phone signal was suddenly blocked and 1 couldn¡¯t contact anyone. 1 could only follow the ambulance to the hospital, but yi che fell into a coma for unknown reasons and couldn¡¯t be woken up no matter what.¡± ¡°so manman suspected that yi che was pretending to be unconscious with the goal of removing him of suspicion.¡± yi zheng glared at him and said slowly, ¡°yesterday, manman and i discussed and decided i should pretend to be unconscious for the time being to lure the snake out of its hole.¡± yi che¡¯s body trembled at the end of his sentence. he closed his eyes in despair and said, ¡°you all guessed it. i was too stupid to believe that the message was sent to me by that person.¡± shi man sneered and threw the phone back into his arms. ¡°so, can you tell us now? who instructed you to do all this and gave you advice?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± yi che closed his eyes and shook his head gently. ¡°he¡¯s always the one who initiates contact with me. he barely answers my calls. i don¡¯t know who he is, but he knows a lot about me.¡± ¡°a lot? including what?¡± shi man caught the main point of his words and continued to ask. yi che¡¯s face turned pale. this time, he refused to speak no matter what.. Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: Ask for Her chapter 402: ask for her translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was very clear now that the matter had been interrogated. shi man could tell that he really didn¡¯t know that person¡¯s identity. she turned around and looked at yi zheng. she nodded at him and said, ¡°this matter belongs to your family, so i won¡¯t interfere much. besides¡­¡± shi man paused for a moment and patted yi che¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°don¡¯t forget to tell your grandfather that you¡¯re safe. he thought you were seriously injured and is very worried about you in the hospital.¡± with that, she turned around and left the ward without looking back. in the corridor, shi man took out her phone and called tang zhe. ¡°have you found the driver of the truck that hit yi zheng?¡± tang zhe¡¯s calm voice was exchanged from the phone. ¡°i found him, but he¡¯s still in the police station now. miss shi, what should we do now? wait for him to come out?¡± ¡°no, i¡¯ll pick him up myself.¡± shi man hung up the phone and called a taxi to go straight to the police station. at this moment, the entire police station was in chaos. the president of one of the top companies in the city had a serious car accident. many media outlets heard the news and came to the police station to stop people, insisting on digging out valuable news. shi man got out of the car, pushed away the reporters blocking the door, and went straight to the leader¡¯s office of the police station. seeing her aggressive appearance, the guard did not dare to stop her. shi man walked into the director¡¯s office without any obstruction. the police officers outside were holding the documents in their hands and eavesdropping outside the office curiously. the director was not surprised to see her. he put down his cup and took off his glasses. he pointed at the empty seat opposite and narrowed his eyes with a smile. ¡°manman is here. take a seat.¡± shi man sat on the sofa and said calmly, ¡°uncle zheng, i came to ask you for someone.¡± ¡°truck chauffeur?¡± chief zheng chuckled and walked around the desk to sit beside her. he advised softly, ¡°if a truck chauffeur breaks through a traffic light and hits someone, he will definitely be punished by the law. you don¡¯t have to interfere in this matter. we won¡¯t sentence him lightly.¡± ¡°uncle zheng.¡± shi man¡¯s expression was serious. not only was she not comforted by his words, but her expression became even tenser. ¡°i have to have this person.¡± chief zheng and shi zhong were once very good comrades, but after the two of them came out of the army, they went their separate ways. shi zhong chose to inherit the family business, and chief zheng chose to enter the police station. he had watched these children of the shi family grow up with his own eyes. the book once mentioned that when the shi family was in trouble, chief zheng used his position to help the shi family. however, in the end, he could not resist the male protagonist¡¯s halo, and the shi family was still on the verge of destruction. he was also the only person in the book who was willing to help her in the later stages when the host was courting death. chief zheng looked at her deeply and put away the smile on his face. he sighed and said, ¡°i know what you want to do, but let me give you a piece of advice. there¡¯s really no need for you to make things difficult for someone who can already be convicted.¡± ¡°you might not know yet, right?¡± chief zheng stood up and took a stack of information from his desk and handed it to shi man. he explained to her softly, ¡°this chauffeur has a past record. he¡¯s a regular in the police station. our police officers checked his bank card and found a large transfer record.¡± shi man¡¯s expression turned cold and her eyes darkened. ¡°have you found out the source of that money?¡± chief zheng sighed and said, ¡°we haven¡¯t found out yet. the person who sent him the money used an overseas account. we suspect that the other party might be a repeat offender. he¡¯s very good at avoiding domestic investigative techniques. he should be in the gray industry. it¡¯s not something you can get involved in.¡± the police station had the discipline of the police station. as the chief, it was already a violation of the rules for him to tell shi man this, but in order not to let shi man make a big mistake, he had to say it. shi man frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°uncle zheng, hand me all the clues you¡¯ve found and i¡¯ll investigate.¡± ¡°you?¡± chief zheng widened his eyes in shock and shook his head. ¡°girl, this matter isn¡¯t as simple as you think. don¡¯t interfere. leave the case to us.¡± shi man¡¯s expression was especially serious. she suddenly grabbed the cup in chief zheng¡¯s hand and stared into his eyes. ¡°uncle zheng, i¡¯m not joking with you. give me the clues. i have my own means. also, i want to meet the chauffeur personally.¡± the police outside the office leaned against the door and listened carefully to the commotion inside. however, before they could figure it out, they were frightened by a cough behind them. the police captain looked coldly at the police officers who had nothing to do and were eavesdropping. ¡°don¡¯t you have any work to do? do you need me to find you some work?¡± the police officers were already very busy today. when they heard this, they hurriedly fled in all directions, afraid that they would be assigned a new mission by their captain if they left a second late. the captain and the others dispersed before knocking on the office door with a dark expression. chief zheng personally came to open the door. when he saw him, he gestured for him to enter first. he pointed at the girl on the sofa and introduced her to him. ¡°this is miss shi. bring the truck chauffeur you caught today to the interrogation room later. 1 have a few words to interrogate personally..¡± Chapter 403 - Chapter 403: Extorting a Confession chapter 403: extorting a confession translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the captain glanced at shi man and nodded as a greeting. then, he followed the chief back to the office. he turned to look at the chief. after receiving the other party¡¯s instructions, he instructed the police officers under him coldly, ¡°go out for a while. no one is allowed to come back without my orders.¡± the people below timidly picked up their things and nodded. they hurriedly left the office along the corner. the chief¡¯s face darkened as he brought shi man into the interrogation room. he said with a straight face, ¡°1 can only give you half an hour at most. any more and it will arouse suspicion. if you want to ask anything, make it quick. i¡¯ll guard outside and not let anyone approach this place.¡± ¡°thank you, uncle zheng.¡± shi man thanked him softly and entered the dark and oppressive interrogation room alone. the captain disagreed and wanted to say something to the chief, but he was interrupted by chief zheng. ¡°don¡¯t spread this matter. i don¡¯t want to hear any gossip in the police station. come out with me first and leave this place to her.¡± the captain didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. he turned his head and looked inside through the glass. then, he turned around and went outside to guard the door with the chief without looking back. the moment the iron door suddenly opened, it brought in a dazzling light. the chauffeur raised his hand to block his vision and narrowed his eyes as if he was not used to the sudden brightness. when he opened her eyes again, he saw a little girl in her twenties sitting opposite her. he sneered and a hint of mockery appeared on his face. ¡°why? the police can¡¯t get anything out of me, so they sent the little girl to play with me?¡± shi man was not angry at his words. she leaned back in her chair, put her hands in her pockets, and raised her eyebrows at him. ¡°who asked you to hit the car today? how do you usually contact each other?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. i just didn¡¯t pay attention to the traffic lights and accidentally bumped into that car.¡± the chauffeur tilted his head roguishly and smiled evilly. ¡°young lady, seeing that you¡¯re so beautiful, 1¡¯11 kindly remind you not to interfere in these adults¡¯ matters. it won¡¯t do you any good.¡± ¡°yes, 1 knew you wouldn¡¯t say it so easily.¡± shi man stood up helplessly and slowly walked up to the man. she looked down at him, her lowered eyes cold. ¡°oh? you¡¯re so close. can¡¯t wait to play with me?¡± the chauffeur raised his cuffed hands and sized up her figure lecherously. ¡°you¡¯re young, but you¡¯ve developed quite well. get the police outside to let go of me. i¡¯ll make you feel good.¡± shi man snorted coldly. her gaze shifted for a moment before she suddenly turned around, followed by a sudden loud slap. the chauffeur was caught off guard and tilted his head. a drop of blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth, and his eyes suddenly turned fierce. ¡°how dare you attack me!¡± ¡°green tiger tattoo?¡± shi man took advantage of the fact that his head was turned to the side and saw the pattern on the back of his neck. the chauffeur immediately understood something and sneered. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect the police to be involved in the black market. who sent you? yi zheng?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to ask me a question. you just have to answer my question.¡± shi man stared at him coldly and repeated her question. ¡°who gave you the money and instructed you to create the car accident? how do you contact each other?¡± ¡°why should i tell you?¡± the chauffeur glared fiercely and roared at her as if this was the only way to show his arrogance. coincidentally, shi man came personally to interrogate him to tear his arrogance into pieces. at some point, shi man took off the tightly wrapped whip from her waist and whipped the man¡¯s chest. sean and the others had accidentally obtained this whip for her. as long as she controlled her strength, the scars of the whip could not be seen through his clothes. shi man wanted to force him bit by bit and make him tell her everything he knew. the chauffeur suffered a solid blow and immediately felt the blood in his chest churn. his body burned with pain, but when he looked down, he could not see any traces of torture. ¡°f*ckyou, i¡¯ll kill you!¡± the chauffeur pounced on her fiercely and aimed his big mouth at her slender neck. his eyes were bloodshot and he only wanted to teach her a lesson. ¡°since you¡¯re not obedient, you don¡¯t have to speak for the time being.¡± shi man casually took out a white cloth, balled it up, and stuffed it into his mouth. she pinched his tense jaw and smiled. ¡°it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t say it. let me have fun first.¡± the whimpers of pain in the interrogation room mixed with the sound of the whip. it lasted for a full twenty minutes until the chauffeur was covered in sweat and the white cloth in his mouth was stained with blood. only then did shi man stop. shi man removed the white cloth from his mouth expressionlessly and patted his sweaty cheek in satisfaction. she smiled and said, ¡°do you want to say it now?¡± ¡°you, you win!¡± the chauffeur bent down and coughed violently. the sticky blood flowed down his lips and landed on the table. he said in a low voice, ¡°alright, 1¡¯11 tell you everything i know..¡± Chapter 404 - Chapter 404: Poison chapter 404: poison translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man put away her whip and sat back in the chair in front of the interrogation room. she took a sip of the tea on the table. ¡°tell me. if you hide anything, you know the consequences.¡± the chauffeur casually wiped the sweat off his forehead and nodded. ¡°i know. the person 1 contacted used a virtual number. i¡¯ve never met him, but 1 can tell that his accent doesn¡¯t sound like a local.¡± shi man slowly put down her teacup and said calmly, ¡°you mean he¡¯s not from g city?¡± ¡°yes, he¡¯s more like a southerner, but he¡¯s been through voice change during the call. i¡¯m not sure which city he¡¯s from.¡± the chauffeur lowered his eyes and his eyeballs darted around. he said thoughtfully, ¡°besides, i think he¡¯s very familiar with the goal of today¡¯s mission.¡± shi man slammed the table and asked with a straight face, ¡°why do you say that?¡± the chauffeur was shocked by her and trembled. he composed himself and said, ¡°because he seems to know very well when the target will appear and pass by that intersection. moreover, his tone when he spoke seems to be especially familiar with the other party.¡± at this point, the chauffeur smiled self-deprecatingly. the corners of his lips quickly fell back. ¡°1 know what i said might not be of much value to you. just think about it. if the person on the phone is not familiar with the other party, why would he pay a high price for me to hit someone?¡± ¡°no.¡± shi man shook her head gently. ¡°you don¡¯t have to consider if what you said is useful to me. you just have to tell me everything you know.¡± ¡°that¡¯s all i know. what else do you want to know?¡± the chauffeur narrowed his eyes and stared at her helplessly. shi man crossed her legs and pressed her raised toes down gently. she leaned forward slightly, and her eyes became sharper. ¡°i also want to know why you trusted him so easily and helped someone who refused to reveal any information commit murder in public.¡± the chauffeur suddenly clenched his fists on the table, his pupils constricted, and his voice was covered in a layer of frost. ¡°young lady, it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t want to tell you, but some things are not as simple as you think. i advise you not to interfere.¡± shi man ignored his seemingly kind warning and looked into his eyes calmly. ¡°he has something on you.¡± the chauffeur grabbed the edge in shock. the handcuffs hit the table with a crisp sound. ¡°how did you know? who told you?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows in understanding. she suddenly took out her phone and pulled out the information about the chauffeur that tang zhe had sent. she roughly read it and nodded slightly. ¡°i know now.¡± the chauffeur was stunned for a moment before he suddenly became fierce. ¡°damn girl, how dare you trick me! don¡¯t even think about getting any more information from me!¡± shi man smiled disdainfully and suddenly stood up to walk around him. the chauffeur looked at the whip in her hand in a daze. fear flashed across his eyes, and in its place was doubled anger. ¡°kill me! kill me if you have the ability! f*ck, if you can¡¯t kill me, i¡¯ll take your life when i get out!¡± shi man did not take his threat seriously at all. she put down the whip and took out a bag of powder from her pocket. under the chauffeur¡¯s shocked gaze, she opened his mouth and poured it in. the man choked on the powder and coughed violently. just as he was about to spit it out, shi man¡¯s hand suddenly pushed his chin up, forcing him to look up. the powder slid down his saliva into his stomach, and the effect took effect quickly. the intense heat in his stomach made him fall to the table in convulsion. his eyes were filled with pain, and his fingers turned pale. ¡°you! what did you feed me?¡± the chauffeur covered his red throat and coughed non-stop. however, no matter what, he could not spit out the thing in his stomach. ¡°of course, it¡¯s good stuff for you.¡± shi man teased and let go. looking at the increasingly painful expression on his face, her eyes flashed coldly. ¡°next time, if that person still contacts you, you have to tell me everything. otherwise, you should know the consequences.¡± the burning pain in his stomach forced him to not even have the strength to speak. the pain of his chest and back being whipped reminded him that shi man was ruthless and not someone to be trifled with. outside, chief zheng came in with the captain. when he saw the driver lying on the table and rolling his eyes, he frowned worriedly and asked, ¡°is he alright? do you need to call the doctor over?¡± ¡°no need. his life won¡¯t be in danger. it won¡¯t affect uncle zheng¡¯s case,¡± shi man replied with a smile and left the interrogation room behind the two of them. before returning, chief zheng asked a few more questions about the situation in the interrogation room. however, shi man was too calm. he could not determine anything from her expression and could only give up.. Chapter 405 - Chapter 405: Setting Up Defence in the Aftermath chapter 405: setting up defence in the aftermath translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after shi man left the police station, she contacted yi zheng first and told him the information the chauffeur had revealed to see if he had any qualified suspects. yi zheng frowned and thought for a long time. there were indeed a few people who were suspicious, but these people basically had no reason to take the risk to do this. in short, they lacked a motive to offend the yi family. therefore, he couldn¡¯t think of anyone who fit this criteria. shi man gripped her cell phone tightly and thought about it for a while, but she could not think of a suitable candidate. the clues were cut off at this point. the other party had done it so secretively that they could not investigate. however, they were certain that this person would not stop because yi che had stupidly exposed himself too early. that person¡¯s plan had probably failed. ¡°i¡¯m sure he¡¯ll persist.¡± yi zheng could not deduce anything else with the current information, but the only thing he was sure of was that the other party would not give up just like that. he rubbed his eyebrows tiredly and lowered his voice worriedly. ¡°i¡¯m in the hospital. there are also bodyguards guarding the ward. it¡¯s still considered safe, but you¡¯re not. you have to be careful alone. i¡¯m worried that they will attack you because they weren¡¯t able to deal with me.¡± ¡°i know.¡± now that everyone knew that the shi family and the yi family were close, someone would definitely realize that the relationship between the two of them was extraordinary. yi zheng¡¯s defense was tight, and the people in the dark would easily shift their target to her. however, what shi man was least afraid of was others coming to her door. she was confident that as long as the other party could not hold back and showed up first, she would immediately capture him. after the two of them discussed the subsequent plan, they hung up. shi man came to immaculate¡¯s current base alone to meet sean. in the base office, the television was playing the latest television drama featuring shi he and lin yue. the lights in the room were not switched on, and only the flickering light illuminated the entire room. however, lin si, who was sitting on the sofa, did not pay much attention to the television drama itself. instead, he stared at the phone in his hand with a dark expression. just as he was looking at the screen in a daze, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. light suddenly shone into the room. lin si hurriedly turned off the screen, and a clear photo of the accident completely faded out of sight. when shi man entered, she did not expect there to be someone inside. she casually glanced at the scene on the television and pressed the switch on the wall. turning on the office chandelier, she hugged her shoulders and leaned against the door frame. she smiled and said, ¡°you¡¯re quite lazy. you even came to my territory to watch television?¡± lin si stood up in embarrassment and scratched her head helplessly. she smiled brightly and said, ¡°boss, 1 just wanted to see your heroic bearing at the event location of the explosion.¡± ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± shi man waved him to sit down and pouted in the direction of the television. ¡°you like to watch this? how¡¯s my brother¡¯s acting?¡± ¡°third young master acted very well,¡± lin si praised from the bottom of his heart. he didn¡¯t forget to give him a thumbs up. ¡°however, if the female lead were to be acted by boss herself, with boss¡¯s looks, this drama would definitely be even more popular. at that time, brother sean and i would be your number one fans.¡± ¡°really? i thought you would like lin yue very much,¡± shi man teased casually. the last time shi man spoke to sean, she heard sean¡¯s complaints on the phone. she had never thought that as a mercenary who licked blood, he would pay attention to these fictional television dramas like ordinary people. their own lives were clearly as fictional as those of the characters in the television dramas. she didn¡¯t mean anything else by asking this. she just found his stunned expression funny and teased him casually. lin si was suddenly stunned. when shi man looked over in surprise, hr suddenly returned to normal. he pursed his lips awkwardly and smiled. ¡°she¡¯s quite beautiful.¡± shi man¡¯s gaze became more and more interested. lin si hurriedly waved his hand to prove his innocence. ¡°but she¡¯s far inferior to boss! moreover, boss is the prototype of the female protagonist this time. boss is even more powerful.¡± ¡°don¡¯t be long-winded. how¡¯s the investigation today?¡± shi man stared at him sternly. lin si coughed dryly and scratched his head. ¡°boss, brother sean is in charge of this. i¡¯ll call him over.¡± ¡°no need. just ask him to contact me later. i came this time to tell you about the upcoming patrol arrangements. since he¡¯s still busy, help me tell him.¡± shi man was most worried about the armory in the base. she did not want another serious explosion in g city, so she needed sean and the others to cooperate. if necessary, they could transfer the firearms and hide them in a tighter location. after explaining the things to take note of, shi man left the base. there was still a lot of work to do in the city reconstruction. on the way here just now, she saw countless construction event locations surrounded by people by the roadside. she felt a pair of large hands around her neck tightening.. Chapter 406 - Chapter 406: Plagiarism Storm chapter 406: plagiarism storm translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the next day, something big happened at cassel academy. as this school was one of the top universities in the country, and the various faculties had many famous talents, the academy would organize a competition for the various majors every once in a while. firstly, it could encourage the students of existing majors. secondly, it could also give those outstanding students honor, allowing them to have more motivation to shine in their fields of expertise. su tang participated in the fashion design competition with shi man¡¯s encouragement. she did not expect such a huge commotion as soon as the competition¡¯s works were submitted. in the office of the chief of the design department, su tang stubbornly straightened her neck and pointed at the two almost identical design blueprints on the table. ¡°teacher, this is really my own design. i didn¡¯t plagiarize !¡± ¡°then you mean i plagiarized?¡± the person who spoke was a senior who was a grade higher than su tang. she had long black hair that was slightly curled at the end. she had slightly buttoned bangs on her cheeks, and her makeup made her look as exquisite as a beautiful barbie doll. however, such a beautiful girl¡¯s face was filled with arrogance at this moment. her watery eyes glared at su tang warningly. the year head waved his hand irritably, indicating that they should not argue meaninglessly. this morning, he realized that the two designs submitted in this examination were 80% similar, so he called the two of them into the office at the same time to confront them. unexpectedly, the two of them quarreled until now. they did not say anything useful. su tang pinched her blueprint with an aggrieved expression and pointed at the various details and design concepts she had thought of when designing it, trying her best to explain herself. however, in the eyes of the girl opposite her, she was talking nonsense. she had specially designed this design draft for that person. she wanted to win an award in the competition so that her work could be recognized by that person. that was why she had stayed up for a few days and nights. while busy completing the other work on hand, she forcefully squeezed out time to participate in the competition. thinking of that person¡¯s heroic bearing, the girl¡¯s face turned slightly red. however, she quickly returned to normal. she continued to raise her chin and stared coldly at su tang. ¡°do you think you¡¯re the only one who can say these words? teacher, 1 can also give a reasonable explanation for my work.¡± the girl gave another explanation of the various details on her design paper, but it was the same. their design drafts were still very similar. the year head held his forehead with a headache and finally decided. ¡°the deadline for submitting the participating works is today at noon. before that, each of you can bring a piece of evidence that can prove that you¡¯re the original design draft. otherwise, i can only make the two of you lose your qualifications to participate.¡± ¡°teacher!¡± the girl glared at su tang unhappily and took a small step forward to approach her teacher. she pouted and subconsciously said coquettishly, ¡°teacher, don¡¯t you know my strength? this su tang isn¡¯t from our facultyat all. how can she design a work of the same level as mine?¡± the year head also had this doubt in his heart. his face turned cold, and he looked at su tang with some scrutiny. ¡°student, who did you learn your fashion design from? you¡¯ve been learning it for a few years. is it convenient to tell me?¡± when su tang thought of the past, her heart suddenly ached, but she still replied firmly, ¡°i learned it from my aunt. when i was young, i often saw her design clothes and sew all kinds of clothes, so i learned a little.¡± hearing her say this, not only did a trace of surprise flash in the teacher¡¯s eyes, but even the girl opposite her revealed an undisguised mockery. ¡°i thought you were a little disciple taken in by a famous person. it¡¯s just learning how to sew clothes from a tailor. don¡¯t tell me you think you can defeat me. after all, i¡¯ve studied fashion design systematically, just by doing this?¡± ¡°gao wen!¡± the year head reprimanded unhappily, but he actually had the same doubts as her. it was not easy to get started in the fashion design industry, let alone design a finished product independently by self-study. in their opinion, this was almost impossible. su tang¡¯s heart ached when she suddenly heard others describe her aunt as a tailor again. her expression became even more stubborn. ¡°although my aunt tailored clothes for others for a living, she used to be an outstanding graduate of the fashion design major. she only gave up her ideals because she was forced to make a living, but you can¡¯t just deny her ability just because of this.¡± gao wen sneered. it was obvious that she did not take her seriously. she gently curled her lips and said sarcastically, ¡°oh? then you mean that your aunt, a genius in the design field, taught you to plagiarize other people¡¯s designs?¡± su tang clenched her fists and gave up on arguing with her. instead, she said to the year head confidently, ¡°teacher, i¡¯ve said it before. i didn¡¯t plagiarize. this is my design draft. if you don¡¯t believe me, i¡¯ll bring evidence before morning..¡± Chapter 407 - Chapter 407: Proving Her Innocence chapter 407: proving her innocence translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the end, su tang still fought for the chance to prove herself. before the morning, as long as she could produce evidence to prove that the work was her original creation, she could continue to participate in the competition. correspondingly, gao wen would be disqualified by the teacher fairly. in the office, without su tang, who was in the way, gao wen finally sat on the chair opposite the teacher¡¯s desk coquettishly and shouted, ¡°uncle, why did you speak up for her just now?! she was clearly the one who plagiarized my work!¡± ¡°i know.¡± the year head walked around the desk with a helpless expression and walked to her side to coax her softly. ¡°i know you hate plagiarists, but we have to give her a chance to prove herself. otherwise, if word gets out, aren¡¯t you afraid that outsiders will say that i¡¯m biased towards you and helped you bully your classmates outside the faculty?¡± ¡°they can say whatever they want! it¡¯s a waste of time to give her time to mess around! uncle, you know that my clothes are for¡­¡± gao wen turned to face the man aggrievedly. her pink lips were curled up high, making her look rather playful and cute. ¡°uncle knows. uncle knows everything. don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s a plagiarist and won¡¯t produce conclusive evidence. just wait here obediently with uncle. uncle will teach her a lesson!¡± the year head comforted gao wen. in order to make her words more convincing later, gao wen specially took out her computer and found the time when this design draft was saved and other evidence that could prove the timeline. on the computer screen, gao wen¡¯s cursor slid across a folder. that was the inspiration for her design draft this time. she had gotten someone to secretly take a photo of that person. gao wen bit her lower lip, and a hint of determination flashed across her eyes. in the blink of an eye, it was noon. strangely, su tang looked especially busy today. she, who had always paid attention to class, actually skipped class in the morning. fortunately, she was usually very trustworthy with geng hui. he did not argue with su tang. instead, seeing that she was in a hurry to leave the class, he stopped her worriedly. he asked patiently, ¡°student su tang, did you encounter something very difficult to deal with? if you do, please tell me. i will help you resolve it.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t. thank you, teacher.¡± when su tang said this, she happened to see shi man size up her from the corner of her eye. her heart skipped a beat and she hurriedly shook her head. ¡°teacher, i¡¯m really fine. i¡¯ll leave first!¡± as soon as she finished speaking, she left the classroom in a hurry. geng hui looked at shi man, who was still in her seat, in confusion. he still walked over to ask her for help. shi man knew what he wanted to say before he spoke. she nodded and said expressionlessly, ¡°i understand. i¡¯ll follow and watch her.¡± sometimes, when man said this, geng hui instantly felt very safe. he heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°thank you, student shi.¡± shi man nodded slightly. after putting away the things, she followed su tang from behind. bai xue was also very worried. she quietly walked to shi man¡¯s side, wanting to follow her and see if there was anything she could help with. shi man did not refuse. she brought bai xue and maintained a distance from su tang. she tiptoed all the way to the design school. ¡°oh! i understand. tangtang is here to participate in the competition, right?¡± bai xue blinked in understanding, her expression visibly relaxed. however, shi man still gently raised her index finger to cover her lips, indicating for her not to make a sound. ¡°follow her and take a look.¡± she was the one who suggested that su tang participated in this fashion design competition. how could she not know the exact time of the competition? seeing that the registration was about to end in less than half an hour, it was impossible for su tang to only submit the design draft now. moreover, seeing that she was in a hurry and had to clench her fists from time to time to cheer herself up, it was not difficult for shi man to guess that su tang must have encountered some problem in the design academy. moreover, she had to resolve the matter before the deadline. the two of them followed su tang to the door of the year head¡¯s office. shi man tilted her head and leaned against the wall in the corridor, eavesdropping with bai xue. at this moment, most of the students in the teaching building had already left the classroom. the corridor was not noisy, so the commotion in the office was especially clear. there was too little time for su tang to prove herself. she did not have the chance to return to the shi family to retrieve her computer. fortunately, she always had her memory card with her. at this moment, it could be of some use. in order to ensure the fairness of the punishment, the year head took the effort to get many colleagues to stay in the office. gao wen still glared at the girl standing at the door arrogantly. su tang¡¯s helplessness turned into guilt in her eyes. the expression on her face became even more mocking. ¡°why? if you can¡¯t find evidence, i advise you to apologize as soon as possible.. otherwise, i can send you to the police station based on your plagiarism!¡± Chapter 408 - Chapter 408: Divine Weapon Descends chapter 408: divine weapon descends translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°i told you, i didn¡¯t plagiarize.¡± su tang was so nervous that her face turned pale, but she still forced herself to be calm. she imagined how shi man would react if she were here at this moment. suddenly, she widened her eyes confidently and imitated shi man¡¯s aura. ¡°i haven¡¯t taken out the evidence i brought back yet, but you¡¯re so anxious to shut me up. aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s guilty?¡± gao wen did not expect this seemingly easy-going girl to suddenly become so eloquent. she wanted to say something, but the year head behind her stopped her in time. ¡°gao wen, don¡¯t mess around!¡± the year head secretly gave her a look, indicating that she should stand aside and not cause trouble. he turned to the other teachers and said, ¡°this is the student i mentioned just now, su tang.¡± one of the teachers was gao wen¡¯s form teacher. she had always been biased toward her students. now that she had encountered such a thing, she looked at su tang with disgust. ¡°then let¡¯s start quickly. don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time. we still have things to do.¡± su tang hurriedly walked to the director¡¯s desk and begged softly, ¡°teacher, can 1 use your computer?¡± ¡°how can that do! who knows what¡¯s in your storage card? teacher¡¯s computer contains a lot of information about this competition! who knows if you want to take the opportunity to destroy everyone¡¯s participating works?¡± gao wen stood in front of her righteously and raised her little face arrogantly, unwilling to back down. su tang had no choice. she didn¡¯t know about the relationship between the year head and gao wen, so she could only continue to ask him for help. ¡°teacher, 1 really just want to show you my first draft of the design. i don¡¯t mean anything else!¡± gao wen still stood in front of her, showing no intention of moving aside. behind her, her form teacher was also fanning the flames unhappily. ¡°student, 1 heard that the year head has already given you enough time to bring the evidence over, but why are you still unable to show anything? ¡°if you don¡¯t have any evidence at all, why don¡¯t you honestly admit that you plagiarized wenwen¡¯s work? we won¡¯t argue with you about your mistake this time on account that you¡¯re not a student in the professional design field!¡± the other teachers also chimed in. in their opinion, it was simply a fantasy for a student who had never learned fashion design in the system to produce such a perfect design draft. gao wen¡¯s work this time had a high chance of getting first place. moreover, with her usual performance in this field, many people had high hopes for her talent. su tang was bold enough to directly copy it from her. little did she know that doing so would only offend all the seniors in the design field! it was really extremely stupid! in the office, everyone spoke one after another, completely drowning su tang. no one was willing to lend her a computer, which meant that it was impossible for su tang to produce strong evidence within the specified time. time was still passing minute by minute. if this continued, su tang could only be expelled from this competition. moreover, with the stain of plagiarism this time, she would never have the chance to design. the year head was very satisfied with the scene of everyone helping gao wen. he raised his hand and looked at the time on his watch. finally, he stood up from his office chair and patted su tang¡¯s shoulder with a smile. ¡°student, it seems that 1 can only disqualify you according to the agreement between the two of us.¡± ¡°no! i didn¡¯t plagiarize!¡± su tang¡¯s aggrieved shout sounded like a last desperate struggle. they believed in gao wen¡¯s character and felt she would not plagiarize. therefore, in their opinion, su tang¡¯s shameless struggle would make her look even more detestable. just as everyone was about to convict su tang, the office door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. shi man, who was standing at the door, was covered in a layer of cold air. as the door opened, a cold wind suddenly barged into the corridor, making everyone in the room shiver. su tang looked at the girl in disbelief. she cried tears of joy as she pounced to her side. she grabbed her arm and trembled. ¡°manman, why are you here?¡± ¡°if i don¡¯t come, how long do you plan to let them bully you?¡± shi man gently raised her hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. then, she glared at the stunned others in the office with an unfriendly expression. ¡°i¡¯m the president of the student union, shi man. i heard that someone plagiarized here and specially came to be a witness. if you have any evidence, just bring it up.¡± the few people who were still aggressive just now were inexplicably intimidated by her aura and their arrogance were diminished. even gao wen, who had always been arrogant, was shocked and speechless. it was not until shi man sat high up in the air in the middle of the sofa that she suddenly came back to her senses and subconsciously smiled widely.. ¡°shi man! it¡¯s really you!¡± Chapter 409 - Chapter 409: Weakening chapter 409: weakening translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man raised her eyes languidly and took a sip of tea. she said carelessly, ¡°do you know me?¡± ¡°of course 1 do!¡± a look of ecstasy suddenly appeared on gao wen¡¯s face, and her gaze gradually became fiery. ¡°did you come specially to see me? you know about me?¡± shi man looked at her doubtfully as her expression became increasingly puzzled. ¡°sorry, 1 don¡¯t know you. there are only ten minutes left until the competition registration. can we start?¡± shi man¡¯s cold words made gao wen¡¯s eyes turn red. she pursed her lips tightly and looked at her uncle helplessly. only then did the year head come back to his senses and say, ¡°shi man, 1 don¡¯t think this has anything to do with the student union, right?¡± what he meant was that shi man should not interfere in the internal affairs of their academy. moreover, the truth of this matter was already very clear. however, gao wen switched from her previous arrogance and stood obediently at the side. her voice was soft and docile. ¡°teacher, since student su tang has already brought the evidence, why don¡¯t we let her show it to us? this way, president shi won¡¯t have come for nothing.¡± her attitude changed 180 degrees. the year head stared at her suspiciously, but her words made sense. he could only wave his hand impatiently and say, ¡°alright, alright, alright. if you have any evidence, quickly take it out. we¡¯re in a hurry.¡± su tang was not relieved by his words, because the problem in front of her was that no one was willing to lend her the computer now. shi man had been eavesdropping outside for a while and naturally knew what was the most difficult thing for su tang now. before su tang could take the initiative to speak, she suddenly looked thoughtfully at gao wen, who stole glances at her from time to time. a gentle smile suddenly appeared on her face. ¡°you should have a computer, right? can you lend it to her?¡± gao wen felt her heart stop for a moment with her smile, but she still clenched her fingers aggrievedly and said, ¡°but she plagiarized my work. 1 don¡¯t want to lend her the computer¡­¡± shi man ignored her words and continued to ask with a smile, ¡°can i?¡± gao wen was completely dazzled by her smile. she took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°alright, for your sake, 1 can help her.¡± with that, gao wen reluctantly opened her laptop on the table and watched as she inserted the usb into her computer and read her documents. while she was searching for evidence, gao wen quietly leaned toward shi man and stared at her from head to toe, not letting go of anything. shi man was frustrated by her stare and glared at her impatiently. only then did she know how to restrain herself. she hurriedly retracted her gaze, but her fingers that kept stirring still showed her nervousness. shi man found it strange. just as she was about to probe, she heard su tang heave a sigh of relief and say in a relaxed tone, ¡°teacher, it¡¯s done. you can come over and take a look. these are all the blueprints 1 designed this time. there¡¯s still time to save them. it should prove that i didn¡¯t plagiarize.¡± gao wen originally thought that shi man wanted to talk to her, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat. she did not expect su tang to suddenly interrupt. she immediately felt indignant and glanced at the screen angrily. she was about to mock her when she saw the thumbnail on one of the folders. her mouth fell open in shock. ¡°wait!¡± she leaned closer to the screen suspiciously and pointed to a spot. ¡°open it for me to see,¡± she ordered sternly. su tang frowned unhappily. ¡°no, this folder has nothing to do with my design draft this time. 1 don¡¯t have to show you my other design blueprints.¡± ¡°let me see!¡± gao wen suddenly screamed and reached out to snatch the mouse from her hand. shi man was afraid that she would hurt su tang crazily, so she quickly grabbed her wrist and said, ¡°what are you doing?¡± gao wen stared at the place she was holding with her mouth agape. her face instantly turned red. she quickly retracted her hand and stammered, ¡°i just saw something familiar and wanted her to magnify it for me to see.¡± she said it pitifully, and there was a hint of grievance in her tone. the year head was surprised. gao wen had been doted on by her family since she was young and had never shown weakness to outsiders. however, ever since she saw shi man, her consecutive reactions were very abnormal, causing him to have no choice but to size up shi man again. when su tang heard her explanation, she pursed her lips in a dilemma. after hesitating for a long time, she sighed and said, ¡°1 don¡¯t have much time. this competition is very important to me. can what i just showed prove my innocence?¡± the year head and the teachers beside him looked at each other and saw hesitation in each other¡¯s eyes. the evidence that su tang had taken out just now was actually enough to prove it, but the bad thing was that the person who pointed out that she had plagiarized was gao wen. if they admitted that su tang was the original creator of this design draft, it would be equivalent to indirectly admitting that gao wen was the criminal who plagiarized. but why would gao wen plagiarize a newcomer who had never systematically learned fashion design? this was what puzzled them! Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: Pushing The Mist Away chapter 410: pushing the mist away translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after thinking about it, the year head decided to put the two design drafts together for review again. actually, these two design drafts were different. there was still a huge difference. for example, gao wen¡¯s design draft would have more of her usual habits. she liked to add a special symbol on the pendants of her designs. su tang¡¯s design draft did not have these small habits, but the design of the pendant was completely different from gao wen¡¯s. from an objective point of view, su tang¡¯s unique small design in the details was actually more in line with the overall style of the clothes. this made the teachers completely troubled. both of them had original evidence, so it was really difficult to tell who was the plagiarist. however, what gao wen cared about the most now was no longer whether su tang had plagiarized her. she was conflicted about the design blueprint that she had glimpsed in su tang¡¯s folder. if she was not wrong, wasn¡¯t the final ready-made dress that she had seen on shi man? if that was the case, the person who plagiarized might be¡­ she bit her lower lip and closed her eyes in humiliation. she said seriously, ¡°su tang, show me your design folder. if you let me see it, 1¡¯11 convince the teacher to agree to your participation in this design competition.¡± the year head widened his eyes in disbelief and called out softly, ¡°wenwen.¡± however, gao wen was determined. seeing the hesitation in su tang¡¯s eyes, she frowned impatiently and said, ¡°what are you still conflicted about? don¡¯t you want to participate in this design competition? you don¡¯t have much time left. if you don¡¯t want to participate, there¡¯s no need for me to waste time with you!¡± su tang stole a glance at shi man and did not see any objection in her eyes. there were only five minutes left until the registration deadline. she sighed and finally nodded helplessly. ¡°alright, although i don¡¯t know why you have to see it, i hope you can keep your promise because i didn¡¯t plagiarize your work at all.¡± gao wen couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to her nonsense. she leaned in front of the computer impatiently and stared at the cursor. only when the design draft was magnified in front of her did her eyes widen in shock. after the shock, there was only endless grievance. the office fell silent for a moment. the year head went to gao wen¡¯s side in confusion and asked tentatively, ¡°wenwen, are you sure? she really didn¡¯t plagiarize your work?¡± however, after he said this, he realized that gao wen¡¯s shoulder was trembling violently. her bitten lower lip had completely lost its color. ¡°wenwen?¡± the form teacher looked worriedly at the tears in gao wen¡¯s eyes. she hugged her shoulder comfortingly and said, ¡°what¡¯s on your mind? can you tell me? what¡¯s going on with that design draft?¡± ¡°nothing.¡± gao wen raised her head arrogantly and forced her tears back. ¡°teacher, let her participate in the competition. i¡¯ll withdraw from this competition.¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± the year head frowned in confusion. he pounced in front of the computer to look at the design blueprint and strangely realized that the style of the design draft was similar to the manuscript of their submissions in the competition. the difference was that the design draft was obviously not as perfect as the two drafts in front of him, but it was not difficult to see the designer¡¯s preference for this style. in that case, su tang should indeed be the original designer. gao wen¡­ the year head already had a rough idea in his heart, but in order to protect his niece¡¯s dignity, he chose not to say anything. he turned around and followed her words, letting su tang successfully register to participate in the competition at the last minute. the moment su tang confirmed the participation information, she heaved a sigh of relief. however, she was still very puzzled. why did gao wen suddenly choose to take a step back? although she did not interact much with gao wen and had been targeted by her, she felt that a proud person like gao wen would not plagiarize someone else¡¯s work. she could see gao wen¡¯s efforts in this competition, but it was an indisputable fact that their works were similar. she turned around and looked at her old design blueprint on the computer screen. then, she saw gao wen looking at shi man with an aggrieved expression. a shocking thought suddenly flashed across her mind. she walked to gao wen¡¯s side in disbelief and gently placed her palm on her shoulder. ¡°did you design this draft for the competition because you saw the ready-made clothes i designed for shi man?¡± gao wen shivered all over. she straightened her neck and her stubborn eyes regained their unwillingness to admit defeat. ¡°so what if i did? i didn¡¯t know that you designed that dress!¡± su tang¡¯s breathing paused, and the doubts in her eyes suddenly became clear.. ¡°your design draft was designed for¡­ manman?¡± Chapter 411 - Chapter 411: Forced to Apologize chapter 411: forced to apologize translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios for a moment, everyone in the office turned to look at gao wen. even shi man could not help but take a few more glances at her. gao wen glanced at shi man in fear and suddenly met her cold and aloof eyes. her heart beat faster and she hurriedly looked away. she glared at su tang. ¡°what nonsense are you talking about? who, who designed it for her!¡± her face was red when she spoke, and she was completely unconvincing. even the teachers who were not familiar with shi man could easily see through her thoughts. the year head sighed helplessly and patted her shoulder. ¡°so the heroine you were talking about is the next president of our academy¡¯s student union!¡± ¡°no, uncle! you joined forces with her to tease me!¡± gao wen¡¯s face turned red. when she spoke, she subconsciously glanced at shi man. anyone with a discerning eye could tell that she didn¡¯t mean what she said. gao wen could not defend herself. she felt embarrassed and hurriedly ran out of the office, not daring to see anyone. however, her wrist was suddenly grabbed from behind. gao wen staggered as she rushed to the door. due to her body¡¯s inertia, she accidentally fell back and sat on shi man¡¯s lap. the air seemed to have stopped circulating at this moment. everyone¡¯s eyes landed on the two of them in shock, and the surroundings were filled with gasps. gao wen felt that her face was like a kettle that had just boiled water. steam kept rising on her face. she even forgot how to breathe for a moment. when she came back to her senses, she felt her entire body burning and it was difficult to breathe. ¡°i¡¯m sorry!¡± unlike the arrogant and unreasonable miss gao in the past, gao wen was like a young girl who had just fallen in love. she was so nervous that she was incoherent in shi man¡¯s arms. ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± shi man lowered her eyes calmly, her cold gaze slowly moving from her slender waist to her buttocks. gao wen suddenly realized that she was still sitting on her lap. she hurriedly stood up and apologized to her. the surrounding teachers were completely stunned. no matter how she looked at it, gao wen looked like she was facing the person she liked, but shi man was a girl¡­ the year head coughed lightly and interrupted the suffocating awkwardness in the air. ¡°since the matter has been clarified, let¡¯s stop here. it¡¯s getting late. everyone, go back and rest.¡± gao wen knew that her uncle was trying to smooth things over for her. while she heaved a sigh of relief, she could not help but feel a little disappointed. just as she was about to leave the office obediently behind her uncle, the voice that was enough to make her heart palpitate suddenly sounded again. ¡°wait a minute.¡± the year head slowly turned around and asked in an unfriendly tone, ¡°shi man, is there anything else?¡± shi man stood up nimbly and walked to su tang¡¯s side. her cold eyes stared straight at gao wen. ¡°although this student¡¯s design didn¡¯t plagiarize su tang¡¯s design draft for this competition, she still borrowed a lot of other people¡¯s works. from this point, 1 think as the year head and her uncle, you should at least let her apologize to su tang, right?¡± gao wen¡¯s disappointed gaze immediately turned into one of embarrassment. she glared at su tang and pouted as she defended herself aggrievedly. ¡°1 just think this outfit will be very suitable for you to wear. 1 really didn¡¯t¡­ all!¡± as soon as she said that, gao wen immediately realized that she had let it slip. she hurriedly covered her mouth and asked her uncle for help in a panic. the year head did not expect shi man to not give him any respect under such circumstances. he glared at her unhappily and said, ¡°although wenwen¡¯s work is similar to su tang¡¯s design, it can¡¯t be said to be plagiarism. she doesn¡¯t need to apologize.¡± shi man did not speak. her cold eyes continued to fall on gao wen. seeing that the surrounding air had become tense again, su tang hurriedly tried to mediate. ¡°manman, there¡¯s no need for her to apologize to me. why don¡¯t we leave first?¡± tears of humiliation were still welling up in gao wen¡¯s eyes, and her heart was in turmoil. however, shi man acted as if she did not see her grievance at this moment. not only did her expression become colder with the sudden silence, but even her eyes were faintly filled with unignorable disgust. her heart felt as if it had been suddenly punched. gao wen sniffed and endured the lump in her throat. she compromised with difficulty. ¡°alright, i apologize. student su tang, my design inspiration was indeed from your work. i apologize to you. i was the one who made things difficult for you today. please forgive me.¡± su tang¡¯s mouth fell open in shock. she hurriedly waved her hand and said, ¡°no, you don¡¯t have to apologize to me. i actually don¡¯t blame you.¡± gao wen still lowered her head and remained silent. tears that only she knew hung on her face which was covered by her hair. seeing that she did not react, su tang immediately understood something. she hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°alright, i forgive you. gao wen, let¡¯s end this matter here..¡± Chapter 412 - Chapter 412: The Original Design chapter 412: the original design translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios only then did gao wen react. her shoulders trembled at first, then she slowly raised her arm and wiped her face with the back of her hand. when she looked up again, everyone could only see her red eyes. ¡°is this okay?¡± when she said this, her voice was still a little choked, and her gaze was helpless and pitiful. ¡°that¡¯ll do.¡± shi man replied calmly and held su tang¡¯s hand in front of everyone. after politely greeting the teachers, she left with her. bai xue, who had been waiting outside the office, heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the two of them finally come out. she gave shi man a thumbs up in admiration. ¡°i knew manman would definitely be able to bring tangtang back in one piece!¡± su tang blinked in surprise. her gaze darted back and forth between shi man and bai xue before she realized something. she smiled. ¡°so the two of you followed me here together!¡± bai xue hugged her shoulder in embarrassment. ¡°we were just worried about you. fortunately, manman was here. otherwise, we don¡¯t know how they will bully you!¡± shi man didn¡¯t take it to heart at all. she looked at her phone screen casually and found a new cafeteria nearby. ¡°let¡¯s go to this restaurant. it¡¯s closer. we¡¯ve been delayed for so long. we¡¯ll be late for class later.¡± ¡°alright, i¡¯ll listen to you.¡± bai xue had always listened to shi man, so she was naturally happy to let her arrange it. shi man wanted to say something, but she swallowed her words in the end. shi man saw this and slowly lowered her eyes to look at her face. her eyes were filled with displeasure. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? if you have something to say, say it.¡± only then did su tang ask resentfully, ¡°manman, have you seen gao wen before?¡± ¡°her name is gao wen?¡± shi man smiled indifferently and shook her head. ¡°1 don¡¯t know her. i¡¯ve never seen her before.¡± su tang probed hesitantly, ¡°but i keep feeling that her attitude towards you is different from others. moreover, she even specially designed clothes for you.¡± ¡°oh, it¡¯s a coincidence, right?¡± shi man clearly did not take it to heart. however, after hearing su tang¡¯s words, she carefully searched her memory for gao wen¡¯s appearance. in the end, she concluded that she had not remembered wrongly. she had really never seen this person. bai xue also wanted to enter the office to help just now, but shi man asked her to wait outside to prevent anything else from happening. however, although she was not inside, she had been paying attention to the movements in the office. when she heard gao wen admit that the clothes were designed for shi man, she couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡°that¡¯s right. could it be that she¡¯s seen manman before? but why did she specially design clothes for manman just because she saw her?¡± bai xue and su tang discussed this all the way, but they still could not come to a conclusion. ever since they left, gao wen had been standing in the middle of the office in a daze, staring in the direction of the door. the year head sized her up and said with a serious expression, ¡°it¡¯s been hard on you teachers this time. i still have something to say to wenwen. go and rest first.¡± the form teacher looked at gao wen worriedly. in the end, she could only pat her shoulder helplessly and leave the office with the other teachers without saying anything. if word got out that she had been disqualified before the competition, it would be a stain on gao wen¡¯s entire design career, not to mention that she had been disqualified because of the plagiarism scandal. at this moment, the year head looked at gao wen again. he was no longer as doting as before. he walked back to the desk with a serious expression and said coldly, ¡°do you know what you did just now?¡± gao wen knew that she probably couldn¡¯t get away with this with her uncle, so she could only say in a hoarse voice, ¡°1 know.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t think you know anything!¡± the year head roared and slapped the table. however, when he saw his niece shrinking her neck and clearly frightened by him, he couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this. he subconsciously softened his voice and said, ¡°i believe that you didn¡¯t plagiarize, but you will only be judged by outsiders to have been found with conclusive evidence of plagiarism. do you still want to continue being a designer in the future?¡± ¡°uncle, 1 want to, but i did something wrong. 1 shouldn¡¯t have placed my design inspiration on someone else¡¯s work.¡± gao wen didn¡¯t expect shi man¡¯s clothes to be designed by su tang. if she had known, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have done this. she just saw that shi man looked especially good in that outfit which was in line with shi man¡¯s usual style. therefore, when designing the draft, she would subconsciously follow the style of that dress. perhaps it was because she and su tang had many similar views on shi mian¡¯s style that this design blueprint was very similar. this was what the year head wanted to know the most now. he sighed softly, afraid that his tone would scare her.. he deliberately comforted her softly before slowly asking, ¡°then why did you design clothes for shi man? i remember that the two of you have never officially met, right?¡± Chapter 413 - Chapter 413: Savior chapter 413: savior translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios gao wen lowered her eyes quietly. her thoughts seemed to have drifted far away. the year head called out to her worriedly before she suddenly came back to her senses. she pursed her thin lips and said, ¡°uncle, do you still remember xiao zhi, whom 1 once mentioned to you?¡± the year head was slightly stunned. only then did he remember that she was talking about the child who had saved her once by chance. he nodded and said, ¡°i remember, but does this have anything to do with shi man?¡± ¡°yes.¡± gao wen¡¯s confident eyes lit up slightly, as if she had recalled a warm past. even the arrogant expression on her face softened. ¡°xiao zhi saved me, but when xiao zhi was in danger, i wasn¡¯t by his side. instead, shi man saved their family.¡± this matter started from an accident before the new year. at that moment, gao wen was making an appointment with her sisters to go shopping at the mall. unexpectedly, when she got out of the car halfway to make a call, the wallet in her hand was snatched. ¡°stop! someone, someone is robbing us!¡± on the lively street, the sunlight was dazzling. gao wen was taking out her phone when she was bumped by someone and almost fell to the ground. when she finally stabilized herself, she suddenly realized that the limited edition bag in her hand was gone. she stomped her feet anxiously and did not even care about the call she wanted to answer. after hanging up, she shouted and called the police. it was noon on the weekend. there were many pedestrians on the commercial street, but not many people were willing to stand up for her at this time. it was not that they did not want to help her, but they were not completely confident that they could subdue the robber. moreover, they had just seen the other party holding a knife. however, under gao wen¡¯s continuous shouts, a few people spontaneously followed to help. they rushed to gao wen¡¯s side and were slightly stunned when they saw her gorgeous makeup. then, they remembered why they had followed her. they panted and asked, ¡°where is she? where did she run to?¡± ¡°over there! hurry up and chase after her!¡± gao wen pointed at the small path that needed to cross the street. she was used to ordering people around at home. now that she was commanding passersby, her tone was not polite at all. the person who was panting from exhaustion beside her immediately felt uncomfortable. however, since he had already followed her here, it was not good to give up halfway. he could only say in an unfriendly tone, ¡°i understand. don¡¯t get in the way. hurry up and call the police. we¡¯ll go and target the person for you first.¡± ¡°who did you say was in the way?¡± gao wen¡¯s snatched bag contained an id that was especially important to her. it would be especially troublesome if she lost it, so she was especially frustrated. coupled with the fact that it was noon and she had been running in high heels for so long, she was already hot. even though she realized that she was begging someone, her fiery temper rose after being suddenly rebuked. that person rolled his eyes at her impatiently, then turned around and went across the street silently. he regretted thinking that he wanted to act bravely just now. if he had known earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have been a hero. he was made to feel like he was a slave being ordered around by missy! the reverse psychology surged out uncontrollably. as the person complained, he continued to chase after the next intersection. the hot wind that blew past her ears brought a few words of ridicule from the man. gao wen immediately blushed in anger and was about to chase after him. unexpectedly, she accidentally stepped on a stone under her slender high heels. gao wen staggered and was about to pounce forward when a speeding car on the left was about to hit her body. the driver who was on the phone did not react in time. when he saw someone in front of him, he was already too late. gao wen turned her head to look at the car in front of her in a daze. stunned, regretful, and angry emotions surged into her mind, and her mind went blank right on the heels of that. her body was so stiff that she could not react. just as the car was about to hit gao wen, a small figure suddenly rushed over from the opposite side and pounced on gao wen. her body was suddenly knocked down. gao wen¡¯s clean dress rubbed against the ground and tore. there was also a wound on her arm. there were a few small grains of gravel hanging from the blood vessels. her leg was bruised because she had hit the road. the car sped past the two of them. the chauffeur was completely shocked by the scene just now. he hurriedly stopped the car and walked over with an apologetic expression. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, miss. are you alright?¡± ¡°do you think i¡¯m alright?¡± gao wen retorted in a nasty tone. the wounds on her body hurt so much that she gasped, and tears streamed down her face. the chauffeur was worried that something would really happen because of his negligence. he took the initiative to call the ambulance and asked her to go to the hospital to bandage her wound. after hanging up, he suddenly thought of something and hurriedly looked at the dirty child standing silently at the side.. Chapter 414 - Chapter 414: Patiently Coaxing a Child chapter 414: patiently coaxing a child translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the chauffeur bent down and tried his best to coax him in a kind tone. ¡°little kid, were you the one who saved this sister just now? are you injured? uncle will get the doctor to bring you to the hospital for a checkup later, okay?¡± the child¡¯s face was tense as he slowly shook his head and said, ¡°i¡¯m not injured. i don¡¯t have to go to the hospital. it will cost a lot of money to go to the hospital for a checkup.¡± he was young and did not speak well, but the content of his words did not match his age at all. the chauffeur was stunned for a moment before continuing with a gentle smile. ¡°you don¡¯t have to spend money. uncle will pay for your medical expenses as well as those of this sister.¡± only then did the child raise his head and sized up the adult in front of him. his black and bright eyes were like a pair of grapes. he darted his eyes around cleverly. then, he hesitated and pulled the chauffeur¡¯s sleeve as if he was a little embarrassed to say it. ¡°uncle, 1 don¡¯t need a checkup, but i want to give the opportunity to check my body to mommy, okay?¡± gao wen was originally stammering about her injuries. when she heard the little boy¡¯s words, she actually forgot that she was still sitting on the ground. she frowned and glanced at him in confusion. ¡°why? what¡¯s wrong with your mother¡¯s body?¡± ¡°mom¡¯s back has been hurting a lot recently. i eavesdropped on her talking to dad. dad said mom might need surgery, but the surgery costs a lot of money. mom doesn¡¯t want to go to the hospital for a checkup.¡± the little boy spoke seriously. although his words were intermittent, it was not difficult to hear what he meant. gao wen was stunned for a moment before she got up from the ground and patted the gravel on her hand. ¡°you saved my life today. i should repay you. leave your mother to me!¡± ¡°really!¡± the little boy¡¯s eyes lit up. he reached out excitedly to tug at her sleeve. however, just as he raised his hand, he saw his dirty palm. he hurriedly put his hands behind his back in embarrassment and smiled innocently. ¡°thank you, sister. then i¡¯ll bring you to my mother now!¡± ¡°not yet.¡± gao wen spread her hands helplessly and pointed across the street. ¡°my wallet has just been stolen. we have to wait for them to bring it back.¡± the little boy nodded as if he understood. from this, he came to the conclusion that he could not bring his mother to the hospital yet. the light in his eyes dimmed again. fortunately, the ambulance called by the driver arrived quickly. gao wen still had her cell phone. after calling the butler at home to explain the situation, she had to bring the little boy to the hospital first. unexpectedly, the originally obedient and cute child suddenly struggled with all his might at this moment, causing the paramedic to wonder if gao wen was human trafficking. he sized up her clothes suspiciously. gao wen was usually the most impatient to coax people, especially when it was a half-grown child. as she pushed and shoved, her patience was completely exhausted. she pushed the child, who kept flapping his arms, away in frustration and shouted at him in a nasty tone, ¡°are you crazy?! even if you don¡¯t want to go to the hospital, i still have to go. if you continue to make a fuss, i¡¯ll leave you here and not care about you!¡± ¡°i¡¯m not going to the hospital!¡± the little boy took advantage of her pause to hug the small tree beside him tightly and refused to let go. he glared stubbornly with his round eyes. gao wen was instantly furious. the hair on her temples was completely drenched in sweat. she was in such a sorry state that she felt embarrassed to be seen. annoyed, she crawled into the ambulance, not wanting to look at this insensible brat. she coldly ordered the medical staff to drive the ambulance away. the moment the back door closed, gao wen lifted the hair in front of her eyes. she was caught off guard and looked at the child who was hugging the tree by the roadside and refusing to let go. his eyes were filled with grievance. in a flash, a sudden thought entered her mind. she hurriedly grabbed the side of the door and stopped the car door from closing. she jumped out of the ambulance under the shocked gaze of the medical staff. enduring the burning pain in her leg, she walked to the little boy step by step. her voice was a little awkward. ¡°are you worried that if 1 take you to the hospital, you won¡¯t be able to bring your mother?¡± the little boy had an ¡°as expected¡± expression on his face, and there was suddenly some hostility in his eyes, as if she was a female liar who didn¡¯t keep her word. gao wen was speechless. she held his arm patiently and pulled the little child in front of her. ¡°if you don¡¯t listen, i¡¯ll go back on my word and not bring your mother to the hospital for a checkup!¡± the little boy struggled at first, but he quickly understood what she meant. hope rose in his dim eyes. ¡°sister, i¡¯ll be obedient! please bring mommy!¡± the sunlight shone into his eyes, but it made her heart burn. it was rare for gao wen to soften her tone. she coaxed the child patiently, ¡°alright, follow me to the hospital for a checkup first. 1¡¯11 bring your mother to the hospital after i¡¯m done with my wound.¡± ¡°thank you, sister!¡± the little boy smiled happily, his smile shining on the warm summer day. after this incident, gao wen did not go back on her word. she instructed someone to personally go to the little boy¡¯s house to fetch her mother and provide her with the best treatment.. Chapter 415 - Chapter 415: Visit chapter 415: visit translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the diagnosis for the boy¡¯s mother was not that serious. gao wen asked her family to hire the most professional doctor and let her cooperate with treatment for a period of time before she completely recovered. this matter should have come to an end, but coincidentally, gao wen happened to pass by a side street once and saw the boy playing by the roadside. it was already winter, and the snow on the streets had been compacted by human flow and was trodden dirty. the little boy did not touch the snow on the ground. he just started playing football alone. gao wen asked the chauffeur to park the car by the roadside a little further away. she got out of the car and walked up to the boy. she smiled at him and said, ¡°hi, xiao zhi. why are you playing alone outside again? where¡¯s your mother?¡± when the little boy saw gao wen, his bright eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen. right on the heels of that, a sweet smile hung on his lips. ¡°mommy and daddy are busy greeting guests. sister, my mother¡¯s cooking is very delicious. do you want to try it too?¡± ¡°sure,¡± gao wen agreed readily. the little boy naturally took her hand and slowly walked her back to the small restaurant run by his family. when the busy couple saw gao wen, they immediately beamed, and the fatigue on their faces suddenly disappeared. ¡°miss gao, it¡¯s good to see you again. sit here and wait for us. we¡¯ll be back soon after getting something!¡± gao wen nodded patiently. she sat at the dining table and sized up the medium-sized restaurant. it was noon, the busiest time in the cafeteria. the only empty table in the restaurant was still occupied by her alone. the other tables were filled with diners. the entire hall was filled with the fragrance of food. gao wen sniffed carefully and realized that the fragrance was not inferior to those that emanated from the food made by top chefs in her family. no wonder the business of this shop was so brisk. the couple did not dare to let gao wen wait. after a while, they returned with a heavy paper bag. the woman stood nervously beside gao wen and carefully handed the paper bag to her. she said timidly, ¡°xiao zhi is young and insensible. i¡¯ve really made you spend a lot of money the last time. the two of us have saved up enough money recently. i was thinking that we must see you again and return the money to you personally.¡± gao wen was stunned for a moment. she slowly lowered her head and looked at the stacks of notes neatly stacked in the paper bag. a trace of shock appeared on her face. ¡°why do you have to return the money to me? i wanted to repay xiao zhi for saving my life.¡± ¡°sigh, it¡¯s nothing for the child. there¡¯s no need to talk about saving your life. even without xiao zhi, a good person like you will definitely be safe!¡± the woman was grateful to gao wen from the bottom of her heart. afraid that she wouldn¡¯t accept it, she pushed the paper bag in front of her. the man saw the hesitation in gao wen¡¯s eyes and his heart skipped a beat. he came to a realization and said, ¡°is it because the money isn¡¯t enough? how much more do you think we need? we¡¯ll definitely make it up to you as soon as possible!¡± gao wen shook her head helplessly and smiled. she stood up and placed the paper bag back into the woman¡¯s arms. ¡°you don¡¯t have to return this money. i said that i won¡¯t change my mind about wanting to repay you. besides, i don¡¯t lack this bit of money.¡± her words were so straightforward that the couple felt a little ashamed. the money bag in their hands suddenly became hot. the woman stammered and wanted to hand the paper bag over again, but gao wen glared at her intimidatingly. her heart trembled and she retracted her hand. only then did gao wen smile in satisfaction. she lowered herself to the chair and took out a tissue to wipe the table. she said matter-of-factly, ¡°if you really think you owe me, i haven¡¯t eaten yet. treat me to lunch.¡± the couple was stunned for a moment before they reacted and hurriedly nodded. ¡°alright, alright, alright. wait a moment. i¡¯ll cook for you now!¡± ¡°lady boss, why haven¡¯t the dishes on my table been served yet? how long will it take?¡± a guest at the dining table at the innermost corner knocked on the table impatiently and looked over unhappily. the woman hurriedly apologized to him. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i had something on just now. i¡¯ll make it for you now! i¡¯ll give you another side dish for free, okay?¡± ¡°all, alright then. hurry up. i¡¯m still in a hurry to go back and rest. i still have to continue working in the afternoon!¡± seeing that the lady boss had a good attitude and there was something to be gained, that person immediately suppressed his temper and didn¡¯t say anything. only then did the sound of pots and pans colliding come from the kitchen again. when the woman came out again, her forehead was already covered in sweat. she casually wiped her sweat with her sleeve and personally carried the dishes to the dining table in front of her. she immediately returned to cook. the man was also busy at the front desk. from time to time, he had to enter the kitchen to wash the dishes. gao wen supported her chin with her hand and looked at it for a while. she asked the boy beside her curiously, ¡°your family¡¯s business is so good. why haven¡¯t you considered hiring a few waiters?¡± ¡°in the past, there was a sister.¡± xiao zhi blinked his round eyes and replied word byword, ¡°but sister left. mom said that sister was bullied and we have to wait for sister to come back..¡± Chapter 416 - Chapter 416: Explosion chapter 416: explosion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios gao wen curiously asked about the ¡°sister¡± that xiao zhi had mentioned. xiao zhi thought about it carefully and said, ¡°sister bai xue was washing the dishes in the shop. a sister came to look for her. sister bai xue is very afraid.¡± ¡°and then?¡± gao wen looked in the direction of the kitchen and saw that the couple was still busy. she continued to ask curiously. xiao zhi lowered his eyes in disappointment and said, ¡°then sister was taken away. mom said that those people were so fierce and didn¡¯t let xiao zhi speak nonsense.¡± a child actually knew how sad it was to part. gao wen found it funny. it was rare for her to be willing to coax a child. she chuckled and patted xiao zhi¡¯s fluffy hair. she comforted him gently. ¡°that sister will miss xiao zhi very much. she will definitely come back again.¡± xiao zhi suddenly looked up and stared at gao wen with a burning gaze. ¡°sister, i believe you. xiao zhi will wait for her to come back!¡± the child was innocent and easy to understand. even gao wen, who had never liked to accommodate, could not help but soften her heart for him. touching the top of xiao zhi¡¯s head, gao wen thought to herself that she had probably given this child all her patience. she might have long treated him as her younger brother in her heart. as they spoke, the couple finally finished cooking and walked out of the kitchen with a smile. ¡°miss gao, try it and see if it suits your taste. if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t like, i¡¯ll adjust it for you.¡± gao wen looked at the dishes on the dining table in front of her and immediately felt good. she did not stick to the etiquette at home and picked up her chopsticks to eat like the other guests in the dining room. gao wen didn¡¯t often have time to visit xiao zhi, but as long as she was free, she would always get the chauffeur to take a detour to this medium-sized cafeteria to eat delicious food. this was until the explosion that shook the entire city happened. that winter was too cold. it was so cold that even though she was wearing the warmest fur coat, gao wen was still trembling from the cold. she stood in the vast ruins, helpless and unable to find her direction. the bodyguard beside her tried to persuade her to go home, but gao wen turned a deaf ear. her blank eyes carefully distinguished the familiar streets of the past, insisting on finding that small figure. the noisy event location was filled with heart-wrenching cries. gao wen was afraid when she heard those cries, but even though her body was trembling so much that she almost could not stand steadily, she still ran around stubbornly until she saw xiao zhi, who was covered in dirt, outside a temporary tent set up for the refugees. he was even dirtier than the first time they met. his clothes were tattered, but gao wen did not despise him at all. she almost cried tears of joy when she saw xiao zhi again. she hugged the fragile little boy who looked like he would break at any moment. the child looked at her in a daze. there were still dried tears on her face. he seemed to be frightened and took a long time to recover. however, his black eyes were no longer bright. ¡°sister, you¡¯re crying.¡± xiao zhi gently raised his arm to touch her cheek and wiped her tears. gao wen hugged him tightly and looked around anxiously. ¡°xiao zhi, where are your parents?¡± ¡°dad, mom¡­¡± xiao zhi was stunned for a moment before his eyes filled with tears. ¡°sister, mom isn¡¯t out yet. i want mom! i want mom and dad!¡± ¡°alright, alright, alright. don¡¯t cry. i¡¯ll look for them for you now!¡± gao wen stood up and let xiao zhi lean on her. with a cold expression, she instructed her bodyguards to go over and save her. the bodyguards had been instructed by their boss to stay close to gao wen and did not dare to act rashly. the leading bodyguard persuaded her with a troubled expression, ¡°miss, there are already many rescuers at the event location. it¡¯s still very dangerous here and there¡¯s the possibility of a second explosion at any time. since you¡¯ve already found him, why don¡¯t you return to the car with us to hide first? we¡¯ll leave this place to the professionals.¡± gao wen also knew that what he said was the best solution. she nodded and was about to leave with xiao zhi. unexpectedly, this child understood the meaning of their words. xiao zhi, who was originally obedient, suddenly resisted violently. he struggled out of gao wen¡¯s arms and ran to the other side to glare at her with fear. no matter what she said, he refused to leave with her. at that moment, gao wen seemed to see the child in front of the ambulance who refused to get into the car with her because of his mother. gao wen¡¯s heart suddenly ached as she looked at the ruins in front of her. she frowned and closed her eyes. she barely managed to overcome the sadness that had almost annihilated her in her chest. she said coldly, ¡°we have to save them. i¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± ¡°miss!¡± hearing her say this, the bodyguards persuaded worriedly. however, gao wen had already made up her mind and would not be easily persuaded. they had no choice but to try their best to find the person they wanted to save as soon as possible so that miss could go back with them without worry. however, at this moment, all of them knew very well that the explosion was so serious that the two people who were still missing had almost no chance of survival.. Chapter 417 - Chapter 417: Human God chapter 417: human god translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios gao wen stood a little further away with xiao zhi, waiting for the rescue results. ever since xiao zhi knew that gao wen would not give up on saving his parents, he had been obedient and quiet. even though he was trembling with fear, he held back a tear. from time to time, rescuers would carry away corpses covered in white cloth. xiao zhi did not dare to look, but he still mustered his courage and lifted the shrouds again and again. gao wen knew that he was afraid that his parents would be here. she squatted down and hugged him comfortingly. ¡°xiao zhi, don¡¯t be afraid. i¡¯m here. those bodyguards will definitely help you find your parents.¡± xiao zhi sobbed in her arms, then quickly straightened up and nodded heavily. ¡°xiao zhi believes that mom and dad will be fine!¡± the explosion happened too quickly, but there was still a certain time difference when it affected xiao zhi¡¯s house. at that moment, the ground trembled and a violent explosion resounded through the clouds. xiao zhi¡¯s mother reacted extremely quickly and pulled xiao zhi into her arms to protect him. then, a heat wave followed and separated them. xiao zhi was buried in a place different from his mother¡¯s location. fortunately, he was lucky. the table above his head actually provided a makeshift shield, so he was not injured. but xiao zhi¡¯s parents might not be so fortunate. the rescue time passed bit by bit. the bodyguards were not good at recovery efforts. in addition, the house was severely damaged after the explosion. they could not find the former cafeteria at all, so they did not see xiao zhi¡¯s parents at all. gao wen was anxious. just as she was about to take the initiative to stand out and help, a sharp figure suddenly walked past her. that person was dressed in black work clothes and was covered in dirty blood. her face was also stained with dust and blood. when she walked, she would stir up a wind that was filled with the smell of blood. however, gao wen inexplicably saw light from her. xiao zhi raised his hand and pointed at her back. a lively smile suddenly appeared on his serious face. ¡°it¡¯s this sister! she was the one who saved xiao zhi just now. she even asked xiao zhi to stay obediently and not run around.¡± gao wen lowered her eyes and nodded slightly. her curious gaze continued to follow the person¡¯s figure. the person skillfully held the life detector and quickly searched the ruins for a while. her dark eyes suddenly lit up as she pointed at a ruin and ordered in a steady and powerful voice, ¡°dig. there are still living people below.¡± the others immediately reacted. they either used their hands to move the big rocks or used shovels to clean the rocks. that person was not idle either. she squatted on the ground and kept staring at the instrument. only when the detector made a sound did she raise her hand to stop them. she stood on the ruins like a god who had descended to the mortal world to save people from suffering. under gao wen¡¯s burning gaze, she saved people one after another. among them were xiao zhi¡¯s parents. unfortunately, their eyes were closed and they could not see the angel who had saved them. seeing that his parents had been saved, xiao zhi hurriedly ran to the stretcher and tried to use his thin shoulders to support the heavy frame so that his parents could be sent to the hospital for treatment faster. the person also turned her gaze back to the instrument and continued to dig for the next ruin that might contain living lives. a rush of inspiration and the desire to create lingered in her mind. her heart, beating violently in her chest, was clamoring for what she should do at this moment. ¡°miss, it¡¯s time to go back. if we¡¯re any later, madam will probably be worried.¡± the bodyguard¡¯s gentle persuasion interrupted gao wen¡¯s thoughts. gao wen glanced at him coldly and followed xiao zhi in silence. she accompanied him until he settled in the nearest tent. ¡°was that person shi man?¡± the year head stood in front of the glass window, the cigarette butt in his hand emitting wisps of smoke. gao wen nodded affirmatively and said, ¡°yes, i got someone to pay attention and asked around. moreover, there were many reports about her on the internet. i always thought that women were weak, so i never thought that i would encounter such a brave and reliable girl at the event location.¡± the year head nodded in understanding. he lowered his eyes and stubbed out the cigarette in his hand. he smiled and said, ¡°in that case, shi man is indeed different from ordinary missy. it¡¯s reasonable for you to design a dress for her.¡± gao wen did not expect her uncle to agree with her. she said in surprise, ¡°it wasmy fault this time. the work 1 created was too emotional, so i kept the general style of the reference clothes. but next time, i will definitely come up with a design that suits her the most. uncle, can you help me give her the clothes?¡± the year head raised his eyebrows in surprise and chuckled. ¡°why don¡¯t you give it to her yourself?¡± gao wen bit her lower lip and looked sad. ¡°i offended her friend today. i¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be willing to accept what i send.¡± ¡°silly child.¡± the year head patted her shoulder comfortingly and advised earnestly, ¡°the designer¡¯s work is condensed with the designer¡¯s hard work. if you invest your feelings in the work, she will definitely feel it and naturally won¡¯t reject it..¡± Chapter 418 - Chapter 418: Next Target chapter 418: next target translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after shi man finished dealing with the school at night, she went to the hospital to see yi ming as usual. ever since yi che¡¯s accident last time, yi ming had completely mellowed. yi che¡¯s matter had completely offended yi long and his wife. even if he wanted to continue causing trouble, he would not have the cheek to do so. therefore, when shi man appeared on the sofa in the ward as if she could not be bothered with him, yi ming finally sighed in compromise and waved his hand to stop shi man from coming again. shi man was happy to be free. almost the moment yi ming compromised, she left the ward with the freshly peeled apple. she took a bite and instructed the chauffeur to go to the hospital where yi zheng was. in the previous car accident, yi zheng was seriously injured, so lu xiang had always been worried about letting yi zheng be discharged. now, she would personally come to the ward to accompany yi zheng every day. when he was dealing with official matters, she would watch dramas at the side of the bed. shi man walked to the door of the ward and heard shi he¡¯s voice from inside. she was stunned for a moment before realizing that it was the sound from the television. she smiled helplessly and pushed the door open. when lu xiang saw her, she hurriedly turned off the video and pulled her to sit beside her with a smile. ¡°have you had dinner? eldest grandfather didn¡¯t make things difficult for you today, did he?¡± shi man shook her head gently and said, ¡°no, he told me not to go again.¡± lu xiang was stunned for a moment before she reacted. her expression turned cold. ¡°he knows that his biological grandson had done something wrong to us, so he¡¯s embarrassed to continue interfering.¡± shi man smiled magnanimously and comforted her. ¡°auntie, no matter what he thinks, as long as they don¡¯t hurt you in the future, 1 won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± when lu xiang heard this, she was immediately moved to tears. she kept praising shi man for being sensible. however, what she did not know was that shi man was not bullied by yi ming. instead, she had to make yi ming unhappy every time she went. she believed that if she went a few more times, yi ming¡¯s heart disease would probably not recover. yi zheng leaned against the bed with a smile. as he cooperated with the doctor to check the wound, he glanced sideways and peeped at the scene of shi man and his mother chatting happily. after the doctors finished their examination and left the ward, yi zheng leaned back against the bed and waved at shi man with a smile. ¡°come to me. i have something for you.¡± shi man stood up and looked at lu xiang. after receiving her approval, she walked towards yi zheng and asked with a smile, ¡°you still have something for me in the ward? don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re giving me the medicine you want to take?¡± ¡°what are you thinking?¡± yi zheng pulled her to sit down in amusement. then, he took out a key from the bedside table and gently placed it in her hand. shi man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. she looked at the key with a complicated expression. yi zheng didn¡¯t give her a chance to escape. he smiled and said, ¡°matrimonial house. although we¡¯re not officially engaged, we still have to prepare what needs to be prepared in advance. this is the manor i chose before. go and see if you like it.¡± ¡°if you like it, 1¡¯11 find a renovation team to come over. you can negotiate with them personally and design the manor as you want. this isn¡¯t something that can be done overnight. it¡¯s always good to prepare in advance, right?¡± when yi zheng said this, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and his eyes were filled with a probing smile. shi man took the heavy key and weighed it in her hand for a long time before nodding. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go take a look.¡± she turned her head and her gaze naturally landed on the neat documents at the side. she sighed softly. ¡°you have to rest more and recuperate before you can return to the company as soon as possible. you should know what¡¯s more important.¡± ¡°i know the severity. i¡¯m not tired. don¡¯t worry.¡± yi zheng pinched her hand and rubbed it repeatedly. he pointed at the medical record on the bedside table and said, ¡°the doctor said that i can be discharged soon, but i¡¯m afraid 1¡¯11 have to sit in a wheelchair for a period of time. you can¡¯t despise me.¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but laugh. she raised her eyebrows and deliberately teased, ¡°that¡¯s not necessarily the case. if 1 despise you and run away, i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to catch up to me with your legs.¡± ¡°is that so? even if you run to the horizon, i¡¯ll catch you and make you marry me obediently.¡± yi zheng stared at her with a burning gaze, making it impossible to tell if he was joking or serious. however, this was not important. shi man had no intention of running. she still had many important things to do in g city. the night wind was a little cold. shi man stood on the terrace and looked down. she could see the lights in the shi family¡¯s courtyard and her thoughts gradually drifted away. the two accidents of the explosion and car accident were actually very likely targeted at yi zheng. if that was the case, the person behind this matter would switch to another person in the yi family to deal with. who would be the next to stand up and court death? while she was in a daze, a figure suddenly flashed past. shi man¡¯s eyes turned cold. she turned her head warily, but the moment she saw shi he, her body relaxed.. ¡°brother, why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± Chapter 419 - Chapter 419: Kidnapping and Explosion chapter 419: kidnapping and explosion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°i can¡¯t sleep. i¡¯m thinking about something.¡± shi he leaned against the white fence and drank the red wine in his glass gloomily. shi man raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°thinking about something or someone?¡± shi he was slightly stunned before he lowered his head helplessly and smiled. ¡°i can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± shi man said expressionlessly, ¡°1 guessed blindly.¡± shi he was speechless. he turned around and leaned against the railing, his expression even more melancholic. shi man sized up his expression carefully. no matter how she looked at it, he looked like a young girl in love. her heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat. she leaned over and asked, ¡°brother, which girl do you like?¡± ¡°hey! don¡¯t say that!¡± shi he was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t even hold the glass in his hand. the glass fell downstairs, and the wine in the glass spilled all over the ground. butler qi, who was about to open the window, hurriedly retracted his hand in fear. the cup shattered, and glass flew everywhere. the butler looked upstairs in fear and realized that shi he and shi man were above. he hurriedly patted his chest and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°you scared me to death. i thought someone came to attack at night!¡± shi he hurriedly apologized to the butler and used the excuse of going downstairs to help pack to escape from shi man¡¯s interrogation. shi man looked at his fleeing figure and found it funny. her brothers usually looked very mature and handsome, but they had almost never been in a relationship. all of them were as pure as young men who had just fallen in love in junior high. she shook her head helplessly and smiled. she leaned on the armrest and looked down. she could see shi he¡¯s still red ears and smiled. ¡°uncle qi, you¡¯re too careful. who dares to attack the shi family at night?¡± butler qi was busy cleaning up the broken glass on the ground. on the one hand, he had to be careful not to hurt shi he¡¯s hand, and on the other hand, he had to find time to answer shi man. he did not think that this was a burden. instead, he felt that there was a need to make his young master and young lady more vigilant. he said seriously, ¡°don¡¯t underestimate some people¡¯s desire for power and money. those people are willing to do anything for these worldly possessions!¡± seeing that shi man was uninterested, he thought that she did not take it to heart. he hurriedly took it seriously and advised earnestly, ¡°don¡¯t take it lightly. such a thing happened in the yi family a few years ago. at that time, madam yi¡­ sigh.¡± speaking of the past, butler qi¡¯s face was filled with melancholy. halfway through his sentence, he thought of a bad past and stopped talking with a heavy heart. shi man¡¯s interest was piqued by him. she leaned her arms on the railing and blinked as she asked, ¡°which madam of the yi family? auntie lu?¡± butler qi was originally very secretive about this, but when he thought about how the marriage between his miss and the yi family had basically been finalized, there was no harm in letting her know more. hence, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°no, it¡¯s yi zheng¡¯s grandmother, xi ying.¡± ¡°xi ying? good name. xi doesn¡¯t seem to be a common surname in g city, right?¡± shi man continued to ask him curiously. ¡°yes.¡± butler qi put the glass fragments into the bag before straightening up and continuing to answer, ¡°xi is a common surname in m city. the xi family is not to be trifled with in m city. their status is comparable to the shi family.¡± ¡°oh? then what?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and moved a recliner over. she lay steadily on the chair and listened attentively. seeing that she was interested in listening, butler qi passed the trash to the servant at the side. his gaze gradually became distant. as he immersed himself in his memories, he explained, ¡°i only heard a little. after all, madam and madam lu of the yi family are good friends. at that time, such a huge thing happened, so the shi family must help. however, i¡¯m afraid only the yi family knows the truth.¡± back then, a kidnapping that shocked the entire city happened in the yi family. the person who was kidnapped was yi kun¡¯s son, yi che. unfortunately, yi kun was traveling overseas with his wife and was not in the country. as yi che¡¯s guardian, lu xiang could not absolve herself of the blame when something happened. she went to the place where yi che was kidnapped alone. unexpectedly, a bomb was set up at the kidnapping event location in advance. when the explosion happened, xi ying, who had rushed to save her daughter-in-law, was left in the sea of fire and never came out. this past was enough to make people sigh, but there were still many doubts. shi man frowned and pondered in confusion. ¡°with auntie lu¡¯s personality, she doesn¡¯t seem to be someone who would go alone after knowing that yi che was kidnapped. there should be other inside information.¡± butler qi nodded in agreement and said, ¡°but madam lu didn¡¯t reveal the truth to the public, so i naturally don¡¯t know. if miss is curious, you can ask young master yi. he was also involved at that time.¡± shi man smiled noncommittally. she lay on the chair and looked at the stars in the sky before quickly falling asleep. in her half-asleep state, shi man felt her body lighten before she was placed in a sea of fire. a strong suffocating feeling enveloped her, but strangely, she had always been vigilant even in her sleep. however, this time, she knew that there was a threat beside her, but she could not wake up no matter what.. Chapter 420 - Chapter 420: Nightmare chapter 420: nightmare translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the fire burned fiercely beside her. shi man looked around with a dark expression. everything she saw was in ruins. she shouted her brothers¡¯ names but could not get an answer. she was completely lost in this sudden fire. just as she was wondering if this was a dream or reality, a pair of hands suddenly reached out from the sea of fire. she hurriedly dodged to the side and saw a panicked figure suddenly appear where she was just now. that person was holding the hand of a child who was a few years old. ¡°go! hurry up and leave. don¡¯t worry about me!¡± a woman¡¯s choked voice came from the sea of fire, followed by a violent cough. the thick smoke around them became denser and denser, and it was about to devour the woman with the child. shi man could not see her face clearly, but she could tell that she was familiar. she held the child¡¯s hand and took one last sad look at the sea of fire. then, she turned around and ran out with the child. on the way, the wooden beam that had been broken by the fire suddenly smashed down from above. the woman hurriedly hugged the child and dodged to the side. a moment later, she was finally reached by the rescuers and successfully escaped the sea of fire. and the other woman was buried in the fire¡­ shi man clenched her fists and wanted to rush over to save her, but she could not see a single person in the sea of fire. what surprised her, even more, was that the surrounding fire did not make her feel any heat. other than the initial suffocation, she was actually unaffected by the fire. the strange feeling in her heart became even more obvious. she stopped in her tracks. just as she was thinking, someone suddenly pulled her arm. shi man looked down in surprise and saw a pair of charred hands holding her wrist tightly. she looked up from her arm and was caught off guard by a pair of eyes filled with hatred. ¡°kill them.¡± that person opened her mouth to speak, but her lips had already been burned to charcoal. half of her tongue landed beside her mouth. when she spoke, it trembled slightly, and saliva kept flowing out of her mouth. shi man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. she subconsciously wanted to shake off her hand, but before she could move, the other party seemed to have seen through her intentions. she leaned over again and grabbed her shoulders tightly. a strong burnt smell rushed into her nose. the smell of blood and human flesh floated in the air and surrounded her. even though shi man had seen many dead people, she couldn¡¯t help but want to retch. however, that person did not intend to let her off easily. she stared at her with vicious eyes and a ferocious and terrifying expression. ¡°kill them for me and avenge me. 1 hate them so much. avenge me!¡± shi man knew that she could not avoid it. she held her breath and asked in a low voice, ¡°who are you? why must i help you?¡± the person finally quieted down, as if she was thinking carefully about her question, but she didn¡¯t seem to hear anything. she let go of shi man¡¯s shoulder and walked to the edge of the sea of fire with her head lowered. she looked at the rescued duo outside and the corners of her mouth suddenly curled up. she smiled foolishly. ¡°it¡¯s safe. it¡¯s good that you¡¯re safe.¡± shi man walked to her side hesitantly and followed her gaze outside. she saw a familiar face. it was lu xiang¡­ in a flash, shi man suddenly felt her heart beat faster. a strong suffocating feeling attacked her again, as if a large hand was holding her neck tightly. at that moment, shi man finally understood why she felt a strong sense of familiarity when she saw the two figures who had just left. she also understood that the woman standing beside her and looking at the outside world with longing was xi ying. the suffocation gradually deepened. shi man knelt on the ground and could not breathe, her face quickly turning red. she clutched her chest. her entire body was trembling. the smell of death assaulted her. just as she thought that she would definitely die this time, a fair hand suddenly stretched out in front of her. she raised her eyes with difficulty, thinking that she would see another terrifying scene. unexpectedly, what she saw this time was an extremely beautiful face. that person smiled at her and led her out of the fire. ¡°let¡¯s go. don¡¯t come again.¡± that person said and was about to turn around and leave. the stifling feeling in her chest suddenly disappeared. shi man hurriedly stopped the person and eased the pain in her throat. she frowned and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°didn¡¯t you ask me to avenge you?¡± that person was stunned for a moment before she tilted her head and smiled apologetically. she did not say a word, but her figure gradually faded out of shi man¡¯s sight. ¡°wait! tell me who killed you first!¡± shi man took two steps forward, but her ankle seemed to be suddenly grabbed by someone. no matter what, she could not lift it. she could only watch helplessly as the person disappeared bit by bit and finally turned into nothingness. ¡°manman! manman, what¡¯s wrong? wake up!¡± the noisy voice in her ear finally woke shi man up. she suddenly opened her eyes. the fear in her eyes had yet to fade, but she quickly calmed down when she saw the anxious man above her. ¡°i¡¯m fine. i had a nightmare.¡± shi man sat up calmly and saw that her ankle was in shen xian¡¯s hand.. Chapter 421 - Chapter 421: Sick chapter 421: sick translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi mu sighed and poured water for his sister with heartache. ¡°it must be that old thing yi ming. look at how scared my sister is! baby, you won¡¯t suffer grief from him in the future. if the yi family doesn¡¯t want you, you¡¯ll marry someone else!¡± ¡°xiao mu!¡± shen xian pushed her son helplessly and gave him a look, indicating that shi zhong was still standing behind him with a straight face. shi mu closed his mouth unwillingly and handed the glass of water in his hand to shi man. he carefully patted her back to calm her down. the other brothers of the shi family also surrounded the bed, treating her as a national treasure. shi man drank a glass of water. the hot sweat on her forehead gradually dissipated, but her body was still a little hot. ¡°i¡¯m fine. don¡¯t worry. what time is it?¡± ¡°it¡¯s already nine o¡¯clock. we asked bai xue and su tang to help you apply for leave at school.¡± shen xian tested the temperature of shi man¡¯s forehead worriedly and frowned with heartache. ¡°if you¡¯re not feeling well, rest at home for a day. don¡¯t force yourself. you scared me just now!¡± ¡°what happened to me just now?¡± shi man looked at the surrounding people with different expressions in surprise. shi yu sighed softly and tried to speak as softly as possible. ¡°you must have had a nightmare just now. your limbs kept moving and you were breathing heavily. dad and mom were worried about you and had already called the doctor over.¡± a trace of embarrassment flashed across shi man¡¯s face. she blushed and looked away unnaturally. ¡°i¡¯m fine. asked the doctor not to come over. since you have applied for leave from school, i¡¯ll go to the company today.¡± ¡°be good and don¡¯t move. we¡¯ll be at ease if the doctor checks on you.¡± shen xian pressed her shoulder and forcefully stuffed her back into the blanket. shi mu sat by the bed eagerly, looking even more pitiful than shi man, who was suspected to be sick. shi man helplessly endured everyone¡¯s gazes as she closed her eyes. in the end, she couldn¡¯t help but persuade them, ¡°you guys should go do your own things. i¡¯m really fine. don¡¯t keep staring at me.¡± ¡°we¡¯re just worried about you. after the doctor checks and confirms that you¡¯re fine, we¡¯ll leave.¡± shi ke, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. the others hurriedly nodded in agreement. shi man sighed helplessly. since she couldn¡¯t chase them away, she wouldn¡¯t be angry with them. she could only endure those strong gazes and carefully recall the woman she met in her dream. to be fair, shi man had killed many people in her previous life, but she had never encountered any strange cases of vengeful spirits taking lives. she had never believed in ghosts and gods, nor did she engage in feudal superstitions. however, she had to take what happened in the dream last night seriously. she didn¡¯t believe in ghosts, but she had to believe that there were some things in this world that couldn¡¯t be explained by science. otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have transmigrated into the world of the book unless she had already gone crazy and everything she was experiencing was an illusion. however, not only was shi man not crazy, but she was also especially awake. therefore, all she could do now was verify if the face she saw in her dream was xi ying. thinking of this, shi man suddenly opened her eyes, lifted the blanket, and was about to get out of bed. shi mu, who had been staring at shi man¡¯s face in a daze, was shocked. he quickly pressed her back into the blanket helplessly, his voice carrying an obvious sobbing tone. ¡°my precious sister, 1 beg you. you might be having a fever now. don¡¯t move!¡± shi he¡¯s heart was in his mouth. seeing shi man¡¯s anxious expression, he misunderstood and quickly comforted her. ¡°we¡¯ve already sent someone to tell grandpa yi. sister, don¡¯t be anxious. you don¡¯t have to go today.¡± at the thought that his sister had been bullied by yi ming recently, he couldn¡¯t bear it. therefore, when he got someone to go to the hospital to inform yi ming, he specially instructed that person to buy a can of stinky tofu on the way and secretly place it by yi ming¡¯s window. he had to avenge shi man. shi man sighed speechlessly and explained tiredly, ¡°who said i¡¯m going to his place? i¡¯m going to look for yi zheng.¡± ¡°why are you looking for him? why doesn¡¯t he come and see you when he can walk!¡± shi mu curled his lips habitually at the mention of yi zheng, his words filled with dissatisfaction with him. only then did shi man know that yi zheng had been discharged. she blinked and lay back under the blanket obediently, but her fingers typed a message under the blanket. the doctor was quickly invited into shi man¡¯s bedroom by butler qi. he only needed to glance at her expression to know that she was having a fever. he did some other tests before explaining to the others in the shi family, ¡°it¡¯s just a fever. 1¡¯11 prescribe some medicine and rest for a day.¡± shen xian thought of shi man¡¯s appearance just now and asked a few more questions worriedly. after confirming that shi man was really fine, she accompanied her to finish breakfast and fever medicine before leaving with the others. the people around her suddenly dispersed. shi man could finally heave a sigh of relief. she took out her phone and was about to continue texting yi zheng when her phone screen suddenly lit up. ¡°i¡¯ll come to you now..¡± Chapter 422 - Chapter 422: I’ll Give You Half of the Bed chapter 422: i¡¯ll give you half of the bed translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the short line of words made shi man¡¯s heart skip a beat. the excitement of knowing the truth made her look energetic even though she was sick. yi zheng did not waste any time. after giving some instructions in the company, he asked tang zhe to send him to the shi family. when butler qi saw yi zheng, who was in a wheelchair and wanted to visit missy personally, his eyes curved into slits as he happily invited him into the house. on the comfortable and warm bed, the girl closed her eyes leisurely, as if she had a bad dream. her eyebrows seemed to be furrowed, and she looked a little panicked. this was the first time yi zheng had seen such an expression on shi man¡¯s face. he felt that it was new and took a few glances. unexpectedly, the girl was very vigilant even in her sleep. just as his burning gaze landed on her face, the girl suddenly opened her eyes. the panicked expression disappeared and was replaced by a cold gaze. shi man felt a pair of hot eyes staring at her in her sleep. after she opened her eyes, she wanted to subconsciously grab the other party¡¯s lifeline and control the initiative. however, when she saw that the person was yi zheng, the hostility around her suddenly relaxed, and her expression was tainted with fatigue. ¡°you¡¯re here.¡± shi man leaned back against the bed and drank a cup of tea that was drying on the cabinet to moisten her throat. only then did she look down at yi zheng¡¯s legs, which were wrapped up like dumplings. she couldn¡¯t help but be a little angry. ¡°you dare to be discharged from the hospital with such serious injuries. do you not want your legs anymore?¡± ¡°of course. without these legs, my fiancee will despise me.¡± yi zheng pretended to be aggrieved and blinked. he placed his cold fingers on her forehead to test her temperature. after a while, he took a deep breath and said, ¡°it seems that your fever has subsided. what did you dream of just now?¡± ¡°i dreamed of your grandma,¡± shi man replied casually, but her eyes were fixed on the expression on his face. yi zheng was clearly stunned for a moment before nodding in understanding. ¡°you should have dreamed of her. grandma doted on me when she was still alive. now that she knows that you want to be my wife, she definitely wants to see you.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows noncommittally and smiled. ¡°1 want to burn incense for the old lady too. when are we going?¡± yi zheng widened his eyes in shock. he opened his mouth slightly and quickly pursed his lips as if he was conflicted about something. however, in the end, he surrendered under shi man¡¯s calm gaze. ¡°alright, if you want to go, i¡¯m willing to take you to see grandpa and grandma at any time.¡± ¡°alright, then let¡¯s not delay.¡± shi man lifted the blanket and was about to get out of bed. yi zheng quickly pressed her hand down and frowned in disapproval. ¡°not now. you¡¯re still sick. lie at home today and don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± shi man blinked innocently. ¡°but my fever has already subsided!¡± ¡°that won¡¯t do either.¡± yi zheng¡¯s attitude was firm. shi man pursed her lips speechlessly and rolled her eyes at him. she deliberately wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, leaving only the back of her head. yi zheng chuckled dotingly. just as he was about to turn around and tell butler qi something, the person on the bed actually had eyes on her back. her muffled voice carried a hint of warning. ¡°you¡¯re still running around with a broken leg. let tang zhe carry you up and lie down. otherwise, you can scram back to your hospital bed!¡± ¡°okay, okay, okay.¡± yi zheng smiled helplessly and let tang zhe, who was guarding outside the door, come in to let him help him lie on the bed. just as he was thinking about how to speak, the corner of the blanket actually covered his face. yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he turned his head to look at the girl¡¯s stubborn and angry back and patted her back gently. ¡°don¡¯t be angry anymore, okay? 1 promise you that i¡¯ll definitely bring you there when you recover.¡± only then did shi man feel a little better. she snorted and turned around. she gave him half of the blanket and curled up beside him before quickly falling asleep. perhaps it was because the medicine in the morning had the effect of helping her sleep, but she slept especially soundly this time. in her dream, she no longer came to the sea of fire alone. instead, she was in a beautiful manor. the surroundings were filled with the fresh fragrance of flowers, and hearty laughter came from the pavilion from time to time. shi man followed the voice and walked around the bushes that blocked her vision. she was surprised to see two beautiful girls of similar age sitting in the pavilion. when they saw shi man, they even warmly invited her over. the two of them had been chatting and laughing. shi man recognized one of them as lu xiang when she was young, but she had never seen the other girl. that person had long black hair, but there was always a hint of scheming in the corners of her eyes. when lu xiang told her about her upcoming marriage, that person¡¯s face was filled with joy, but shi man saw it clearly. the emotion that flashed across that person¡¯s eyes was clearly deep hatred. she slept until noon. su tang and bai xue knew that shi man was sick and especially ran back from school to see her during the lunch break. unexpectedly, there was another man lying on shi man¡¯s bed! yi zheng had already woken up when they approached the bedroom. tang zhe should have gone to deal with the company¡¯s matters. now that there was no one guarding outside, the two of them entered openly. bai xue was so surprised to see yi zheng that she almost screamed.. Chapter 423 - Chapter 423: Sloth Male Lead chapter 423: sloth male lead translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng hurriedly raised his index finger to cover his lips, indicating for her not to make a sound. his eyes were filled with an apologetic smile. su tang immediately understood and hurriedly pulled bai xue out of the bedroom. only when she was a little further away did bai xue dare to take a deep breath. after calming down, she placed her hands on her hips worriedly and said, ¡°manman hasn¡¯t married him yet. can they sleep on the same bed now?¡± su tang frowned and let go again. she shook her head and said, ¡°brother yi zheng is not that kind of person. manman is sick, and brother yi zheng¡¯s leg hasn¡¯t recovered. they should be sleeping.¡± bai xue thought of something and blushed slightly. she nodded and said, ¡°i hope that¡¯s the case.¡± however, the two people who were ¡°simply sleeping¡± in the bedroom looked at each other in silence. yi zheng smiled and said, ¡°you¡¯re awake? do you want some water? take your medicine again after dinner.¡± ¡°no need.¡± shi man knew her body. although she felt very hot now, it was completely because there was a furnace that was constantly emitting heat beside her! the stove did not have any self-awareness. the back of his hand, which was bulging with veins, gradually pressed against her forehead. he touched her head seriously and did not let go. ¡°it seems that your fever has subsided. did you catch a cold yesterday?¡± shi man took off his hand and stared at him expressionlessly. ¡°i¡¯ve recovered. 1 can go out now.¡± yi zheng sighed helplessly. ¡°i didn¡¯t know that my fiancee is so filial to my late grandmother. did you really dream of her?¡± shi man was silent, staring at him with her calm eyes. yi zheng could only sit up in compromise and move into the wheelchair. he tidied the creases on his clothes. under shi man¡¯s urging gaze, he smiled unhurriedly and said, ¡°let¡¯s eat first. we¡¯ll go after dinner.¡± shi man was speechless. her fists were hard, but she endured it! this time, lunch was especially scary. even bai xue and su tang, who did not know the truth, felt a chill. bai xue gestured for su tang to look at the black aura on shi man¡¯s face and put on an ¡°as expected¡± expression. she even secretly bared her teeth in yi zheng¡¯s direction, meaning, ¡°look, i¡¯m right! yi zheng must have done something to manman. manman is very angry now. should we help?¡± she made a cutting gesture at her neck and wanted to stand up for the sickly shi man. su tang hurriedly held her hand and stole a glance at yi zheng¡¯s calm expression. she lowered her voice and said, ¡°it should be fine. he¡¯s crippled, so he shouldn¡¯t be able to beat manman.¡± yi zheng¡¯s eyelids twitched. he tightened his grip on his chopsticks and ate more slowly. shi man also heard the contents of their whispers and chuckled. when she looked up again, she still had a straight face and pretended to continue eating. yi zheng glanced at her from the corner of his eye and happened to catch her shoulders trembling when she lowered her head just now. his long eyes narrowed and a faint smile appeared on his lips. shi man held back her laughter and blinked at him innocently. ¡°why are you looking at me like that? didn¡¯t you say you wanted to eat? could it be that you¡¯re already full?¡± yi zheng scooped a bowl of soup and placed it in front of himself with a faint smile. then, he drank the soup in small sips. ¡°i¡¯m not full. this soup is stewed well. try it too?¡± butler qi was completely out of the situation. he thought that he was sincerely praising his family¡¯s soup and hurriedly smiled. ¡°this is a new soup our shi family¡¯s chef learned. president yi, if you like it, drink more. you can come often in the future.¡± ¡°oh? alright, then i¡¯ll drink more.¡± yi zheng deliberately dragged out the last word. he narrowed his eyes and slowed down. ¡°hiss!¡± bai xue and su tang were uncomfortable by his sarcastic tone at the same time. looking at his slow movements as he drank the soup like a sloth, they immediately exchanged glances in disbelief and saw relief in each other¡¯s eyes. not only was ceo yi crippled in the car accident, but he might have also damaged his brain! it seemed that manman was still very safe with him! shi man gritted her teeth and stared at his slow movements. she endured it until the soup on the table was cold. bai xue and su tang had long rushed to school, but he was still drinking the soup slowly. shi man finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and slammed the table. the bowls and chopsticks on the table jumped a few centimeters high. ¡°are you done drinking?! can you go to the washroom yourself after drinking so much?¡± ¡°my fiancee doesn¡¯t need to worry about this.¡± yi zheng didn¡¯t even lose his breath. he slowly drank the last mouthful of soup and took a handkerchief from the servant at the side. he wiped his mouth elegantly before looking at her calmly. ¡°alright, we can go out now.¡± shi man was speechless. her fists were hard again. no, she would beat him up before going out today! in the end, shi man got into yi zheng¡¯s car. compared to the depression on her face, yi zheng felt the pleasure of taking revenge.. Chapter 424 - Chapter 424: Friend and Kidnapper chapter 424: friend and kidnapper translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tang zhe was surprised, but he did not dare to ask in detail. he could only secretly praise his master in his heart. after following him for so long, tang zhe had always seen his infinite tolerance and doting. now that he could finally see his master hold his head high, tang zhe felt proud. the car quickly arrived at the cemetery. the weather was no longer so cold, but when they approached, they still felt a chill. as soon as shi man¡¯s fever subsided, yi zheng got someone to prepare a blanket in case of emergency. tang zhe went to the back row and helped yi zheng sit in the wheelchair again. he stood quietly at the back as a tool for pushing a cart. shi man wrapped the blanket around herself tightly and followed them to a remote and quiet corner. there were two tombstones there with the names yi cheng and xi ying engraved on them. ¡°it¡¯s here.¡± yi zheng looked up at her and realized that she was staring at the photo on his grandmother¡¯s tombstone in a daze. a ridiculous thought arose spontaneously. he couldn¡¯t help but turn his wheelchair to face her and ask sternly, ¡°is she really the person who appeared in your dream?¡± shi man took a deep breath and chose the former between telling the truth and lying. she nodded with a dark expression. ¡°yes, are you afraid?¡± yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°she¡¯s my biological grandmother. what am i afraid of?¡± shi man gently turned back to look at the smiling beauty in the photo, but the image of her body being burned by flames suddenly appeared in front of her. that should be what xi ying looked like after her death. she took out the flowers she had bought on the way and gently placed them in front of their tombstones. she knelt on the ground and respectfully burned two incense sticks before standing up and looking at yi zheng again. ¡°1 have something to tell you.¡± yi zheng shrugged, his eyes filled with a gentle smile. ¡°i¡¯m all ears.¡± he turned his head and gave tang zhe a look. after he walked away, he took her hand and went to a place where the sun was shining. he personally spread the blanket for her and let her sit on it and talk slowly. shi man described the scene in the dream to him. speaking of xi ying¡¯s appearance after his death, yi zheng clenched his fists on the armrest. when she mentioned that lu xiang had a good friend, his eyes were filled with shock. ¡°this person is not my mother.¡± shi man first excluded shen xian. as for the other woman who was on good terms with lu xiang, shi man was really not familiar with her. however, yi zheng clearly knew. shi man could clearly see deep hatred in his stunned eyes. ¡°who is she?¡± after shi man finished talking about her two strange dreams, she began to ask yi zheng for information. she had transmigrated, so it didn¡¯t seem strange for her to have these dreams that allowed her to see the past. however, she firmly believed that she wouldn¡¯t dream of this for no reason. the scene of xi ying¡¯s death and the unfamiliar woman in the dream should be a hint to her. if she couldn¡¯t figure out the truth, she felt that something irreversible would happen in the future. yi zheng clearly felt that these two dreams could not be a coincidence, so he did not intend to hide it and told shi man everything he knew. ¡°that person was my mother¡¯s best friend back then. her name is yao jing.¡± ¡°she¡¯s the one who killed my grandmother.¡± although shi man had already guessed it in her heart, she couldn¡¯t help but gasp when she heard it from him. ¡°yao jing kidnapped yi che and indirectly caused grandmother¡¯s death. but what happened with that explosion?¡± ¡°not indirectly!¡± yi zheng¡¯s eyes were red as he glared at shi man angrily. the emotions in his eyes were too complicated. shi man was actually stunned by him for a moment. she sat on the ground stiffly and could not speak for a long time. only then did yi zheng realize that he had frightened shi man. he hurriedly lowered his head and apologized to her. he sighed silently and said, ¡°1 was too agitated just now, but that explosion was definitely not an accident. yao jing and lin wei deliberately set up the bomb in advance. they had no intention of letting her go!¡± at that time, yi zheng was already in his teens and could learn to deal with family matters by his father¡¯s side. at that time, the relationship between yi cheng and yi ming had yet to fall apart. yi kun and his wife went overseas on a trip and even entrusted little yi che to lu xiang. yi zheng had no feelings for his brother, but he would give him anything he should have. in the eyes of others, this was already a rare and approachable place for yi zheng. when the explosion happened, yi zheng was still helping his father in the company. when he received the news, lu xiang had already picked yi che up alone. this was also what puzzled shi man. however, yi zheng quickly resolved her doubts. the reason why lu xiang dared to go alone back then was because the person who took yi che away was actually one of her good friends, yao jing. ¡°she lured my mother over to use my mother to threaten my father. back then, she and her husband almost couldn¡¯t survive in the lin family. the contract in their hands was snatched away by my family, so she kept holding a grudge and wanted to use this opportunity to threaten my father to give up that business.¡± when yi zheng said this, his face was exceptionally calm, but his voice was trembling slightly.. Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: Vulnerable Person chapter 425: vulnerable person translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man roughly understood what had happened back then. she placed her fingers gently on his shoulder. ¡°then, your grandmother went over to save her, but she didn¡¯t expect them to bury a bomb in advance.¡± yi zheng lowered his eyes dejectedly and nodded. ¡°yes.¡± shi man thought about the cause and effect carefully. ¡°you just said the lin family? yao jing married into the lin family. then does this have anything to do with the lin family?¡± yi zheng shook his head firmly and said, ¡°yao jing and her husband, lin wei, are from the side branch of the lin family. they¡¯re ostracized by the lin family. the main family is the organizer of the banquet that i brought you to last time, so this matter shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with them.¡± seeing that shi man still seemed to have concerns, he explained, ¡°the current head of the lin family is my father¡¯s good friend. you can interact with them without worry. moreover, isn¡¯t your third brother in an ambiguous relationship with the eldest daughter of the lin family, lin yue?¡± when she heard the first half of the sentence, shi man put down her worries and said, ¡°oh.¡± however, when she heard the second half, she felt that this matter had changed! what did he mean by her third brother and the eldest daughter of the lin family were in an ambiguous relationship? shi man widened her eyes in dissatisfaction. just as she was about to retort that her third brother was not a small celebrity who would fool around in the entertainment industry, she suddenly remembered shi he¡¯s hesitant expression last night and was suddenly not so sure! ¡°wait!¡± shi man stopped yi zheng. yi zheng raised his eyebrows and looked at her as if he was watching a good show. shi man swallowed nervously and muttered hesitantly, ¡°how do you know this? are you paying attention to the entertainment industry?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t pay attention.¡± yi zheng shook his head and denied it without hesitation. under shi man¡¯s increasingly suspicious gaze, he smiled helplessly and explained patiently, ¡°1 don¡¯t pay attention to the entertainment industry. i heard this by chance. if you care very much, you can investigate it yourself.¡± ¡°we have to investigate!¡± shi man was really afraid! after experiencing the first two incidents of her brothers being deceived and threatened by women, no one knew better than her how innocent her brothers were in terms of relationships! she had to be careful not to let anything happen to her next brother! if lin yue really liked her brother, she would naturally give her blessings. however, if lin yue had other motives, then she should not blame shi man for targeting the entire lin family. yi zheng looked at shi man¡¯s conflicted and cute expression and knew what she was thinking. he helplessly pulled her up from the ground and shook the dust off the blanket with a smile. ¡°let¡¯s go. i¡¯ll send you home first. don¡¯t stay here in the cold wind.¡± ¡°there¡¯s one more thing.¡± shi man had almost forgotten to ask about the most important thing in the xi ying incident. ¡°why did yao jing and the others have a bomb? where did the bomb come from?¡± this was not something that ordinary people could come up with. shi man couldn¡¯t help but suspect that there was a dark force behind these two. yi zheng¡¯s eyes turned cold as a sharp glint flashed across them. ¡°this is why i established the blood oath. i want to set up a dark force to find the third person who might have participated in the kidnapping back then.¡± ¡°but you haven¡¯t found out yet, right?¡± shi man frowned. seeing yi zheng¡¯s self-reproach and anger, she couldn¡¯t help but comfort him. ¡°you can¡¯t be blamed for this. you were still young when this happened back then. your grandfather and father should have been the ones investigating this.¡± yi zheng shook his head gently. his fierce eyes were covered by his long eyelashes, making it impossible to see his expression. ¡°no, i¡¯m useless and can¡¯t avenge grandmother, but i won¡¯t give up. now that the entire underground business in g city is in my hands, 1¡¯11 find that person sooner or later!¡± shi man opened her mouth and said hesitantly, ¡°is there a possibility that that person is no longer in g city?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve thought of this possibility too.¡± yi zheng slowly turned the thumb ring on his thumb, and the crease between his eyebrows became a deep ravine. ¡°but i keep feeling that that person will definitely return here. he must have his reasons for helping lin wei and yao jing. back then, the cause of that case was to fight for that contract, but even if grandmother died, that contract would still belong to my family in the end.¡± ¡°so you guessed that that person¡¯s goal was actually not achieved at all. he must still be waiting for an opportunity in the dark?¡± shi man carefully considered this possibility and felt that this explanation made sense, but she felt that she had overlooked some very important information. no matter how she thought about it, she could not remember what that strange feeling that lingered in her heart was. she could only not think about it for the time being. the afternoon was at its peak, but shi man still couldn¡¯t feel any warmth in the cemetery. she suddenly felt a little cold and couldn¡¯t help but shrink her neck. ¡°let¡¯s go back first. it¡¯s time for the bandage on your leg to be changed. i¡¯ll send you back to the hospital.¡± yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he raised his hand and warmed her cold fingers. he teased, ¡°in the past, i was the one who sent you home. this time, it¡¯s your turn to send me.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right..¡± shi man deliberately retorted angrily, ¡°who asked my fiance to become a vulnerable person now?¡± Chapter 426 - Chapter 426: Attending the Ball chapter 426: attending the ball translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but ripple when she said ¡°my fiance¡±. the smile on his lips deepened, and the haze in his eyes was swept away. yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but think that if shi man¡¯s dream was really because her grandmother was in heaven. she would definitely be very happy to see shi man take the initiative to come and see her. shi man sent him back to the hospital and personally accompanied him to change his dressing before getting up to leave. in the afternoon, she went to the company and handed over her work to meng hui. then, she sat alone in the office. shi man, who had always been lost in her work, found it difficult to focus this time. her mind was filled with the past yi zheng had just mentioned. even though many doubts had been answered by yi zheng, shi man still felt that there were some things that could not be explained. for example, if there was really such a mastermind, he had been hiding in g city and waiting for an opportunity to make a move without achieving his goal back then. however, there was no need for him to hide for so many years. but if he had really left g city, finding that person would be like finding a needle in a haystack. just as she was thinking hard, shi man suddenly glanced at the city reconstruction plan proposal on the table. her pupils suddenly dilated, and she could not help but stroke the words in a hurry. a certain joint in her mind that she could not figure out suddenly opened up. how could she say that that person had not made a move for so many years? at that time, hellgate, nighthawk, and blood oath were entrenched. nighthawk was alone and hellgate was slightly stronger. both sides sought help from the blood oath at the same time. however, before the blood oath could take action, the armory behind hellgate suddenly exploded. jun mo¡¯s whereabouts were still unknown. overnight, the three factions became two. however, the men from nighthawk lost their boss and were greatly affected. blood oath suddenly became a hot potato. as blood oath¡¯s status rose again, the group made countless enemies. then there was this car accident. the effect was visible to the naked eye. yi zheng was still unable to be discharged from the hospital. the company¡¯s matters were almost handed over to yi che. these two times, they were clearly targeting yi zheng. the person controlling everything behind the scenes had never appeared like back then and could not be investigated. shi man had reason to suspect that this person might be the mastermind who had secretly provided bombs to lin wei and his wife back then! after figuring it out, shi man couldn¡¯t wait to share her thoughts with yi zheng. unexpectedly, as soon as she opened the office door, she almost knocked someone down. meng hui was about to enter the office to deliver documents to her, but she was frightened by the ecstatic and fierce expression on her face. she immediately leaned against the wall and did not dare to move. shi man glanced at her lightly and put away her expression. she said calmly, ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°oh! there¡¯s a document here that needs your signature now!¡± meng hui hurriedly handed the contract over. she was so nervous that she couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva. she didn¡¯t even know where to put her hands and feet. shi man hurriedly finished reading and felt that there was no problem. she signed her name and returned it to meng hui. ¡°is there anything else?¡± ¡°yes, yes!¡± meng hui carefully probed. ¡°third young master called just now and asked if you are in the company. if you are, he asked you to call him back.¡± shi man reached into her pocket doubtfully. only then did she remember that she had forgotten to bring her cell phone when she came out. she had no choice but to borrow it from meng hui. meng hui hurriedly handed over her phone and smiled tactfully. ¡°go ahead. 1¡¯11 send the contract first.¡± ¡°yes,¡± shi man replied calmly and quickly called her brother. shi he was waiting anxiously. as soon as he received a call from meng hui¡¯s cell phone, he couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°how is it? is manman done? does she have time to call me back?¡± shi man curled her lips in amusement and teased, ¡°of course. brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡± shi he finally heaved a sigh of relief when he heard her voice. then, he asked seriously, ¡°why did you run to the company? are you well already?¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man leaned lazily against the wall and tilted her head to size up the secretariat that meng hui had taken care of. she smiled in satisfaction and said, ¡°brother, you didn¡¯t look for me just to question me, right?¡± ¡°there¡¯s something.¡± shi he cleared his throat awkwardly and asked carefully, ¡°sister, there¡¯s going to be a ball in the entertainment industry later. they ask everyone to have a dance partner. if you¡¯ve recovered, can you accompany me?¡± ¡°so that¡¯s what happened.¡± shi man agreed readily and asked for the time and address carefully. she agreed to meet shi he at the stylist specially used by the shi family and hung up. actually, when shi man heard this invitation, she wanted to ask her brother why he didn¡¯t invite lin yue to be his dance partner. however, after thinking about it, she didn¡¯t expose him to prevent making things difficult for her brother. it was not until she saw lin yue at the entrance of the ball that everything was explained. ¡°who¡¯s atiss lin¡¯s dance partner? why haven¡¯t i seen him before?¡± shi man nudged shi he curiously with her elbow. seeing his tense jawline, shi man immediately understood that what yi zheng said was probably the truth.. Chapter 427 - Chapter 427: A Chance Encounter with an Acquaintance chapter 427: a chance encounter with an acquaintance translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi he stared at their backs in a daze. after a moment, he returned to his senses and looked down at shi man with a bitter smile. ¡°that person is my senior. he was once a popular best actor. now, he has opened his own entertainment company and signed many promising artists.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and leaned close to his ear curiously. ¡°is lin yue under him too?¡± ¡°not yet, but she¡¯ll be under him soon.¡± shi he sighed and said, ¡°the contract lin yue signed with her current management company is about to expire. once the contract ends, lin yue will be signed under him.¡± shi man nodded in understanding. she did not think that this was a complex problem. she smiled and suggested, ¡°brother, can¡¯t you open an entertainment company too?¡± ¡°me?¡± shi he was so shocked that he subconsciously raised his voice. sensing that everyone was looking over, he lowered his voice awkwardly and said, ¡°1 don¡¯t know how to. 1 only know how to act, unlike big brother, second brother, and you. 1 don¡¯t know anything about running a company.¡± ¡°what¡¯s so difficult about that? open a company for fun. we¡¯ll help you. anyway, our family has plenty of money.¡± shi man shrugged her shoulders indifferently. shi he wanted to say that he couldn¡¯t open a company casually even if he had money, but when he thought of lin yue, his heart couldn¡¯t help but waver. he had secretly asked around. lin yue¡¯s contract with the current company was about to end in a year. if his company could develop in this year and obtain more resources, lin yue might really choose him! shi man saw the light in his eyes and knew that he was tempted. she continued, ¡°brother, think about it. you can¡¯t film for the rest of your life, right? if you want to earn money faster, you have to convert the resources in your hands into capital in the end. this is not only for lin yue, but also the best way for you.¡± shi he took her words seriously and only came back to his senses after a while. he retorted with a red face, ¡°who said i¡¯m doing it for her¡­ i suddenly feel that opening an entertainment company is not bad. i¡¯m doing it for myself!¡± ¡°alright, alright, alright. brother, have you made up your mind?¡± shi man stared at him with a smile. she did not expect third brother, who had always looked calm, to instantly become as awkward and childish as fourth brother when facing his feelings. however, shi man quite liked pure and cute people like them. she hated people like yi zheng, who was scheming and always deliberately made things difficult for her! shi he calmed down and thought about this matter. in the end, he nodded solemnly and said, ¡°i¡¯ve decided. i want to open a company of my own. sister, you¡¯re right. it¡¯s not rare to open a company in the entertainment industry. 1 should try to do it.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± shi man held her brother¡¯s arm in satisfaction and walked into the event location with him. shi he thought that after he made this decision, his heart would feel as heavy as a huge rock. he did not expect to feel relieved now, as if he already knew what to do subconsciously. he just lacked someone to persuade him to do it. shi he rubbed his sister¡¯s head gratefully and glanced at lin yue, who was chatting happily with another man. he subconsciously clenched his fists. the ball in the entertainment industry was a business fair. during the toasts, they promised business that started at a few million dollars. even shi he was not exempt. he had introduced shi man to many famous figures in the entertainment industry, but strangely, shi man actually saw jiang sheng at this ball. the memory of how this person pestered her in the hospital and was frightened away by yi zheng was still vivid in her mind. shi man did not intend to pay attention to him, but he refused to give up and took the initiative to walk over with a wine glass. shi he had seen jiang sheng before and knew how dirty he was. he tapped on the woman¡¯s shoulder and immediately stood in front of his sister warily. he said coldly, ¡°what are you doing?¡± ¡°movie king shi is too careful. i just want to have a drink with ceo shi.¡± as jiang sheng and shi he spoke, they kept stealing glances at shi man, who was covered tightly. his intentions were very obvious. shi he refused on behalf of shi man without thinking. ¡°no need. my sister isn¡¯t drinking tonight. leave.¡± ¡°movie king shi, i really don¡¯t mean anything else. i just saw an acquaintance at the ball and wanted to chat. there are so many people watching. are you sure you want to be so rude?¡± jiang sheng straightened his back and stared in shi man¡¯s direction confidently. shi he turned his head slightly and saw that the commotion had indeed attracted the attention of many people. his expression immediately darkened as he threatened in an unfriendly tone, ¡°you must have hooked up with some sugar mummy to be able to attend the ball, right? aren¡¯t you afraid that your sugar mummy will be angry and abandon you?¡± jiang sheng spread his hands indifferently and said, ¡°1 know that movie king shi doesn¡¯t like me, but i¡¯m really not afraid.¡± he waved to the other side. an ordinary-looking but luxuriously dressed woman immediately twisted her strong waist and walked over slowly, leaning into his arms.. ¡°baby, what did you call me for?¡± Chapter 428 - Chapter 428: Public Rebuttal chapter 428: public rebuttal translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man had experienced two lifetimes and was used to such things. her heart did not fluctuate at all. on the other hand, shi he was clearly uncomfortable. his body moved slightly and he took a step forward. like a male wolf in charge of looking after the house, he gritted his teeth and stared at the man who was coveting his sister. ¡°it¡¯s your business to do whatever you want. don¡¯t harass my sister!¡± only then did the woman take the time to tear open her gaze that was stuck to jiang sheng¡¯s face and slowly move toward shi he. the moment she saw shi he¡¯s face clearly, her eyes suddenly lit up. she reached out her hand droolingly and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°so it¡¯s xiao he. 1 actually only saw you now. you¡¯re not angry with me, right?¡± shi he¡¯s face turned pale when he was suddenly teased. his tone was cold and distant. ¡°i don¡¯t know you.¡± ¡°then it¡¯s not too late to get to know me now, right?¡± the woman handed her hand forward again and said with a smile, ¡°i¡¯m the head of the administrative department of the headquarters, gu yue. i personally reviewed and approved every one of your films.¡± when the woman spoke, there was a hint of smugness in her eyes. the reason why she dared to show off in front of the shi family was not because she was blindly confident, but because she had a certain amount of capital. currently, all television dramas or movies that were about to be released in the country had to go through the general administration¡¯s review. gu yue was the last obstacle. without her approval, no film could be broadcasted. naturally, it could not be profitable. the shi family had a lot of connections, but not everyone could offend them easily. shi he had no choice but to give her some respect. he endured his disgust and immediately let go after shaking her hand. gu yue was considered the person with the greatest status here. naturally, she became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention wherever she walked. many people were watching her at the same time. shi he could not show her his attitude in public. gu yue¡¯s vanity was greatly satisfied after using her identity to pressure another small celebrity into compromising. she became even more smug. she even turned her attention to shi man, who had been silent the entire time. she raised her head arrogantly and said, ¡°this is?¡± her gaze kept wandering back and forth between shi he and shi man, looking at shi man with hostility. shi man stood up from behind shi he expressionlessly, her expression extremely cold. ¡°i¡¯m his sister, shi man.¡± gu yue had obviously heard of her name. she raised her eyebrows in surprise, and a fake smile hung on the corner of her mouth. ¡°so this is the young and promising ceo shi. i didn¡¯t expect to see you here in person. i really didn¡¯t make a mistake coming to the ball.¡± jiang sheng finally got his wish of seeing shi man. he pinched the woman¡¯s hand and kissed it. he praised her without hiding anything, ¡°baby, you¡¯re really amazing. if not for you, i¡¯m afraid it would be difficult for me to see ceo shi.¡± ¡°oh? do you want to see her? why?¡± gu yue glared at him unhappily before pinching jiang sheng¡¯s arm. jiang sheng immediately put on an aggrieved expression and said coquettishly, ¡°i¡¯m just an old friend of hers. there¡¯s no other relationship. baby, what are you thinking?¡± gu yue snorted and glanced at shi man from the corner of her eye. she sized her up and curled her lips indifferently. ¡°she¡¯s not that good-looking. aren¡¯t i prettier than her? why aren¡¯t you looking at me?¡± jiang sheng hurriedly hugged her and coaxed her gently. shi he didn¡¯t know whether to walk or not. he felt uncomfortable with the two of them. shi man made a mental note of jiang sheng. she finally understood why jiang sheng insisted on being cold today. it turned out that he wanted to make enemies for her and her brother! she wouldn¡¯t be affected much if gu yue remembered her, but it might not be the case for her brother. after all, they were in the same circle. since jiang sheng had already schemed against her, shi man couldn¡¯t be too polite to him. jiang sheng clearly saw shi man¡¯s silent expression and his eyes became even more smug. the fire had almost been lit today, and he was prepared to stop while he was ahead. unexpectedly, just as he turned around to leave, gu yue actually grabbed his arm and refused to let him leave. she glared at shi man arrogantly and said, ¡°1 don¡¯t care what relationship you had with him in the past, but he won¡¯t like you now. give up!¡± shi man pursed her lips speechlessly. she had no doubt that gu yue was a love-struck person. she actually couldn¡¯t tell that jiang sheng was deliberately using her. jiang sheng clearly didn¡¯t expect gu yue to be so impatient, but he was happy to watch the show. he had suffered such humiliation and coldness in the hospital last time. this time, he had to take revenge in public! shi man sneered and took in their thoughts. facing everyone¡¯s gazes, she was neither servile nor overbearing as she said, ¡°it¡¯s really unlucky to be fancied by trash. i suggest you lock yourself up with this man who has slept with countless women and don¡¯t let him come out to harm others.¡± no one would have thought that someone would dare to publicly retort gu yue on such an occasion without giving her any respect. even shi he was stunned. he hurriedly stopped his sister and said, ¡°manman, let¡¯s not bicker with them. let¡¯s sit over there and rest for a while..¡± Chapter 429 - Chapter 429: The Carefree Miss Lin chapter 429: the carefree miss lin translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°don¡¯t leave!¡± gu yue¡¯s face flushed red. she felt embarrassed and stood in front of shi he angrily. ¡°how dare you talk to him like that? jiang sheng is mine now. you¡¯re slapping my face by calling him trash!¡± shi man shrugged her shoulders indifferently. ¡°so? what can you do to me?¡± gu yue¡¯s expression darkened as she glared at her aggressively. ¡°i¡¯m the leader of the headquarters. even if your shi family is rich, you¡¯re just a businessman. if you dare to go against me, i¡¯ll make sure the shi family can¡¯t survive!¡± ¡°yo.¡± shi man narrowed her eyes with interest and asked her curiously, ¡°then how do you want to make our shi family unable to survive? by hanging up one or two of my brother¡¯s television dramas? don¡¯t forget that while you have power, you are also under the supervision of the people.¡± ¡°naive. if word gets out that you offended me, do you think anyone will dare to look for your brother to film? i¡¯ll make sure he can¡¯t survive in the entertainment industry!¡± gu yue laughed mockingly. unfortunately, no matter how imposing she was, she had no choice but to look up and talk to shi man. the scene was quite comical. shi man did not take her seriously at all. she could not stand anyone who would use their own methods to snatch what the other party was most proud of. gu yue was contented with the little power she had. all she had to do was pull her off the high horse. shi man looked down at her with a smile and a mocking smile. ¡°then let¡¯s see who can¡¯t survive first. coincidentally, my brother is going to establish an entertainment company himself. i¡¯ll use you as a sacrifice.¡± shi man¡¯s voice was neither loud nor soft, so everyone around could hear her. while everyone sighed at the lawlessness of the only daughter of the shi family, they were also shocked by the news that shi he was going to open a company. it was not strange to open a company in the entertainment industry, but with shi he¡¯s status and the shi family¡¯s financial resources, once this company was built, it would definitely occupy a place in the entertainment industry. the celebrities present suddenly felt an itch in their hearts. even lin yue looked at shi he in surprise. however, although they were tempted, they still had to observe the situation carefully now that the shi family was openly going against the people from the headquarters. if the shi family really had the ability to take down the leader, they would definitely join such a powerful company. even if this company had just started, its future was definitely limitless! gu yue felt that shi man was fantasizing. she couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°do you still want to open a company in the entertainment industry after offending me? just wait and see. i definitely won¡¯t let you have an easy time in the entertainment industry!¡± with that, she snorted and left everyone¡¯s sight. behind her, jiang sheng glanced at shi man smugly, as if he could already see the ending of shi man and shi he. a sense of pleasure from taking revenge arose spontaneously. even his footsteps could not help but become lighter when he caught up to gu yue. without an opponent, shi man would not stand here for no reason as everyone¡¯s ornament. she casually found a place to sit down to rest in her stilettos. seeing that no one was paying attention to the two of them, shi he lowered his voice and said worriedly, ¡°sister, we¡¯ve offended the people from the headquarters today. do you really have a way to deal with her? she¡¯s not easy to deal with. i heard that she has a very strong relationship with the headquarters.¡± shi man drank the red wine in her hand casually and said meaningfully, ¡°i¡¯ve said it before. while some people hold power, they are also under the supervision of the people. i have a way to deal with this matter. brother, prepare the various procedures for setting up the company.¡± as she looked in the direction gu yue and jiang sheng had left, her eyes were filled with smiles. lin yue watched from the side for a while and whispered a few words to the man beside her. then, she put down her wine glass and walked over. ¡°can i sit here?¡± shi man glanced at her brother, who had suddenly sat up straight, and smiled faintly. ¡°please.¡± only then did lin yue sit down leisurely. she didn¡¯t exchange too many pleasantries with them. after all, they were already considered acquaintances. she directly revealed her intentions. ¡°i¡¯ve heard what you just said to minister gu. i know the man beside minister gu. i¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll be used, so i came to remind you that these two people don¡¯t have good intentions. i¡¯m afraid they¡¯re deliberately targeting you.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows in surprise and accepted her kindness with a smile. ¡°1 know, but i still have to thank you. after all, after what happened just now, you¡¯re the only one who dares to sit over and say these things to us at this time.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t care. i¡¯m not afraid of her.¡± lin yue smiled indifferently. ¡°do you remember i once told you that i entered the entertainment industry to find someone?¡± shi man glanced at her brother from the corner of her eye. as expected, his ears had already stood up. she nodded in amusement. ¡°i remember.¡± a hint of joy appeared in lin yue¡¯s eyes. she smiled gently and said, ¡°i¡¯ve already found him, so i don¡¯t care if i offend gu yue. at most, i¡¯ll just leave the entertainment industry.¡± shi man blinked in surprise and suddenly had a good impression of lin yue. ¡°so miss lin is also a sentimental person. it seems that we really hit it off..¡± Chapter 430 - Chapter 430: Internet Explosion chapter 430: internet explosion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios lin yue smiled calmly. ¡°i¡¯m fine, but the two of you are at loggerheads with gu yue now. you have to be careful in the future. also, regarding the establishment of the company¡­¡± she turned to look at shi he and said hesitantly, ¡°have you decided to establish an entertainment company?¡± shi man nodded calmly. ¡°of course. how is it, miss lin? do you want to consider becoming the first artist in my brother¡¯s company?¡± as soon as she finished speaking, shi he suddenly looked up and stared straight at lin yue. under such expectant gazes, lin yue couldn¡¯t refuse no matter what. she could only tactfully say that she would consider it. she had already reminded shi man. seeing that shi man did have her own plans, she stopped being nosy and returned to her male companion¡¯s side. the news of the ball quickly spread, and there were various rumors about these four people. for this, shi ke especially looked for shi man and asked her if she needed his help. he had joined the company earlier than her, so he would have more connections and it would be much more convenient for him to do things. however, shi man pushed him to shi he and asked him to help shi he establish more companies when he had the time. she could settle her own matters. no one knew how shi man planned to resolve it, but one day, there was suddenly news on the internet. ¡°the administrative department of the headquarters, gu yue, used her authority and work convenience to have an improper relationship in the entertainment industry. the evidence is conclusive. the headquarters has decided to remove ms. gu yue from her position.¡± as soon as this news was released by the headquarters, it was reposted by a large number of netizens. the number of clicks actually reached tens of millions. due to everyone¡¯s guesses about shi man, they unanimously agreed that this was what the insufferably arrogant eldest daughter of the shi family did. there were even more insiders who secretly revealed in the comments section that gu yue¡¯s ex-husband had taken the initiative to expose that this was not the first time she had done such a thing. in the past, he had only dared to stand up and accuse her of having an affair during her marriage. she even bribed a lawyer to encroach on the couple¡¯s common property. as the party at fault, she had let the other party leave with nothing. the originally high and mighty head of the headquarters became notorious overnight. the internet was filled with scoldings against her. at that moment, shi man leaned against the recliner on the terrace in satisfaction. she took the opportunity to release the news of the establishment of the shi family¡¯s new entertainment company. it had to be said that her actions made the netizens even more excited. he man entertainment had just been established for a day, but the share price had already begun to rise crazily. a large number of shareholders bought the shi family¡¯s shares, causing the shares of many entertainment companies to plummet. just as everyone had predicted, he man entertainment immediately became a popular existence in the entertainment industry. what shocked everyone even more was that lin yue, who originally had a year before her contract expired, was actually willing to pay the penalty for breach of contract. she jumped ship to he man entertainment and became the first famous artist under the company, immediately causing a lot of heated discussion among her fans. ¡°damn! my goddess seems to have a few million in compensation! what benefits did he man entertainment give my goddess? my goddess is actually willing to pay so much money!¡± ¡°i heard that the shi family paid the penalty to poach lin yue. are shi he and lin yue real?!¡± ¡°i like he yue too! the two of them are so sweet in the drama! is there going to be a scene of the domineering president falling in love with a top female celebrity under him again?¡± shi man scrolled through the comments online and laughed on the recliner. ¡°brother, everyone has actually given you and lin yue a couple name. aren¡¯t you going to hurry up and take action?¡± shi he flew into a rage out of humiliation. soon, he posted an advertisement for the company¡¯s public interview of artists. he turned his grief and indignation into motivation and buried his head in his work. shi mu leaned against the back of the recliner behind shi man curiously and massaged her shoulders with a smile. he looked extremely ingratiating. ¡°good sister, tell me how you pulled gu yue down!¡± ¡°it¡¯s a secret.¡± shi man refused to answer bluntly, but she narrowed her eyes and enjoyed her brother¡¯s massage. actually, this matter was not difficult for her. she had only hacked into the surveillance cameras of gu yue family residence and tampered with the surveillance cameras records. she had let sean take the opportunity to place the cameras in gu yue¡¯s house. then, she was just waiting for her to take the initiative to bring jiang sheng to her door. however, that camera was actually not used. shi man later realized that gu yue had bad taste in recording herself. she had only hacked into gu yue¡¯s computer and sent gu yue¡¯s videos to the leaders of the headquarters. the people from the authorities were most afraid of their image being smeared. this would greatly reduce their credibility with the public¡¯s credibility. therefore, they definitely hated people like gu yue who blatantly discredited the headquarters. presumably, the leader of the headquarters who had made the decision to fire gu yue had long disliked her.. Chapter 431 - Chapter 431: Home in Her Past Life chapter 431: home in her past life translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi he¡¯s matter came to an end for the time being. shi man finally had the time to see the manor yi zheng had bought. it was unknown if yi zheng did it on purpose or not, but this manor was very close to the shi family. shi man drove personally and arrived not long after. when she confirmed the location from the map, shi man realized that this manor was especially large. when she arrived and saw that the area in front of her was as big as two ordinary manors, she could not help but exclaim even though she was mentally prepared. the butler in charge of guarding the manor had long received the news and was waiting at the door. when he saw shi man, his eyes were filled with a respectful smile. ¡°madam, my name is li yuan. you can call me old li. i¡¯ll show you around this manor today. if you have any suggestions and are dissatisfied, you can tell me. i¡¯ll immediately instruct someone to change it according to your wishes.¡± ¡°alright.¡± shi man slowly followed him into the manor and realized that there was something else inside. the interior design was european style. all kinds of furniture were arranged neatly, looking as magnificent as an ancient palace left behind in europe. the butler whispered beside shi man, ¡°this is the furniture left behind in the past. ceo yi said that madam has the final say in everything. if you want a style, we¡¯ll get the renovation team to tear it down and renovate it. the furniture will also be changed to your favorite style.¡± ¡°well¡­¡± shi man nodded and sized up her surroundings. she shrugged helplessly and said, ¡°actually, i think this is good. 1 don¡¯t have much desire for houses. it¡¯s fine as long as i can stay in it.¡± the butler chuckled and echoed, ¡°yes, yes, yes. however, this is your matrimonial home with ceo yi after all. ceo yi means that if you¡¯re unwilling to touch the general style, you still have to change the furnishings in these rooms.¡± ¡°oh.¡± shi man smiled in understanding. ¡°there¡¯s indeed no such thing as using old furniture in the matrimonial home. since you want to remodel it, why don¡¯t you change it all? can you custom-make a set of antique furniture for me?¡± the butler was stunned for a moment. he roughly estimated the length of the project in his heart and nodded respectfully. ¡°of course. tomorrow, i¡¯ll hire the best designer to design it for you personally. ceo yi said that he can satisfy whatever you want.¡± this manor was indeed wide enough. shi man followed the butler for a long time, but she still could not finish walking around the small garden at the back. she simply stopped. the butler guessed that she was tired and hurriedly instructed the servant at the side to bring a comfortable recliner over. he placed it in the pavilion in the middle of the garden. the sun was shining there, and the breeze was neither hot nor cold. it was very suitable for resting here in the summer. shi man did not refuse. she sat on it and slowly took a sip of tea before pointing at the flowers and plants around her. ¡°1 don¡¯t like a park filled with flowers. can you cut out two ponds? put a wooden bridge on them.¡± the butler immediately noted down shi man¡¯s words and prepared to do it later. seeing that she was almost done exploring the manor, he carefully continued to ask, ¡°madam, do you have any other requests? i¡¯ll record them in my notebook and get someone to change them.¡± shi man thought for a moment and looked up slightly as if she was recalling something. then, she said two more pages of requests before stopping. she looked at the butler¡¯s sweating face in amusement. ¡°why? is it very difficult?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not difficult!¡± the butler quickly denied it. how could he dare to say that the completion date of the manor would probably be delayed again and again if he followed shi man¡¯s request? the wedding date of the two of them would probably be far away. however, thinking about it was one thing. the protagonist of the marriage was not in a hurry, so there was no need for him to be anxious. he just had to carefully do his own thing. shi man stood up in satisfaction. the images of her previous life kept flashing through her mind, and a warm feeling surged into her heart. the suggestion she had made just now was to make the manor look like her former aristocratic family. since yi zheng did whatever she said, there was naturally no need for her to be polite to him. the butler¡¯s estimation was indeed right. when summer came, this manor would only be 30% completed. this day was the senior graduation ceremony, and it was also the day shi man officially attended the academy¡¯s large-scale event as the president of the student union. at the ceremony, shi mu was so excited that his hands trembled as he put the president¡¯s unique brooch on shi man in public. from now on, shi man would become the student representative and lead the student union and teachers to govern cassel academy with gu fan. su tang naturally followed in shi man¡¯s footsteps and took on the position of secretary in the student union to assist shi man in handling the various matters of the school. bai xue was not keen on joining the student union, but since her two good friends had already joined, she felt lonely alone. moreover, shi mu had been pestering her the day before, so she agreed to take on an idle position in the student union. after the ceremony, the students retreated wherever shi man went. with gu yue as a lesson, no one in cassel academy dared to provoke shi man.. Chapter 432 - Chapter 432: Let Go of the Past chapter 432: let go of the past translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the originally crowded and noisy corridor was unobstructed for shi man. she led the student union members behind her toward the office. just as she was about to reach the door, she was suddenly stopped. when su tang saw who it was, she subconsciously took a step forward and stood in front of shi man. she said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°why are you here?¡± gao wen knew that her appearance would not be welcomed , but she still braced herself and asked, ¡°i want to speak to the president alone. can 1?¡± shi man gently grabbed su tang¡¯s hand and pulled her behind her. she glanced at the paper bag in gao wen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°sure, come with me to the empty classroom next door.¡± su tang tugged at her hand worriedly. bai xue frowned and persuaded su tang. she whispered in her ear, ¡°don¡¯t worry, manman can deal with her.¡± only then did su tang retract her hand resentfully and glare at gao wen. shi man let the others in the student union go in first to do their own things. she brought gao wen to the next room and found two empty chairs to sit down. she asked coldly and distantly, ¡°what do you want to say? just say it.¡± gao wen bit her lower lip nervously. she suddenly made up her mind and stuffed the paper bag in her hand into her arms. ¡°this is the outfit i made for you. see if you like it.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked at the black and gray clothes in the paper bag. she looked at her calmly. ¡°why did you make clothes for me?¡± gao wen¡¯s face suddenly turned red. she unnaturally looked away, and her voice became weaker. ¡°1 want to thank you.¡± ¡°thank me for what?¡± when shi man looked at gao wen, it was if she saw su tang, who was always especially nervous when she first interacted with her. at that time, su tang was also hemming and hawing when she spoke. however, the current su tang would no longer be like this. seeing how she had sensed danger and decisively blocked gao wen in front of her just now, shi man was inexplicably relieved. gao wen knew how patient she was by being here, so she braced herself and closed her eyes. she made up her mind and blurted out, ¡°i want to thank you for saving xiao zhi and his family after the explosion. perhaps you don¡¯t remember who he is, but i¡¯m willing to repay this favor on behalf of xiao zhi!¡± ¡°oh, 1 understand.¡± shi man reached out for the clothes calmly. after gao wen finished speaking in one breath, she nervously observed shi man¡¯s reaction. the mockery and curiosity she had imagined did not appear. shi man only opened the paper bag with an indifferent expression and saw that shi man¡¯s gaze did not flunctuate as she looked at the clothes she had spent a few months modifying countless times. it would be a lie to say that gao wen was not disappointed. however, on second thought, shi man did not despise her because she was the one who gave it to her. instead, she took the initiative to check the clothes. it was enough for her. however, if she could see her put it on with her own eyes, gao wen would definitely be even happier. after barely sorting out the sadness spreading in her chest, gao wen smiled bitterly. she tilted her head and said understandingly, ¡°it¡¯s okay. if you don¡¯t like it, you can throw it away.¡± she bit her lower lip and still did not receive shi man¡¯s reaction. she forced a smile and said, ¡°oh, right! xiao zhi said that he wants to see you. if you¡¯re willing, 1 can bring you over this weekend. their family runs a restaurant and their cooking is very delicious! but if you¡¯re unwilling, forget it. it¡¯s okay!¡± she said it calmly, but she still didn¡¯t hide the grievance in her heart. shi man saw the true emotions in her heart and smiled at gao wen for the first time. she put away her clothes and picked up the paper bag. she patted her shoulder and said gently and kindly, ¡°can i bring my friends with me?¡± gao wen did not expect shi man to smile at her. she was stunned and even forgot to nod. shi man looked at her expression and lowered her head to think for a moment. she said solemnly, ¡°i¡¯ll pay!¡± gao wen couldn¡¯t help but smile. she heaved a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but beat faster. ¡°you don¡¯t have to pay. 1¡¯11 treat you to a meal. see you this weekend. can 1 add your contact number? i¡¯ll send you the address then.¡± ¡°okay.¡± shi man nodded in agreement. she took out her phone and added their contact details before smiling. ¡°1 like the clothes very much. i¡¯ll wear them to see you on the weekend.¡± this could already be considered an unexpected surprise for gao wen! she almost jumped up in joy but resisted this urge to embarrass herself in front of shi man. her excited heart clamored until the weekend. it was not until she saw shi man that she was completely relieved. she walked up calmly and greeted shi man and the others. initially, su tang did not want to interact with gao wen anymore, but when she saw that outfit, she completely changed her mind. designers could more or less communicate with each other. moreover, gao wen and she had too many similar views in the design field. she could tell that gao wen really wanted to thank shi man, so she gradually let go of her initial grudge.. Chapter 433 - Chapter 433: Old Alliance chapter 433: old alliance translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when they got out of the car at the entrance of the restaurant, bai xue was the most shocked. although the original restaurant had changed seats, the person standing at the door was the same as before. so gao wen knew xiao zhi! a trace of surprise flashed across the eyes of the couple running the restaurant when they saw bai xue. they hurriedly walked over and held her hand to size her up. seeing that she was doing well now, they smiled in relief and said, ¡°xiao xue, i didn¡¯t expect you and miss gao to be classmates! 1 heard that school is not bad. i¡¯m satisfied to see that you can continue studying.¡± bai xue¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but turn red. she was touched and held the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°auntie, i didn¡¯t expect to see you again.¡± ¡°silly child.¡± the woman raised her hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. when she saw the two unfamiliar girls standing at the side, she hurriedly smiled shyly and invited them into the cafeteria. xiao zhi happily stuck to bai xue and grabbed her hand. he rambled on about how gao wen had helped their family along the way. shi man also diverted her attention to listen to xiao zhi, and her impression of gao wen improved. su tang and bai xue were also very shocked by gao wen¡¯s actions. after the plagiarism incident last time, they thought that gao wen was an unruly young lady. they did not expect her to have such a warm side. not only did she treat xiao zhi¡¯s mother¡¯s illness, but she also paid for this new cafeteria for them. she even sent someone to redecorate it. from beginning to end, she had been busy helping, paying, and putting in effort. their rejection of gao wen completely dissipated. they even had the intention to befriend her. to bai xue, xiao zhi and the others were like her family. they chose to give her a place to stay when she was at her lowest, so gao wen, who they regarded as their benefactor, was naturally her benefactor. gao wen had already informed the family about shi man and the others beforehand, so the cafeteria did not receive any guests today. the couple had been busy the entire morning and made a table full of their best dishes, afraid that nobles like them would not be used to their food. gao wen enthusiastically introduced these dishes to shi man. when shi man picked up her chopsticks, her heart seemed to be in her throat. gao wen suddenly heard a gasp. she turned around in surprise and saw that the couple was also looking at shi man with fear. their reaction was exactly the same as hers. gao wen was suddenly not so nervous. it was only when shi man was eating that she dared to size up the dress on shi man. the pattern that she had painstakingly designed was worn well on shi man¡¯s body, perfectly highlighting her figure. she had studied every feature meticulously without sleeping or eating. even the designs on her sleeves were outlined by her bit by bit. actually, when she made this dress, she had some selfish motives. when she was setting the style of the clothes, she boldly wanted to see shi man in a dress. she did not think that this would damage shi man¡¯s heroic spirit and add to her valiantness. as expected, after the real thing was worn by shi man, it perfectly confirmed her thoughts. shi man¡¯s figure happened to support this dress. her curvaceous outline was very eye-catching, but it did not make people feel that it looked frivolous. instead, it made shu man look more noble, making people not dare to look at her directly. gao wen stared at her for a long time, not noticing that shi man was also looking at her calmly. when she reacted, she met shi man¡¯s smiling black eyes. gao wen¡¯s heart beat faster for no reason. she hurriedly pointed at another dish and smiled awkwardly. ¡°try this again. 1 like this flavor very much. i don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll like it.¡± ¡°i like it. i just ate. you were staring at me and didn¡¯t notice.¡± shi man slowly bit the front of her chopsticks and ate the vegetables on it. her red lips slowly rolled over the chopsticks and quickly retreated. gao wen¡¯s eyes widened as she suddenly had an even bolder idea. ¡°um, president, can i design another dress for you?¡± ¡°of course.¡± shi man quite liked gao wen¡¯s aesthetic taste. she agreed to this suggestion without thinking. su tang was a little jealous. she frowned aggrievedly and tugged at her sleeve. ¡°manman, you still have to wear the clothes 1 made for you!¡± ¡°i know. i¡¯ll wear them all.¡± shi man turned around helplessly to coax su tang. she suddenly felt like a scumbag. however, she did like both of their designs. it would be her loss to reject either of them. anyway, she had to change her clothes every day. the two of them could do whatever they wanted. it was not like she could not wear them all. as they spoke, they were almost done eating. soon, it would be shi man and yi zheng¡¯s engagement party. she still had many things to do and did not stay in the restaurant for long. she drove bai xue and su tang back to the shi family. however, just as the car reached the door, a familiar car stopped in front of her. shi man recognized whose car it was at a glance because just last year, she had sat in this car and joined forces with the owner to deal with yi zheng.. Chapter 434 - Chapter 434: Compensation chapter 434: compensation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man opened the car door and got out with a solemn expression. su tang was a little worried about her. just as she was about to say something, shi man stopped her. ¡°go in first. i¡¯ll be there in a while.¡± shi man looked at the man sitting in the car and sighed. she walked around to the other side and got into the car. the car door closed with a click, but su tang was still hesitating. bai xue patted her arm gently and comforted her in a low voice. ¡°go in first. let¡¯s listen to manman.¡± only then did su tang follow her in. the car was filled with the fragrance of flowers. shi man quietly identified it and realized that there was no smell of harmful substances. only then was she relieved. she turned her eyes and met a pair of smiling eyes. those flirtatious eyes were very beautiful, but the smile only flowed on the surface and did not reach the bottom of his eyes. the owner of those beautiful eyes opened his thin lips and said sadly, ¡°were you afraid that i would drug you just now?¡± shi man was stunned for a moment before slowly shaking her head. ¡°you know, it¡¯s a habit, but i know you won¡¯t.¡± ¡°how do you know that i won¡¯t? am i not able to retaliate after being betrayed by my former alliance?¡± yuan yi¡¯s smile deepened when he said this, but his gentle gaze seemed to be able to see through everything. shi man let him regard her calmly with an apologetic expression. ¡°1 haven¡¯t forgotten what happened in the past. you and i are still friends. i won¡¯t let yi zheng target you.¡± yuan yi suddenly laughed and shook his head. ¡°it seems that a lot has happened while i was away. xiao mu actually asked me how to woo girls.¡± shi man was not too surprised. she lowered her eyes and smiled. ¡°it¡¯s good to leave for a while. too much has happened recently. you should have heard that nearly half of the city has been destroyed.¡± ¡°but 1 want to be by your side more.¡± yuan yi stared straight at her. there were too many emotions in his eyes. there was jealousy, resentment, and even intense unwillingness. shi man sighed softly and decided to take this opportunity to tell him. ¡°yuanyi, regardless of whether yi zheng and 1 are together, you will always be a very good friend in my heart.¡± ¡°friend.¡± yuan yi laughed self-deprecatingly. he reached out his hand as if he wanted to caress this face that he had missed day and night. however, in the end, he gave up under her rejection. he felt a little embarrassed and retracted his hand. he heaved a sigh of relief and pretended to be relaxed. ¡°alright, friend. do you mind letting me go to your house for lunch?¡± shi man was stunned for a moment before the corners of her lips curled up into a smile. she nodded and said, ¡°of course not. my brother should be at home at this time. have you contacted him after you came back?¡± ¡°not yet. 1 ran here to see you as soon as i got off the plane.¡± when yuan yi said this, his eyes were fixed on her. however, this time, he didn¡¯t expect her to respond. he looked away for an instant and casually got out of the car to stretch. ¡°i¡¯m so tired. i won¡¯t go around g city in the near future and won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± shi man smiled and said, ¡°okay.¡± she brought her into the shi family¡¯s manor and introduced her to bai xue. shi mu was sitting on the sofa diligently peeling walnuts for bai xue. when he saw yuan yi, he jumped up from the sofa and stuffed the walnuts in his hand into bai xue¡¯s hand excitedly. then, he pounced over and gave yuan yi a big bear hug. ¡°young brat, why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance that you were back so that i could pick you up!¡± shi mu invited her to sit on the sofa and quickly instructed the servant to pour him a cup of cold tea. ¡°why did you go for so long this time? are you still leaving after coming back?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not leaving. something happened to the overseas business i was originally in charge of last time, but it¡¯s already been handed over. in the future, i won¡¯t be in charge of the business there and will focus on staying in the country.¡± yuan yi answered briskly. with one sentence, he skipped over the days of working day and night overseas just to return to the country to see shi man as soon as possible. however, shi man could still roughly guess why there was a problem with his business. after careful consideration, she took the initiative to extend an olive branch. ¡°actually, there¡¯s a document on my desk that was left for you. it¡¯s a big business. if we work together, we will definitely be able to successfully complete it.¡± yuan yi raised his eyebrows slightly, understanding that she was trying to make up for the damage he had suffered from yi zheng. initially, he wanted to refuse, but when he thought of yi zheng¡¯s expression when he found out that he was working with shi man, he suddenly became interested. he smiled and accepted it. ¡°alright, we¡¯ll discuss the cooperation tomorrow. can you treat me to lunch now?¡± ¡°of course. let¡¯s not talk about a meal. come to the house anytime in the future. 1¡¯11 get our chef to make your favorite dishes.¡± when his childhood playmate returned, shi mu was so happy that he couldn¡¯t close his mouth. he immediately instructed butler qi to make yuan yi¡¯s favorite dishes. bai xue sat at the side and listened to him quietly. then, she stood up with a smile and said, ¡°i¡¯ve eaten lunch. 1¡¯11 go back and see my mother first. have fun..¡± Chapter 435 - Chapter 435: Confirming Her Feelings chapter 435: confirming her feelings translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi mu at her eagerly. even after she had changed her shoes and left, he did not dare to rush up and chase her back. yuan yi laughed at him for being a coward. shi mu was immediately dissatisfied. he collapsed on the sofa dejectedly and stretched his legs forward. he looked so sloppy that he was not as dignified and steady as when bai xue was around just now. ¡°you don¡¯t know. i¡¯ve let her down, so i don¡¯t dare to show too much. i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ll scare her away.¡± ¡°how did you let her down?¡± yuan yi drank his tea slowly, looking like he was waiting to see him make a fool of himself. shi mu flew into a rage out of humiliation. he picked up the pillow on the sofa and threw it out. he was extremely frustrated. ¡°i asked her to abort my child.¡± ¡°pfft.¡± yuan yi spat out the tea before he could swallow it. butler qi hurriedly instructed the servants to clean up and brought a towel for yuan yi to wipe his mouth. shi mu glared at him, but he felt that he was in the wrong. he pursed his lips and couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him. it was su tang who roughly explained the situation to yuan yi. after saying that, she did not forget to sigh melancholicly and say, ¡°if you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?¡± shi mu had already treated su tang as his other sister. he was not angry at her mocking words. he just lay on the sofa pitifully and blinked at them. ¡°then what do you think i should do now?¡± shi man pondered for a moment and estimated shi mu¡¯s intelligence in her heart. she probed uncertainly, ¡°brother, are you sure you really like bai xue? what do you like about her?¡± this question made shi mu fall into deep thought. he jumped up from the sofa with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°that¡¯s right! i don¡¯t know what i like about her, but i can¡¯t help thinking about her and thinking about her. isn¡¯t this love?¡± yuan yi was completely speechless. he returned the towel to butler qi and analyzed seriously with shi mu, the emotional idiot. ¡°firstly, you can¡¯t help but think about her. it¡¯s very likely because you used to have that kind of relationship with her. she was even pregnant with your child. your conscience makes you unable to let her go. secondly, you can¡¯t help but think for her. isn¡¯t this your most basic sense of responsibility as a man?¡± he looked at shi mu who seemed to understand and continued to analyze for him. ¡°she hurt her body for you. it¡¯s actually understandable that you want to compensate her, but i suggest you confirm your feelings before chasing after her. don¡¯t hurt her a second time.¡± yuan yi¡¯s analysis was reasonable. su tang agreed very much and couldn¡¯t help but clap and praise him. ¡°that¡¯s right, fourth brother. if you can¡¯t confirm that your feelings for xiao xue are love, then don¡¯t disturb her. after all, it wasn¡¯t easy for her life to get on the right track.¡± shi mu nodded and fell back onto the sofa. his eyes were fixed on the student id on the coffee table. the girl in the photo was smiling like a flower. it was taken on her first day at school, and he had driven her there. being able to return to school and attend classes like her peers was the most important thing for her at this stage, right? perhaps he really shouldn¡¯t take the initiative to disturb her and cause trouble for her? shi mu looked even more depressed than before. shi man patted his shoulder and comforted him. ¡°brother, actually, you don¡¯t have to think too much. you just have to verify if you like her.¡± shi mu¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. he hurriedly went to shi man¡¯s side and massaged his sister¡¯s shoulders and legs. ¡°baby, tell brother quickly. how can we verify this?¡± shi man had no doubt that if shi mu had a tail at this moment, he would definitely be wagging it till they became dizzy. she narrowed her eyes in an inscrutable manner and glanced sideways at his eager expression. she smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s very simple. when a man likes a woman, he will be especially possessive of her.¡± shi mu blinked and recalled his feelings for bai xue in the past. he suddenly realized that he did not have the so-called possessiveness that shi man had mentioned. he nodded in understanding. ¡°then i don¡¯t think i like her!¡± ¡°don¡¯t be so anxious first. you have to do it bit by bit. you have to verify your feelings bit by bit.¡± shi man picked up her phone and sent a message. then, she turned to shi mu with a smile. ¡°i¡¯m meeting bai xue for a barbecue in the suburbs tonight. are you coming?¡± ¡°of course!¡± shi mu agreed quickly. suddenly, he met their half-smiles and suddenly realized that his reaction was a little embarrassing. he quickly sat up straight and said with a straight face, ¡°i want to accompany my sister. it¡¯s too dangerous at night. i have to protect manman myself.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows noncommittally and put down her teacup. ¡°then let¡¯s just say that¡¯s the case. i¡¯ll go back to my room to rest first. see you tonight.¡± ¡°sister, aren¡¯t you eating?¡± shi mu hurriedly stopped her from behind. for some reason, as soon as shi man left, he suddenly felt insecure. shi man waved casually behind her and said, ¡°i¡¯ve eaten. see you tonight.¡± shi mu waited until the sky was red before shi man came out of the room.. Chapter 436 - Chapter 436: Blockhead chapter 436: blockhead translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the few of them drove two cars to the current home of bai xue and her mother. when they arrived, shi man asked su tang and yuan yi to stay in the car and wait for them to return. this house was under the shi family¡¯s name. in the beginning, the mother and daughter did not intend to accept it. the shi family still used the same excuse that they were only letting them stay in this house temporarily and they could pay the rent in the future. only then did bai xue accept the shi family¡¯s good intentions. usually, when she was free, she would work hard to earn money. she was not like su tang, who had a specialty and could design clothes to win bonuses in the competition. she could only rely on her hands to save money to repay her debt. when shi mu and the others arrived, bai xue was still tidying up the copper wire in her hand. her palm was rough and red and contrasted with the back of her fair hand. bai xue often said that copper wire was very expensive and could be sold for a lot of money. in the past, in order to survive, she would go to the construction site to pick up things that others didn¡¯t want. shi man glared at shi mu accusingly, and her impression of her brother¡¯s unreliability deepened. this man kept saying that he liked her, but he could not even sense her embarrassment. it seemed that she had to torture him well in the future and let him know what true love was. shi mu looked at bai xue¡¯s hands and suddenly felt his breathing stagnate. his chest was extremely stuffy. he reached out and pulled her up. he threw away the copper wire in her hand in frustration and looked away unnaturally. ¡°why are you doing these things that hurt your hands? if you were short of money, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± bai xue widened her eyes innocently and freed her wrist from his hand. she muttered awkwardly, ¡°why should i tell you? i have hands and feet. 1 can support my mother and me on my own.¡± shi mu choked on her words and looked even more frustrated. he kicked away the copper wires on the ground. the copper wires that had been patiently sorted out by bai xue for a long time were scattered on the ground by him and turned into a mess again. bai xue pursed her lips angrily, but she knew how much the shi family had done for her. without saying a word, she squatted down and picked up the things on the ground that were especially precious to her. shi man no longer had any expectations for her brother. from the perspective of bai xue¡¯s good friend, she even hoped that shi mu could leave this house as soon as possible and not disturb the lives of the mother and daughter. she squatted down and picked it up with bai xue. bai xue hurriedly held her hand. after a moment, she realized that her palm was dirty, so she quickly let go and apologized to her guiltily. ¡°i¡¯m sorry for dirtying your hands. go sit on the sofa beside me. i¡¯ll be done soon!¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± shi man continued to lower her head to stroke the copper wire. her long hair fell disobediently to her cheek, making her face itchy. unfortunately, shi man¡¯s hands were occupied at this moment. she could only smile bitterly and ask bai xue for help. bai xue looked at her dirty palm and shi man¡¯s smiling eyes. in the end, she compromised and wiped her hands on the towel beside her before helping shi man push her hair back. shi mu stood at the side in thought. he squatted down to help and didn¡¯t forget to apologize to bai xue. ¡°xiao xue, i¡¯m sorry. i didn¡¯t mean to mess everything up for you just now. i just didn¡¯t want you to touch these things.¡± ¡°i know, brother shi mu. i don¡¯t blame you.¡± bai xue smiled understandingly. when her gaze landed on his delicate fingers that were holding the copper wire, she sighed softly. ¡°i can do it. brother shi mu is a noble young master. you shouldn¡¯t deal with this trash.¡± when shi mu heard her say this, he was instantly anxious. however, he also knew that he was acting abnormally. he racked his brains and finally found a good excuse for himself. ¡°i¡¯m fine. let¡¯s make it faster together. i¡¯m already hungry and in a hurry to eat.¡± shi man lowered her eyes and silently hated shi mu for being a blockhead. bai xue immediately smiled guiltily and said, ¡°i¡¯m wasting time. why don¡¯t we leave it here for now? i¡¯ll slowly sort it out myself after 1 come back.¡± ¡°are xiao mu and the others here?¡± in the bedroom, the woman, who had just recovered from a serious illness, slowly opened the door. when she saw shi man and shi mu, her eyes were filled with surprise. ¡°when did you come? xiao xue is really something. she didn¡¯t even call me. 1 should have made you dinner!¡± ¡°don¡¯t be busy, auntie. we¡¯re here to take you out to eat.¡± shi man looked up at the woman and spoke, but she did not delay at all. as she spoke, she had already smoothed out the copper wire in her hand and found an empty space to put it down. seeing that she was actually doing these things, mrs. bai immediately chastised bai xue and hurriedly invited her to the sofa for tea to apologize. at this moment, shi mu finally came out of his deep thoughts. he walked over and helped the woman up. ¡°auntie, don¡¯t worry about us. go back and change your clothes. we¡¯ll bring you out for dinner.¡± mrs. bai was embarrassed and wanted to decline, but seeing their insistence, she did not say anything. the few of them finally came out of the bai family. bai xue and her mother sat in shi man¡¯s car, and su tang sat in the front passenger seat. the two cars drove toward the suburbs at the same time.. Chapter 437 - Chapter 437: Ostracized chapter 437: ostracized translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi mu had already gotten someone to prepare a barbecue grill here. there were various vegetables, meat, and seasonings. as the only two men, yuan yi and shi mu took the initiative to bear the responsibility of barbecuing. shi man pulled bai xue and su tang to sit on a small chair at the side and whispered. the three girls spoke and even looked in the direction of shi mu and yuan yi from time to time. shi mu was curious, but he couldn¡¯t push all the work to yuan yi. he could only endure the uncomfortable feeling of having his heart and lungs scratched. he obediently lit the stove, racked the grill, and began to roast the meat. the moon and stars were sparse in the night sky. the cool breeze on a summer night could easily sweep away the sweltering heat of the day. the suburbs were not as noisy as the city, but they had a unique quietness at night. the place shi man and the others had chosen happened to be by the sea. occasionally, a beam of light shone over from the lighthouse, illuminating the dark night. the fragrance of meat finally spread in the air. shi mu had just roasted the beef in his hand when he couldn¡¯t wait to come over and hand it to them. he asked with a smile, ¡°what were you talking about just now? i saw you lower your heads and talk for a long time.¡± shi man narrowed her eyes with a naughty smile and glanced at bai xue. shi mu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he hurriedly followed her gaze and saw that bai xue had given her portion of beef to her mother. shi mu widened his eyes in surprise and asked in confusion, ¡°why aren¡¯t you eating? there¡¯s still a lot!¡± bai xue smiled and did not say anything. instead, she asked her mother if it was delicious. mrs. bai naturally wouldn¡¯t say that it wasn¡¯t delicious. the few of them ate happily, treating shi mu as air. yuan yi smiled as he sized up the situation here. he also brought over the skewers of cooked vegetables. this time, bai xue took them and even ate one. shi mu was suddenly a little angry. he frowned and walked back to the grill. his hand that had just picked up the meat paused for a moment before putting it down again. this time, he roasted many skewers and brought them over. bai xue handed her share to her mother as usual, but she ate the beef that yuan yi roasted this time. not only did she eat it, but she also smiled sweetly at yuan yi and praised him gently, ¡°big brother yuan¡¯s cooking is really good. this is the best barbecue i¡¯ve ever eaten.¡± shi mu immediately lost his temper. he scratched his head and walked back to the barbecue grill in frustration. he looked at yuan yi beside him and suddenly felt that he was an eyesore. he pushed him away angrily and said, ¡°go, go, go. sit on the side. do you know how to roast? i¡¯ll roast it myself.¡± yuan yi pretended not to understand as he blinked his eyes innocently and said, ¡°but miss bai praised me for roasting deliciously and it was the best meal she had ever eaten.¡± yuan yi deliberately emphasized the last few words and gritted his teeth. shi mu¡¯s expression darkened even more. it was so dark that he would probably have become one with the night if not for the light of the lighthouse sweeping over. ¡°that¡¯s because she hasn¡¯t seen the world. the best meal? aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± shi mu rolled his eyes at him and pushed him out in disgust. ¡°go up and sit at the same table as them. don¡¯t disturb me.¡± yuan yi shrugged helplessly. he looked innocent and pitiful, but in fact, he could not hide the smile in his eyes. he was happy to wait to eat the ready-made food. he sat down with a smile and chatted with shi man and the others. mrs. bai and bai xue were even more enthralled by his interesting experience overseas. for some reason, shi mu wanted to flip the stove. however, he endured it again and again. in the end, he walked over with a dark expression and a handful of meat skewers. however, he deliberately bypassed yuan yi. everyone received a few skewers, except for yuan yi. yuan yi looked up at him in confusion and called him ¡°brother mu¡± aggrievedly. shi mu ignored him. he turned to shi man and asked with a smile, ¡°sister, does the beef that brother roasted personally taste good?¡± ¡°it smells good!¡± shi man praised without hesitation. shi mu cried silently in his heart. sob, sob, sob. his sister was still the best! as he thought this, shi mu looked at bai xue indignantly. he wanted to see the shame on her face, but he saw her give more than half of the barbecue in her hand to yuan yi. shi mu¡¯s tail, which had just curled up proudly, drooped again. he gritted his teeth in the night. su tang was right beside him. her entire body trembled from this tooth-numbing sound. she could not help but complain softly, ¡°fourth brother, quickly retract your divine power. 1 know you know how to grind your teeth!¡± shi mu quickly threw a glare at her, but he stopped making the noise. he snorted and turned back to the grill to continue working. hmph! he served them without eating a single bite, but only his sister praised him! he should only prepare food for his sister and himself and starve them to death! mrs. bai sat at the side for a long time and felt even more uneasy to let young master shi serve her personally. she couldn¡¯t sit still and stood up. she took the initiative to walk to shi mu¡¯s side and rubbed her hands awkwardly. ¡°um, xiao mu, auntie knows how to roast these too. why don¡¯t you let auntie do it? you can go and rest and eat something..¡± Chapter 438 - Chapter 438: Fourth Brother! chapter 438: fourth brother! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°there¡¯s no need, auntie.¡± the moment mother bai leaned over, shi mu¡¯s impetuous heart was strangely soothed. he hurriedly placed the roasted steak in his hand on the plate and handed it to mrs. bai. ¡°auntie, try this. the steak skewers are also very delicious.¡± mrs. bai hurriedly pushed his hand back and said, ¡°auntie is full, but you haven¡¯t eaten a bite. it¡¯s time to eat some.¡± however, shi mu refused no matter what and placed the skewer in mrs. bai¡¯s hand. ¡°auntie, eat. i¡¯ll eat later.¡± just as he finished speaking, he looked up and realized that the few people eating in front had already started to pack up and go home. shi mu was speechless. why did even manman bully him with them this time? how ridiculous! shi mu was about to shout to express his dissatisfaction when yuan yi walked over first. he patted his shoulder with a smile and said, ¡°there are too many mosquitoes by the sea. we¡¯re eating elsewhere. take your time roasting them.¡± shi mu was furious. he widened his eyes in disbelief as he watched the few of them get into the car together, especially when bai xue quickly moved things back and forth. shi mu snorted and shrugged his hand away. he deliberately pretended not to care and said, ¡°if you want to get lost, get lost. don¡¯t disturb me here. i¡¯m still hungry.¡± ¡°alright.¡± yuan yi smiled and brought mrs. bai back to help move the things. soon, the original picnic stall was cleaned up, not even leaving any trash behind. before mrs. bai got into the car, she was still a little worried about shi mu being alone. the barbecue stove was so big and there was so much ash. no matter how she looked at it, fourth young master could not clean it up alone. however, shi man told her not to worry. she pulled her into the car and drove away. shi mu suddenly felt aggrieved. his nose felt sore as he stared down at the meat skewer in his hand. even though the fragrance was assailing his nose, he felt that it was meaningless. just as he was about to leave, a gentle female voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to roast it? i¡¯m not full yet.¡± shi mu suddenly froze and turned around in disbelief. he saw bai xue standing beside him shyly with her arms behind her back. from his angle, he could only see the top of her cute head. shi mu felt an inexplicable urge to cry, but on second thought, he turned his face away uncomfortably and said in a muffled voice, ¡°didn¡¯t you eat what i roasted? didn¡¯t yuan yi roast the best barbecue you¡¯ve ever eaten? why didn¡¯t you go with him?¡± bai xue sighed and took the skewer from him helplessly. she turned the beef around to continue roasting it. shi mu¡¯s gaze suddenly shot over. bai xue had no choice but to explain, ¡°i was just being polite. after all, he¡¯s your friend.¡± shi mu pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. ¡°then why don¡¯t you praise me?¡± bai xue patiently said softly, ¡°i treat you as family, so i¡¯m not so polite.¡± shi mu¡¯s eyes widened. it took him a while to realize that she had only said ¡°family¡±. there was no other special meaning. however, his originally depressed mood improved a lot. he was smug for a moment, and his tail curled up into the sky again. he taught her proudly, ¡°even family should be praised. for example, i often praise manman!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, shi mu wished he could bite off his tongue. how could shi man and bai xue be the same? however, bai xue clearly did not think too much about it. she nodded solemnly to acknowledge his words. ¡°i understand, fourth brother. let¡¯s encourage each other in the future.¡± shi mu wanted to cry in his heart again, but before he could cry, he suddenly saw bai xue¡¯s sparkling eyes looking at him gently. this was a gaze that belonged to him alone. shi mu was shocked by his thought and quickly looked away in a panic. shi man¡¯s words suddenly popped up in his mind. ¡°it¡¯s very simple. when a man likes a woman, he will be especially possessive of her.¡± then, was his possessiveness towards bai xue different from others? the sound of the waves washing ashore was especially loud, but shi mu turned a deaf ear. the only thing he could hear now was the sound of his heart beating. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± bai xue looked at his sudden daze worriedly and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°i specially reserved a chair just now. if you¡¯re tired, take a rest. this side will be fine soon.¡± ¡°no.¡± shi mu only wanted to take the cold skewer from her hand. unexpectedly, he was flustered and his fingers could not be ordered around. his large hand grabbed her delicate hand. ¡°i¡¯m sorry!¡± shi mu quickly let go and apologized, afraid that she would be angry at him for offending her. bai xue was only stunned for a moment at first, but she quickly regained her senses with red ears. she stared at the sizzling beef in her hand and shook her head with a smile. ¡°it¡¯s okay. i said that i treat you as family. fourth brother, you don¡¯t have to apologize to me.¡± why was it fourth brother again? shi mu was vexed at the side. however, he had figured out his feelings this time.. he would take his time! Chapter 439 - Chapter 439: Denunciation chapter 439: denunciation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yuan yi drove them back to the shi family first. on the way, madam bai was still a little worried. from time to time, she would fidget and ask how long it would take for bai xue to get home. shi man looked at her through the rearview mirror and gave her a reassuring look. ¡°auntie, don¡¯t worry. my brother will definitely send xiao xue home safely!¡± although the shi family had helped the mother and daughter a lot, mother bai could not feel at ease letting her daughter be alone with a man she used to have a relationship with late at night. but even so, she could not make it too obvious. after all, the more uneasy she was, the more it looked like she did not trust shi mu. it made her look like she did not know what was good for her. shi man and su tang comforted her a little more before mrs. bai gradually calmed down. the car quickly arrived at mrs. bai¡¯s house. after sending her off, the few of them returned to the shi family. unexpectedly, there was a car with its headlights on at the intersection that blocked their way. the headlights were turned on to the brightest, clearly revealing a hint of aggressiveness. shi man raised her hand to block the light that was shooting over and identified the model of the car through the gap between her fingers. the anger that had risen in her heart was suppressed again. ¡°i¡¯ll go take a look.¡± even a gentle person like yuan yi could not help but feel emotional being confronted like this. before he could get out of the car, shi man grabbed his arm and sighed helplessly. ¡°i¡¯ll go. send su tang home first.¡± ¡°but!¡± yuan yi wanted to say something, but su tang, who was sitting in the back row, had already recognized the car. she hurriedly stopped yuan yi and said, ¡°brother yuan, let¡¯s go back first. brother yi zheng is here.¡± upon hearing this name, yuan yi quickly expressed his displeasure. he snorted and said in a muffled voice, ¡°oh, you really don¡¯t need me to wait for you?¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need.¡± shi man didn¡¯t say anything else to him and opened the door to walk out. the car parked in front of him kept sounding the car horn. this was a residential area with dense residents. if he continued pressing it, someone would probably stick their head out and scold him later. almost the moment shi man opened the car door and got out, the car horn and lights turned off at the same time. tang zhe, who had come down from the driver¡¯s seat, bowed slightly to her. then, he personally opened the back door for her and made a ¡°please come in¡± gesture. shi man sat in expressionlessly and saw the man who had been running around with a crippled leg. the night light only seeped into the car slightly, and a large shadow enveloped him. the ironed suit blended into the night, leaving only half a face that was clearly unhappy for her to see clearly. the car door was closed with a click. she looked like she was about to denounce him. looking at the man¡¯s cannibalistic expression, shi man knew that he already knew her whereabouts today. she sighed helplessly. ¡°if you have something to say, just call. why are you running out of the hospital again?¡± yi zheng pursed his thin lips and did not speak. he stared straight at the car in front of him. it was not until tang zhe negotiated with the person driving and successfully let the car drive away that he turned back to look at her. his cold eyes stared straight at her face. ¡°why did you go out with him?¡± shi man guessed that he was going to ask this, so she repeated what she had said to yuan yi in the car today. after saying that, she pointed at the bandage on his leg helplessly. ¡°when will you recover if you move around like this? do you not want to be engaged to me?¡± ¡°it¡¯s almost done.¡± yi zheng picked up her hand and held it in his own. he tightened his jawline and complained to her coldly, ¡°you didn¡¯t come to see me all day, so 1 came over to take a look myself.¡± ¡°i took a nap in the afternoon. i didn¡¯t expect you to wait for me,¡± shi man said honestly. since he had already come, she took out the note in her pocket and showed him the banquet list. ¡°look carefully for any enemies. if not, 1¡¯11 get my family to start writing invitations.¡± at the mention of the engagement, yi zheng¡¯s mood instantly improved. he raised his well-defined fingers slightly and pinched the other side of the note, letting shi man¡¯s fingers still grab the side close to her. the two of them held up the thin paper sheet and looked at it carefully. shi man¡¯s other hand was still in his palm. after reading it from beginning to end, yi zheng did not find anyone he did not want to see. he folded the note in satisfaction and took the initiative to help shi man put it back into his pocket. ¡°i have no more problems here. just send out invitations to anyone you want to invite. however, i¡¯m not here to talk about this.¡± ¡°then what do you want to say?¡± shi man¡¯s heart skipped a beat, thinking that he was still holding onto yuan yi. unexpectedly, yi zheng mentioned something that had to be taken seriously. ¡°a large number of drugs have been flowing into the black market recently. i¡¯ve sent people to investigate for a day, but we haven¡¯t found the source. we¡¯ve caught a few mercenaries who¡¯ve taken drugs, but no matter how hard we torture them, they won¡¯t say who the seller is..¡± Chapter 440 - Chapter 440: Poisoned chapter 440: poisoned translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man narrowed her eyes and also realized the seriousness of the matter. on this point, shi man and yi zheng were surprisingly in agreement. they both thought that drugs should be eliminated. she had touched firearms and casinos, but she had never touched drugs. it was a poison that could instantly corrode a country and people. shi man frowned and asked coldly, ¡°other than the black market, where else has it started to circulate?¡± ¡°i haven¡¯t found anything yet. it hasn¡¯t circulated in my place yet. the other places are still under investigation.¡± yi zheng frowned and pondered. ¡°however, since it¡¯s already circulating in the black market, i¡¯m afraid there will be many other places.¡± shi man nodded and said, ¡°i¡¯ll also investigate this matter carefully. there are so many people buying drugs. i don¡¯t believe 1 can¡¯t find the source. as long as there¡¯s a general direction, it¡¯s not difficult to guess who¡¯s controlling it.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± yi zheng leaned back in his chair tiredly and raised his hand to pull her into his arms. ¡°don¡¯t get too close to yuan yi in the future. i can let him go-¡± shi man punched him speechlessly and rolled her eyes. she got up and called tang zhe back, asking him to drive her back. after this meeting, shi man also informed sean to investigate this matter strictly, especially since drugs must not appear in immaculate. sean naturally knew what to do. he first taught lin si a lesson and ordered him not to touch these things. lin si was scolded for no reason and could only droop his shoulders and listen. after sean confirmed that he really understood the seriousness of the drugs, sean led lin si to search immaculate. sean, who had been confident in his brothers and thought that he would get nothing this time, did not expect to find a full five cat ties of drugs inside immaculate. when this matter reached shi man¡¯s ears, shi man was still in the student union holding a meeting with the cadres of the various departments. after receiving the message, shi man could not be bothered with the school¡¯s matters. she handed over the rest of the things she had to gu fan to do. she carried her cell phone and got into the car aggressively, speeding back to the immaculate base. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± as soon as shi man entered the office, she looked at the five cat ties of white powder in anger. sean knelt down in front of shi man with a plop. he knew that it was his fault for not supervising immaculate well. he immediately blamed himself. ¡°boss, the few people who were found with the drugs have been brought to the warehouse at the back and locked up. it¡¯s all my fault this time. 1 caused such a big mess. boss, punish me!¡± ¡°can i make those people quit drugs by punishing you?¡± shi man¡¯s eyes were red. this time, she was really angry. she took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm. when she opened her eyes again, they were filled with sternness. ¡°how long has she been locked up?¡± sean was still kneeling on the ground as he replied, ¡°ever since you instructed me last night, i¡¯ve started investigating with lin si. the first person to enter has been locked up for more than ten hours.¡± ¡°very good. take me to see them.¡± shi man strode out of the office with a dark expression. sean quickly got up from the ground and walked to the front to lead the way. outside the warehouse, lin si was waiting. when he saw shi man¡¯s heavy expression, he went up to her with a heavy heart and said, ¡°boss, they are having withdrawal symptoms. don¡¯t go in. just watch from the outside. it¡¯s too dangerous inside.¡± shi man did not need to walk into the warehouse. she could hear the wails inside just by standing outside. anger surged in her mind, and even her eyes were red. ¡°are you sure all the drugs have been found? is there anywhere else to hide?¡± ¡°no,¡± sean said with absolute certainty. ¡°linsi and i checked with the drug detector several times. there can¡¯t be any other place hiding drugs.¡± shi man closed her eyes and said coldly, ¡°open the door.¡± ¡°boss!¡± lin si persuaded worriedly, but he quickly shut his mouth under shi man¡¯s cold gaze. he didn¡¯t dare to say anything else and turned around to take out the key to open the warehouse door. at this moment, the mercenaries were lying crookedly on the ground in the warehouse. their faces were filled with pain, and their humble and hunched bodies did not look strong at all. shi man glanced around coldly and suddenly raised her hand to pinch someone¡¯s chin, forcing him to look up. the man in front of her suddenly revealed a pale face. shi man recognized him. he was the first person to acknowledge her as his boss with sean. sean¡¯s heart ached when he saw it. he couldn¡¯t help but look away and tremble. shi man let go and took the handkerchief from lin si to wipe her hands. she said calmly, ¡°sean, you should know these people very well. have they touched drugs in m city for so many years?¡± sean hurriedly waved his hand and said, ¡°absolutely not, boss! i can guarantee that we hate these dirty things like you. we definitely won¡¯t dare to touch them!¡± ¡°is that so?¡± shi man curled her lips and glanced at him lightly.. ¡°but why did i hear that m city is the city with the most drugs because it¡¯s close to the border?¡± Chapter 441 - Chapter 441: Poisoning chapter 441: poisoning translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios sean misunderstood what shi man meant and thought that she wanted to say that these people might have had a criminal record in m city. he hurriedly patted his chest and promised, ¡°boss, although drugs are rampant in m city, i can guarantee that no one under me will dare to make such a mistake in the past!¡± his brothers all adhered to the principle of not touching drugs, but now, looking around the entire warehouse, there were dozens of people who had a gambling addiction. there were less than a hundred immaculate mercenaries who had migrated from m city to g city. this meant that almost all the brothers he had brought had been wiped out! sean frowned tightly and hurriedly instructed lin si, ¡°contact your second brother and ask him to investigate m city. find out who dares to touch these things!¡± ¡°alright.¡± lin si did not dare to delay seeing that the matter was of great importance. he nodded at shi man and ran to a quiet place to make a call. sean had never seen such a large group of people who had committed drugs gathered together. for a moment, he had no idea what to do and could only ask shi man for help. he knew that this was not a small matter. he could no longer protect these people. however, just as shi man had seen just now, most of the people here were brothers who had gone through life and death with him. he could not bear to hand them all over. moreover, it was not as if he did not understand the nature of these brothers. instead of saying that these people had taken the initiative to touch drugs, sean was more willing to believe that they had been schemed against and forced to come into contact with drugs. however, he did not have conclusive evidence to confirm this matter, so he naturally did not dare to tell shi man. moreover, he could tell that shi man was far more likely to despise drugs than ordinary people. she probably hated these people who were infected with drugs. thinking of this, sean¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but ache. a hand grabbed his pants tightly. sean hurriedly lowered his head to look, but this glance almost made him cry. the brother who had come to g city with him and worshiped shi man as his boss, who had walked on the verge of death with him, actually held his pants tightly, his eyes cloudy and lifeless. ¡°kill, kill me.¡± that person let out a long breath before barely saying what he wanted to say. the others noticed the commotion and crawled over on their hands and knees. they grabbed sean¡¯s pants and begged at the top of their lungs, ¡°give me a mouthful of drugs or kill me.¡± more and more voices begging for death sounded in his ears. sean¡¯s eyes were completely red. he raised his head and knelt down in front of shi man without saying anything. tears flowed out of his eyes. ¡°boss, i know that dealing drugs and tainting drugs is a capital crime. i don¡¯t dare to ask for your forgiveness, but i want you to make a decision as soon as possible. if you don¡¯t want them anymore, i¡¯ll personally send them away and never let the drugs flow out.¡± ¡°get up first.¡± shi man had completely regained her composure. she reached out to help sean up and sighed. ¡°you¡¯ve misunderstood me. i didn¡¯t ask you just now to say that they might have a criminal record.¡± a trace of hope gradually appeared in sean¡¯s eyes. he stared at shi man, waiting for her to finish. shi man said helplessly, ¡°what i want to say is that in city m, where drugs are rampant, they were able to keep themselves clean. why were they suddenly wiped out when they arrived in g city? don¡¯t you think this is too strange? moreover, so many people were infected at the same time.¡± if there were only one or two, it meant that they did not know how to behave and did not control their desires. however, with so many people together, shi man could not help but be suspicious. now that immaculate only had less than 10% of its power in g city, she had every reason to suspect that someone had deliberately caused this drug incident. sean immediately reacted. his shocked gaze swept across everyone lying on the ground. he said in disbelief, ¡°boss, what should we do now?¡± shi man frowned and instructed, ¡°i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s impossible to get useful information from these people who are addicted to drugs. i¡¯m as willing to believe in them as you are. even if there might be the culprit among them, i still have to try my best to treat them.¡± ¡°you can treat this?¡± this was a pleasant surprise for sean! if shi man could help them successfully get rid of their drug addiction, these brothers would be saved! sean was so grateful that he wanted to kneel down for her again. this time, shi man quickly stopped him. ¡°don¡¯t make these things look fake. after all, i¡¯m their boss. i won¡¯t really watch them temp fate. go and bring a few brothers who are fine to prepare some beds and things like that. move them to this storeroom. remember, you must check the beds carefully. don¡¯t bring any drugs in.¡± ¡°yes!¡± sean immediately understood what she meant. she was going to gather everyone in the storeroom to treat them together. this would be a huge project, but it could save dozens of lives! sean and the other brothers, who were safe and sound, immediately settled the matter. they carried these people to the bed one by one and lay them down. then, they looked at shi man expectantly.. Chapter 442 - Chapter 442: Special Matter chapter 442: special matter translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man stared at them and suddenly asked casually, ¡°do you think you¡¯re different from the others?¡± those people were stunned for a moment before they realized something. from the beginning to the end, they told her about their whereabouts for the entire day yesterday. however, the people lying on the hospital bed had also done these things. some of them even took turns with them. there was nothing special. the immaculate people ate and slept together. everyone was in the same base. other than going out to do missions, they usually acted collectively. these people who were not infected with poison had really not done anything special. sean looked at everyone¡¯s expressions, frowned, and shook his head. ¡°boss, you know what we usually do. everyone eats and drinks the same. there¡¯s really nothing special!¡± ¡°that¡¯s why they¡¯re special.¡± shi man pouted at the people on the bed and casually plucked a few strands of hair from one of them. ¡°i¡¯ll take them for a checkup first. take good care of them. in addition, install surveillance cameras indoors and outdoors. i¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°okay.¡± sean and the others listened to shi man. they would do whatever she asked them to do now. not long after shi man left, lin si, who had gone out to make a call, returned. sean couldn¡¯t help but scold him when he saw him. ¡°where did you go? why are you gone for so long?¡± ¡°brother sean, don¡¯t be anxious. they also need time to check in m city. they¡¯re not good at this, so i was delayed a little,¡± lin si explained to him breathlessly. sean¡¯s expression improved a little, but his adam¡¯s apple kept moving up and down, showing his nervousness. ¡°how is it? are the brothers in m city alright?¡± ¡°everything¡¯s fine.¡± a trace of nostalgia appeared in lin si¡¯s eyes. he said happily, ¡°second brother and the others searched thoroughly and didn¡¯t find any drugs in the base. it seems that there¡¯s just something wrong with our side.¡± sean recalled shi man¡¯s words just now and increasingly felt that what she said was probably the truth. in exasperation, he kicked away the scattered bottles on the ground and placed his hands on his hips angrily. ¡°don¡¯t f*cking let me find out who it is. otherwise, i¡¯ll cripple him!¡± lin si nodded in agreement. ¡°brother sean, where¡¯s boss?¡± ¡°oh, boss went for a checkup.¡± at the mention of this, sean rubbed his hair irritably. he really could not figure out how such a large number of infections appeared in the base, let alone why he was fine! time passed by minute by minute. not only did the brothers who were addicted to drugs on the bed show no signs of getting better, but the situation became more and more intense, to the point that they were about to lose control. there was even someone who couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and tried to commit suicide by hitting the wall when the guards weren¡¯t paying attention. if lin si hadn¡¯t hugged him around the waist, this person would have already become a cold corpse. ¡°this can¡¯t go on. why don¡¯t we find some rope to tie them to the bed!¡± one of them shouted at sean as he struggled to suppress the two people beside him. sean made up his mind. seeing that the situation was getting more critical, he nodded without hesitation. ¡°alright, lin si, go get the rope. we¡¯ll tie them up one by one and not let them run around.¡± at this moment, the warehouse had become a base that seemed to have been invaded by zombies. people with strange and crooked postures gathered together. some kept pouncing on sean, muttering that they wanted drugs, and some would think of ways to commit suicide when no one was paying attention. they did not want to continue to suffer. just as they were short of manpower and it was especially difficult to tie people up with ropes, shi man suddenly returned with the test results and a black suitcase. ¡°boss! you¡¯re finally back!¡± sean saw shi man as if he had seen a straw to clutch at. actually, shi man had only left for more than ten minutes, but it felt like eternity. no matter how strong they were, they did not have enough people. no matter what, they could not control everyone who had fallen into madness. when shi man saw their difficult situation, she knew what had happened. she put down her suitcase and walked over to help. she grabbed the rope and tied one up first. then, she threw him on the bed and went to catch the next one. with shi man¡¯s participation, sean and the others could heave a sigh of relief. the few of them worked for a while and finally controlled everyone temporarily. sean wiped the bean-sized sweat off his face and walked over tiredly. ¡°boss, how are the results?¡± ¡°that person has been infected for four days.¡± shi man frowned and opened the suitcase. she took out a stack of transparent small pockets and threw them into their hands. she instructed, ¡°take off everyone¡¯s hair and put them in. remember to mark their names. i¡¯ll check them one by one later.¡± ¡°okay!¡± sean immediately went back to work. as he collected his hair, he thought about what had happened four days ago. the base had been operating as usual for the past few days. nothing special had happened. he carefully recalled what happened that day and did not miss a single detail. it was not until he saw the mercenary who was the first to be taken away by shi man that he suddenly remembered something.. he gasped and said, ¡°1 remember! four days ago, this person went to the black market to do a mission!¡± Chapter 443 - Chapter 443: Wiped Out chapter 443: wiped out translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios sean¡¯s words immediately attracted the attention of the people around him. the others also looked at their companions who were familiar with the situation on the bed and came to a realization. ¡°yes, they¡¯ve all gone on missions these few days. i haven¡¯t been there yet!¡± ¡°neither have 1!¡± ¡°neither do i.¡± shi man narrowed her eyes and glanced at the worried lin si and the ecstatic sean. she suddenly understood something. yi zheng had just said yesterday that drugs had been popular in the black market recently and could not be banned. now that everyone who had been to the black market was tainted with drugs, it seemed that she had to investigate from the black market. however, this was only a speculation and needed to be verified. shi man made up her mind and instructed, ¡°sean, think carefully about the exact date these people went to the black market. then continue to collect hair and hand it to me. if all of it is true, the speculation just now can be established.¡± ¡°good!¡± this time, the few of them were even more motivated. in order to verify their thoughts, everyone quickened their actions. shi man casually found a chair and sat down. she checked each of their hair with the equipment in the black box. this instrument would be more precise than a blood test, and most importantly, it would take a short time to test. shi man only needed ten minutes to check the time they took drugs through everyone¡¯s hair. lin si was at the side helping to record the test results. after busying herself for the entire afternoon, it was almost evening. shi man finally finished checking everyone¡¯s hair. the final results of the checkup matched sean and the others¡¯ memories of the time these people went on missions. sean looked at the results of the comparison, and his hand that was holding the thin paper trembled slightly. the ecstasy of finally clearing his brothers¡¯ names lingered in his heart, and his face turned red with excitement. just as he was about to speak excitedly, he was suddenly stopped by lin si. sean wanted to say that his brothers were innocent, but when he followed lin si¡¯s gaze and looked at shi man, he suddenly realized the seriousness in shi man¡¯s eyes. only then did he realize that the most serious problem now was not only that the people in immaculate were infected with drugs in large numbers, but also the black market! that was yi zheng¡¯s territory. with such a thing happening, the situation on yi zheng¡¯s side was much more serious than immaculate. ¡°boss.¡± this time, sean regained his composure. he swallowed his saliva and deliberated over his words. ¡°do you want the few of us to go over to the black market to help president yi investigate?¡± ¡°no need.¡± shi man rubbed her eyebrows tiredly. after an afternoon of continuous examination, her eyes were a little sore, but now was clearly not the time for her to rest. she took out some medicine and distributed it to the few people who had not been infected. ¡°feed these to them. when they are a little more awake, ask them carefully who they have seen, where they have been, and what missions they have done. if necessary, they can be interrogated separately.¡± ¡°alright, 1 understand.¡± sean nodded in agreement and began to work with his brothers. only then did shi man free up her hands and call yi zheng to ask about the situation. yi zheng was also overwrought. the drugs that had flowed out of the black market had already attracted the police¡¯s attention. if yi zheng didn¡¯t find the source as soon as possible, the police would look him up sooner or later. as the main person-in-charge of the black market, he would definitely not be able to clear himself of suspicion. at that time, the entire yi family would probably be implicated. shi man could hear his fatigue from the phone. after giving her people a few instructions, she drove straight to his company. tang zhe had already joined forces with the people in charge of a few mercenary groups to investigate the situation of the various families being poisoned. just the number of people on the list was more than a thousand, and immaculate was not the most serious. ¡°what about blood oath?¡± shi man put down the list with a dark expression and looked up at tang zhe. tang zhe took a deep breath and said, ¡°almost all of them were wiped out. the earliest was seven days ago, and the latest was the day before yesterday. after we discovered a large number of drugs in the black market, we sealed it immediately. otherwise, the situation would probably be even more serious.¡± yi zheng sat in the shadows behind the desk. only half of his face could be seen clearly under the moonlight. ¡°hellgate is also very serious. zhu wen just took the initiative to contact me to ask for some drugs to restrain the drug addiction on his end.¡± ¡°there are so many people infected at the same time. how can there be no news at all?¡± shi man only felt strange. logically speaking, if everyone in the organizations explicitly prohibited touching drugs, someone should have reported it to the higher-ups. it would not be in such an uncontrollable situation. ¡°i¡¯m afraid i don¡¯t dare to say.¡± tang zhe replied in a low voice, ¡°we have always avoided drugs as much as possible. once we are infected, the consequences are very serious. moreover, 1 guess the first batch of people who were infected probably didn¡¯t know that they have touched drugs.¡± shi man narrowed her eyes and sneered, the coldness on her face like winter. ¡°looks like we¡¯re on the same track. i just guessed that this was a deliberate poisoning and not an ordinary drug trafficking incident..¡± Chapter 444 - Chapter 444: Another Fiancee chapter 444: another fiancee translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°since it¡¯s poisoning, there has to be a source, right? what kind of source can infect these people at the same time?¡± tang zhe had long investigated this. he had investigated many people, but other than the fact that they had all gone to the black market, he did not find any other useful information. the black market was vast and there were many people. there were countless shady stalls, like an endless pedestrian street. most of the people who came to the black market were for business. he could start checking from the shops, but it would take a lot of time if this continued. now that they were short of manpower, the higher-ups would probably have already invited yi zheng to tea before they could find out. shi man frowned when she was deep in thought. her fingers knocked on the table either intentionally or unintentionally. yi zheng looked at her thoughtfully and asked in a low voice, ¡°what did you think of?¡± shi man sighed, her dark eyes filled with melancholy. ¡°i¡¯m thinking about this matter. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s the same as the previous two incidents. the person behind it should be targeting you.¡± ¡°but there¡¯s no need to mobilize so many people! in order to target master, he actually involved so many innocent people. is this person a lunatic?¡± tang zhe also knew that this possibility was very high, but he could not help but sigh at the ruthlessness of the person behind him. in order to deal with yi zheng, only a lunatic would let a large number of regulars of the black market be infected with poison! ¡°he¡¯s indeed crazy.¡± shi man narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at yi zheng inquisitively. ¡°did you kill his biological parents? otherwise, why would he hate you to this extent?¡± yi zheng sneered and was about to retort when his expression turned cold. shi man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. she couldn¡¯t help but probe, ¡°why? have you really killed other people¡¯s biological parents? you haven¡¯t eliminated them yet?¡± yi zheng frowned tightly and said coldly, ¡°tang zhe, is the child of lin wei and yao jing confirmed to be dead?¡± ¡°he¡¯s dead.¡± tang zhe nodded with certainty. ¡°this matter has been going on for more than ten years. master, don¡¯t tell me you suspect that the little brat grew up to take revenge? but he¡¯s already dead! after that, i even carefully verified that it¡¯s definitely their son!¡± yi zheng¡¯s tense body slowly relaxed again. he smiled bitterly and shook his head. ¡°yes, he¡¯s already dead. why would i have such a strange thought?¡± shi man lowered her eyes and said calmly, ¡°since it¡¯s not him, who else would hate you so much and want to start dealing with you after so many years?¡± tang zhe really couldn¡¯t think of anyone else he knew who would be crazy to this extent. however, there was another possibility. ¡°master, miss shi, do you think this person is doing it not out of hatred but because he wants to take down the yi family and replace them?¡± shi man nodded slightly and said, ¡°it¡¯s not impossible.¡± now, they had too little information in their hands, and they knew nothing about this person. the yi family had stood for many years and had enemies everywhere. there were countless people who were jealous. they could not investigate them one by one. before they could figure it out, the old masters of the yi family and yi ming actually took the initiative to look for them. the secretary outside could not stop these buddhas and could only let them in. yi zheng stood up to welcome him and gave tang zhe a look, asking him to inform yi long to come over. no matter how powerful yi zheng was now, he could not act unreasonably in front of the elders of the family. the best was that yi long was present. shi man was not in the mood to deal with the old masters of the yi family at all. she threw yi zheng a look that said, ¡°1¡¯11 leave first.¡± shi man went out with tang zhe and left this big mess to yi zheng alone. unexpectedly, just as she walked out, she was stopped by a delicate figure. behind that person was a timid acquaintance. tang zhe looked like he was a little worried and wanted to leave with shi man. however, the girl refused to let shi man off easily. she stood in front of shi man and refused to give in. tang zhe returned a guilty look to shi man. before he could speak, the girl suddenly said coldly in front of the two of them, ¡°tang zhe, go away.¡± tang zhe¡¯s footsteps did not move at all. he could still tell which was more important in his master¡¯s heart. seeing that he didn¡¯t listen to her, the girl pointed at his nose angrily and said, ¡°if you don¡¯t move away, i¡¯ll let my father and brother yi zheng punish you!¡± tang zhe sighed helplessly, but his figure still did not move. only then did shi man speak unhurriedly. ¡°tang zhe, go busy yourself. don¡¯t delay important matters.¡± ¡°who are you calling unimportant?¡± the girl was so angry that she laughed. just as she was about to mock her, she saw tang zhe really obediently move aside. before he left, he did not forget to apologize to shi man. her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°what did you drug my fiance¡¯s assistant with? why does he listen to you like this?¡± ¡°fiance?¡± shi man caught the main point. her dark eyes flashed with a hint of anger.. Chapter 445 - Chapter 445: Another Engagement Token chapter 445: another engagement token translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man turned her head slightly and looked at the timid acquaintance behind the girl. she sneered and said, ¡°song zhi, she said that she¡¯s yi zheng¡¯s fiancee, huh?¡± song zhi suddenly heard shi man¡¯s voice again and her body trembled uncontrollably. she couldn¡¯t help but tug at the corner of the girl¡¯s clothes. ¡°wen xiu, let¡¯s wait for uncle and the others to come.¡± ¡°no! 1 still have something to ask her!¡± wen xiu glared at shi man coldly. ¡°what is it?¡± shi man sized her up with interest. wen xiu straightened her back and proudly let her sized her up. at the same time, she sized shi man up with disdain. after looking at her from beginning to end, she pursed her lips in dissatisfaction and said, ¡°that¡¯s it? brother yi zheng actually gave up his engagement with me over more than twenty years because of you?¡± ¡°more than twenty years?¡± shi man laughed and shook her head. ¡°little girl, you weren¡¯t born more than twenty years ago, right?¡± ¡°so what?¡± wen xiu glared at her unhappily. ¡°what do you care? uncle yi personally decided on my marriage with brother yi zheng with my father. i still have the token uncle yi gave me!¡± ¡°what token?¡± shi man narrowed her eyes. her gaze was so dangerous that it instantly lowered the surrounding air to a few degrees below zero. song zhi had no doubt that no matter what wen xiu took out at this moment, it would be snatched away and destroyed by shi man. it would be destroyed until there was nothing left. she hurriedly held wen xiu¡¯s arm and advised sincerely, ¡°forget it. that¡¯s just a joke made by the elders after drinking. you can¡¯t take it seriously. brother yi zheng really likes miss shi now!¡± ¡°why are you always speaking up for her? you used to call me sister-in-law!¡± wen xiu shook off her hand unhappily and frowned as she took out the things in her pocket like they were treasures. it was fine, but even shi man was shocked. what lay quietly in wen xiu¡¯s palm was actually an expensive ring. however, the style was a little old. it was indeed popular more than 20 years ago. it seemed that what this girl said was true. yi zheng really had a fiancee who had been personally decided by their elders. shi man narrowed her eyes and estimated how to destroy this ring in her heart. the smile on her face became even brighter. ¡°it¡¯s just a ring. how can it prove that it was given by uncle yi? moreover, why haven¡¯t 1 heard uncle yi and auntie lu mention it?¡± ¡°that¡¯s because 1 wasn¡¯t in the country!¡± wen xiu was a little lacking in confidence from her question, and her arrogance faded. however, she still raised her chin and said, ¡°if i were in the country, brother yi zheng would definitely choose me and not you!¡± ¡°yes, so?¡± shi man smiled casually. ¡°since you like him so much, wouldn¡¯t it be more logical to keep him by your side?¡± the girl was clearly moved by her suggestion. she blinked in a daze and had to stuff the ring back into the box. she coughed lightly and said, ¡°it¡¯s not too late to come back now. you know that i¡¯m his fiancee. now that i¡¯m back, you can get lost.¡± song zhi widened her eyes in shock. clearly, she did not understand her logic. she stole a glance at shi man¡¯s expression and hurriedly dissuaded her. ¡°wen xiu, this matter is not something we can decide. why don¡¯t we wait for the serious matters inside to be discussed before talking to uncle yi about this?¡± song zhi¡¯s words made sense. wen xiu was actually a little shaken, but when she thought of the news she had found overseas, she was a little angry! what did they mean by the two of them being loving and stuck together! what did theymean by the two of them entering and leaving in pairs? yi zheng was certain that shi man had to marry him. even old master yi ming could not stop her! she did not believe that her brother yi zheng would fall in love with someone else! they clearly said that they would wait for her to grow up! wen xiu thought of what shi man and yi zheng had done and her eyes turned slightly red. she sniffed aggrievedly and said, ¡°no! this woman is my lifelong enemy. i must chase her away now! 1 never want to see her! brother yi zheng can only be mine!¡± this time, even song zhi did not know what to do. shi man had really helped the song family a lot the last time. moreover, shi man did not fuss about her drugging after that. she was actually grateful to shi man. while feeling grateful, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little afraid when she thought of shi man¡¯s identity. however, she did not dare to tell wen xiu too much about shi man. this girl had loved to pass messages since she was young. if she told wen xiu, the entire city would probably know soon. song zhi looked at shi man guiltily and gave her a bitter smile, indicating that she was helpless. shi man smiled and accepted her kindness. she pointed at the sofa beside her and raised her eyebrows. ¡°sit down and talk?¡± ¡°fine!¡± wen xiu snorted coldly and sat in the middle of the sofa with an arrogant expression. song zhi sat beside her obediently. shi man looked at wen xiu, who was looking at her provocatively, and silently found a sofa on the other side to sit down on.. Chapter 446 - Chapter 446: Too Poisonous chapter 446: too poisonous translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wen xiu was very satisfied with her adaptability. like the mistress of the company, she sat in the middle and glanced at her proudly. ¡°at least you¡¯re sensible. i won¡¯t let brother yi zheng throw you out later.¡± song zhi looked at her with even more fear! after not seeing her for more than ten years, why didn¡¯t wen xiu¡¯s tone change at all? instead, she became even more abnormal! ¡°why are you looking at me like that?¡± wen xiu turned to look at song zhi strangely and swung her long ponytail matter-of-factly. ¡°don¡¯t think that i don¡¯t know anything just because i¡¯ve been studying overseas. i¡¯ve seen it on television countless times. a domineering president like brother yi zheng is very protective. if someone bullies his fiancee, he will definitely be the first to flare up!¡± after saying that, she glared at shi man and gloated. ¡°throwing you out is a light punishment!¡± song zhi was so embarrassed that she wanted to find a hole to hide in. she couldn¡¯t help but bury her head in her arms and try her best to reduce her presence. a teasing thought appeared in shi man¡¯s smiling eyes. ¡°do you like to watch domestic television dramas?¡± ¡°i do!¡± wen xiu replied honestly. then, as if she felt that she lacked momentum, she pulled a long face again and said seriously, ¡°let me tell you, i didn¡¯t watch those television dramas for nothing! i¡¯m the only one who can give brother yi zheng happiness!¡± shi man smiled and said, ¡°then do you know shi he?¡± ¡°i know!¡± at the mention of shi he, wen xiu¡¯s arrogant eyes instantly revealed a hint of infatuation. however, she quickly remembered the theme of faithfulness in the television dramas and regretfully put away her thoughts. ¡°so what if i know?¡± ¡°that¡¯s my brother. if you like him very much, i can help you get an autographed photo.¡± shi man did not hesitate to extend her brother an olive branch at this moment. wen xiu¡¯s eyes lit up. coincidentally, yi zheng¡¯s voice suddenly came from the office. wen xiu hurriedly restrained her thoughts and sat up straight. ¡°don¡¯t even think about seducing me with another man. 1 only have brother yi zheng in my heart!¡± on the wall of her dormitory overseas, her desk was covered with photos of brother yi zheng. she had sent someone to take them secretly! they were all treasures she had painstakingly obtained. although there were occasionally a few photos of shi he among these treasures¡­ however, she was sure that the only man she liked the most was brother yi zheng! she was brother yi zheng¡¯s fiancee since she was young. she had to grow old with him! shi man only felt that the girl in front of her was cute. she no longer had the hostility she had when they first met. she smiled and patted her head, deliberately teasing her. ¡°but your brother yi zheng is already in a relationship with me. what should i do? is this just like the male and female leads you see on television!¡± wen xiu¡¯s face instantly turned red. she looked at her in a daze for a while and thought of something. she actually stood up from the sofa and walked to her side mysteriously. she bent down and whispered into her ear, ¡°are you and brother yi zheng sleeping on the same bed?¡± shi man did not expect her to ask this question openly. she pondered and did not speak. wen xiu panicked when she saw her like this. she raised her hand and pushed her shoulder. she pouted unhappily. ¡°did you or did you not do it? tell me quickly!¡± shi man sighed and thought of the two times she slept on the same bed with yi zheng. she nodded and said, ¡°yes.¡± song zhi widened her eyes in disbelief, but she still lay motionless on her arm. wen xiu¡¯s reaction was clearly much greater than hers. she cried out in disbelief, and then the tears that could not help but well up in her eyes suddenly flowed out. like a little wife who had been betrayed by her husband, she cried, ¡°how can brother yi zheng be like this? he has to apologize to me, or i won¡¯t forgive him!¡± ¡°why does he need to apologize to you and why do you need you to forgive him?¡± shi man asked wen xiu curiously. she suddenly realized that this girl¡¯s thoughts could not be analyzed with ordinary logic. indeed, some domestic television dramas were harmful¡­ wen xiu sniffed and barely stopped her tears. she said shyly, ¡°because i¡¯m brother yi zheng¡¯s fiancee. he had another girlfriend in the country behind my back and even slept in the same bed with her. of course, he has to apologize to me, but as long as his attitude is sincere, i will definitely forgive him. after all, my mother said that men are all like this.¡± shi man was speechless. she suddenly understood that it was not only the unscrupulous television dramas that poisoned the girl¡¯s thoughts but also her mother. shi man sighed and decided to correct her dangerous thoughts. she stared at her with a grave expression and said, ¡°you¡¯re wrong to think this way. if you think yi zheng betrayed you and did something wrong, you should shake him off immediately and not want him. let him get lost as far as possible and never forgive him!¡± ¡°nonsense!¡± the girl stood up unhappily and poked shi man¡¯s nose with the tip of her finger.. ¡°you must have said that on purpose to occupy brother yi zheng!¡± Chapter 447 - Chapter 447: A Man’s Nature chapter 447: a man¡¯s nature translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man crossed her legs and leaned back on the sofa with her upper body. she smiled and said, ¡°no, to you, yi zheng betrayed you, but if he chooses you when he sees you later, it means that he betrayed me.¡± ¡°then what will you do?¡± wen xiu clenched her fists and stared at shi man nervously as if she was vigilant that she would walk into the trap she had set. shi man shrugged casually. ¡°then 1 don¡¯t want him. i¡¯ll give up on him and let him get lost as far as possible.¡± wen xiu was slightly stunned. she subconsciously widened her eyes and stared at her for a long time. realizing how serious she was when she said this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. ¡°then you agree to withdraw? that¡¯s great! then leave now. anyway, brother yi zheng will definitely choose me later!¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shake her head. ¡°no, you don¡¯t understand yet. what 1 mean is that there¡¯s no need to forgive people who betray themselves. feelings are just between two people. as long as another person is involved, this relationship will be unclean. it¡¯s not worth you cherishing it.¡± wen xiu opened her mouth to retort, but her heart was pounding in her chest. she hopelessly chose to believe shi man¡¯s words because what she said was exactly what she had always thought. however, her mother had told her since she was young that men were not loyal. they would all be half-hearted in their relationships and like the new and hate the old. this was very normal. she did not have to make a fuss. as long as she could make a man change his mind, she could continue to be his only wife. therefore, when her father cheated on her mother with another woman, wen xiu saw her mother wipe her tears with her own eyes and pretended to be relaxed as she chose to forgive him. as expected, her father returned to the family not long after. he still loved her and her mother as before. wen xiu felt that her mother was right. that was a man¡¯s nature. her relationship with brother yi zheng would be the same. even if brother yi zheng had fallen in love with another woman on the way to growing old with her, as long as he was willing to turn back, she could still wait for him and continue walking with him. however, as long as she thought of this possibility, her heart would ache for some reason. wen xiu looked up at shi man in a daze and subconsciously muttered to herself, ¡°it¡¯s not worth it?¡± ¡°yes,¡± shi man answered with certainty. wen xiang¡¯s heart wavered uncontrollably, but in an instant, her eyes regained their calmness. ¡°alright, 1 can believe you, but the premise is that you can¡¯t go back on your word. if brother yi zheng chooses me later, you have to take the initiative to withdraw. like 1 told you, you must never appear in front of the two of us again.¡± ¡°no problem,¡± shi man agreed readily. she did not know what was going on with this ridiculous betrothal, but based on the information she had obtained from her conversation with the girl just now, it was very likely that this was just a joke casually set by the elders of both sides back then. however, none of them had expected that this joke would be remembered by the girl for so many years. the office was finally pushed open from the inside. wen xiu wiped her tears and looked at the door with a smile. her hands were crossed behind her. this time, she was completely different from when she was facing shi man. the arrogance in her eyes had completely faded, replaced by shyness. there was a commotion at the door. the first person to walk out was yi ming. the old master had been discharged from the hospital a few months ago and was completely fine now. when he walked out of the office, he was caught off guard and saw shi man. his expression instantly darkened. he snorted and turned to leave with the butler¡¯s help. the others came out one after another. one of them was the uncle who had brought wen xiu here. he looked at wen xiu and glanced sideways at shi man. he slowly stopped and waited for yi zheng, who was at the back. seeing her come out, the man immediately gave wen xiu a look and looked at yi zheng with a smile. ¡°xiao zheng, do you want to come to my house for a drink later? your aunt will make a few of your favorite dishes.¡± the light and shadow swayed in the open door. it was dusk, and the setting sun outside shone into the room, reflecting a golden setting. yi zheng walked out of the door under the sunlight. with one hand in his pocket, he smiled politely and said, ¡°no, this matter can¡¯t be delayed. 1 have something else to do later.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no hurry. by the way, let me introduce someone to you.¡± the man raised his hand and called wen xiang over. he pulled the shy person hiding behind him to the front and smiled. ¡°do you remember? your little sister, wen xiu.¡± ¡°i remember.¡± yi zheng lowered his eyes and nodded as a greeting. then, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at shi man. when wen xiu heard that he still remembered her, she thought that yi zheng had not forgotten the engagement with her. she immediately pounced on yi zheng and hugged his arm. ¡°since you haven¡¯t forgotten, when are we getting married?¡± yi zheng dodged the moment she pounced on him. he frowned and said sternly, ¡°don¡¯t fool around.. when did 1 have an engagement with you?¡± Chapter 448 - Chapter 448: Drunk Nonsense chapter 448: drunk nonsense translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wen xiu missed and stabilized her body awkwardly. she pouted and said, ¡°brother yi zheng, have you forgotten? this is an arranged marriage between your father and mine. when 1 was young, 1 said that i would marry you when i grew up!¡± yi zheng rubbed his eyebrows with a headache and did not answer her. instead, he walked up to shi man and held her hand innocently. ¡°that was just a joke that the elders drank too much. don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡± ¡°brother yi zheng!¡± wen xiu stomped her feet sadly, her eyes filled with a broken light. ¡°you must be joking, right? i¡¯m your fiancee. how can you like her?¡± yi zheng sighed softly and held shi man¡¯s hand as they stood side by side. his indifferent eyes landed on wen xiu coldly. ¡°i¡¯ve said it before. that was just an engagement set by my father after he drank too much. it has nothing to do with me.¡± the light in wen xiu¡¯s eyes suddenly dimmed. she stared straight at yi zheng¡¯s hand that was holding shi man¡¯s tightly, and her eyes turned red. ¡°is this how it feels to be betrayed?¡± it turned out that her heart would hurt so much that she suffocated. it was so painful that she wished shi man could disappear immediately! however, she suddenly thought of what shi man had just said. no betrayal deserved to be forgiven. but she was really indignant! ¡°brother yi zheng.¡± wen xiu refused to give up and walked up to yi zheng. she wanted to reach out and pull his sleeve coquettishly, but he avoided her expressionlessly. she could only retract her hand resentfully and say, ¡°i don¡¯t mind you finding another girlfriend when i¡¯m not around. marry me. 1 like you very much.¡± yi zheng was afraid that shi man would be angry if she continued to listen, so he pulled shi man and was about to leave. shi man refused to leave just like that. she pulled his hand and gestured for him to calm down. she walked up to the girl with a smile. ¡°but he minds. like me, he won¡¯t betray the lover in his heart. if you¡¯re sure that yi zheng abandoned you first, why are you obsessed with a man who already has someone else in his heart?¡± even if wen xiu did not want to admit it, she knew very well that she actually agreed with shi man. she opened her mouth to retort, but no sound came out. behind her, the man looked at shi man coldly. seeing that his niece was not her match, he pulled wen xiu behind him and walked forward to confront shi man. ¡°miss shi, this is between wen xiu and xiao zheng. shouldn¡¯t you refrain from interfering?¡± yi zheng immediately went forward to protect shi man. ¡°uncle, shi man is my fiancee. of course, she can interfere with everything about me. i¡¯m willing to let her interfere in my life.¡± the man glared at yi zheng, as if he hated him for not giving him respect in front of outsiders. unfortunately, in yi zheng¡¯s heart, shi man was the priority. everyone else had to make way for her. the man snorted unreasonably and pulled wen xiu¡¯s hand to take her away. wen xiu cried and shook off his hand. ¡°brother yi zheng, can you tell me if 1 hadn¡¯t been sent overseas by my family since i was young and had been by your side, would you have not fallen in love with someone else?¡± she thought that yi zheng would give her the answer she wanted. unfortunately, a cold-hearted person like yi zheng who did not know how to have tender and protective feelings for the fairer sex was destined to disappoint her. he denied it without hesitation. ¡°no, i¡¯ve never liked any woman before i met shi man. even if you didn¡¯t leave, i wouldn¡¯t like you. i¡¯ve always treated you as my sister.¡± yi zheng¡¯s words completely extinguished the fragile flame in wen xiu¡¯s heart. she couldn¡¯t stand the embarrassment of being rejected in public anymore. her heart ached as she ran to the elevator door. just as she was about to take the elevator and leave, she bumped into yi long, who was late. ¡°uncle yi?¡± wen xiu blinked her big watery eyes, looking innocent and aggrieved. yi long was also shocked by her. she was stunned for a moment before she reacted. he patted her head with a smile and said, ¡°has xiao xiu actually grown up? when did you return to the country? why didn¡¯t you tell uncle?¡± ¡°dad.¡± yi zheng held shi man¡¯s hand and walked over. he rubbed his eyebrows and reminded him, ¡°engagement.¡± ¡°what engagement? isn¡¯t your engagement party with manman not ready yet?¡± yi long clearly didn¡¯t remember his ridiculous promise. he was stunned for a moment before suddenly looking down at wen xiu¡¯s red eyes. only then did he clap and say in realization, ¡°xiao xiu didn¡¯t come back for yi zheng, right?¡± a hint of hope flashed across wen xiu¡¯s silent eyes. ¡°uncle, i¡¯m brother yi zheng¡¯s official fiancee, right? brother yi zheng should marry me!¡± only then did yi long know how much trouble he had caused back then. he suddenly felt a little guilty to shi man and hurriedly pulled wen xiu to the side to coax her. ¡°xiao xiu, uncle and your father were really drunk back then. that was nonsense after drinking. you can¡¯t take it seriously!¡± however, wen xiu clearly believed this without a doubt.. she retorted in disbelief, ¡°uncle! then what about the engagement token you gave my family?¡± Chapter 449 - Chapter 449: Drunk chapter 449: drunk translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°a keepsake? what engagement keepsake?¡± yi long blinked in surprise. he clearly did not remember what he had given the wen family more than twenty years ago. wen xiang took out the box in embarrassment and held out the ring in front of him. ¡°this is it! my father even said that it wasn¡¯t easy for you to get this ring, so he specially gave it to me and asked me to keep it well and not lose it.¡± as she spoke, wen xiang choked and said, ¡°uncle, i couldn¡¯t bear to wear this ring all these years because i wanted to wait for brother yi zheng to put it on for me personally!¡± she said it pitifully. she thought that she would be able to exchange for yi long¡¯s promise. unexpectedly, he clapped his hands and snatched the ring back from her hand in shock. he widened his eyes and said angrily, ¡°i was wondering why i couldn¡¯t find this ring. it turns out that i was fooled by your father!¡± shi man and yi zheng looked at each other and saw confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. shi man frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°uncle yi, what¡¯s going on?¡± yi long sighed and walked to the sofa to sit down. she put the ring in her pocket and said, ¡°this is really just a misunderstanding. back then, your auntie lu and i quarreled over a small matter. she refused to talk to me and even ran back to her family. i could only pick her up personally¡­¡± it was raining heavily outside, but yi long still had to drive personally and shamelessly go to hiswife¡¯s family to pick her up. in that season, it rained a lot in m city. it would rain for several days in a row. sometimes, even the road would be submerged. the car could only drive slowly on the water, or it would cause mud would splash everywhere. yi long hated rainy weather the most, but he did not hate this city with his wife. he drove alone and was stopped by a car outside the villa area. it was raining heavily outside, so it was not appropriate for yi long to get out of the car and ask. he could only honk the car horn to remind the other party to make way. unexpectedly, not only did the car not give way, but it also drove forward for a distance and completely blocked in front of him. yi long immediately realized that this person did it on purpose. just as he was hesitating if he should get out of the car, his phone suddenly rang. yi long picked up the phone in frustration, but he heard a familiar voice. ¡°brother-in-law, why don¡¯t you recognize my car?¡± yi long was stunned for a moment before he realized who was sitting in the car in front of him. the gloominess on her face disappeared. ¡°so it¡¯s wen chen. why did you go out in such heavy rain?¡± ¡°i¡¯m going out for something. come to my house to drink. my sister went to play cards with xiao jing and the others. she¡¯s not here now. it¡¯s too dangerous for you to drive over now.¡± after saying that, wen chen even knocked on the car window. the window only fell slightly, and immediately, large raindrops floated in, drenching half of his clothes. he hurriedly gestured to the mechanism window. ¡°brother-in-law, see clearly? it¡¯s really me. come with me! anyway, you won¡¯t be able to see my sister today!¡± ¡°alright then!¡± it was indeed dangerous to drive in such heavy rain. the rain was too heavy and it was easy to not see the road clearly. if there was a traffic accident, the gains would not make up for the losses. therefore, yi long did not hesitate. he followed behind wen chen¡¯s car his house. he and lu xiang were not biological siblings, but they were old friends. their families were close, and lu xiang had always treated wen chen as her younger brother. yi long naturally treated him as family. he entered, changed his shoes, and took off his wet coat. then, he sat on the sofa and smiled awkwardly. ¡°i¡¯m really sorry to disturb sister-in-law. i should have called in advance to see you.¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine. don¡¯t worry about these details. i know about you and my sister. it¡¯s only right for you to see my sister first.¡± wen chen personally poured a cup of hot tea for yi long to ward off the cold. he smiled and said, ¡°but brother-in-law, it¡¯s not easy for you to have time to come back. we have to drink to our heart¡¯s content today!¡± ¡°alright, i¡¯ll listen to you. as long as sister-in-law doesn¡¯t mind the two of us drunkards.¡± yi long smiled and looked at wen chen¡¯s wife¡¯s bulging stomach. she asked with concern, ¡°she¡¯s about to give birth, right?¡± ¡°soon. let¡¯s not talk about this. how¡¯s your kid now?¡± wen chen stared at yi long eagerly, clearly having other intentions. yi long answered truthfully. at the mention of his son, his eyes were filled with pride. the two of them chatted happily and drank a lot. only when they were both drunk did wen chen put his arm around yi long¡¯s shoulder and say, ¡°let me tell you, i did a check. my daughter is a precious daughter!¡± yi long responded in a daze and leaned against the sofa without moving. wen chen smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°let my daughter and your son be engaged. in the future, our families can be closer. don¡¯t you think so, brother-in-law?¡± yi long had long been drunk until he fainted. however, when he heard the words ¡°child betrothal¡±, he still moved his fingers and reacted.. Chapter 450 - Chapter 450: If The Old Doesn’t Go, The New Won’t Come chapter 450: if the old doesn¡¯t go, the new won¡¯t come translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios he took out the ring that he had specially bought for his wife to make her happy. then, he stuffed it into wen chen¡¯s hand without hesitation. ¡°then i¡¯ll set it up. 1 can¡¯t go back on my word!¡± wen chen swiftly put away the ring and agreed readily. ¡°alright, whoever goes back on their word will be a puppy!¡± this was what had happened. after yi long finished speaking aggrievedly, he knew that he had caused trouble for his future daughter-in-law. he begged pitifully, ¡°manman, can you not be angry with me? i was really drunk. if i hadn¡¯t seen wen xiang today, i wouldn¡¯t have remembered this!¡± shi man glanced at yi zheng and did not speak. yi long hurriedly asked her son to put in a good word for him in front of his future daughter-in-law. yi zheng could only sigh helplessly. ¡°this is indeed father¡¯s fault, but wen xiang and i only saw each other when we were young. we haven¡¯t seen each other since we grew up. i¡¯ve never treated her as my future wife. do you believe me?¡± shi man pursed her thin lips and nodded slightly under yi long¡¯s expectant gaze. ¡°1 believe you. otherwise, i wouldn¡¯t have let you hold my hand and not let go.¡± yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he tightened his grip on her hand and said, ¡°1 won¡¯t give you a chance to let go of me in my life.¡± ¡°ahem.¡± seeing that the two of them were already intimate, yi long hurriedly coughed dryly and interrupted them. he looked at wen xiu apologetically and said, ¡°what did your father tell you? he shouldn¡¯t remember clearly!¡± wen xiu pouted aggrievedly and didn¡¯t say anything. of course, she knew that her father might really have drunk too much and said that to swindle yi long¡¯s ring. actually, she had only heard her mother half-jokingly mention that she had a fiance she had never met before. at that time, she actually rejected him in her heart, so when she heard that yi zheng was coming to her house as a guest at the end of the year, she deliberately pretended to be arrogant and ignored him. wen chen thought that the child was afraid of strangers and did not care much about her. however, she did not know that she had actually secretly sized up the little husband her mother had mentioned. that was the first time she had seen yi zheng. the thin and tall boy was clearly young, and he always had a gloomy expression. but he was really good-looking. he was even prettier than the limited edition porcelain doll at home. wen xiang had never seen such an exquisite-looking boy. for his face that was enough to make her drool, wen xiu chose to ignore yi zheng¡¯s dull and boring personality and secretly kept him in her heart. she did not expect to hide it for so many years. and now, the boy who always had a straight face had already grown into an imposing man. his cold and heartless eyes were still the same, but when he looked at his fiancee beside him, they became especially gentle. she could understand that special favoritism. the male lead in the television drama had the same expression when facing the female lead. unfortunately, this gentleness that she had been thinking about day and night did not belong to her. the feelings that had been accumulated in her heart for many years suddenly collapsed. wen xiang suddenly felt that a part of her heart was empty. when she looked at yi zheng again, she inexplicably understood what shi man meant. she did not say those words to force her to leave. this was her love with yi zheng, a love that would not allow anyone to interfere. wen xiang took a deep breath and suddenly felt that it was not a big deal to give up a man who did not love her. she met shi man¡¯s smiling gaze and still raised her head proudly. ¡°no matter what my father said, i don¡¯t want this marriage!¡± she was so reasonable, which surprised everyone present, especially tang zhe. actually, yi zheng did not know that wen xiu had once secretly come to the company to look for him. however, she was stopped by tang zhe who did not let her in. at that time, wen xiu was only a half-grown girl. tang zhe knew his master¡¯s personality very well. he had never liked such a lively girl. in addition, yi zheng was too busy at that time. before he could tell yi zheng who it was, yi zheng impatiently asked him to do it himself. he could only reject on behalf of his master. after that, wen xiu secretly ran back to the country a few more times, but she was still stopped by tang zhe. she never saw yi zheng. he was really afraid of this missy. however, now that he saw that missy could let go of her many years of wrong feelings, he was sincerely happy for her. to be fair, wen xiu was much better than miss shi, who was pestering him back then! however, he only dared to keep these words in his heart. even if he was given a hundred lives, he would not dare to say them. after wen xiu finished speaking, she immediately felt relieved, and the depression on her face disappeared. ¡°it¡¯s much more comfortable now. don¡¯t worry, brother yi zheng. 1 won¡¯t like you again in the future. actually, thinking about it carefully, you¡¯re not suitable for me either. i still like shi he more than you!¡± shi man was dumbfounded. tang zhe was speechless. it turned out that miss wen gave up so quickly because she had other options in her heart! Chapter 451 - Chapter 451: Visit chapter 451: visit translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after this incident, wen xiu coaxed and pestered yi long to get shi man¡¯s contact information and even her home address. sometimes, when shi man went out to class in the morning, she would encounter wen xiu waiting at the door. she did not mention going in and just stood at the door kicking the gravel on the ground in boredom. then, she took the opportunity to peek at shi he while talking to shi man. just like that, she kept standing guard outside the shi family¡¯s house under the pretext of coming to see shi man. she dragged her way to shi man¡¯s school for the holidays and did not add shi he¡¯s contact number. if wen xiu did not mention it herself, shi man naturally would not mention it either. after all, shi he was now passionate with lin yue in the company. the two of them had already reached the ambiguous stage. on this day, shi man went out and saw wen xiu from afar. shen xian hesitated and tugged at shi man¡¯s arm. ¡°why don¡¯t we invite her in for a seat? why do we keep letting her wait outside?¡± shi man shook her head and said, ¡°no need. if she wants to go in, she¡¯ll say it herself.¡± shi man knew wen xiu very well. back then, when she was in a foreign country, she could come back from thousands of miles away just to see yi zheng. if she couldn¡¯t see him once, she would come a few more times. she had such perseverance. if she wanted to enter, she would have knocked on the door long ago. the reason why she had been hesitating at the door was because she had not confirmed her feelings. moreover, even if she wanted to invite him, she was not the one who invited him. the drug problem in the black market had not been investigated yet. shi man did not have time to accompany her here. after rushing out and getting into the car, she called sean to ask about the arrival of the herbs. the herbs needed to suppress the relapse of the drug addiction were not easy to obtain. even if ordinary people obtained them, they would not use them. however, in front of shi man, these were not difficult. on the other end of the phone, sean gave her a satisfactory answer. ¡°boss, the things have arrived. can we start the next stage of treatment today?¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man stepped on the accelerator and drove out of the garage, not noticing wen xiu , who was chasing after her. the car¡¯s acceleration kicked up a cloud of dust on the ground. smelling the fragrance, she coughed and covered her mouth. just as she felt uncomfortable in her eyes, a handkerchief was suddenly handed to her. wen xiu narrowed her eyes and looked up along the arm. she saw shi he¡¯s smiling face. ¡°you¡¯re actually not at work yet?¡± wen xiu stammered as she took the handkerchief. her face was as red as a ripe apple as she looked cute and pitiful. ¡°not yet. are you waiting for my sister?¡± shi he naturally apologized for shi man. ¡°she probably didn¡¯t notice you when she was driving just now. didn¡¯t you greet her before you came?¡± ¡°no.¡± wen xiu shook her head gently. seeing her idol, who was often seen on television, standing in front of her, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°you¡¯re shi he, right? i¡¯ve seen you on television a few times!¡± ¡°you know me?¡± shi he looked a little surprised. then, he nodded and said, ¡°i¡¯m shi he. thank you for watching my television drama.¡± wen xiu actually regretted what she said just now, but she did not expect shi he to not only not care, but also praise her according to her words. immediately, wen xiu was flattered and said, ¡°i think it¡¯s quite good! 1 heard that you founded your own company. will you still act in television dramas in the future?¡± she asked carefully and her tone was uncertain. shi he was stunned for a moment before replying with a smile, ¡°of course, i¡¯ll have to trouble you to support me when the time comes.¡± ¡°not really! can you give me an autograph?¡± wen xiu asked shamelessly. of course, shi he agreed. only then did wen xiu realize that she had accidentally blurted out what she was thinking just now. she almost bit her tongue off. as she searched in her backpack for the notebook and pen she had prepared, she said casually, ¡°i¡¯m asking this for my friend. my friend likes you very much.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi he listened to her quietly. the tip of his pen scratched on the page and he quickly signed his name. wen xiu hugged the book in her arms, and the smile on her lips subconsciously widened. ¡°thank you!¡± she looked at the tall and handsome man in front of her and was about to say something when a car suddenly stopped behind them. wen xiu clearly saw that the moment shi he saw the car, the gentle smile on his face changed again, switching to an expression of care and surprise. he strode to the back of the car and personally opened the car door for the person inside. he carefully protected that person¡¯s head and said in a tone that could drown people, ¡°you¡¯re finally here. my mother specially got someone to make breakfast according to your taste. she was just waiting for you.¡± wen xiu widened her eyes curiously and stared straight at them. a woman with long curly hair and a blue and white dress slowly got out of the car and stood in front of shihe with a shy blush on her face. ¡°will 1 disturb auntie by coming to the house?¡± ¡°how could that be?¡± shi he smiled to dispel her concerns. he noted shen xian¡¯s excited reaction when she heard that she was coming. lin yue couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips and smile. she turned her head slightly and saw the petrified girl beside her. she looked at shi he in shock.. ¡°this is?¡± Chapter 452 - Chapter 452: Fishing in troubled waters chapter 452: fishing in troubled waters translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios before shi he could speak, wen xiu took the initiative to explain herself in embarrassment. ¡°i¡¯m shi man¡¯s good friend!¡± her words were less confident because she did not think that shi man treated her as a friend. wen xiu could not help but feel a little depressed. she could not tell if this depression was because of shi man or for something else. lin yue smiled and nodded at her as a greeting. then, she followed shi he out of the garage slowly. wen xiu watched the two of them leave side by side in a daze and pursed her thin lips silently. shi he was halfway there when he suddenly thought of something. he turned to look at wen xiu and smiled politely. ¡°do you want to come to the house to sit? actually, mother has already noticed you.¡± wen xiu opened her mouth in disbelief. before she could refuse, she suddenly met lin yue¡¯s teasing gaze. the words that were about to come out of her mouth hurriedly turned into agreement. hence, under the strange atmosphere of the three of them, wen xiu automatically fell behind the two of them and followed behind awkwardly to the shi family as a guest. shi man drove to the immaculate base. today was the first day of the second stage of drug rehabilitation. she had to be present to check the situation. some time ago, the drugs for detoxification on the market were priceless. the authorities were also preparing intensively. the merchants with the drugs tried to earn a sum of money from the country¡¯s disaster. they raised the price of the drugs and waited for an opportunity to scam a large sum of money from the government and people. fortunately, yi zheng took action. he used the yi family¡¯s power to buy a large number of medicinal herbs from the country and then entered them into the market at a low price. shi man and yi zheng would secretly deal with anyone who raised the price of the medicinal herbs and teach those unscrupulous medicine merchants a lesson. it was precisely because of this that the drug-stained people in g city were under good control. of course, there was no lack of people who took advantage of the situation. after shi man treated the immaculate people, she went straight to deal with the few drug users who were controlled by sean and the others in the nightclub. ¡°tell me, where did you get the drugs?¡± shi man sat on the sofa with her legs crossed. the lights of the nightclub were intertwined, making it difficult to tell her expression. however, sean, who was standing at the side with his head lowered, knew that his boss was definitely not in a good mood. the men who were forced to kneel on the ground with their hands behind their backs glared at her indignantly. ¡°what i buy has nothing to do with you, right? what right do you have to arrest me? are you the police?¡± shi man gave sean a look. sean immediately understood. he walked forward and grabbed the person¡¯s hair fiercely, wanting to drag him to the corner of the coffee table. that person gritted his teeth in pain as his hair was grabbed. beads of sweat fell from his forehead to the ground, and his voice became weaker. ¡°no, no, no. big brother, big sister, i¡¯ve touched this thing for many years, but i¡¯ve never sold it. 1 use it for myself. let me go. i¡¯ve never done anything evil!¡± ¡°you¡¯re already on drugs, yet you still say that you didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± sean pulled his hair forcefully and forced him to look up. he punched him hard in the face. that person felt his teeth loosen. the others looked at their aggressive posture and then at the young girl sitting at the head of the table who was calmly watching all of this. they no longer dared to treat her as an ordinary young lady. they hurriedly kowtowed and begged for mercy. ¡°let us go. we really don¡¯t know anything!¡± sean threw away the man in his hand as if he was throwing away trash. he turned to grab the next man whose face was as pale as paper. he grabbed his collar and asked angrily, ¡°my boss wants to ask you where the drugs came from!¡± that person trembled and could not speak. in his panic, he even bit his tongue. seeing that sean was about to punch him again, he quickly stammered, ¡°don¡¯t hit me, big brother, i¡¯ll say it! these drugs came from brother liang! he¡¯s been selling this for many years! it¡¯s in the casino in the east district! you can look for him there!¡± sean let go in disgust. after taking the handkerchief from lin si and wiping his hand, he threw the handkerchief at the person. he looked at shi man with a solemn expression and said, ¡°boss, should we bring people to raid that bastard¡¯s casino?¡± shi man looked at the few people on the ground calmly and sneered. her voice was casual but carried an aura that could not be ignored. ¡°i¡¯ll give you two choices. one, i can help you quit drugs for free, provided you work for me. two, i¡¯ll send you to the police station and spread the news that you betrayed the seller. choose.¡± ¡°i choose one!¡± the person felt limp after being pulled by sean¡¯s handkerchief. only then did he realize that the girl¡¯s light words were the most intimidating. he quickly chose the former! in fact, they also wanted to quit this thing! they just couldn¡¯t make up their mind to enter rehabilitation! because of this thing, he was now separated from his wife. if he could really quit, he was willing to try! the others naturally did not dare to have any objections. shi man gestured to lin si to bring these people to a separate place to lock them up. she took out the pistol in her boot and said, ¡°bring our guys to the casino..¡± Chapter 453 - Chapter 453: Single-handed chapter 453: single-handed translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the underground casino in the eastern district, the gambling mood of the gamblers could not be disturbed no matter how noisy it was outside. the people here were addicted to gambling. some had lost all their assets, and even their clothes were pressed against the gambling table. they were only wearing underwear to cover their modesty. they stared at the gambling table with sweat on their foreheads, unwilling to leave the gambling table. some won money and shouted wantonly, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws. they opened their mouths and easily took what others had worked hard for half their lives. the thick smoke lingered around everyone and blinded their eyes. the choking smell of smoke and sweat filled the underground entertainment city, and the sound of dice cups and game consoles lingered. the entire casino was noisy, but everyone was enjoying themselves. brother liang was sitting in the office behind the casino. he had a cigar in his mouth and was counting the money in his hand with a frown. in the end, he threw the stack of money into the box filled with money in front of him in frustration and said, ¡°why did 1 only earn so little money this month? f*ck, what the f*ck is this enough for? i¡¯ll f*cking spend it all after getting a few women!¡± the man in a suit and dressed like a bodyguard quickly poured him a cup of tea. ¡°brother liang, don¡¯t be anxious. isn¡¯t the outside world very strict recently? moreover, the shi and yi families are still raising the drug¡¯s price. there are fewer people taking drugs now. most of them have been captured and locked up for forced treatment.¡± ¡°it¡¯s the shi family again!¡± when brother liang thought of the few strongholds that had been raided recently, he was furious. he scolded sternly, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with that b*tch from the shi family? she caused me to not even earn money. f*ck, we should capture her and teach her a lesson!¡± his scolding became even more obscene. the people below listened quietly, but they could not help but make countless associations with his words. they had all seen shi man from afar! that little girl was indeed beautiful and had an especially good figure. she could always attract people¡¯s attention in the crowd. if brother liang really decided to kidnap her, they could follow boss and have a taste! that was yi zheng¡¯s woman! to think they would be able to sleep with yi zheng¡¯s woman?! brother liang scolded until he was in a good mood before finally stopping. he glanced at his subordinates who were letting their imaginations run wild and had lecherous expressions on their faces. feng liang sneered and said, ¡°did you really have that thought?¡± the people below hurriedly straightened their expressions and shook their heads in fear. how could brother liang not know what they were thinking? he smiled evilly and folded his hands on the desk. ¡°if you really want to, it¡¯s not impossible. we can¡¯t deal with the rest of the shi family, but can¡¯t we deal with a woman?¡± ¡°boss, you¡¯re right. at that time, shi man only relied on a few bodyguards who could fight. if there was a way to deal with the people around her, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for us to capture her?¡± the secretary who brother liang trusted the most immediately gave him advice. as expected, brother liang was very satisfied with his suggestion. he wiped his mouth lecherously and said, ¡°let¡¯s do it. the few of you, go and find out shi man¡¯s whereabouts today!¡± ¡°yes!¡± the few of them turned around excitedly and left, but just as they walked out of the door, they retreated with dull expressions. brother liang glared at them unhappily. ¡°what are you doing? didn¡¯t 1 tell you to get lost and investigate that little girl? why did you come back?¡± those people did not turn around to answer him respectfully. instead, they trembled as they looked in the direction of the door. ¡°brother liang, she¡¯s here!¡± ¡°who¡¯s here?¡± brother liang¡¯s impatient gaze swept over. as those people retreated, the black muzzle gradually appeared. right on the heels of that, a silver pistol flickered with a cold light. ¡°f*ck!¡± brother liang instantly jumped up from his seat and first hid the money box on the table under the desk. then, he took out a pistol and loaded it. he looked coldly at the door and said, ¡°you actually dare to come to me yourself?¡± at the door, the girl steadily walked into the office with her gun raised until she forced everyone who was about to leave back. she closed the door behind her and narrowed her beautiful eyes. her smile was harmless and innocent. ¡°weren¡¯t you about to look for me? aren¡¯t you happy that i¡¯m here now?¡± brother liang looked at the door that she had taken the initiative to close tightly. he was delighted and looked determined. ¡°just you?¡± ¡°just me,¡± shi man replied with a smile. she tilted the gun slightly and pointed it at brother liang. ¡°the gun in your hand is not bad. why don¡¯t you give it to me?¡± brother liang smiled and pointed the gun at her. ¡°if you have the ability, come and take it from me! if you can get it, i¡¯ll give it to you.¡± brother liang¡¯s teasing tone successfully eased the nervous mood of his subordinates. their lust was aroused, and they became bolder. a few naked gazes landed on her at the same time. the meaning was very obvious. shi man smiled casually. ¡°okay.¡± as soon as she finished speaking, before brother liang could be happy, the girl¡¯s figure suddenly flashed out of his vision, and everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat.. Chapter 454 - Chapter 454: Extorting a Confession chapter 454: extorting a confession translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°where is she?¡± just as the man finished speaking, they heard a shrill scream behind him. the men in the office immediately felt their hair stand on end. after looking at each other in unison, they quickly turned around and looked behind them. then, they were stunned. brother liang¡¯s pistol was actually being played with by the girl in her hand. she was also holding a bloody silver dagger in her other hand. the girl was dressed in black, accentuating her tight waistline. her long legs gently raised and splashed the blood on the ground. when she landed, she was stepping on the source of the scream. the few of them shivered again because of the scream. they looked down and saw a trembling man lying at the girl¡¯s feet. that person¡¯s face was pale, and large beads of sweat kept falling from his forehead into the blood on the ground. the few of them took a closer look. wasn¡¯t that their big brother lang?! however, brother liang was no longer as arrogant as before. he was hugging his broken arm and covering the limb that was still gurgling blood. he glared at his stunned subordinates with a pale face. ¡°what are you waiting for? attack!¡± ¡°eight hours.¡± shi man casually wiped the pistol that had been dirtied by the man and pinned it behind his waist. she smiled and stepped on the man¡¯s other foot. a scream came from under her feet. the others were clearly frightened by her aura and did not dare to move. they looked at their boss, who was already limping on the ground in pain. they stared at the girl opposite them in fear and swallowed their saliva as they asked, ¡°what, what do you mean?¡± shi man chuckled and slowly wiped the blood that was flowing on the dagger. ¡°the golden timeframe you can live for after i break your arm. this is your time.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± their legs were already a little weak. the scene of the girl slowly wiping the blade in front of him was really too similar to the king of hell appearing in front of him. the silver dagger kept flickering with a dazzling cold light under the light as she flipped it. shi man kicked the man on the ground away and turned to sit on the office chair. she crossed her legs smugly and said, ¡°tell me about the person behind you or you¡¯ll end up like him.¡± the few of them shivered and looked at each other. the suffocating panic quickly spread in the small office, but no one dared to speak. ¡°it seems that you don¡¯t plan to cooperate?¡± shi man smiled understandingly. in the next moment, the girl sitting in the office chair suddenly disappeared in front of them again. shi man¡¯s figure was agile. she flashed behind someone and raised her hand to stab him in the chest. the man didn¡¯t even have time to wail before his body fell to the ground. the sound of the dagger stabbing into flesh broke their nerves. shi man slowly retracted her knife and wiped the dagger in front of them again. her eyes curved into crescents. ¡°don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not dead, but you have even less time left.¡± the office fell into dead silence again. even their lips were a little purple. seeing that they still didn¡¯t look like they were going to open their mouths, shi man smiled and pointed the tip of her knife at one of them. ¡°since you¡¯re all tough nuts to crack, 1¡¯11 choose you next.¡± ¡°no, no, no! 1¡¯11 talk, i¡¯ll talk!¡± that person was trembling so much that her legs could no longer support her to continue standing. her last trace of dignity was destroyed by her terrifying aura. he instantly fell to the ground and stared straight at shi man as he began to explain, ¡°we all follow brother liang. in the past, every time we picked up the goods, we would go to m city to get them and transport them to g city from underground. however, recently, someone took the initiative to look for us. we don¡¯t know who he is, but he said that he has the goods and is willing to give them to us at a low price as long as we can open a sales channel for him to earn money.¡± shi man narrowed her eyes, clearly dissatisfied with what he said. she raised her upper leg slightly and stepped on the blood on the ground. she slowly walked in front of him and stopped. the tip of the knife lifted his chin and stared at him coldly. ¡°who is that person?¡± the man subconsciously looked in brother liang¡¯s direction, but seeing that he had already fainted from the pain, he could only swallow nervously and say, ¡°1 don¡¯t know who it is, but that person only let his subordinates come out to trade, but 1 know that that person is from hellgate!¡± shi man¡¯s eyes turned cold as she grabbed his collar fiercely. there was finally a doubtful expression on her face, but it was even more terrifying than the aura just now. ¡°are you sure? how did you know it was someone from the hellgate?¡± ¡°because hellgate¡¯s weapon has its own symbol. when his subordinates traded with me, i noticed that the weapons on their waists had this symbol!¡± the person hurriedly finished speaking in one breath, afraid that if he said anything later, he would be pierced through the throat by the dagger in shi man¡¯s hand.. Chapter 455 - Chapter 455: Capture chapter 455: capture translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the past, they only knew that the person beside shi man was especially powerful, but it was not until today that they realized that the strongest combat power had always been her! as shi man slowly retracted her hand, half of her face was hidden in the shadows. ¡°oh? then where did you deal?¡± ¡°yes, in the warehouse near the east dock! we all met there to make deals and hand over the money at the same time!¡± that person lowered his gaze in a daze and calculated the date. suddenly, he said to shi man in his excitement to claim the credit, ¡°by the way! our boss ordered another batch of goods from him yesterday and agreed to go over to collect them tonight!¡± ¡°very good.¡± shi man patted his face with the back of the knife in satisfaction. she straightened her back and said slowly under the man¡¯s increasingly rapid breathing, ¡°bring someone to pick up the goods tonight. don¡¯t make it public. you know that you won¡¯t be my match even if you work together.¡± as soon as she finished speaking, shi man suddenly felt a strong wind slashing at her from behind. she deftly dodged to the side and grabbed the wrist that was slashing at her. she sneered and moved her fingers slightly. the sound of bones breaking suddenly came from the air. right on the heels of that, the man wailed in pain as he lowered his arm. the knife in his hand slipped to the ground and fell into a pool of blood. shi man put her hand on his shoulder playfully. ¡°you don¡¯t seem convinced.¡± shi man looked at the ferocious expression on his face and knew that this person would not be used by her easily. she exerted more force and simply cut off his entire arm. the man could no longer withstand the pain in his arm and fainted with a pale face. there were only three people left in the office. they looked at shi man with irresolvable fear. her casual smile could make their hearts stop. the man who had taken the initiative to instruct shi man just now hurriedly raised three fingers and swore to her by her ear to express his loyalty. the other two hurriedly followed suit, not wanting to throw away their lives for the sake of so-called morality. shi man would not put such people in an important position, but she could use them. she instructed them to be careful when they took the goods. when she pushed open the door, sean and lin si had just finished cleaning up the people in the casino outside. they were standing outside the office waiting for the next order. after shi man told the two of them what to do tonight and asked them to deal with the remaining people themselves, she drove straight to yi zheng. she might catch a big fish tonight. in order not to let the big fish escape in the chaos, she needed to borrow some people from yi zheng. soon it was nighttime at the east terminal. another pier in g city had been mostly destroyed by the explosion of hellgate, so this pier, which was originally only used as a backup, came in handy. all the sea and land transportation in the city had to pass through the east district¡¯s docks, causing the east district to be filled with a mixture of legitimate activities and vices. the security was much worse than before. this also caused many businesses that shouldn¡¯t exist to rise again. on the sea, the lighthouse kept flashing its lights to provide direction for the fishing boats that had yet to return. countless small fishing boats and a huge liner were tied up by the dock. the passengers slowly walked out of the liner and finally blended into the dark crowd. tang zhe¡¯s car was parked by the shore. from his perspective, he could observe every passenger who got off the liner. the other cars were parked near the trading location. they were only waiting for the two sides to meet before taking action. everything was ready. shi man and yi zheng sat in a different car from tang zhe. their car was hidden between tall containers. shi man held the silver pistol in her hand at all times. as long as jun mo, who seem to have gone missing, appeared, she would take him down in one fell swoop. ¡°don¡¯t be nervous. as long as he shows up, he won¡¯t be able to escape.¡± yi zheng patted shi man¡¯s back to comfort her as he looked out of the window, not letting go of any movement. shi man frowned and observed the surrounding movements. ¡°it seems that jun mo is targeting you this time. he must know our plan to annex both sides. he must hate us to death now.¡± ¡°not necessarily.¡± yi zheng smiled and inserted his fingers into her hair, gently stroking it for her. ¡°jun mo probably didn¡¯t have time to bring anything with him when he left. he couldn¡¯t bring anything with him either. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been so poor this time.¡± instead of saying that jun mo was secretly selling drugs to discredit yi zheng, it was better to say that he was short of money. the black market was obviously a convenient place to deal and had a lot of audience. ¡°no, if it¡¯s as you said and jun mo did all of this for money, where did he get the money to buy drugs at the beginning? how did he find this path?¡± all of this was still unknown. if she didn¡¯t interrogate jun mo personally, shi man would never be at ease. yi zheng knew that what she said was the truth. he smiled and pulled her into his arms. ¡°when we catch him, we can ask him about the explosion. perhaps he will know who detonated his arsenal behind the scenes.¡± ¡°someone¡¯s here!¡± shi man broke free from his arms and stared fixedly at a truck that suddenly appeared in her vision.. Chapter 456 - Chapter 456: Mistake chapter 456: mistake translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the car door rattled in the quiet night. right on the heels of that, two men got out of the car and leaned against the cargo box, smoking. from shi man and yi zheng¡¯s angle, they could only see the appearance of one of them. that person¡¯s skin was dark, and it was obvious that he had worked in the wind and rain all year round. his hair was in a mess, and he was wearing a loose shirt that was slightly open with an oil-stained undershirt. he looked sloppy. the person took out a cigarette from his mouth and threw it to the ground. he used the tip of his foot to extinguish the sparks of the cigarette butt. then he looked around carefully and bumped the shoulder of the person next door. ¡°is the buyer not here yet?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t think so?¡± the man beside him raised his arm to look at the watch on his wrist. he frowned and threw away the cigarette butt impatiently. ¡°f*ck, it¡¯s a little late. are you still waiting for me?¡± ¡°wait.¡± that person sized up his surroundings cautiously, and an excited expression appeared on his face. ¡°we can¡¯t mess up such a big business. otherwise, won¡¯t boss cripple us when we go back?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true, that¡¯s true!¡± that person sighed silently. it was as if he was sighing at the unfairness of fate. ¡°thinking of the past when we were in the limelight,¡± he immediately said with a tired expression, ¡°back when we followed boss, when had we not been in the limelight? now, we have to be sneaky when doing some business! how f*cking unlucky!¡± ¡°stop whining.¡± his companion nudged him gently. coincidentally, a car drove over from afar. they hurriedly straightened their backs and stared at the car in front of them. the two of them gave each other a look and walked around the car. the car door was pulled open at the same time. after seeing the people inside, the two of them frowned. ¡°are you the people who came to pick up the goods?¡± the man who had been instructed by shi man to retrieve the drugs nodded fearfully. the two of them turned their bodies slightly and circled around the road to let the man get out of the car to inspect the goods. the man seemed to have been scared out of his wits by shi man during the day. at this moment, he was hunched over as he traded. he looked around sneakily before looking back at the two of them. ¡°where are the goods?¡± ¡°in the car.¡± the two of them sandwiched him in the middle. the man in front was more talkative. he turned his head curiously and asked, ¡°why did you order such a small car over? can it accommodate the goods?¡± the man stammered as he hugged the money box in his hand and replied, ¡°yes, i can fit them in.¡± their boss had been short of funds recently. when he called, he was beside him and knew didn¡¯t order much at all. the trunk of the car was enough to store it. moreover, it was impossible for him to successfully get the goods this time. shi man might be waiting there with her men, waiting to be caught red-handed. the man in the sweatshirt sneered and couldn¡¯t help but tease him. ¡°it¡¯ll be strange if it can fit. let me tell you, we agreed on the phone to deliver the goods here. if you want us to deliver them to your door, you have to pay extra.¡± ¡°no need. it can fit.¡± the man tightened his grip on the box and stared at the carriage door that was about to open. he gulped. the two of them didn¡¯t waste their breath on him. in any case, they had delivered the goods. as for how the other party packed them away, they couldn¡¯t be bothered. the man in the undershirt put on his wool gloves and walked to the car door. he gently opened the lock at the bottom. the veins on his arms bulged as he opened the car door on both sides. a huge fishy smell assaulted his face. the man couldn¡¯t help but cover his nose with his arm and widen his eyes in shock. ¡°you hid the goods here? aren¡¯t they all contaminated?¡± who would buy drugs that smelled like fish? the two of them looked at each other in surprise and glanced at him in confusion. ¡°hey! are you going to return the goods? i don¡¯t think you really want our goods. if you don¡¯t want them anymore, just say it. our goods can¡¯t stand such trouble!¡± ¡°no, no!¡± the man quickly shook his head. thinking of his goal this time, he urged, ¡°inspect the goods for me.¡± ¡°alright.¡± only then did their expressions ease up a little. from the angle where shi man and yi zheng were sitting in the car, they could not see their current movements, but they could still hear the voices from the listening device. now was the best time to attack. shi man and yi zheng made up their minds and quietly opened the car door. while the few of them were buried in the goods in the box, they brought people to surround them and take down the two people who had gotten out of the vehicle. the two of them were shocked by the people who suddenly appeared around them. they did not even hold the foam box in their hands. the box hit the ground and a frozen fish fell out. the ice slid down to shi man¡¯s feet. everyone¡¯s eyes landed on the so-called ¡°goods¡± in the box in disbelief. ¡°fish, fish?¡± with the pistol in hand, sean picked up the hair of the man in the undershirt in disbelief. ¡°holy shit, how dare you play us.. are you a fucking fishmonger?¡± Chapter 457 - Chapter 457: Spy chapter 457: spy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°so what if i¡¯m a fishmonger!¡± when the man in the undershirt heard this, he was instantly furious. he fiercely broke free from sean¡¯s hand and said, ¡°what exactly do you want? if you still want to buy fish, give me the money quickly. if not, scram further away. i still have to drive the car back!¡± this trip did not result in business. when he returned, the new boss would probably be angry again! they were really unlucky to have encountered a group of lunatics! shi man frowned and walked to lin si¡¯s side, indicating for him to let go of the person first. when the man saw shi man, he immediately thought of this woman¡¯s terrifying appearance during the day. he shivered and said, ¡°missy, 1 really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on! 1 heard from our boss when he called during the day that we were trading at the usual place!¡± of course, shi man knew that he was not lying. she did not believe the words of brother liang¡¯s subordinates. instead, she planned tonight¡¯s operation after careful investigation. but at this moment, she looked at the truck of frozen fish in front of her¡­ ¡°search!¡± shi man ordered. sean and the others immediately rushed into the frozen cargo hold and searched the boxes carefully. the man and his companion were immediately anxious. they looked at shi man angrily and made a move to fight her. however, yi zheng grabbed his arm tightly as soon as he raised it. his cold gaze landed on him, scaring him so much that he did not dare to move. only then did the man notice that yi zheng was also there. he hurriedly looked at him for help and said, ¡°president yi, president yi, you have to stand up for us! aiyo, this should be miss shi!¡± the man¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at shi man. sensing that the hand on his arm had suddenly tightened, almost crushing his bones, he hurriedly begged for mercy. ¡°misunderstanding, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding. we¡¯re on the same side!¡± ¡°who¡¯s on your side?¡± sean led his men to search around and jumped down from leng dongcang. he shook his head at shi man and said, ¡°boss, there¡¯s nothing we want. it¡¯s really filled with frozen fish.¡± shi man stared at the man in the sweatshirt with a dark expression and said, ¡°tell me clearly.¡± ¡°let go of me first!¡± the man gritted his teeth in pain. it was not until yi zheng let go of his hand that he rubbed his wrist aggrievedly and said, ¡°we¡¯re really on the same side! didn¡¯t my boss write you a distress letter? oh! i forgot to introduce myself. i¡¯m from nighthawk. our boss is zhu wen now!¡± ¡°nighthawk?¡± sean was so shocked that his eyes were about to fall out. he looked him up and down in disbelief and said, ¡°why didn¡¯t you manage your place properly? why did you come here to sell frozen fish?¡± ¡°isn¡¯t this a problem!¡± the man in the undershirt sighed. only then did he tell the whole story. it turned out that ever since the explosion, nighthawk¡¯s vitality had not recovered. they had not taken revenge. the tense strings in the brothers¡¯ minds snapped and they began to become lazy again. those who were not convinced by zhu wen jumped out to cause trouble again. nighthawk was split into two factions. one was led by zhu wen. after the disaster, he even helped the commoners build temporary tents and helped save people. he did many good things. the other faction was led by cheng zhen, whom zhu meng trusted the most. they continued to conduct their usual shady business and they developed far faster than zhu wen¡¯s faction. their financial resources were not something the latter could compare to. zhu wen had inherited the name of the boss of the nighthawks, but he didn¡¯t want to continue his brother¡¯s previous business. he wanted to lure everyone onto the right path. unfortunately, the economy had regressed after the disaster. it was easier said than done to start from scratch. however, his brothers could not go hungry with hundreds of people following him. therefore, their nighthawks used this dock as a temporary base to fish, sell fish, and transport other land and sea. when the man in the sweatshirt spoke about this, he looked a little ashamed. ¡°actually, although we¡¯re a little poor now, we can finally talk about our work to our family openly. i¡¯m quite happy. previously, when it was the most difficult, i even persuaded boss to ask president yi for help. after all, president yi promised to help nighthawk, but boss refused no matter what.¡± shi man was speechless, but she still didn¡¯t want to let go of this opportunity. she continued to ask, ¡°then do you know if cheng zhen and the others are in the drug trafficking business now?¡± the man frowned and replied in disbelief, ¡°huh? that can¡¯t be! we also heard that the black market¡¯s drug circulation is serious this time. many mercenaries coming and going in the black market have been harmed, but many of their people have also been harmed. it shouldn¡¯t be, right?¡± shi man and yi zheng looked at each other and saw the seriousness in each other¡¯s eyes. the matter of waiting for the seller was a last-minute decision she made in the afternoon. the number of people involved could be counted on one hand. either the seller had a sharp sense of smell and sensed that something was wrong in advance, so he found zhu wen¡¯s people as a shield. or there was a mole among them. however, at this point, shi man could not completely believe the man¡¯s words. she asked sean to bring the two of them into the car and let them lead the way. she would drive straight to zhu wen to ask him in person.. Chapter 458 - Chapter 458: Dead Man’s Account chapter 458: dead man¡¯s account translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios a single-story house was surrounded in the warehouse at the east docks. when the patrolling people saw their people return, they hurriedly raised the railing to let them go, but who knew that it was not their people who got out of the car? the patrolling people immediately became vigilant and reported the abnormality at the door to zhu wen, who was in the office. shi man and the others waited quietly in the car until a group of people rushed over from the door. after seeing the person in the lead, tang zhe opened the car door and walked to zhu wen¡¯s side to say something softly. zhu wen¡¯s anxious expression instantly became strange. he seemed to be a little hesitant, but in the end, he walked to the car hesitantly and scratched his head with a shy smile. ¡°manman is here? it¡¯s my fault for letting you come to such a dirty place personally.¡± the atmosphere in the car suddenly became oppressive, but a certain someone got out of the car first and looked coldly at the man standing by the car. ¡°i have something to tell you. are you planning to stand here and talk?¡± zhu wen looked at yi zheng with inexplicable fear. the current him was no longer a boy who could rely on his brother and do whatever he wanted. he had to bear the burden of survival of countless brothers now, so he could not be willful at all. when facing yi zheng, he always subconsciously wanted to escape. he felt that he was far inferior to yi zheng. zhu wen lowered his hand and nodded timidly. ¡°alright, let¡¯s go in and talk.¡± he turned to the side to make way, but there was no more movement in the car. zhu wen hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively, ¡°isn¡¯t manman coming?¡± yi zheng glanced at the car and opened the door with a tense expression. the moment the girl came out of the car, he held her hand tightly and pulled her to his side as if declaring his sovereignty. ¡°let¡¯s go in together.¡± zhu wen looked at their tightly held hands and his eyes darkened. ¡°please come in.¡± now, the half of the nighthawk led by zhu wen was no longer as imposing as before. even zhu wen¡¯s office was not as good as zhu meng¡¯s. at that time, that fierce battle had erupted in the nighthawk¡¯s own territory. the nighthawk had suffered heavy losses and its vitality had been greatly damaged. in addition, zhu wen was not good at business, causing the nighthawk to deteriorate. if not for the fact that he realized that he still had the means to go out to sea to do business, he would have really faced dissolution. there was a faint fishy smell in the office. the corner of the wall was filled with all kinds of junk. only a desk in the middle has the appearance of an office. otherwise, this place would look more like an abandoned warehouse. there was a faint fishy smell in the office. the corner of the wall was filled with all kinds of junk. only a desk in the middle looked like an office. otherwise, this place would look more like an abandoned warehouse. fortunately, shi man and the others were not here for tea. she asked sean to bring the two people in the truck over and briefly explained the situation tonight. zhu wen was stunned when he heard this. he hurriedly waved his hand and explained, ¡°someone really ordered a car of frozen goods in advance tonight and specifically asked for the handover there, so i asked my subordinates to go. 1 really don¡¯t know anything else!¡± ¡°who placed the order?¡± shi man asked without missing a detail. zhu wen wanted to say that this was actually internal information that could not be made public, but looking at shi man¡¯s current posture, even if he didn¡¯t want to say it, she would probably use other methods to make him speak. instead of making himself even more embarrassed, it was better for him to cooperate now and do her a favor. after weighing the pros and cons, zhu wen quickly found his account book from the table and flipped to the latest overnight page. he pointed at the last message and said, ¡°it¡¯s this person. i¡¯ve noted down the phone number and client information. he even gave me a large deposit and said that he would immediately make up the balance after the goods arrived.¡± shi man dialed back according to the phone above. as expected, it was an empty number. she narrowed her eyes and put down her phone. her face was suddenly covered in a layer of frost. ¡°how did he give you the deposit?¡± ¡°it was done through my bank card.¡± zhu wen looked at her in confusion, but he did not wait for her reaction. only then did he come to a realization and say, ¡°oh.¡± then, he hurriedly took out his bank card from his wallet. ¡°this is it.¡± shi man quickly hacked into the bank client and investigated the remittance records. zhu wen was stunned by her actions. just as he was about to sigh that she actually had such superb skills, he met yi zheng¡¯s cold gaze and subconsciously shut his mouth. ¡°the person who opened the bank account is¡­¡± shi man quickly found the name on the form. when she saw the name on it, her eyes widened in disbelief.¡± zhu meng?¡± ¡°how is this possible?¡± zhu wen jumped up from the chair excitedly. his flustered eyes were filled with pain, as if he had instantly returned to the night his brother was shot to death. his pupils trembled violently. of course, shi man knew how zhu meng died. she clenched her fists tightly and suppressed her anger at being played.. she asked coldly, ¡°how much do you know about that cheng zhen?¡± Chapter 459 - Chapter 459: Only Betrayal chapter 459: only betrayal translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios cheng zhen was the man who caused the nighthawk to split up and take away more than half of the nighthawk to establish himself as the leader. when zhu wen suddenly heard this name, hatred surged in his eyes. ¡°1 don¡¯t know much. i only know that he was loyal to my brother in the past, but after my brother died, he revealed his true nature. he¡¯s a despicable and ambitious villain!¡± shi man could tell that the hatred in his eyes was not fake. she asked bluntly, ¡°do you think it¡¯s possible that he did this?¡± zhu wen looked over in shock, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. ¡°1 don¡¯t know, but why would he want to harm me? i¡¯m fine with him. 1 want to bring my brothers to do some serious business and be an upright person. what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± shi man sighed silently. since zhu wen said this, it meant that he still didn¡¯t understand the situation. there wouldn¡¯t be any results if she continued asking. she had already asked what she needed to ask. shi man stood up and was about to leave. just as the mighty team was about to leave the office under shi man and yi zheng¡¯s lead, zhu wen suddenly felt empty. he quickly followed her and stammered, ¡°wait, 1 still have something to say.¡± shi man and yi zheng stopped, but they did not turn around, leaving him with an indifferent back view. zhu wen pursed his thin lips uncomfortably and said in a voice as low as a mosquito, ¡°i want to say, does the temporary alliance we formed in the past still count?¡± shi man suddenly frowned and said in a low and magnetic voice, ¡°not really. at that time, we wanted to help you deal with hellgate, but now, hellgate is no longer around.¡± zhu wen lowered his eyes in disappointment. just as he was about to mock himself, he heard shi man¡¯s calm voice again. ¡°however, if you really need help, you can come to my company to look for me. but i¡¯m a businessman. i won¡¯t help for nothing.¡± ¡°i know!¡± he was already very happy to hear shi man¡¯s words. however, what he did not know was that the reason why shi man was suddenly kind was all because of the life his brother had lost. the few of them left the office together. shi man followed yi zheng and tang zhe into their car and let sean and the others go back first. as soon as she got into the car, shi man punched the door coldly. ¡°there¡¯s a mole, and it¡¯s one of my people.¡± tang zhe sat in the driver¡¯s seat and felt a chill run down his spine. today, they had mobilized so many people to capture jun mo. however, not only had they failed, but the person behind them had also directed the spearhead to the two brothers of the zhu family. they were clearly being played. of course, yi zheng was not happy, but he still held shi man¡¯s hand that was red from the punch. he said softly, ¡°it¡¯s not difficult to investigate the mole. there aren¡¯t many people who know about this today. there will be results if we investigate them one by one.¡± ¡°what i hate the most is being betrayed by my own people.¡± shi man took a deep breath and barely stabilized her emotions. ¡°it¡¯s impossible for jun mo to detonate that explosion himself, but he might think that we did this and want to take revenge on us. the person behind it might be him.¡± yi zheng shook his head gently and smiled helplessly. ¡°you overestimate him.¡± shi man blinked in surprise and pretended to be all ears. ¡°he can¡¯t do it.¡± yi zheng only said those words as an evaluation of jun mo, but it was convincing enough. yi zheng¡¯s blood oath had been in the dark for many years. the opponents would always understand one another. no one knew jun mo better than yi zheng. it was precisely because of this that he had never associated these few obvious revenge incidents with jun mo. shi man lowered her eyes thoughtfully and gritted her teeth. ¡°although it¡¯s possible that he didn¡¯t do it, he must have already joined forces with the person behind him. last time, 1 was guessing who else the mastermind would look for. it turns out that he found jun mo first.¡± yi zheng sneered, clearly not taking jun mo seriously. ¡°then he¡¯s barking up the wrong tree. he¡¯s a coward who can betray us at any time. if that person joins forces with jun mo, it means that we¡¯re not far from finding him.¡± shi man sighed, still distraught about the possibility of a mole inside immaculate. she leaned back in her chair and gently closed her eyes. ¡°we still need people now. i¡¯ll carry out the investigation in secret. drive.¡± tang zhe hurriedly started the car and stepped on the accelerator to drive in the direction of the road. after holding it in for a while, he couldn¡¯t help but carefully probe, ¡°is there a possibility that the mole didn¡¯t do it tonight, but the other party received the news in advance?¡± shi man rested her head on the pillow and shook her head gently. ¡°the casino was controlled by sean and the others as soon as they entered. i dealt with the rest myself. no one will have time to inform them. moreover, they¡¯re just in a business relationship. why should they risk their lives to protect each other?¡± in that case, there was really only the possibility of a mole. tang zhe turned around and drove seriously, not daring to speak again.. Chapter 460 - Chapter 460: Satisfaction with Son-in-law chapter 460: satisfaction with son-in-law translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after a day, it was already ten o¡¯clock at night when shi man returned to the shi family. during this period of time, shi zhong did not know what shi man was busy with outside. when he saw her enter, he was about to reprimand her, but before he could say anything, he held it in the moment he saw yi zheng. shi man looked at yi zheng in amusement. this person had really guessed correctly. on the way back just now, yi zheng said that shi zhong had been asking him about her whereabouts recently, wanting to know what she was busy with when she was not in the company. yi zheng used the excuse of rebuilding the city to brush it off, but shi zhong was clearly not satisfied with this answer. at this moment, he looked like he was going to denounce him. however, since his future son-in-law had personally sent his daughter home, he was too embarrassed to ask where the two of them had gone with a straight face. he could only hold back his anger and ask when there was a chance next time. shen xian had been playing cards with her sisters recently. when she heard that drugs were rampant outside, she was very worried about shi man and yi zheng¡¯s safety. after all, the two of them were now the winds howling around the highest peaks. if they were really schemed against, the gains would not make up for the losses. shi man took a sip of hot tea and asked casually, ¡°madam zheng told you, right?¡± chief zheng and shi zhong were comrades, so madam zheng interacted with shen xian a lot. the two of them hit it off at first sight and always agreed to play cards at home. shen xian blinked in surprise and smiled. ¡°our manman is smart. it¡¯s really as you said. it¡¯s been a long time since you saw your aunt chi, right?¡± ¡°it¡¯s been a while,¡± shi man said obediently as she put down her teacup. aunt chi was madam zheng¡¯s original surname. however, her husband¡¯s official position was too high, so everyone was more inclined to call her madam zheng. it was obvious that the police station would not let down its guard against this drug proliferation incident. shi man wanted to ask auntie chi about the progress of the police station¡¯s investigation, but she had not made time. ¡°your aunt chi is still thinking about you. she even asked me today how the preparations for your engagement party with yi zheng are going. she said that she would give you a big gift to celebrate!¡± at the thought that her daughter had finally found a good home, shen xian could not hide the joy on her face. even shi zhong¡¯s expression softened. ¡°our engagement ceremony is almost ready.¡± shi man lowered her eyes and frowned. although she said that, there was no sign of relief on her face. she did not want to delay the marriage, but now that the mole had not been found, she was indeed not in the mood to hold an engagement ceremony. at the end of the day, she didn¡¯t take marriage too seriously. she felt that she and yi zheng were in a good state now. there were no secrets between the two of them. they could tell each other anything. when they were busy, they would be busy. when they were free, they would gather for a date. shi zhong sensitively heard the unusual meaning in her tone, and his expression, which had just eased up, tensed up again. ¡°since it¡¯s ready, there¡¯s nothing to delay anymore. the invitations have all been prepared today and the date has been set long ago. it¡¯s next saturday. go with your mother to see the engagement gown tomorrow. don¡¯t run around for no reason!¡± shen xian gently nudged his arm. he was urging her to get married in such a hurry. it was as if his precious daughter could not get married off. shi zhong sighed and explained, ¡°i don¡¯t want to cause any more trouble, right? let the two of them get engaged first and settle the matter completely. when the time comes, 1 won¡¯t rush them to get married. we¡¯ll talk about it after manman graduates.¡± shen xian snorted unhappily and turned to look at her daughter. she asked gently, ¡°manman, do you have any other concerns? yi zheng happens to be here today. if there¡¯s anything, we can discuss it directly.¡± yi zheng also looked sideways at her without blinking, waiting for her answer. their seriousness really made shi man unable to say anything about delaying. she could only smile and say, ¡°1 have nothing to worry about. just hold the engagement ceremony as scheduled.¡± as soon as she finished speaking, shi man felt the straightened back of the person beside her suddenly relax, and her heart rippled. forget it. anyway, she knew that she liked him. there was nothing wrong with revealing their relationship to the public and getting engaged with everyone¡¯s blessings! this matter came to an end for the time being. shi man even took the initiative to mention that she would take the time to visit the zheng family tomorrow. shen xian readily agreed to bring her along tomorrow. coincidentally, it was the weekend tomorrow, and chief zheng would be resting at home. seeing that it was getting late, yi zheng stood up and bade farewell. before he left, he deliberately lowered his voice and whispered in shi man¡¯s ear, ¡°be careful.¡± he even quietly held her hand before leaving reluctantly. shen xian didn¡¯t hear what he said just now, but when she saw the two children secretly holding hands, she felt a strong sweetness in her heart. she happily said to ger husband¡¯s ear. ¡°look, our manman and yi zheng are especially compatible!¡± shi zhong looked at yi zheng¡¯s back with a smile, his eyes filled with satisfaction for his future son-in-law.. Chapter 461 - Chapter 461: Strange Girl chapter 461: strange girl translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the next morning, shen xian brought shi man to visit chief zheng and his family. chief zheng and madam zheng were very close. the two of them had a daughter who had just returned from the holidays in lin city. when shen xian arrived, madam zheng was happily cooking in the kitchen to welcome her daughter. ¡°yo, 1 came at the right time. i can try sister¡¯s cooking again!¡± shen xian smiled and handed the gift she had brought to their nanny. then, she led shi man to change her shoes and rushed into the kitchen. madam zheng laughed at her. when she saw shi man behind her, her eyes lit up. ¡°aiyo, my baby. it¡¯s been so long since we last met, but you¡¯ve already become so beautiful!¡± in the past, shi man liked to be unique and always dressed herself up. although madam zheng still doted on her, she could not help but worry for her. now that shi man¡¯s taste had finally become normal, she was so happy that she couldn¡¯t stop smiling. shi man smiled and nodded. she praised her generously, ¡°auntie chi is getting younger and prettier.¡± madam zheng liked her even more. she hurriedly asked the nanny to get her husband and her daughter to come down from the study. she subconsciously quickened her cooking. ¡°eat more later and try auntie¡¯s cooking. you¡¯re thin, so you should nourish yourself.¡± ¡°thank you, auntie.¡± shi man thanked her politely and took the initiative to wash her hands so she could help madam zheng wash the dishes and scoop the vegetables. when the food was ready, chief zheng arrived late with his daughter. when madam zheng saw this, she had to reprimand, ¡°look at how spoiled you two are. you won¡¯t go downstairs unless the food is ready, right?¡± chief zheng hurriedly took the steaming soup bowl from her and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°how can that be? 1 was chatting with my daughter just now and forgot the time. i¡¯ll wash some fruits later and apologize to madam, okay?¡± ¡°that¡¯s more like it.¡± madam zheng snorted and twisted her slender waist to sit at the dining table. she raised her hand to beckon shi man to sit beside her and introduced her. ¡°this is my daughter, zheng xin. you played together when you were young. do you still remember?¡± shi man looked up at the girl opposite her. she had long brown hair, and the waves at the end added to her maturity. as if sensing shi man¡¯s gaze, the girl frowned slightly and pursed her thin lips slightly, with impatience flashing across her eyes. she put down her chopsticks and looked straight into shi man¡¯s calm eyes with a cold expression. ¡°are you done looking?¡± as soon as she said this, madam zheng and chief zheng frowned unhappily. madam zheng reprimanded zheng xin awkwardly. afraid that shi man would think too much of this, she hurriedly held her hand and coaxed her. ¡°this child has such a temper. in the past, it was actually better. i don¡¯t know why she became worse when she came back this time. sometimes, she can¡¯t even listen to me and her father. don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± shi man shook her head indifferently, indicating that she did not care. the girl opposite her continued to lower her head and eat her food as if no one was around. chief zheng glared at her, but there was nothing he could do. he could only invite shen xian and shi man to eat awkwardly. during the meal, shi man asked them about the progress of the police station¡¯s drug investigation. it was not convenient for chief zheng to say too much, but in order not to worry shi man and the others, he revealed a little. the police station did not have enough evidence yet, but they could basically confirm that someone had deliberately done this large-scale drug circulation. it was different from ordinary drug trafficking in the past. moreover, the other party had clearly targeted it. ordinary residents would not be in danger of getting addicted for the time being. ¡°black market,¡± zheng xin suddenly said, interrupting chief zheng. shi man¡¯s eyes turned cold and met zheng xin¡¯s cold gaze. chief zheng turned to ask her in surprise, ¡°what black market? what do you know?¡± zheng xin narrowed her eyes and slowly ate the food in her mouth. after keeping everyone in suspense, she said unhurriedly, ¡°the black market is specially built for the evil forces to sell all kinds of illegal items. there must be a place like this in g city, a place that you police can¡¯t find at all.¡± ¡°how do you know all this?¡± director zheng had been the director for so many years and actually knew the existence of such a place. however, not only was this place not easy to find, but the power behind it could not be underestimated. therefore, he had not made a move to avoid alerting the enemy. madam zheng was shocked by her words and hurriedly raised her hand to test her forehead. ¡°could there be a problem with this child¡¯s high fever? what black market? it¡¯s so scary!¡± as zheng xin brushed her hand away coldly, her cold eyes were without any warmth. ¡°if you want to find out the culprit who caused a large number of drugs to enter the market this time, you have to find the black market first. it must have come from there!¡± shi man tightened her grip on her chopsticks and asked tentatively, ¡°then how do we find it?¡± Chapter 462 - Chapter 462: Self-Proclaimed Female Lead chapter 462: self-proclaimed female lead translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zheng xin smiled proudly and said with an unfathomable expression, ¡°i can¡¯t tell an unrelated person like you. i request to participate in the police investigation. otherwise, 1 won¡¯t say anything!¡± ¡°what do you want? how long are you going to fool around?!¡± zheng xin¡¯s words completely changed chief zheng¡¯s expression. in the past, he only knew that his daughter was willful, but she did not lose the cuteness of a child. however, her behavior after returning this time only shocked him and he could not help but feel disappointed. he didn¡¯t know who her daughter had learned from, but she left home for half a year. when she returned, she didn¡¯t even greet her parents. when she met them, she only said ¡°hello¡± instead of addressing them respectfully. it was rude. the reason why he was late just now was because he was teaching his daughter a lesson upstairs and telling her not to be so arrogant. however, not only did she not listen, she even said some nonsense, claiming that he was just an npc who dared to teach her a lesson. it was simply unreasonable. now that she had suggested interfering in the police force¡¯s narcotics case, she was too lawless. if he did not teach her a lesson, who knew how much trouble she would cause in the future! zheng xin didn¡¯t care about her father¡¯s reprimand. she still raised her head and said, ¡°don¡¯t make such a fuss. in the future, all of you can come to me for help if you encounter any difficulties. i¡¯m the chosen one and have the halo of a protagonist. all problems will be resolved in my hands!¡± chief zheng and madam zheng exchanged looks and saw worry and anger in each other¡¯s eyes. shen xian quietly touched shi man¡¯s arm under the table and whispered into her ear, ¡°manman, in your opinion, has she gone crazy?¡± shi man smiled lightly, her eyes filled with interest. ¡°she¡¯s not crazy. perhaps there¡¯s something wrong with her brain.¡± everyone was at the same dining table, so zheng xin naturally did not miss this sentence. her expression suddenly turned cold as she warned seriously, ¡°you¡¯d better put away what you said just now. otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for making you unlucky!¡± shi man had been threatened many times after living for so long, but this time was different from the past. this was a threat from the ¡°heroine¡±. she narrowed her eyes and deliberately sized her up provocatively. she smiled and said, ¡°1 want to know how you want to make me unlucky.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll expose all the lousy things you did when you liked yi zheng!¡± zheng xin thought that she had already threatened her weakness. after saying that, she raised her head proudly and waited for her to beg for mercy. however, she did not notice that the expressions of the elders at the same table changed drastically. chief zheng couldn¡¯t take it anymore and slammed the table angrily. ¡°are you done? why are you crazy? you can either eat, or shut up and go back to your room. don¡¯t come out and embarrass yourself!¡± chief zheng was furious. he was actually a person who rarely lost his temper at home. he had always loved his wife and her daughter. zheng xin was quite capable to anger him to this extent. madam zheng hurriedly put down her chopsticks and patted her husband¡¯s chest comfortingly. ¡°old zheng, don¡¯t be anxious. she doesn¡¯t know the situation yet. we¡¯ll talk to her slowly.¡± unexpectedly, zheng xin lost her temper when she heard this. she angrily threw down the chopsticks in her hand and pointed at madam zheng¡¯s nose unhappily. she shouted very rudely, ¡°who gave you the guts to actually say that about me? no one knows you better than me! no one knows your thoughts and methods better than me!¡± as she spoke, she pointed at shi man aggressively and sneered. the mockery in her eyes was especially obvious. ¡°aren¡¯t you just thinking about yi zheng and he still refuses to marry you? you actually sent a few hooligans to rape the girl beside him because of jealousy. now, you¡¯re pretending to be innocent and pitiful!¡± shi man raised her eyelids slightly and looked at her steadily. her guess was confirmed again, and she could not hide the smile in her eyes. she had no intention of paying attention to zheng xin because she knew that once zheng xin said this, someone would naturally teach her a lesson on her behalf. ¡°pa.¡± a loud slap suddenly stopped zheng xin¡¯s sharp and ear-piercing voice. she turned her head away from the slap, her eyes filled with disbelief. when she came back to her senses, she gradually raised her hand to cover her swollen cheek. she looked angrily at chief zheng, who had just retracted his hand and was also glaring at her. ¡°how dare you hit me!¡± zheng xin¡¯s expression turned ferocious for a moment. right on the heels of that, a few silver needles suddenly appeared in her hand. shi man narrowed her eyes and slowly lowered her hand that was holding the chopsticks. while everyone¡¯s attention was on zheng xin¡¯s terrifying face, she suddenly threw the chopsticks forcefully. the tip of the chopsticks hit zheng xin¡¯s wrist which was holding the silver needles. with a few crisp clicks, the silver needles fell. a sharp pain suddenly came from zheng xin¡¯s wrist. she reflexively covered the painful place and forgot about the hidden weapon in her hand. madam zheng looked at the needles that had fallen to the ground in a daze and covered her mouth in disbelief.. ¡°xinxin, what did you want to do with these just now?¡± Chapter 463 - Chapter 463: Bullsh*t Female Lead chapter 463: bullsh*t female lead translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios chief zheng¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. whether her daughter was spouting nonsense or spouting nonsense, this could still be corrected. however, if she wanted to attack her biological parents or even kill them, she would be hopeless. shen xian¡¯s sharp eyes saw the chopsticks that finally rolled under the table as the silver needle fell. she looked at the remaining chopsticks on the plate in front of shi man and suddenly understood something. she hurriedly stood up and walked to zheng xin¡¯s side, feeling a lingering fear. ¡°xinxin, your father is angry. don¡¯t be so angry. quickly apologize to your father and sit down to eat.¡± ¡°why should i apologize?¡± zheng xin glared with bulging her eyeballs. she was no longer as innocent and cute as before. at this moment, no matter how angry chief zheng was, he could sense that something was wrong. he looked at the silver needles on the ground and pointed at her coldly with trembling hands. ¡°you¡¯re crazy! honey, call the psychiatrist at my unit! tell him to come to the house immediately!¡± madam zheng immediately reacted. she took a last deep look at the unrepentant zheng xin and hurriedly ran to the sofa in the living room to get her cell phone. her fingers trembled as she dialed the number. the atmosphere in the dining room was still tense. not only did zheng xin have no intention of admitting her mistake, but she also made a scene because chief zheng said that he wanted to call a psychiatrist over. director zheng had no choice but to ask the nanny to find a rope and tie zheng xin up first. shen xian wanted to persuade her again, but when she saw zheng xin¡¯s fierce and red eyes, she was stunned and speechless. the nanny quickly returned and hesitantly handed the rope to chief zheng. ¡°are we really going to tie miss zheng up? what if she gets injured!¡± chief zheng also couldn¡¯t bear it, but at this moment, zheng xin was clearly like a ferocious beast that was about to eat them alive at any time. if not for the fact that her wrist was hurt one moment and she accidentally fell on the ground the next, he might not be able to stand here unscathed! ¡°give it to me!¡± chief zheng steeled his heart and slowly walked towards his daughter with the rope. the hidden weapons on zheng xin¡¯s body had already fallen to the ground. she didn¡¯t know what was going on just now. she wanted to use the silver needles to seal these people¡¯s acupoints so that they couldn¡¯t speak for the time being and could only let her fiddle with them. however, her wrist that was holding the silver needles suddenly seemed to have been hit by something. it was so painful that she subconsciously let go of the hand holding the silver needles. she went over with the dagger again to let them know how powerful she was. however, just as she took two steps, a chopstick rolled over from under her feet. she didn¡¯t notice that she had stepped on the chopsticks and fell backward. she even accidentally hit her head and her hair was tangled up. she called herself unlucky, but as soon as she sat up, she saw the man who claimed to be her father coming over with a rope to tie her up! she knew that these npcs needed to be trained well! zheng xin rolled over and got up from the ground. she casually grabbed the dagger that had fallen to the ground and pointed it at him. ¡°i¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t come over again. if you come over again, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± chief zheng was unmoved. he even curled his lips into a mocking smile. ¡°you dare to threaten your father? let me tell you this: when your father fought more than ten knife-wielding criminals with his bare hands, you were still in your mother¡¯s arms!¡± zheng xin finally had a trace of timidity, but this emotion only appeared for a moment before she forcefully suppressed it. she straightened her neck and said indignantly, ¡°so what? that¡¯s just the background of your story! i¡¯m the current female lead! no one can kill me!¡± what bullsh*t female lead again¡­ chief zheng couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath on her. he slapped the dagger out of her hand and right on the heels of that, he threw out a rope and wrapped zheng xin in it. next, he pulled the rope tightly and pulled her to a chair. finally, he tied her up tightly with a beautiful knot on her back. shi man was still sitting at the dining table and watching coldly. when she saw this scene, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh at chief zheng¡¯s good skills. if she were pitted against him, it would probably not be easy for her to escape. zheng xin finally couldn¡¯t move this time. after struggling a few times and realizing that the rope still did not move, she completely gave up struggling. she only muttered some vicious curses and repeatedly emphasized that she was the female lead. chief zheng apologized to shen xian and shi man apologetically. he originally wanted the two families to gather for a meal on the weekend, but he didn¡¯t expect them to encounter such a thing. shen xian hurriedly waved her hand and said that she did not take it to heart. she comforted her worriedly, ¡°let the psychiatrist take a good look at xinxin. she might recover. i watched xinxin grow up. this child has a good character and a good temper. she doesn¡¯t look like a child who would do such things.¡± chief zheng sighed tiredly, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. the white hair at his temples became even more dazzling. ¡°i hope so..¡± Chapter 464 - Chapter 464: Original Plot chapter 464: original plot translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the psychiatrist quickly rushed to chief zheng¡¯s house and was shocked to see zheng xin tied to a chair with disheveled hair and a ferocious expression. he had seen zheng xin a few times in the past. in his impression, this young lady was always smiling. even if she had a little temper, it was not a big deal. it would only make people think that she was cute. but now, the girl in front of him was a completely different person from the person in his impression. he immediately understood why madam zheng had called him over in a hurry. he got everyone to leave first and gave zheng xin a psychological evaluation alone. however, zheng xin was very uncooperative the entire time. not only did she scold him, but she even insulted chief zheng, making him feel that something was wrong. miss zheng was probably really sick. without her cooperation, it was impossible to carry out the psychological evaluation. the other party was his leader¡¯s daughter. the psychiatrist tried his best but could not calm her down and get her to cooperate with him. he could only leave the cafeteria dejectedly. outside, chief zheng had actually been eavesdropping by the door, so he naturally took in zheng xin¡¯s scolding. his face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. when the psychiatrist came out, he simply pretended not to hear anything and sat on the sofa with a dark expression, waiting for the final evaluation results. the expert sighed and walked over. meeting madam zheng¡¯s worried gaze, he shook his head helplessly. just as he was about to say something, shi man, who had been sitting on the sofa calmly drinking tea, suddenly stood up and interrupted him. ¡°don¡¯t be in a hurry to tell us the results. why don¡¯t you let me go in and try first.¡± shi man put down her teacup confidently and looked at chief zheng, who no longer had any hope. everyone in the zheng family was immediately attracted by her words, especially madam zheng. hope seemed to have instantly lit up in her eyes, but she instantly extinguished it herself. she shook her head and said, ¡°forget it, manman. xinxin might really be sick.¡± ¡°it won¡¯t hurt if 1 try, right?¡± shi man knew that the final decision was still in chief zheng¡¯s hands, so she kept staring at him as she spoke, waiting for his approval. shen xian thought of how her daughter had successfully stopped zheng xin with her chopsticks twice just now and couldn¡¯t help but believe her. she also persuaded, ¡°let manman try. the two children used to be good friends and are of the same age. it might be easier to communicate!¡± since shen xian had said so, chief zheng naturally wouldn¡¯t stop her. he stood up after a moment of silence and patted her shoulder. ¡°if you encounter danger, come out quickly. don¡¯t force yourself.¡± ¡°i know.¡± shi man got his approval and turned to walk into the cafeteria without hesitation. the psychiatrist wanted to tell her more things to take note of, but when he met the director¡¯s thoughtful gaze, he quickly swallowed his words. from the looks of it, the director might already have another plan in mind. the door of the cafeteria isolated the outside world. after shi man glanced at the mess on the ground, her gaze slowly landed on zheng xin. she casually took a chair and sat down. she smiled and said, ¡°i know why you¡¯re so confident.¡± zheng xin sneered and turned her head away, clearly not planning to pay attention to her. shi man did not mind and said to herself, ¡°you think that you know many people¡¯s secrets and that you have an omniscient view, so everyone around you is just an ant and a toy to you, right?¡± zheng xin looked over with a cold gaze and mockery in her eyes. ¡°what do you know! the fate of all of you is already in my hands. 1 know the outcome of each of you. if 1 want you to live, you can live. if 1 want you to die, you won¡¯t have a good ending!¡± shi man turned her head slightly and noticed that someone was still eavesdropping behind the door. after some consideration, she turned around and said, ¡°then you¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°wrong? i can¡¯t be wrong!¡± zheng xin laughed crazily. when she was done laughing, she flicked her hair and said, ¡°if someone like you doesn¡¯t cooperate with me, you should be trash in the gutter. by the way, i¡¯ll tell you your ending out of kindness. you¡¯ll be stepped on by the man you love the most. everyone in the shi family will die a horrible death!¡± outside the door, shen xian¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, and her breathing became chaotic in an instant. if not for madam zheng supporting her in time, she would probably not have been able to stand steadily. shi man shrugged indifferently and said, ¡°you might not know yet, but yi zheng has already decided to get engaged to me. it¡¯s next saturday. your mother, madam zheng, even said that she wanted to give me a gift.¡± ¡°that¡¯s impossible! why would yi zheng agree to marry you!¡± zheng xin frowned in disbelief. she carefully recalled the plot in the book and said with certainty, ¡°he will marry su tang in the future, but now that i¡¯m here, he will rush to marry me!¡± outside, chief zheng felt embarrassed. even madam zheng couldn¡¯t help but blush. she hurriedly patted shen xian¡¯s hand, indicating that she shouldn¡¯t take it to heart.. Chapter 465 - Chapter 465: Doujin Books Hurt People chapter 465: doujin books hurt people translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios of course, shen xian wouldn¡¯t really care about what zheng xin said. this child was delirious now, so she wouldn¡¯t bicker with her. however, she could not help but be concerned about the shi family¡¯s outcome. actually, she had never told anyone that she had a very terrifying dream. in the dream, the shi family fell apart and everyone ended up dying tragically. the culprit was yi zheng. after waking up from the dream, she was covered in cold sweat. no matter how shi zhong called out to her, she could not speak. however, when she saw yi zheng in the day and saw that he treated his daughter gently and politely, she felt that he did not seem like someone who would do such a thing. she had already forgotten about this dream, but now that she suddenly heard the scene in the dream from another person, she felt her entire body turn cold. all the strength in her body was sucked out in an instant, and her face turned unbelievably pale. in the dining room, shi man sneered and continued to probe, ¡°do you know yi zheng? do you know what kind of person he is?¡± zheng xin seemed to have heard a huge joke and couldn¡¯t help but roar with laughter. ¡°how can 1 not know him? no one knows him better than me!¡± shi man narrowed her eyes and subconsciously clenched her fists. she said coldly, ¡°tell me.¡± zheng xin smiled arrogantly, her eyes filled with pride. ¡°he¡¯s the president of the entire yi family. he¡¯s the person who will make the business world in g city tremble in the future! he graduated from cassel academy and is cold-hearted, but once he confirms his feelings, he¡¯s more affectionate than anyone else¡­¡± zheng xin talked non-stop about the information that yi zheng seemed to have that everyone could obtain, but she did not mention the blood oath, let alone anything about the black market. shi man unclenched her fists and quietly put away the silver needles in her hand. just as she was about to speak, she heard zheng xin still counting yi zheng¡¯s shortcomings. ¡°however, at the same time, he¡¯s promiscuous. although he married su tang in name, he has many women behind his back. there are as many beauties around him as there are clouds. he can¡¯t even finish summoning one every day. however, i believe that as long as he falls in love with me, he will definitely not look at anyone else!¡± with that, zheng xin glanced at shi man from the corner of her eye. she seemed to be kind, but she was actually smiling mockingly. ¡°1 advise you to give up as soon as possible and escape with your family as soon as possible. if you know what¡¯s good for you, 1 can persuade him to let your entire family go.¡± shi man was speechless. she could already confirm that the soul in zheng xin¡¯s body had transmigrated, but the book this person was reading seemed to be different from hers. yi zheng was promiscuous and had countless women by his side? shi man subconsciously frowned. moreover, she really didn¡¯t seem to know yi zheng¡¯s power in the black market. otherwise, looking at how much she liked yi zheng, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have thrown out the black market as bait at the dining table just now and let others discover that she was different. shi man thought about it and could only think of one possibility. this person was probably reading doujin books to satisfy her quirks, not serious original books! doujin books were indeed harmful. shi man heaved a sigh of relief and stood up. under zheng xin¡¯s shocked gaze, she suddenly bent down and whispered into her ear, ¡°i advise you to be obedient later and not say this in front of them. otherwise, you¡¯ll be locked up in the mental hospital before you can successfully seduce yi zheng.¡± ¡°how dare they!¡± zheng xin growled, but when she lowered her eyes, she saw her injured ligature mark clearly. her pupils suddenly constricted. shi man knew that she had already understood what she meant, but in order to let zheng xin be clearer, shi man slowly took out the silver needles that zheng xin had just dropped and gently cut her arm. a few drops of blood seeped out of the wound. zheng xin gasped in pain. she looked at the wound angrily and then at shi man, who was smiling. she felt that this person was very different from the brainless missy she had seen in books. but before she could figure it out, shi man¡¯s cold voice sounded above her head. ¡°do you see that? you¡¯re also flesh and blood here. you¡¯ll be injured and hurt, so in order to suffer less, you have to return to normal immediately. otherwise¡­¡± shi man curled her lips slightly and stopped under her shocked gaze. she turned around and left without hesitation. zheng xin stared at the wound on her arm in a daze for a long time before she came back to her senses. this time, when the psychiatrist came in again, she did not make a fuss or go crazy. instead, she answered his question seriously and quickly eliminated the suspicion that she had a psychological problem. after shi man left the cafeteria, her fingers subconsciously fumbled for the blood-stained silver needle in her palm. looking at zheng xin¡¯s technique just now, she was probably a mercenary once, but she was arrogant and brainless. as long as she didn¡¯t cause any trouble, shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with her. however, what happened today probably reminded chief zheng. she wanted to tell yi zheng that he had to hide the matter of the black market well and not reveal any traces.. Chapter 466 - Chapter 466: Secretary Who Loved to Pick Up Trash chapter 466: secretary who loved to pick up trash translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios since there was nothing wrong with the psychological evaluation, he could not treat zheng xin as a mental patient. however, chief zheng still locked her in the room with a dark expression. other than the nanny in charge of delivering three meals a day, no one was allowed to approach her. this gathering, which had originally started with joy, ended with madam zheng¡¯s sad tears. after such a big thing happened, shen xian could not say anything else but comfort her. she could only bring shi man home. on the way, shen xian thought of that dream again. she suddenly grabbed shi man¡¯s hand nervously and said, ¡°manman, you¡¯ve been with yi zheng for so long. has he lied to you?¡± shi man guessed that she was inevitably worried after hearing zheng xin¡¯s words. she sighed and comforted her. ¡°mom, don¡¯t worry. yi zheng treats me very well. he has always been especially respectful to you. you watched him grow up. how can you not know his character?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± shen xian sighed softly. as she sighed at her own paranoia, she changed the topic. ¡°it¡¯s too chaotic outside recently. why don¡¯t you let your brother manage the company? can you accompany mom on a trip?¡± currently, g city had the most serious drug overflow. it was normal for her to want to hide. however, shi man could not leave just like that. she shook her head gently and said, ¡°you have to finish what you start. i can¡¯t leave the company alone. mom, i¡¯ll send you home later and drive the car away. 1 still have something to deal with. i¡¯ll come back for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°you¡¯re leaving again.¡± shen xian knew that shi man was very busy, but she was still a little worried. after getting out of the car, she stood alone outside the manor and looked in the direction shi man drove off for a long time. only when the car had completely disappeared did she turn around in a daze. bai xue and su tang stood behind her. su tang smiled and held her arm. ¡°mom, i personally designed a set of clothes for you. do you want to come in with me to take a look?¡± bai xue also smiled and walked to her side. she said gently, ¡°auntie, my mother and i have learned a new dish. i¡¯ll make it for you to try tonight, okay?¡± shen xian naturally knew that these two people had seen through her loneliness and came to please her so warmly. the loneliness seemed to have faded a little. shen xian smiled at them and said, ¡°alright, you¡¯re all my most obedient and sensible children.¡± in the dark basement, raindrops dripped down the pipes into the mud pit on the ground. the wet ground was covered in moss, and the smell of decay lingered in the air. the pitted ground stretched into the depths of the darkness. suddenly, it was illuminated by the fluorescent bulb above his head, and the mud and dirt had nowhere to hide. the calm mud was suddenly stepped on by a leather shoe, becoming even more turbid. ¡°boss, fortunately, we reacted quickly this time. otherwise, shi man and yi zheng would have caught us!¡± the person who spoke was a middle-aged man in his early thirties. he had a standard crew cut, but there was a lot of dust on his head. when the cold wind in the basement blew in through the open door, dust fell from his head like snow. the man standing at the end looked away in disgust and said to the secretary who was checking the goods, ¡°how many drugs are left?¡± ¡°there are 50 catties.¡± the secretary looked at the list of buyers in his hand and couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°now that brother liang¡¯s line has been cut, there¡¯s only one buyer left.¡± ¡°cheng zhen, from the nighthawks.¡± the man¡¯s faint gaze looked especially cold under the dim light. ¡°contact him and sell all the goods in our hands. we have to hide ourselves well. the surveillance has been too tight recently. throw away all the goods in our hands. we¡¯ll stop for a while.¡± although he said that, he did not dare to cut off this path of wealth for too long. the secretary nodded. seeing his heavy heart, he couldn¡¯t help but comfort him. ¡°boss, we¡¯ve accumulated a lot of money now. in the future, we¡¯ll definitely be able to take back everything that belongs to hellgate!¡± ¡°yi zheng!¡± the man¡¯s gloomy face suddenly became terrifying. he gritted his teeth and bit the two words into pieces, as if he could really eat yi zheng¡¯s flesh and blood. ¡°i, jun mo, must make him repay everything he took from me!¡± the fluorescent lights above his head swayed uneasily under the cold wind. the light shining on the man flickered, and the pistol in his hand which was obviously worn out emitted a bloodthirsty cold light. ¡°this is the gun.¡± in the office, yi zheng gently took out a pistol from the drawer and placed it on the table, letting shi man size it up. ¡°at that time, you threw it into nighthawk¡¯s territory to divert the trouble. later, tang zhe took advantage of the chaos to retrieve the gun to prevent any trouble.¡± the pistol with jun mo¡¯s logo was lying quietly on the notebook. shi man casually picked up the pistol and couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect tang zhe to like to pick up trash. it can be used now..¡± Chapter 467 - Chapter 467: Clear Listening chapter 467: clear listening translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios she discussed it with yi zheng. she needed to give the police an answer as soon as possible to stop them from interfering. shi man and yi zheng could also investigate the rest. shi man thought about this answer. no one was more suitable than jun mo. firstly, he was not innocent in the entire incident. there was nothing wrong with letting him take the blame. secondly, they wanted to take the opportunity to lure jun mo out so that he could reveal who was behind him. this was the main purpose of shi man¡¯s plan. as long as she could not catch the mastermind, shi man would never be able to live in peace. at night, shi man put on her black clothes and mask and found an entertainment clubhouse that zhu wen guessed was very likely to be temporarily used as a stronghold. this should have been an industry inherited by zhu wen, but it was now taken by cheng zhen. shi man followed the outer edge of the wall and carefully avoided the surveillance cameras. she reached the window of the innermost office on the top floor. the scenery in the club was perfect. the things on the desk were messed up by a pair of exquisite jade arms. the paper in her fair hand had already been crumpled into a ball, and her slender body was forced to shake continuously on the table. the delicate moans mixed with the ambiguous sound of sex made one blush just by listening. however, shi man was insensitive to it. the bodyguards who were originally guarding outside the office subconsciously moved away, but shi man¡¯s expression did not change. under the increasingly urgent shouts, she slowly opened a gap in the window, installed the listening device in her hand, and gently closed the window. the room gradually calmed down with a shrill cry. shi man had finished what she wanted to do and turned to leave. unexpectedly, the window above her was opened from the inside. the woman lit a cigarette and stuck her head out to look at the night sky. she allowed the man¡¯s hot body to rub against her relentlessly. ¡°brother cheng, let me rest first!¡± she flicked the ashes out of the window and turned around to lift the man¡¯s chin with her nail that was covered in cardamom polish. ¡°let me rest for a while. i¡¯ll let you have more fun later.¡± ¡°you¡¯re indeed a demoness.¡± cheng zhen patted the woman¡¯s voluptuous buttocks ambiguously and fed the white powder in his hand into her mouth. ¡°the goods this time are not bad, right? they¡¯re as exciting as you.¡± the woman threw away the cigarette butt in her hand in an intoxicated manner and kept sticking out her tongue to lick the man¡¯s palm. in the end, she hugged the man¡¯s neck reluctantly. ¡°they¡¯re indeed not bad, brother cheng. where did this batch of goods come from? i have a few sisters who want to try this thing.¡± cheng zhen pulled a long face, and the smile on his face disappeared in an instant. ¡°don¡¯t ask around when you shouldn¡¯t. haven¡¯t i given you enough for nothing? however, we don¡¯t have much of these left now. tell them to wait a little longer. i¡¯ll be able to contact the source of the goods soon.¡± ¡°brother cheng, you¡¯re amazing.¡± the woman was so sultry that she deliberately dragged out the last syllable. the ambiguous sound of lovemaking sounded from the room again. shi man was not in the mood to listen anymore. she quickly disappeared into the night. however, before she left the entertainment clubhouse, she felt that there was another gaze staring at her. the bug shi man installed was connected to yi zheng¡¯s computer. seeing that no one was paying attention, she flashed into the car and took off her warm mask. she panted and asked, ¡°how is it? did you hear it clearly?¡± as soon as she asked this, delicate panting and dirty words came from the earpiece. even tang zhe, who was sitting in the front seat, heard it clearly. yi zheng threw away the earpiece in his hand with a cold expression. he turned his gaze unnaturally to the window and hummed coldly. shi man suddenly felt awkward and hurriedly hung up the communicator. she changed the topic stiffly. ¡°i¡¯m referring to what cheng zhen said just now. you should have heard it, right?¡± tang zhe was speechless madam, do you have to discuss this with your fiance so calmly at this time? yi zheng slowly turned around, and the tips of his ears turned unnaturally red. ¡°yes, i heard him. the source of the goods he¡¯s talking about should be jun mo.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man snapped her fingers in agreement. ¡°so what we have to do next is continue to monitor when they start trading.¡± ¡°so?¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows slightly and narrowed his eyes at her dangerously. shi man calmly turned on the signal of the listening device. the moment the first moan came from inside, she decisively turned it off. she smiled awkwardly and waved her hand. ¡°lie¡¯s quite persistent. then let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡± yi zheng was silent. just as the others thought that he would not speak again, he suddenly mocked in an unfriendly tone, ¡°was that persistent? it was only a few minutes just now.¡± shi man was speechless. she was inexperienced and had never seen the world. that should be enough! in order to take care of yi zheng¡¯s inexplicable competitiveness, shi man chose to remain silent and not refute. this was the first time tang zhe had seen his master talk about this.. ¡°is this a conversation that 1 can listen to without paying!¡± Chapter 468 - Chapter 468: Mischievous chapter 468: mischievous translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios through the subsequent surveillance of cheng zhen¡¯s office, shi man and the others had now grasped the time and location of the transaction between him and jun mo. coincidentally, that was the time on the night of their engagement party. shi man and yi zheng quickly formulated a preliminary plan and waited for that day. at noon on monday, shi man had just finished her lunch break when shen xian and lu xiang dragged her to the fashion stylist¡¯s shop to custom-make a gown for the engagement banquet. shi man did not have any expectations for this, so she let them do what they wanted with her. by the time she was done with the measurements and discussions on the style plan, it was already three in the afternoon. lu xiang was already hungry and suggested that they go for a feast. she even called yi zheng and asked him to choose a good place to wait for them. unexpectedly, when they arrived, they realized that someone had arrived earlier than them and was still staying at the door of the private room yi zheng had booked. ¡°xinxin, why are you here?¡± shen xian walked over in confusion and grabbed zheng xin¡¯s arm to size her up. she saw a flash of impatience in her eyes. thinking of the silver needles hidden in her hand last time, she hurriedly let go and hid behind shi man. when yi zheng saw them, a smile appeared in his eyes. he took the initiative to walk to shi man¡¯s side and said, ¡°this is the restaurant you said you wanted to try last time. i haven¡¯t eaten there before. let¡¯s try it today.¡± ¡°okay.¡± shi man nodded slightly and inadvertently looked at zheng xin with a smile. ¡°uncle zheng allowed you to go out?¡± zheng xin sneered. thinking of the embarrassing incident last time, she immediately said angrily, ¡°i should indeed thank you for what happened last time, but i also told you your ending in advance. we¡¯re even, but you¡¯re not allowed to mention that day again!¡± ¡°which day?¡± lu xiang blinked in surprise, clearly not knowing what riddle zheng xin and shi man were talking about. however, shen xian knew this very well. she really didn¡¯t want her precious daughter to be frightened by zheng xin again. she pulled her behind her again and frowned. ¡°does your father know that you came out? have you recovered?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sick!¡± zheng xin¡¯s voice was sharp and ear-piercing. she wanted to warn shen xian again, but when she thought of yi zheng watching from the side, she barely suppressed her anger. she looked at yi zheng and said sweetly, ¡°yi zheng, i know you¡¯ve actually been waiting for me. now that i¡¯m here, don¡¯t get engaged to her, okay?¡± the reason why she ran out this time was because she had heard from her mother that she wanted to prepare an engagement gift for shi man. she had to stop their engagement. she would not allow the man she liked to be engaged to someone else! as for how she found this place, it was because she had secretly installed a locator in yi zheng¡¯s car! she was an outstanding mercenary in her previous life! she was not someone ordinary people like them could compare to! yi zheng ignored this woman. just as he got out of the car at the entrance of the cafeteria and handed the car keys to the waiter, she suddenly darted out from the side and asked him to marry her immediately. he wondered where this crazy woman had come from. just as he was about to ask the staff to chase her away, she said shi man¡¯s name, which made him take her seriously. shi man was his weakness. he could not leave anyone who might harm her alone. at this moment, when he heard shen xian call this crazy woman, he suddenly remembered that this person was chief zheng¡¯s only daughter, zheng xin. however, based on the current situation, the zheng family¡¯s treasure was probably very crazy. ¡°i won¡¯t marry you. shi man is my fiancee. don¡¯t spout nonsense in front of her.¡± yi zheng denied her words coldly. then, he gently held shi man¡¯s hand and was about to invite the two elders into the private room. zheng xin refused to let them in. the commotion here was too loud and had already attracted the attention of many people. shi man did not want to stay here with her and be a circus act for others. her expression suddenly darkened. ¡°do you remember what i told you last time?¡± zheng xin was forced by her aura, and the wound on her arm that had long healed suddenly hurt again. however, she still stuck out her chest stubbornly and said, ¡°so what if 1 remember? last time, i couldn¡¯t beat that old fart, but he¡¯s not here now. do you think you have the ability to hurt me?¡± shen xian¡¯s expression turned cold as well. she said sternly, ¡°xinxin, don¡¯t mess around in public. if you continue like this, i¡¯m going to call your father!¡± thinking of that old fart, zheng xin¡¯s expression turned even worse. she snorted coldly and clearly didn¡¯t take her seriously. ¡°you only know how to complain. no wonder you will die so miserably in the future! forget it, forget it. anyway, you won¡¯t live long. why should i talk nonsense with you?¡± ¡°zheng xin!¡± yi zheng couldn¡¯t take it anymore and glared at her, his fists clenched by his sides. however, zheng xin didn¡¯t take his anger seriously at all and continued to shout, ¡°why? do you still want to fight with a woman? let me tell you, if you hit me now, you¡¯ll have to chase your wife to your end in the future!¡± Chapter 469 - Chapter 469: Not a Match chapter 469: not a match translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this woman really didn¡¯t learn her lesson. did she think that no one was her match without chief zheng? shi man sneered and stopped yi zheng¡¯s arm. she took a step forward and raised her hand to slap her hard. ¡°this is for my mother. remember, you can go crazy if you want, but if you dare to speak rudely to my mother, i¡¯ll beat you until you remember!¡± zheng xin¡¯s round eyes widened, and her pupils were about to fall out of her eyes. ¡°what are you doing! i¡¯m the person with the script. if you dare to hit me, 1¡¯11 make sure you don¡¯t even have a corpse tomorrow!¡± ¡°go ahead and try.¡± shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. she raised her hand and pushed her aside, wanting to invite shen xian and lu xiang in first. zheng xin was pushed by her and almost fell to the ground. her head accidentally hit the wall at the side and her forehead was swollen. the people around her gradually looked at her with schadenfreude. although they didn¡¯t know what had happened, from the girl¡¯s words, they knew that she might be mentally abnormal and treated her as a joke. for a moment, no one stood up to speak up for her. zheng xin could sense the faint mockery around her. her face immediately flushed red like a cooked crab. she immediately grabbed shi man¡¯s arm angrily and raised her hand to return the slap. unexpectedly, not only did shi man break free from her shackles, but she also blocked her slap with her backhand. she raised her other hand high and landed on the other side of her still intact face. ¡°pa.¡± another loud slap sounded clearly in her ear. zheng xin was stunned. before she could react, the cold voice sounded above her head again. ¡°if you want to survive, you have to understand that there¡¯s always someone better. didn¡¯t anyone teach you this in the past?¡± zheng xin was surprised to hear pity in shi man¡¯s tone. her pride seemed to have been shattered by her in an instant. she pointed at shi man¡¯s nose fiercely and exhaled. she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°just you wait. i definitely won¡¯t let you have an easy time. yi zheng will only be mine!¡± shi man was not surprised that she would not stop here. she sneered, ¡°if you want to be beaten, do as you please.¡± ¡°you!¡± zheng xin wanted to continue attacking, but the burning pain on her cheek was still reminding her that she was not this woman¡¯s match at all! damn it, could it be that her strength had been suppressed after she transmigrated? otherwise, how could she have been slapped by shi man just now? zheng xin couldn¡¯t be sure for a moment, so she could only say ruthless words. she snorted and pushed away the passersby who were watching the commotion before leaving the cafeteria aggressively. she wanted to find a few people to practice and confirm her current strength! after finally chasing away the fly, lu xiang heaved a sigh of relief. her heart ached as she held shi man¡¯s hand that had hit zheng xin just now. ¡°it¡¯s been hard on you, my baby. your hand hurts, right? quickly let auntie rub it for you!¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but laugh as she sat beside her. she shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°auntie lu, i¡¯m the one who hit her. yet you¡¯re worried about whether my hand will hurt.¡± ¡°you were just defending yourself!¡± lu xiang said righteously. ¡°i saw it just now. that girl wanted to hit you! in the future, don¡¯t be soft on such people. just hit them back! otherwise, how depressing will it be when you think about how you didn¡¯t have fun beating them up!¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but to be amused by what she said. she looked at shen xian curiously and said, ¡°mom, was auntie lu especially domineering when she was young? no one dared to provoke her easily?¡± ¡°that¡¯s indeed the case.¡± shen xian, who was still in a daze, came back to her senses. she nodded with nostalgia in her eyes and said, ¡°your auntie lu has stood up for me a lot in the past. i have a soft personality and am easily targeted by the young ladies of the aristocratic families. she was the one who helped me out.¡± lu xiang placed her hands on her hips proudly and said, ¡°of course! from m city to g city, no one is my match! fortunately, manman isn¡¯t as easy to bully as your mother back then. your mother was the softest persimmon among the young ladies of the aristocratic families back then.¡± shen xian rolled her eyes at her and couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°if i wasn¡¯t a pushover, would you take the initiative to hit on me?¡± ¡°how can that be called hitting on you!¡± at the mention of what happened back then, lu xiang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°back then, you, me, and xiao jing¡­¡± the originally warm atmosphere in the private room suddenly became dead silent because of xiao jing. shi man knew that the person she was talking about was yao jing, the culprit who killed yi zheng¡¯s grandmother. only lu xiang knew the details of that matter the best. however, from today, lu xiang did not seem to hate yao jing much. when she mentioned her, her eyes were filled with nostalgia and pity. shen xian stole a glance at yi zheng¡¯s suddenly darkened expression and changed the topic with a smile. she found a waiter and ordered a few signature dishes and a bottle of good red wine. she smiled and wanted to compete with lu xiang. shi man quietly pulled yi zheng¡¯s hand under the table, and he held hers tightly.. Chapter 470 - Chapter 470: Suspected Transmigrator chapter 470: suspected transmigrator translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios since she couldn¡¯t pull her finger back, she simply let him pull her and poured herself a glass of wine with her free hand. ¡°why don¡¯t you need to custom-make yi zheng¡¯s gown? has he already prepared his?¡± at the mention of this, lu xiang¡¯s expression finally relaxed. she smiled and teased her, ¡°this kid has long secretly prepared the clothes he wants to get engaged to you!¡± ¡°mom.¡± yi zheng interrupted lu xiang with a red face and looked away unnaturally. shi man found it funny and couldn¡¯t help but lean over. the smell of alcohol hit his face. ¡°you¡¯re in such a hurry to marry me. what if i don¡¯t agree to marry you?¡± ¡°then i¡¯ll wait until you agree.¡± when yi zheng said this, his expression was especially serious. however, after he finished speaking, he turned his face away uncomfortably and faced the wall. shi man did not doubt the authenticity of his words. this really seemed like something he could do. shen xian quietly watched the sweet interaction between the two of them. the worry that zheng xin had aroused in her heart was quietly resolved. shi man turned her eyes slightly and glanced at her expression. seeing that her expression had finally returned to normal, she was relieved. she did not want shen xian to be unhappy at all, so she followed shen xian everywhere and never went against her nominal mother. however, zheng xin easily brought shen xian¡¯s emotions to rock bottom. the two slaps she had given her just now were still too light. if she dared to spout nonsense in front of shen xian again, she did not mind poisoning her until she became mute. the four of them could also chat happily. lu xiang had also drunk a little too much and staggered to the washroom. shi man hurriedly stood up and helped her over, then waited for her quietly by the sink. after lu xiang washed her face, she sobered up a little. it was unknown if it was because of the alcohol or because she had lost her composure in front of her future daughter-in-law, but her face turned red. ¡°it¡¯s auntie¡¯s fault for making manman take care of me.¡± ¡°this is what 1 should do.¡± shi man casually took a tissue and handed it to her. she asked casually, ¡°who was xiao jing you mentioned just now? why are you so unhappy when you mention her?¡± lu xiang was stunned for a moment before pretending to smile casually. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. she¡¯s just a friend from the past. later on, we¡­ fell out. she¡¯s no longer around, so let¡¯s not talk about it.¡± shi man smiled in understanding and said unhurriedly, ¡°that¡¯s a pity. i wanted to meet auntie lu¡¯s friends more! by the way, does she have a child? he should be the same age as yi zheng!¡± at the mention of this, lu xiang almost cried, but her red eyes were still well hidden by her. ¡°yes, if he¡¯s still alive, he shouldn¡¯t be much younger than yi zheng.¡± she suddenly looked up at shi man, her eyes nostalgic as if she was looking through her at some old friend she could not see again. ¡°he should be about the same age as you. it¡¯s a pity about that child. he was a genius back then.¡± ¡°oh? can you tell me about him?¡± shi man deliberately put on a curious expression and listened attentively. lu xiang had always doted on her. in addition, it was usually impossible for anyone to be willing to chat with her about this. under the influence of the dizziness, she simply told shi man. ¡°that child has been especially sensitive to electronic products since he was young. before he even knew how to speak, he could actually disassemble and reassemble the clock at home.¡± ¡°i remember that when he just learned how to walk, he dismantled one of his father¡¯s very expensive watches. later, he was scolded by his father, and he installed the watch back in front of his father.¡± ¡°he also likes to invent things. he can always make things that others don¡¯t expect.¡± ¡°but that child didn¡¯t like to smile since he was young. his expression was even darker than yi zheng¡¯s. one time, he even strangled the dog his friend gave him in public. ever since then, i haven¡¯t seen that child much, nor have 1 seen him make anything. however, his personality has changed a lot. he¡¯s more cheerful and lively than before.¡± shi man quietly accompanied her back to the private room and quietly listened to her finish before agreeing with a smile, ¡°if this child grows up, he will definitely be a rare talent.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. it¡¯s just a pity¡­¡± lu xiang wanted to say something, but she swallowed her words in the end. she forced a smile and said, ¡°let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. pretend you didn¡¯t hear what 1 said to you today. yi zheng doesn¡¯t like to hear me mention xiao jing¡¯s family. don¡¯t mention it in the yi family in the future.¡± ¡°i know,¡± shi man agreed with a smile and opened the door of the private room for her. however, the moment lu xiang turned around, shi man¡¯s originally smiling face suddenly darkened. another personality change. with zheng xin as a reminder, shi man became especially sensitive to such a sudden personality change. in addition, tang zhe said that the child was indeed dead back then. shi man could not help but wonder if the child¡¯s soul had been transmigrated the moment he was killed and was revived as another person.. Chapter 471 - Chapter 471: Tempting Fragrance chapter 471: tempting fragrance translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios for the past few days, shi man had been busy making a large number of antidotes every day and treating the people of immaculate and blood oath. she had not slept for almost a few days. fortunately, some of the results were already obvious. their dependence on drugs had decreased greatly, and it was not a waste of shi man¡¯s hard work during this period of time. sean accompanied shi man on patrol in the isolated warehouse. looking at his brothers on the hospital bed whose faces had recovered, he was happy. ¡°boss, will our brothers completely recover soon?¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man nodded slightly and said, ¡°their drug intake isn¡¯t high, so it¡¯s easy to help them quit. as long as they don¡¯t touch drugs again, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°that¡¯s great! boss, don¡¯t worry. none of us brothers are willing to touch that thing!¡± sean patted his chest confidently and promised. seeing shi man¡¯s thoughtful expression, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°boss, do you have any other concerns?¡± shi man shook her head and did not speak. she was thinking about the mole. letting immaculate and the blood oath be infected with poison at the same time was the best way to weaken her combat strength. however, she had waited and waited recently, but no one had come to attack the base. it was not a good thing to look too calm on the surface. this meant that the enemy might be planning an even more terrifying operation. sean could tell that she was in a bad mood. his eyes darted around as he guessed her intentions. ¡°boss, our brothers are sober now. should we start the interrogation now?¡± ¡°yes, it¡¯s time.¡± shi man had been waiting for this moment. ¡°alright!¡± sean naturally could not wait to know who had done this to them. he and lin si simply prepared an isolated interrogation room and set up a video recorder before inviting shi man over. shi man spent the entire day in the interrogation room and did not come out. it was not until yi zheng called in the evening that she realized that it was already very late. outside, sean walked quietly to the door and lowered his voice. ¡°boss, president yi is here to pick you up. are you leaving now?¡± ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± shi man tidied up the interrogation records on the table, took off the video recorder, and held it in her hand to see yi zheng. as soon as she got into the car, she threw the thing in her hand into his arms tiredly and leaned back in her seat, not even bothering to open her eyes. tang zhe glanced at the dark circles on shi man¡¯s face through the rearview mirror and was shocked. ¡°miss shi! the engagement ceremony is tomorrow! don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re planning to attend your own banquet with these panda eyes!¡± shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak or move. she just forced out a ¡°yes¡± reply from her nose. yi zheng glared at tang zhe and frowned slightly. his aura was a little terrifying. tang zhe hurriedly turned around and drove. he tried his best to breathe softly, afraid that he would disturb miss shi¡¯s rest and be thrown out of the window by his master. yi zheng turned his head and saw that the little girl beside him had already calmed down. her head slid down slightly and half of her body was about to fall. he sighed softly and moved his body. he placed her head on his shoulder and let her sleep comfortably. then, he looked down at the few pages in his hand. shi man¡¯s interrogation process was very detailed. she asked everyone about their experiences on the day they were poisoned in the black market. although she still could not confirm who the person behind it was, she could analyze the methods he used to poison people. one of the mercenaries said that after he arrived at the black market, he smelled a strange fragrance. this fragrance was very tempting. it could constantly arouse his desire and tempt him to find the source of the fragrance. after that, he didn¡¯t remember much. he only knew that when he woke up, all the money on him had been taken away, and he had half a bag of drug powder in his mouth. there were also people who went to the black market to do missions together. some of them were also killed in the black market, and some were unfortunately injured during missions. everyone had not been infected for long. according to them, the reason why they did not dare to admit it was because they felt that they had not been infected for long and could resolve it themselves. they did not expect the effect of this poison to be so powerful, causing the situation. after yi zheng finished reading these things, a phrase couldn¡¯t help but appear in his mind. buy and sell by force. however, the ultimate goal of the person behind the scenes was clearly not just to earn money. he must have a bigger conspiracy waiting for them. the next morning, shen xian hurriedly pulled shi man out of bed. it was not easy for shi man to sleep. when she opened her eyes, she realized that it was still dark outside. she immediately felt dizzy. ¡°mom, so early?¡± ¡°the stylist and makeup artist are already downstairs! you weren¡¯t at home ail day yesterday and didn¡¯t even do your hair properly. how could you not wake up early?¡± shen xian grabbed her arm and dragged her to the washroom. looking at her daughter in the mirror, the corners of her lips curled up. ¡°hurry up and wash up.. i¡¯ll be waiting for you downstairs!¡± Chapter 472 - Chapter 472: Uneasy chapter 472: uneasy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man was not used to someone fiddling with her hair at close range. the moment the stylist¡¯s hand touched her hair, she reflexively twisted her wrist. ¡°it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. missy, don¡¯t be nervous. 1 don¡¯t mean any harm!¡± the man in the vertical striped shirt begged her with a bitter expression. strangely, shi man was clearly twisting his wrist, but he was struggling to twist his waist as he cried out in pain. his voice was also a little feminine. ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± shi man retracted her hand apologetically. because she had done it out of reflex just now, she couldn¡¯t control her strength. if not for the stylist begging for mercy quickly, his wrist would have been dislocated. however, even though shi man restrained her strength in time, red finger marks still landed on the man¡¯s fair hand. he rubbed his aching bones aggrievedly. this time, he did not dare to act rashly. after carefully obtaining shi man¡¯s permission, he tentatively placed his fingers on her hair. seeing that she didn¡¯t have such a big reaction just now, the stylist heaved a sigh of relief. he hummed a tune and continued to style her hair happily. shen xian sat beside her. today was the first engagement party she attended as a mother. she was so happy that she could not close her mouth. to be honest, her other sons were not young anymore and were still single. this made her inexperienced this time and she was a little nervous. she had specially selected the styling team in advance so that she could dress up beautifully today. the stylist¡¯s hands seemed to be magical. in less than a few hours, he dressed the two of them so exquisitely that people could not take their eyes off them. shi man¡¯s appearance had many of shen xian¡¯s attractive features. her small face had a pair of sparkling eyes, and she was so beautiful that she did not seem real. now that she had changed her makeup and hairstyle, her already three-dimensional and exquisite facial features became even more beautiful. if not for the fact that she always exuded a faint dignity, the stylist really wanted to give her a big hug on the spot and admire the princess he had personally created. after the two of them finished styling, it was almost noon. shi man only glanced at herself in the mirror and calmly shifted her gaze to the stairs. ¡°why aren¡¯t father and brother seeing anyone? it¡¯s already this time. if they¡¯re not awake yet, i¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be too late to get ready.¡± unexpectedly, shen xian pursed her lips and smiled. she teased mysteriously, ¡°how can your brothers and your father sleep?! they went to your engagement event location to patrol early in the morning. they were afraid something will happen later!¡± shi man¡¯s engagement this time was divided into two steps. first, she invited the guests to the engagement ceremony. after everyone was there, she moved to the event location. the engagement venue was set at the largest hotel under the yi family. for this, that hotel had been closed for nearly a month to prepare for this engagement ceremony. it had to be said that other than her, the female lead, everyone else in the engagement was quite attentive. someone stood silently behind her. shi man frowned and turned around. when she saw that it was shen xian, she relaxed. ¡°mom, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°mom doesn¡¯t think you¡¯re happy? are you dissatisfied with the arrangements?¡± she actually wanted to ask if shi man had any opinions about yi zheng, but she swallowed her words. she could tell that shi man liked yi zheng, but she was frowning today and did not look like a bride-to-be who was about to get engaged. shi man shook her head helplessly, telling her mother not to think too much. actually, ever since she woke up this morning, she had been unable to feel at ease. jun mo and cheng zhen¡¯s transaction was set for tonight. the venue was an old building thousands of miles away from the engagement hotel. however, she still felt uneasy. she felt that something bad was about to happen and would make her regret it. shen xian thought that she was nervous. she comforted her softly and brought her to change into the gown that had been customized in advance. the two of them were about to go out when yi zheng¡¯s car arrived. he got out of the car and was wearing a well-tailored suit. shi man saw that the light in his eyes was bright enough to dazzle her, so she looked away unnaturally. ¡°why are you here? didn¡¯t we agree to meet at the hotel?¡± ¡°but 1 can¡¯t wait anymore.¡± yi zheng naturally held her hand. only when he brought her by his side would he feel fulfilled and at ease. otherwise, he would always feel empty and uncomfortable. shen xian chuckled and teased yi zheng. she smiled and pushed the two of them into the car. ¡°i won¡¯t sit with you. sorry to disturb you. my husband is here to pick me up!¡± she pointed at the car around the corner behind her, her eyes narrowed into slits of joy. after being married for so many years, even her daughter was old enough to be engaged, but she was still doted on by shi zhong like a little girl.. Chapter 473 - Chapter 473: Joy and Nervousness chapter 473: joy and nervousness translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the event location was filled with joy. the brothers of the shi family had a clear division of labor. eldest brother and second brother were steady and were in charge of receiving guests. shi he and shi mu were inside to check again if there were any loopholes and if the equipment was functioning normally. su tang had slept at bai xue¡¯s house last night. now, the two of them were running around the venue with red eyes. one moment, they were helping to pass the wine, and the next moment, they were running errands for the brothers. when shen xian found them, she helplessly asked them to go to the lounge next door to sleep before the ceremony started. however, su tang was worried about leaving. last night, she and bai xue carefully checked the ceremony process, afraid that there would be any mistakes. she stayed up until almost dawn before closing her eyes for a while. before she could sleep for long, she was woken up by the stylist shen xian had sent over. shi man, the protagonist, became the most idle. she sat in the dressing room and looked at the bustling crowd downstairs. she suddenly took out her cell phone from her bag and found sean. ¡°have you investigated everyone who entered and left the event location? did any strangers sneak in?¡± ¡°boss, don¡¯t worry. there¡¯s definitely nothing wrong. i¡¯ll keep a close watch here. there won¡¯t be any mistakes!¡± from the moment the first guest arrived, sean had been sitting in the car and checking the faces of the people who entered with a magnifying glass. he held a list and detailed information of the people who had entered and left today in his hand. he already remembered it very well. in order to protect his eldest son¡¯s engagement party, he had worked the entire night and did not dare to close his eyes. everything seemed to be proceeding in an orderly manner. shi man told herself not to worry, but the tense lines on her face still exposed the nervousness in her heart. yi zheng received the guests in the lobby for a while. thinking that shi man had not come out yet, he came over to take a look worriedly. unexpectedly, he saw shi man so flustered. he immediately laughed and said, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect such a calm person like you to be flustered today.¡± ¡°stop joking.¡± shi man left the window in frustration and walked to the sofa to sit down. ¡°1 keep feeling that we must have missed something. why don¡¯t we smooth out the information in our hands again?¡± ¡°okay.¡± yi zheng sat beside her easily. just as he was about to accompany her to figure out what had happened, someone suddenly knocked on the dressing room door. tang zhe stood at the door with a strange expression. he frowned and asked uncertainly, ¡°miss shi, master, the zheng family is here and brought their daughter, zheng xin. can they enter?¡± shi man sighed and waved her hand in annoyance. ¡°we have to invite her in properly. it¡¯s such a big day. if we don¡¯t let uncle zheng and aunt chi in, 1 don¡¯t know how the people outside will spread rumors about our relationship. as for zheng xin, get someone to keep an eye on her, and don¡¯t let her take the opportunity to cause trouble.¡± ¡°yes.¡± with shi man¡¯s words, it was much easier for tang zhe to deal with zheng xin next. on such an important occasion today, zheng xin could not behave atrociously like before. shen xian did not see shi man and yi zheng in the lobby. she guessed that the two of them were resting upstairs, so she came over with a smile. when she saw tang zhe standing at the door, the smile on her face deepened. ¡°why are you still here? there are many people downstairs. it¡¯s almost time. come down with me.¡± shi man and yi zheng looked at each other. she could tell how happy he was today. perhaps she should relax and enjoy her only engagement ceremony. thinking of this, shi man heaved a sigh of relief. she took the initiative to lift her skirt and stand up. ¡°let¡¯s go. don¡¯t make others wait.¡± in the hall, all the spotlights were gathered in the direction of the door. the guests had already taken their seats and found their own connections. before the ceremony began, they forcefully turned this place into their business venue. only one table had a different atmosphere. su tang sat nervously at the dining table. even the hand holding the cup was trembling. shi mu looked at her and bai xue in amusement and poured them a glass of fruit wine with low alcoholic content. he couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°it¡¯s not like you¡¯re engaged. why are you so nervous?¡± su tang shook her head gently. her eyes were still red and swollen from staying up all night. ¡°i don¡¯t know, but i¡¯m a little worried.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, manman will still live with us after the engagement. she won¡¯t leave with yi zheng.¡± shi mu thought that su tang liked to stick to shi man. now that manman was engaged first, she was a little afraid that she would be lonely in the future, so he comforted her like this. however, su tang knew that this was not what she was worried about. in the past, she would panic before something big happened. her uncle had even teased her that she was young and inexperienced. after going through more events, her mentality would calm down. gao wen sat beside her and fantasized about shi man wearing the gown she had personally designed to participate in the engagement ceremony. unfortunately, fantasies could only be fantasies. the exciting ceremonial music suddenly resounded in the hall. the spotlight circled the venue before returning to the closed door.. Chapter 474 - Chapter 474: Unforeseen Development chapter 474: unforeseen development translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the bell slowly rang in the hall at twelve o¡¯clock. the simple and solemn bell made everyone subconsciously hold their breaths. when the big bell rang for the twelfth time, the dark brown mahogany door slowly opened to both sides, revealing an extremely compatible couple outside. shi man¡¯s left hand was firmly held in yi zheng¡¯s palm. her right hand was holding her mother¡¯s arm. she was wearing a tight white gauze dress that reached her ankles. the irregular accessories at her waist perfectly highlighted the curves of her waist, and the skirt of the fishtail revealed the slenderness of her legs. yi zheng tightened his grip on her hand, frowning slightly before letting go. tang zhe could see it clearly from the side and naturally understood what his master meant. but there were so many men present now, and everyone was staring at the two protagonists. it was not good for him to gently remind those men not to stare at his madam anymore. otherwise, his master would be jealous! tang zhe simply turned his face to the side and pretended not to see. yi zheng glanced at his face and sneered. however, when he turned to look at shi man again, his face was filled with tenderness. ¡°let¡¯s go in. mom and 1 will accompany you.¡± it was not time to call her mom yet, but yi zheng called her that easily. shi man glared at him fiercely, but shen xian, who was beside him, couldn¡¯t stop smiling at this address. the couple quickly walked onto the red carpet leading to the ceremony hand in hand. the emcee stirred the atmosphere on the stage passionately. even gao wen temporarily forgot that shi man did not choose the gown she designed. she just kept shouting excitedly in her heart about shi man¡¯s stunning beauty today. when the two of them passed by a round table, shi man inexplicably heard a weak man¡¯s cry and her heart skipped a beat. she turned around and saw that chen wei¡¯s eyes and snot were mixed together. he was crying and wailing softly about his big boss¡¯s marriage. shi man looked away expressionlessly, regretting looking around just now. yi zheng tightened his grip on her hand. he smiled and whispered in her ear, ¡°in the future, you can only look at me. you¡¯re not allowed to look at any other man.¡± shi man straightened her head speechlessly, unwilling to give him another look. what was going on? she was not blind. how could she choose to be blind when she saw a man? ¡°manman, congratulations.¡± after walking for a while, a gentle male voice suddenly sounded beside him. this time, shi man didn¡¯t have to turn her head to know who was talking. just as she was about to thank him softly, yi zheng suddenly quickened his pace and pulled shi man over a long distance. at this moment, she was already quite a distance away from yuan yi. it would seem a little deliberate to turn around and thank him. she could only follow yi zheng and hurriedly walk onto the stage. shi mu thought that he could already accept the fact that his sister had been kidnapped by that damned yi zheng. however, when he saw his sister walking towards her marriage hand in hand with someone else, he gritted his teeth and wanted to fight yi zheng to death. he almost crushed the crystal glass in his hand. fortunately, a pair of soft hands saved the glass from his hand in time. shi mu turned her eyes and met bai xue¡¯s gentle and smiling eyes. the anger in his heart immediately relaxed. shi mu¡¯s heart raced as he looked at the stage again. the fierceness in his eyes was no longer there; what remained was only regret. the ceremony was held smoothly according to the predetermined process. this was the first time the emcee was working for the richest man¡¯s family. her originally nervous heart relaxed at this moment. there was only one last segment left to exchange engagement rings. as long as this was done, the two of them would be considered to have successfully gotten engaged. the lingering music suddenly sounded in the hall, and the spotlight shone evenly on the two of them. more than ten thousand red roses surrounded the two of them on the stage. bright red petals suddenly fell from the sky, and the spinning pink snow pushed the romantic atmosphere to its peak. under the emcee¡¯s instructions, yi zheng slowly took out the ring from his pocket. just as he was about to put it on her hand, he heard a loud bang behind him. dozens of bottles of wine stacked together by goblets shattered with a bang, and wine splashed on everyone nearby. the frightened female guests nearby let out ear-piercing screams one after another, and the mellow fragrance of wine immediately filled the entire auditorium. tang zhe, who was standing at the side of the stage, watched this scene in shock. his sharp gaze quickly locked onto the culprit. under yi zheng¡¯s signal, he rushed into the crowd, grabbed that person¡¯s arm, and pulled out zheng xin, who was trying to hide in the crowd. ¡°let go of me! help!¡± zheng xin kept kicking tang zhe and punching him. however, tang zhe did not seem to notice. he did not even frown as he forcefully dragged her to the front of the stage. only then did he throw her to the ground in disgust. madam zheng followed with an extremely ugly expression. she carefully looked at shen xian and hurriedly apologized on behalf of zheng xin.. Chapter 475 - Chapter 475: Complete Fallout chapter 475: complete fallout translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi zhong walked over with a cold expression and looked at zheng xin, who was lying on the ground with her hair disheveled. he frowned and said, ¡°what happened?¡± he had heard from shen xian that zheng xin was crazy now, but when he saw zheng xin today, he still felt that her expression was normal. why had she acted up again after such a short while? chief zheng also walked over with a dark expression. he glanced at zheng xin on the ground and said angrily, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you? hurry up and apologize to your uncle shi!¡± shi zhong used to dote on zheng xin very much. after all, his daughter had often caused him trouble back then. he was very jealous that chief zheng had such an obedient and sensible daughter. however, who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, shi man would become a young girl who could already hold her own, but zheng xin became mentally unstable? life was really unpredictable. chief zheng reminded zheng xin of how shi zhong doted on her when she was young. however, he had forgotten that the current zheng xin did not even care about her biological parents. why would she care about shi man¡¯s parents? she got up from the ground in a sorry state and proudly threw her hair behind her. she stared at shi man on the stage, her gaze terrifying. ¡°i said that 1 won¡¯t let yi zheng marry you. i want to duel with you!¡± ¡°a duel?¡± as soon as this was said, everyone present was stunned. shen xian frowned and gave madam zheng a look. the latter immediately pulled her daughter away awkwardly. however, zheng xin didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with her words. she shook off madam zheng¡¯s hand and said impatiently, ¡°don¡¯t touch me. who do you think you are? are you worthy of touching me?¡± madam zheng¡¯s face turned from green to white, looking extremely ugly. no mother could tolerate being scolded by her own daughter in public! she almost fled, wanting to leave her daughter at the event location and escape. however, countless pairs of eyes were staring at her now. even if she wanted to run, she didn¡¯t have the courage to take a step. lu xiang narrowed her eyes in disgust and gestured to the security officers behind her. soon, she called a group of people over to ¡°invite¡± zheng xin away. ¡°don¡¯t touch me! yi zheng is clearly my man! shi man is a third party! why are you nabbing me instead of her?¡± seeing that she was about to be taken away, zheng xin made up her mind and shouted in the hall desperately. she did not distinguish right or wrong and smeared shi man¡¯s name. the crowd, who did not know the truth, was led astray by her. their gazes could not help but turn to the couple on the stage. they were all familiar with chief zheng¡¯s daughter. she was not a young lady who behaved atrociously in the past. could it be that shi man really snatched her boyfriend and forced her into this state? the whispers around him gradually became louder. yi zheng¡¯s face was ashen. he gave tang zhe a look and asked him to quickly take her away. however, zheng xin was very satisfied with the reaction of the people at the event location. this was the popularity effect that she, the female lead, should have. she should be able to get everyone to agree with her. shi man, who dared to snatch her man, should be stepped on by her and despised by everyone! shi mu was so angry that he waved his fist and was about to rush over to tear zheng xin¡¯s mouth apart, but shi ke blocked him. he lowered his fist angrily and roared, ¡°big brother, why are you stopping me? are you just going to watch this girl spout nonsense and slander our sister?¡± ¡°she¡¯s chief zheng¡¯s daughter,¡± shi ke turned his head and replied calmly. he barely suppressed the anger in his heart and looked at chief zheng¡¯s family. ¡°i think uncle zheng and aunt chi know best what the truth is. why don¡¯t you two elders clarify in front of everyone so that the two families won¡¯t be disturbed by rumors in the future that would affect their relationship?¡± chief zheng was also very shocked that his daughter had the cheek to say such things. he felt guilty and completely lost his face. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll make things clear now.¡± ¡°don¡¯t say it! why are you interrupting!¡± zheng xin glared at her father fiercely. her cold gaze swept across everyone in the shi family and she suddenly sneered. ¡°you¡¯re all trash who are about to die. how dare you show off in front of me?¡± ¡°who the fuck are you talking about?¡± shi mu couldn¡¯t take it anymore and rushed over. just as he was about to punch zheng xin in the face, shi he hurriedly hugged his waist. ¡°don¡¯t be rash, xiao mu. if you punch down, you¡¯ll hit uncle zheng¡¯s face. uncle zheng treats us well!¡± as shi mu glared at the arrogant smile on zheng xin¡¯s face, his teeth chattered from anger. the discussion around them gradually softened. no one dared to provoke the shi family in their anger, even if they wanted to discuss it now. lu xiang didn¡¯t have to care about this. she rolled up her sleeves and slapped zheng xin¡¯s face. she pointed at the door in disgust and said, ¡°this is my son¡¯s engagement ceremony. you¡¯re not welcome here. get lost!¡± she and the zheng family were old acquaintances, but these relationships were all nonsense in front of shi man. now, she only knew that her daughter-in-law could not suffer any grievances! yi long naturally had to support his wife. moreover, it was all the zheng family¡¯s fault for not managing their daughter well.. Chapter 476 - Chapter 476: Beating Up chapter 476: beating up translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the three families stood in the middle of the hall, ready to fight. zheng xin¡¯s proud face was swollen from the slap and she immediately pounced on lu xiang crazily. yi long firmly protected his madam behind him and frowned at the pair of claws that reached out in front of him. he suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm in the blink of an eye. yi long exerted a little force and pushed zheng xin back into her parents¡¯ arms. ¡°how dare a little girl fight with an elder? i think you¡¯re seriously ill!¡± chief zheng wished he could immediately find a hole to hide in with his wife. he grabbed zheng xin¡¯s arm in anger, but his daughter bit it ruthlessly. blood immediately flowed down his sleeve and onto the ground. chief zheng endured the pain and refused to let go. zheng xin was disgusted by the smell of blood in her mouth. she let go and said evilly, ¡°if shi man doesn¡¯t agree to fight me today, 1 will never leave!¡± she turned around and pointed at the couple on the stage. seeing their compatible appearance, she suddenly felt that it was dazzling. as she struggled in chief zheng¡¯s arms, she provoked her sternly, ¡°shi man, come down and fight me if you have the guts. if 1 win, get out of the hotel. i¡¯ll be engaged to yi zheng!¡± ¡°zheng xin!¡± chief zheng untied his tie angrily and made a move to tie his daughter up again, but this time, zheng xin was like a slippery loach. taking advantage of chief zheng¡¯s opening, she twisted her body and quickly dodged to the side. a fierce glint flashed across her eyes as she rushed onto the stage to confront shi man. everyone was stunned by zheng xin¡¯s actions just now. even chief zheng did not react for a moment. in his impression, zheng xin had always been a gentle and quiet child. although she was occasionally naughty, she would never have such skills. who the hell was she? a strange thought suddenly appeared in his mind, but he quickly suppressed it. the person in front of him was undoubtedly his daughter. he blamed everything about zheng xin that was different from the past on his daughter¡¯s illness. he often heard experts say that when a patient with a split personality completely becomes another personality that he has imagined, he will magically have the skills that this personality should be proficient in, even if he has never learned them before. however, the most important thing now was that zheng xin actually ran to an engagement ceremony and made a scene. she even said that she wanted to fight the bride and snatch the groom away. chief zheng would never agree to such a ridiculous thing! ¡°zheng xin, come down! otherwise, i won¡¯t just lock you at home again!¡± in the face of his crazy daughter, even chief zheng couldn¡¯t calm down. he couldn¡¯t care less about his so-called dignity. as soon as these words were spoken, the onlookers below immediately went into a frenzy. what did he mean by locking her up at home again? could it be that zheng xin had been locked up at home before? this was news that they did not know at all. for a moment, they felt that it was novel and began to discuss it with each other. zheng xin pricked up her ears to hear how the people below praised her for her bravery and her image as the female protagonist. she did not want to hear these people discuss if she had really become a lunatic! she frowned in anger, and her disdain for chief zheng increased. there was a hint of impatience on her face. ¡°shi man, do you dare to agree or not? give me a definite answer as soon as possible. if you¡¯re afraid that it will be very embarrassing to lose to me in public, you can get lost.¡± her words were blunt. in the eyes of outsiders, she was deliberately trying to frame shi man to force her to attack her! it was said that the daughter of the shi family was a piece of trash in the past. now that she was provoked in public, was she really going to give up her fiance? shi man smiled coldly and grabbed yi zheng¡¯s hand, indicating for him not to move. she walked slowly in front of zheng xin in her ten-centimeter high heels. ¡°are you done fooling around? children who fool around will be beaten up in the end.¡± ¡°that depends on whether you have the ability!¡± zheng xin spat below the stage in disdain. she thought that she was aggressive now and that her aura could suppress shi man. she thought that everyone below would cheer for her. however, what she did not know was that shi man only needed to look down at her to instantly make her fall into the dust. comparing to the elegant bride in a custom-made gown and the female ghost who had just gotten up from the ground with disheveled hair, anyone with a discerning eye would subconsciously despise the latter. after zheng xin finished speaking, she rushed toward shi man. she glanced at the high heels under shi man¡¯s feet and thought that she would definitely be able to take shi man down easily this time. unexpectedly, the moment she pounced, shi man had already moved behind her. no one saw how shi man arrived behind zheng xin in the blink of an eye. by the time they reacted, shi man had already raised her leg slightly and kicked zheng xin¡¯s butt with her slender high heel. zheng xin staggered from her kick and felt a sharp pain in her butt. she covered her butt and stomped her feet in public. ¡°you, you ambushed me.. it didn¡¯t count just now!¡± Chapter 477 - Chapter 477: Another Kick chapter 477: another kick translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°oh?¡± shi man curled her lips sarcastically and hooked her finger at her playfully. ¡°then let¡¯s do it again.¡± zheng xin felt that the smile on her face was extremely dazzling. she immediately twisted her expression and pounced fiercely at shi man again. this time, shi man did not dodge. seeing that zheng xin¡¯s specially sharpened nails were about to reach shi man¡¯s face, everyone could not help but gasp. lu xiang hurriedly ran onto the stage to help, but yi long could tell that her son and shi man were at ease. he hugged his wife and whispered in her ear, ¡°don¡¯t be anxious. wait a little longer.¡± ¡°what are we waiting for? manman will be disfigured by that vicious woman if we wait any longer!¡± lu xiang struggled to break free from yi long¡¯s grip to rush onto the stage. however, at this moment, something unexpected happened on the stage. shi man, who was about to be scratched by zheng xin, suddenly reached out steadily and grabbed zheng xin¡¯s arm with both hands. using the force of zheng xin rushing towards her, she lowered her body and threw her to the ground. zheng xin felt as if her entire body was about to fall apart. after being a mercenary for so many years, no one had dared to hit her like this! her parents doted on her like a little princess! even when she was on a mission, there were people who took the bullet for her. this was the first time she had suffered such a serious injury! ¡°shi man!¡± the huge humiliation forced zheng xin to temporarily forget the pain in her body. she turned around and got up from the ground. she casually grabbed a long pole in the corner of the stage and waved it at shi man. ¡°be careful!¡± lu xiang widened her eyes in fear. the shi family could no longer watch helplessly. zheng xin¡¯s shot was aimed at shi man¡¯s head. even if it did not hit her head, shi man would probably be injured. they did not dare to imagine that shi man would really be injured, nor did they dare to hope that shi man could still teach zheng xin a lesson with ease. in the end, they still did not believe that shi man could deal with a crazy woman with a weapon with her bare hands. chief zheng also rushed onto the stage anxiously. with a few groups of people mixed together, it looked even more chaotic than on the stage. shi mu ran the fastest. just as he was about to rush onto the stage, zheng xin¡¯s pole was already in front of shi man. in a flash, shi man¡¯s feet moved slightly, causing zheng xin¡¯s strike to miss. she sneered at the scene of zheng xin arching her back and almost falling to the ground due to momentum. she raised her slender heel again and kicked zheng xin¡¯s butt, sending her off the stage. the change happened too suddenly. shi mu, who was standing at the edge of the stage, almost lost his balance and fell back unsteadily. fortunately, yi zheng reached out in time to grab him. otherwise, he would have lost face too. however, shi mu did not appreciate it. seeing that zheng xin could no longer cause any trouble, he diverted his attention to glare at yi zheng and shook off his hand. ¡°why didn¡¯t you help my sister just now? are you dead?¡± yi zheng was not angry at all. instead, he shrugged helplessly and said, ¡°it¡¯s better for her to vent her anger herself, right?¡± ¡°you!¡± shi mu wanted to say something, but bai xue grabbed the corner of his shirt in time, preventing him from falling out with yi zheng in public. below the stage, madam zheng hurriedly hugged her daughter and covered the bleeding wound on her forehead with tears. ¡°stop fooling around, xinxin. i¡¯m begging you. come home with me, okay?¡± zheng xin felt dizzy. she wanted to push the perfumed woman away, but her body only moved slightly before she felt nauseous. director zheng pulled her up from the ground with a livid expression. he held her under his arm and said apologetically, ¡°old shi, old yi, i¡¯ve let your family down this time. 1¡¯11 apologize to you. after i deal with this unfilial daughter of mine, i¡¯ll personally visit your families to apologize.¡± yi long and shi zhong looked at each other and saw the helplessness in each other¡¯s eyes. they were indeed old friends who had been known one another for more than ten years. this was not the fault of chief zheng and his wife after all. besides, there were so many people watching now, so they could only give him a way out and not fuss about it for the time being. unexpectedly, yi zheng was dissatisfied. the man who had been standing at the side and not saying anything suddenly narrowed his eyes and stared at the back of the zheng family¡¯s three people with a dark expression. ¡°wait, uncle zheng, have you forgotten to clarify something? i, yi zheng, only have shi man in my life. your daughter slandered manman for interfering in someone else¡¯s relationship. shouldn¡¯t you let her explain in public?¡± chief zheng stopped in his tracks and his face immediately turned red. however, yi zheng¡¯s words made sense. today was their engagement day. no one would tolerate such grievances. but¡­ he frowned and looked at his daughter, who was temporarily obedient under his arm and did not move. was this crazy girl really willing to take back her words in public and slap her own face? after thinking about it, chief zheng sighed and rubbed his eyebrows tiredly. ¡°let me speak for her..¡± Chapter 478 - Chapter 478: The Female Lead Meets the Female Lead chapter 478: the female lead meets the female lead translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°everyone.¡± chief zheng cleared his throat. he was used to attending meetings and speaking in public, but he had never felt so embarrassed. unfortunately, even if he was willing to put down his dignity and apologize on behalf of his daughter, it depended on whether the victim was willing to accept it. shi man¡¯s seemingly unintentional gaze swept across zheng xin¡¯s tight butt line as she cringed from the unbearable pain. she smiled and said, ¡°uncle zheng, these words are naturally very convincing coming from your mouth, but in order not to let such a thing happen again, i think it¡¯s better for zheng xin to say it herself.¡± chief zheng felt his body stiffen under his arm and hurriedly frowned. ¡°you know her current situation. if you force her to say it, i¡¯m afraid it will delay your engagement with yi zheng.¡± the engagement ceremony that should have ended long ago had been completely delayed by zheng xin for half an hour. it would probably be bad for their future if the ritual was interrupted. the elders always had such superstitions. this was especially so for shen xian, who had just relaxed and could not help but breathe again because of chief zheng¡¯s words. she deeply felt that such a commotion today would affect shi man and yi zheng¡¯s happiness in the future. she hurriedly advised from the side, ¡°manman, why don¡¯t we forget it? it¡¯s the same if your uncle zheng does it.¡± ¡°mom.¡± shi man knew what shen xian was worried about at a glance. she sighed helplessly and said, ¡°if zheng xin doesn¡¯t clarified this personally, it would affect yi zheng and me in the future. you don¡¯t want to hear others gossip about our relationship, right?¡± these words hit the nail on the head. sure enough, shen xian was convinced by her. she looked at her husband uncertainly. ¡°old shi, what do you think we should do now?¡± lu xiang watched all of this coldly. before shi zhong could speak, she immediately took the initiative to stand up and block chief zheng¡¯s path. ¡°i think you shouldn¡¯t leave either. my daughter-in-law said to let your daughter clarify herself. what else do you have to protect?¡± her words made it clear that she stood on shi man¡¯s side without hesitation. chief zheng had a bitter expression on his face as he explained to her humbly, ¡°xiaoxiang, i¡¯m not protecting my daughter. you¡¯ve seen xinxin¡¯s current state. it might take a long time for her to speak up personally. there¡¯s really no need!¡± ¡°why not? your daughter is a treasure, but someone else¡¯s daughter is not?¡± lu xiang rolled her eyes at him and stood in front of him firmly with her hands on her hips. ¡°ask your daughter to apologize personally. otherwise, we won¡¯t let this matter rest!¡± shen xian did not expect lu xiang to be so bold. she could not help but blush in shame. she ran to lu xiang¡¯s side and blocked the door. ¡°yes, we can¡¯t let this matter go just like that. let them resolve the children¡¯s matters themselves!¡± chief zheng had no choice. he was stuck in a dilemma. in the end, he could only let go of his daughter and urge her to quickly take back her nonsense and stop embarrassing herself. zheng xin had just recovered from this dizziness, but the pain in her butt had yet to subside. at this moment, it was a problem for her to even stand firm, but she could only maintain her dignity. she forced herself to be stubborn and said, ¡°what 1 said just now was true! yi zheng was my man. later on, he was snatched away by shi man!¡± chief zheng wished he could slap her. he was so angry that his heart was pounding in his chest, and his face suddenly turned pale. seeing this, madam zheng hurriedly helped him sit down at the side, afraid that he would collapse at this moment. when that happened, she and xinxin would not be able to clean up the mess on their own. on the stage, shi man stood on the carpet covered in red petals like the most beautiful rose among the flowers. she looked down at the stubborn zheng xin and gently curled her lips. ¡°then tell me, when did you get together with yi zheng?¡± ¡°a year ago!¡± zheng xin replied weakly. su tang stood up angrily and scolded, ¡°nonsense! a year ago, i was still placed in the yi family by my uncle. if you¡¯re really brother yi zheng¡¯s girlfriend, why haven¡¯t i seen you before?¡± zheng xin immediately curled her lips in disdain and said, ¡°who are you? why would yi zheng tell you about our relationship? who do you think you are?¡± she rolled her eyes and mocked this weak-looking girl. however, just as she said that, she suddenly remembered the plot in the book. wasn¡¯t the woman yi zheng officially married the orphan daughter who had been fostered in his house from the beginning? could this person be¡­ ¡°are you su tang?¡± zheng xin sized her up and did not see any denial in her eyes. she nodded in realization. ¡°no wonder you¡¯re so arrogant. you¡¯re very angry that yi zheng married someone else today, right? after all, without shi man, the person he married would be you!¡± ¡°what nonsense are you talking about!¡± su tang was so angry that she almost cried. what she was most afraid of was that shi man would continue to misunderstand her relationship with yi zheng. therefore, even if yi zheng often came to the shi family as a guest, she tried her best to avoid him and not interact with him.. Chapter 479 - Chapter 479: Recognizing Reality chapter 479: recognizing reality translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios but now, this lunatic actually slandered her innocence. su tang was really angry and lost her rationality for a moment. before her tears fell, she suddenly flashed and appeared in front of zheng xin a moment later. before zheng xin could be stunned, su tang¡¯s fist swung out heavily. shi ke was the closest and hurriedly grabbed her arm. otherwise, zheng xin¡¯s face would probably be swollen after being hit. su tang opened her wet eyes and looked up anxiously at the owner of the arm. shi ke shook his head gently at her and said, ¡°don¡¯t be anxious. we all believe you. let her explain herself first.¡± seeing that su tang¡¯s eyes had regained their calm, he let go of her hand and took a step forward to stand in front of zheng xin. ¡°you didn¡¯t know who su tang was just now, but in the blink of an eye, you said that she would marry yi zheng. isn¡¯t that too ridiculous?¡± zheng xin avoided his gaze and stammered, ¡°what do you know? 1 know a lot.¡± she looked at the dignified shi ke and couldn¡¯t help but swallow. ¡°do you want to know how you will die? take your sister away and 1¡¯11 tell you.¡± ¡°she¡¯s really a lunatic.¡± shi ke rubbed his eyebrows in frustration. his gaze passed everyone and landed on shi man on the stage, silently asking her what she meant. in his opinion, what she had just said was enough to prove that zheng xin was mentally unstable. there would be no outcome if they continued to pester her. it was better to let her leave quickly and not continue to be an eyesore. shi man¡¯s calm gaze slowly landed on zheng xin. before she could speak, zheng xin could not help but shiver. shi man did not hold back on the two kicks just now. now, her bones were about to fall apart, and she subconsciously felt afraid of shi man. ¡°why are you looking at me? i¡¯m telling the truth!¡± zheng xin glared at shi man meekly, her arrogance clearly weakening. shi man opened her thin lips coldly and said, ¡°when you¡¯re making wild guesses about someone else¡¯s future, don¡¯t you plan to see your own?¡± her future? zheng xin sneered and said indifferently, ¡°of course my future is better than yours. i¡¯m¡­¡± before she could say the words ¡°female lead¡±, she suddenly realized that the way everyone looked at her had suddenly changed. it was completely different from what she had imagined! there was pity, mockery, and the look of someone watching a good show in their eyes, but there was no admiration like she had imagined. she came back to her senses in a daze and looked at the group of people surrounding her. all of them were hostile to her and wished they could kill her. in her previous life, zheng xin, who was doted on by her parents and praised by the mercenaries, had never received such treatment. her parents¡¯ bias and status made her take it for granted that everyone would like her from the moment they saw her and send her all the best things with their tails wagging. but she had forgotten that without her high-ranking parents, she was like a piece of driftwood moving along with the tide. she had no one to rely on and was tattered. she could not obtain anyone¡¯s love. ¡°i¡­¡± zheng xin¡¯s lips trembled. for the first time, she realized that this world was probably not a simple game. she didn¡¯t know how to return to her parents. without her parents, it had become abnormally difficult for her to even survive in an unfamiliar world. seeing that her daughter seemed to have regained her consciousness, madam zheng wiped her tears and carefully pulled her into her arms. zheng xin suddenly realized that this woman, who she had always thought of as an ordinary npc, could actually be so warm when she hugged her. she finally realized something and tears flowed down her eyes aggrievedly. she muttered to herself, ¡°don¡¯t bully me. i¡¯m very powerful. none of you are allowed to bully me.¡± shen xian looked at this child, who was arrogant and domineering one moment and crying the next. she couldn¡¯t bear to see her cry. she looked up at her daughter on the stage. ¡°manman, why don¡¯t we let this matter go? actually, everyone knows what happened just now.¡± no one would believe the words of a lunatic. of course, shi man understood this logic, but the reason why she did this just now was because she wanted zheng xin to recognize her situation as soon as possible and not cause trouble for her. fortunately, this lunatic could finally listen to her. shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her breath on her anymore. she waved her hand casually and said, ¡°forget it, uncle zheng, aunt chi. take her away.¡± madam zheng was naturally grateful to shi man. after apologizing repeatedly, she helped her daughter out of the hotel with her husband. the farce finally came to an end. the wine in the corner had already been cleaned up by the waiter tang zhe had found. everyone sat back down, but when they looked at the three empty seats again, they could not help but sigh in their hearts. this ceremony was successfully completed. as planned, yi zheng put the ring he had carefully chosen on shi man¡¯s hand and looked at her with gentleness. after the banquet ended, everyone moved to the event location of the ball that had been prepared in advance. all kinds of dining tables were neatly placed at the periphery of the hall. the main hall was also designed by yi zheng. unfortunately, he and shi man were destined not to have so much time to enjoy this ball tonight.. Chapter 480 - Chapter 480: Fatal Deal chapter 480: fatal deal translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as soon as night fell, shi man and yi zheng found an excuse to leave the hotel for the time being. they changed into light clothes and drove into the night. tang zhe was left behind to account for their sudden disappearance, in case others suspected what had happened tonight. shi man could not rest assured that shen xian and the others did not have their own people watching them, so neither of them planned to bring tang zhe along. without tang zhe, yi zheng could only drive himself. he looked at the location displayed on the locator and suddenly turned the steering wheel. the back of the car swung out in a beautiful drift, allowing the car to stop steadily by the roadside. ¡°we¡¯re here.¡± yi zheng pointed at the red dot that kept jumping on the screen and said, ¡°this place is only two intersections away from the transaction location. we¡¯ll go over ourselves.¡± shi man nodded in agreement and got out of the car without hesitation to sneak into a darker place with yi zheng. in front of the abandoned building, the traces of two wheels were clearly imprinted on the sand. cheng zhen sat in the car calmly. he wore a black mask and looked like a ghost in the night. ¡°boss.¡± the man sitting in the front passenger seat turned around slightly and lowered his head respectfully. ¡°the other party hasn¡¯t come yet. could they be playing with us?¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve made a deal with him. in our line of work, there¡¯s nothing wrong with being cautious.¡± cheng zhen turned his head slightly and looked at the quiet building outside the window through his mask. he said calmly, ¡°let¡¯s wait a little longer. if he¡¯s not here yet, forget it this time.¡± as soon as he finished speaking, the dazzling lights suddenly lit up in front of them. a pure black van stopped in front of them. cheng zhen sneered and asked his subordinate to open the car door for him. then, he slowly got out of the car and said, ¡°boss jun, you¡¯re so imposing. we¡¯re here to discuss business this time. there¡¯s no need for you to establish your might here.¡± the only response he got was the lights off. right on the heels of that, a man in a suit got out of the front passenger seat and stood in front of him with an apologetic expression. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, boss cheng. our boss didn¡¯t come today. i¡¯ll personally trade this batch of goods with you.¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± cheng zhen widened his eyes in anger. through the thick mask, he felt even more suffocated. ¡°our boss can¡¯t come personally today,¡± the person repeated fearlessly. he smiled and looked at the watch on his wrist. ¡°of course, you have the right to reject this deal, but my time is limited. please consider it as soon as possible.¡± cheng zhen snorted and turned around without hesitation. he had always made deals with jun mo face-to-face. they handed over the money and the goods at the same time to ensure that neither party played any tricks. there was no choice. after all, jun mo had killed the boss he had once followed wholeheartedly. when he did business with such a ruthless person, he had to show him full sincerity first. but this time, jun mo actually went back on his word! cheng zhen was about to leave without thinking, but before he could sit back in the car, he suddenly couldn¡¯t bear to part with the large amount of wealth this batch of goods could exchange for him. he looked at him again with a straight face and said, ¡°there won¡¯t be a next time. otherwise, our deal in the future will be canceled.¡± ¡°of course.¡± the person smiled and gestured for someone to open the car door for him to inspect the goods. the back door was slowly pulled open. the dark building seemed to have opened a black mouth, as if it could swallow cheng zhen at any moment. this time, the goods jun mo got someone to bring were still as good and cheap as before. cheng zhen¡¯s greedy gaze swept across it, and the corners of his mouth subconsciously curled up to his ears. ¡°good, that¡¯s good! quick, give me money!¡± he had just raised his hand to signal for his people to take the money box down from the car when he heard a gunshot. before cheng zhen could stop smiling, a huge hole was suddenly pierced through his chest by the bullet. the blood that flowed out was dyed black by the night. ¡°boss cheng?¡± at this moment, the person who came to make the deal for jun mo realized something. he watched helplessly as cheng zhen¡¯s body suddenly fell to the ground. after being stunned for a moment, his eyes were only filled with fear. ¡°there¡¯s someone else here! run!¡± the person reacted quickly. he threw out the arm that cheng zhen had landed in the car and quickly sat in the car, getting the chauffeur to quickly drive away. cheng zhen¡¯s men did not expect such a sudden change. they hurriedly helped their boss into the car and chased after him. the two cars drove into the night at the same time. shi man left the gun at the event location and fired a few more bullets in the air. after dealing with the traces, she quickly followed behind with yi zheng. yi zheng drove calmly and quickly caught up to them. next, as long as they followed at a moderate distance, they would naturally know where jun mo was hiding. shi man could not hide the smile on her lips. she heaved a long sigh of relief and said, ¡°this scum can finally be dealt with.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t expect my madam to have such a sense of justice.¡± yi zheng smiled and rubbed the top of her head. coincidentally, her phone rang at this moment. shi man threw away his hand and picked up the call with a smile. but before she could say anything, su tang¡¯s terrified cry came from the other end of the phone.. ¡°manman, where did you go? come back quickly! mom is missing!¡± Chapter 481 - Chapter 481: A Strange Fragrance Attacks chapter 481: a strange fragrance attacks translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng braked and stopped at the intersection. through the street lights outside, he could clearly see the blood on shi man¡¯s face disappear in an instant. no matter how careful they were, the uneasiness in shi man¡¯s heart came true. ¡°let¡¯s go back.¡± shi man made a decision the moment she hung up. going back would mean giving up on continuing to track the car. they would miss an excellent opportunity to find jun mo¡¯s hiding place. but if they continued forward, shen xian¡¯s fate was unimown. yi zheng stepped on the accelerator and turned the car back to the hotel. on the way, he didn¡¯t forget to hold her cold hand and comfort her. ¡°don¡¯t worry. tang zhe is watching the hotel. let¡¯s go back and take a look at the situation first. it shouldn¡¯t be too bad.¡± ¡°my heart is always in a mess.¡± shi man looked at the rapidly retreating street outside the car in frustration and muttered, ¡°i can¡¯t live without shen xian.¡± in a moment of desperation, she even forgot to call shen xian her mother. she only muttered that she could not live without her. to shi man, shen xian was not her biological mother, but she gave shi man a warmth that she had never experienced before. without shen xian, shi man would probably return to being the cold-blooded and heartless killing machine from before. she would become a stray dog and return to the darkness, never to see the light of day again. to her, shen xian was a full moon that was enough to illuminate the night. it was bright and gentle, not as dazzling as the sun, but it gave her enough warmth. the car stopped at the entrance of the hotel. sean hurriedly ran out of the car and asked, ¡°boss, why did you come back from outside? why didn¡¯t 1 see you come out?¡± ¡°have you been here?¡± shi man stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. sean nodded in confusion. ¡°that¡¯s right. boss, you instructed me to keep an eye on this place for the entire day. 1 didn¡¯t even dare to blink and kept looking at the door.¡± shi man frowned and asked, ¡°then did you see anyone suspicious come in?¡± sean shook his head without hesitation. ¡°absolutely not. 1 was at the door the whole time. no one but the guests on the list had ever entered this hotel.¡± ¡°got it.¡± shi man turned around and continued walking hurriedly into the hotel. sean jogged after her in a daze, wanting to know what had happened to make his boss¡¯s expression turn so bad. however, he did not have the courage to chase after her. after shi man said, ¡°continue watching and don¡¯t let anyone take advantage of the situation,¡± she walked into the hotel with yi zheng. at this moment, the scene in the hotel was completely different from the engagement party. during the day, this was a business place for drinking and chatting, but now, everyone was lying on the ground. one or two people woke up, but they were all holding their heads in confusion, looking like they had a splitting headache. shi man casually grabbed a waiter and asked coldly, ¡°where are the shi and yi families?¡± she had seen clearly just now that everyone in the ball hall was a guest on the list, but none of the people they were really worried about were around. the waiter blinked blankly. after a while, his blurry vision became clear. after seeing shi man¡¯s face clearly, he opened his mouth in surprise. ¡°miss shi? why are you here with ceo yi? didn¡¯t secretary tang say that the two of you couldn¡¯t handle the alcohol and had already gone to the guest room upstairs to rest?¡± this was tang zhe¡¯s excuse for the two of them suddenly disappearing. it seemed that he would not be able to get anything out of this waiter. shi man let go of the person¡¯s collar and scanned the hall carefully again. yi zheng took her hand and pointed in the direction of the stairs. ¡°let¡¯s go upstairs and take a look. aunt shen is gone. they might be looking for her in every room.¡± shi man¡¯s eyes turned cold as she quickly walked up the stairs with yi zheng. as soon as she went upstairs, she heard su tang shouting. shi man walked over quickly and finally found her at the innermost staircase on the third floor. ¡°what¡¯s going on? what happened?¡± ¡°manman! you¡¯re finally back!¡± su tang was so excited that she wanted to cry, but she still had something important to say. she held back her tears and said, ¡°the ball was going well just now. i suddenly smelled a strange fragrance. 1 felt that this smell was strange, so 1 covered my mouth and nose and hid. later on, everyone actually collapsed one after another. at that time, mom wasn¡¯t in the hall. i wanted to sneak out and look for her, but i was afraid of being exposed, so 1 hid under the small dining table.¡± ¡°then secretary tang came in from outside. when he saw everyone, he covered his mouth and nose and ran out. he brought a basin of water over and woke up my brothers and auntie lu. i ran out with him and kept looking for mom. manman, what should 1 do? i searched for a long time but couldn¡¯t find her!¡± ¡°a strange fragrance?¡± shi man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. in an instant, all the blood in her body seemed to have been sucked dry. wasn¡¯t that the same situation as when immaculate was poisoned in the black market?! oh no! shi man didn¡¯t have time to listen to the rest of the content and ran upstairs in a panic.. Chapter 482 - Chapter 482: Drug chapter 482: drug translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tang zhe had already finished searching the third floor alone. the waiters who were not in the lobby at that time and could still stay awake without smelling the strange fragrance had been divided into two groups. a group of people were in charge of guarding the back door of the hotel. sean was watching the front door, so they didn¡¯t need anyone for the time being. another group of people was still searching upstairs. as soon as there was news, they would immediately come and inform him. however, after more than ten minutes, there was still no news. shi man and the other two rushed upstairs to meet tang zhe. seeing yi zheng return, tang zhe was obviously relieved. he immediately had a backbone and stood at the side to ask for his opinion. yi zheng pondered for a moment and frowned. ¡°we¡¯ve basically searched all the floors. that person must be hiding somewhere we didn¡¯t expect.¡± shi man punched the wall and looked at the hotel floor plan beside her. she said coldly, ¡°have you searched the basement and warehouse?¡± ¡°i did,¡± tang zhe quickly replied. in the end, he paused for a moment and said, ¡°i placed the rest of the shi and yi families in the room. although they have woken up, they are not too alert. in order to avoid any accidents, i didn¡¯t let them move.¡± ¡°well done.¡± shi man clenched her fists and looked around hurriedly. she suddenly thought of something and a glint of hope flashed across her eyes. ¡°what about the rooftop? did you send someone to look there?¡± tang zhe was stunned for a moment before realizing that he had actually left such a huge mistake. he only knew that he was wandering around the hotel like a headless fly, but he had completely forgotten that a place like the rooftop could also hide people! shi man didn¡¯t have time to wait for him to answer. she turned around and ran towards the stairs. the elevator was narrow and sealed. this time, the other party had used some special spice. if they rashly entered the elevator, they might fall into the enemy¡¯s trap. the night sky quietly darkened between her fingers. the prestige of the roof was wrapped in a faint fragrance, blowing the stray hairs on the unconscious woman¡¯s temples. feeling a cold hand gently brush across her cheek, shen xian turned her head away uncomfortably. however, when she thought about how today was shi man¡¯s engagement ceremony, her groggy consciousness suddenly became clear. ¡°oh, you¡¯re awake?¡± the teasing voice above her called shen xian back to her senses. she opened her eyes slightly and was caught off guard by that person¡¯s ruthless and ferocious eyes. she suddenly screamed in fear. ¡°why are you still here?¡± shen xian wanted to struggle back for a distance, but her body was already tied to the empty iron shelf on the roof. her hands were tied behind her back by the rope and she could not move. that person seemed to be very satisfied with her frightened and helpless expression at this moment. her long hair naturally fell beside her ear, covering her abnormally red and swollen cheeks. the corners of her lips curled up slightly as she wanted to mock her, but the moment she smiled, she felt the pain on her face. her expression immediately turned ferocious again. ¡°it¡¯s all your fault.¡± the person slowly raised her arm, revealing the bag she had been holding tightly in her palm. she opened his hand and showed it to her. ¡°do you know what this is?¡± shen xian¡¯s gaze paused on the bag of white powder for a moment. a chill ran down her spine and into her mind. she shook her head desperately, her eyes filled with tears of fear. ¡°1 don¡¯t know. don¡¯t do anything rash. you¡¯re still a child. don¡¯t force yourself to a dead end!¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you the ones who forced me to a dead end?!¡± she gritted her teeth and pinched shen xian¡¯s chin, forcing her to open her mouth in her palm. her other hand shook open the bag, and her eyes flashed fiercely. ¡°no.¡± shen xian shook her head with all her might, and tears flowed down her hands. however, in her opinion, shen xian¡¯s struggle was just a dying struggle. the reason why she did not make a move for a long time was because she wanted to wait for shen xian to wake up so that she could see with her own eyes how much this high and mighty woman was willing to humble herself in order to survive! she wanted to step on shen xian like an ant! ¡°beg me, aunt shen.¡± she let go of shen xian¡¯s hand and untied the rope tied to shen xian¡¯s leg. she crossed her arms and smiled. ¡°if you kneel down and beg me, i won¡¯t feed this thing in.¡± ¡°no.¡± shen xian still shook her head desperately, but she did not shed another tear. ¡°repent and you¡¯ll be saved. don¡¯t continue to be wrong! think about your parents! you¡¯re their only daughter!¡± ¡°zheng is not my father! that woman is not worthy of being my mother!¡± she sneered, and a bloodthirsty smile appeared on her lips. ¡°i¡¯ll give you ten seconds to consider carefully. what i have in my hand is the most popular drug on the market now. if you consume it, you should know what the effect will be.¡± shen xian widened her eyes in shock. her lips trembled as if she wanted to ask her why she had such a thing, but seeing the crazy smile in zheng xin¡¯s eyes, she suddenly felt that this question was meaningless. she had been missing for so long, but her family had not appeared until now. it could only mean that they might have been killed.. she did not have the time to continue wasting here! Chapter 483 - Chapter 483: Dare to Kill chapter 483: dare to kill translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°will you let me go and let me find my family as long as 1 do as you say?¡± shen xian¡¯s expression darkened, and her eyes were no longer as bright as usual. zheng xin did not seem to expect shen xian to really compromise. she widened her eyes in surprise and chuckled. ¡°yes, as long as you kneel down and apologize to me and promise not to tell anyone about seeing me here today, i can let you go.¡± shen xian lowered her head, as if she was seriously considering what she had said. the silence did not last long between the two of them. shen xian sighed in resignation, and her eyes gradually became firm. ¡°alright, 1¡¯11 apologize to you.¡± a flash of ecstasy appeared in zheng xin¡¯s eyes. right on the heels of that, she saw shen xian moving her legs with difficulty. she hunched her body with a chair on her back, and her legs were bent and trembling. ¡°kneel!¡± that person urged her impatiently. her patience was completely exhausted. she wished she could rush up and press shen xian¡¯s head to make the proud woman kneel in front of her. shen xian silently shed a tear. her lips pursed into a straight line as she closed her eyes in humiliation. her knees suddenly sank. seeing that her dream was about to come true, that person focused all her attention on shen xian and did not notice that a ghost-like person had already stood behind her. the silver dagger could still glow coldly in the dark night. a cold voice sounded behind her ear. ¡°don¡¯t move.¡± when shen xian heard this familiar voice, her bent knees suddenly paused. in the next second, a pair of strong arms lifted her up and made her sit back down steadily. ¡°mom!¡± seeing that the attacker had been subdued by shi man, su tang ran over anxiously to untie her. shen xian looked at yi zheng and su tang standing beside her in shock, then at shi man, who was holding a dagger and had a cold expression on her face. she suddenly felt a lump in her throat. ¡°that¡¯s great. you¡¯re fine.¡± su tang hugged shen xian with tears of joy, and her tears wet her shoulder. shen xian suddenly thought of something and suddenly looked toward her attacker. her expression was dark as she said, ¡°zheng xin, don¡¯t you know how wrong you are?¡± with a knife to her neck, zheng xin finally knew what fear was. however, she had come this time to take revenge with the mentality of risking everything. she would not show fear just because of this threat. she curled her lips into a cold smile indifferently. ¡°wrong? you¡¯re clearly the ones in the wrong! how dare a group of ants shout in front of me!¡± the blade in front of her neck suddenly stuck in her flesh. zheng xin gasped in pain, but the provocation in her eyes did not decrease at all. ¡°don¡¯t think that i¡¯m afraid of you just because you have a knife. if you have the guts, kill me! let me see if you really dare to kill someone!¡± shi man stood with her back facing the moonlight, half of her face hidden in the darkness, making it impossible to see her emotions. she narrowed her eyes and gave su tang a look. su tang immediately understood and gently helped shen xian stand up. ¡°mom, 1¡¯11 bring you to see brothers and father first.¡± ¡°how are they?¡± shen xian held her hand tightly and asked. su tang shook her head gently. ¡°they¡¯re fine. brother tang came in time. i¡¯ll bring you to see them first. leave this to brother yi zheng and manman.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± shen xian was still a little worried. she turned around and saw the dagger. her eyelids twitched unnaturally.¡± manman, you can¡¯t do anything stupid! put away the knife later, okay?¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t take her life,¡± shi man replied in a gentle voice. shen xian looked at yi zheng hopefully and asked him to protect shi man no matter what. only then did she walk down the rooftop with su tang¡¯s support. the rooftop instantly became empty. shi man waited for shen xian to leave before putting away the dagger. she pushed her aside in disgust, picked up the bag in her hand, and smiled coldly. ¡°tell me, who asked you to come? who gave you this?¡± ¡°i got it myself!¡± zheng xin stood up in a sorry state and reached out to wipe the blood flowing down her neck. she sneered and said, ¡°i thought you had some ability. are you letting go of the knife so quickly?¡± shi man glanced at her and said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°this is the first time i¡¯ve seen someone so eager to die.¡± zheng xin raised her head proudly and said, ¡°i¡¯ve already said that 1 won¡¯t die at all. 1 have the halo of a protagonist. you won¡¯t understand even if i tell you.¡± shi man sneered and walked up to her step by step with the dagger. the sharp tip of the knife slid mercilessly past her skin and pierced into the wall behind her. ¡°i¡¯ll ask you one last time. who asked you to come here?¡± zheng xin was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t speak. her face was pale, but she insisted, ¡°no one! you don¡¯t dare to really kill anyone. don¡¯t swing a knife at me.¡± ¡°who said 1 don¡¯t dare to kill?¡± shi man¡¯s cold gaze slowly moved from her face to her neck. the dagger was gently pulled out of the wall and suddenly placed in front of her.. Chapter 484 - Chapter 484: Protagonist Halo chapter 484: protagonist halo translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zheng xin was actually hedging. she was betting that shi man did not dare to really do anything to her, but when she met those cold eyes, she still could not help but feel afraid. she had only seen such eyes on the faces of the mercenary seniors who killed people like flies. but how was this possible? shi man was just a spoiled young lady. other than complementing the beauty of the protagonist, she was useless in the book. although she was only reading a doujin novel, a doujin novel was created on the basis of the original book¡¯s settings. the character setup should be about the same. shi man should not have such a pair of eyes that made her fearful. the blade in front of her neck came an inch closer and cut into her flesh again. the pain attacked her again, and zheng xin knew fear. shi man¡¯s hand holding the knife was very stable. she cut into her flesh inch by inch, but it would not hurt her life. it would only make her feel that her flesh was being cut bit by bit, but she could not even speak. ¡°let go of me.¡± zheng xin tried her best to crane her neck back, but there was a wall behind her. she had been forced to the point of no return. the blade was still ruthlessly cutting into her flesh. zheng xin felt that even breathing was gradually becoming difficult. the blood in her chest was sticky, and the smell of blood gradually dissipated in the air. the pain in her body made her grimace in terror. ¡°don¡¯t¡­¡± zheng xin could barely squeeze out this word in a hoarse voice. her vision was already black from the pain. the aura of death was still slowly approaching. she pushed shi man weakly with both hands, her heart beating so fast that she could not breathe. ¡°please, don¡¯t kill me¡­¡± shi man sneered and stopped what she was doing. she teased her playfully, ¡°did i hear wrongly? does the female lead beg for mercy?¡± zheng xin¡¯s face turned red. she had always thought that she was fearless, but when she was really on the verge of death, she could not help but become afraid. seeing that shi man had no intention of retracting the knife in her hand, zheng xin could not care less about her pride and hurriedly apologized to her. in order to survive, the arrogant girl was willing to bow down to shi man. however, shi man knew that she had no intention of really being obedient. this was just a temporary method to make shi man lower her guard. shi man did not have the patience to listen to zheng xin¡¯s nonsense. she pulled out the knife in her hand and grabbed zheng xin¡¯s hair, forcing her to raise her head in a sorry state. ¡°i want to know who gave you the drugs.¡± a trace of hesitation flashed across zheng xin¡¯s eyes, but this hesitation quickly disappeared in shi man¡¯s cold gaze. just as she was about to speak, the door to the rooftop was suddenly kicked open from the outside. su tang ran in anxiously to block the view of the people behind her. she hurriedly said, ¡°manman, bad news. chief zheng is here with the police!¡± shi man frowned and put away the dagger. she retracted her hand that was holding zheng xin¡¯s hair and said coldly, ¡°who called the police?¡± tang zhe lowered his voice and reminded her, ¡°the guests in the lobby are already waking up one after another. one of them must have called the police.¡± as soon as she finished speaking, a few sirens warning ambulances stopped downstairs of the hotel at the same time. when shi man heard this sound, her cold face turned cold again. zheng xin finally regained her freedom as she wished. at this moment, she couldn¡¯t care less about the pain of her wound. she laughed and mocked shi man. ¡°i said that i¡¯m the female lead. my protagonist halo has finally taken effect! the police are here. 1 want to tell the police everything about you threatening me with a knife!¡± ¡°explain the drugs in your hand first.¡± shi man looked away indifferently and heard the messy footsteps at the rooftop door. her heart sank slightly. with madam zheng¡¯s help, shen xian staggered over. chief zheng stood at the front with a cold expression, staring straight at his daughter, who was supposed to be locked in the room. ¡°how did you come out?¡± the moment he received shen xian¡¯s call, chief zheng¡¯s first reaction was disbelief. he quickly rushed to the door of zheng xin¡¯s room. there were no signs of the door being pried open, but at this moment, she was really standing on the rooftop of the hotel. her chest was covered in blood, and she was holding it in her hand¡­ when chief zheng saw the thing clearly, his pupils suddenly dilated. he pointed at her nose angrily and scolded, ¡°unfilial daughter! where did you get this?¡± zheng xin survived and thought that her protagonist halo had worked. she looked at the bag that had appeared in her hand again and mocked unscrupulously, ¡°why should i tell you?¡± ¡°because i¡¯m your father and i¡¯m a police officer for the people!¡± chief zheng glared at her. other than the anger that was about to explode, there was also an imperceptible begging in his eyes. however, zheng xin did not take him seriously at all and continued to confront him unrepentantly. ¡°xinxin.¡± madam zheng still had a trace of hope, thinking that as long as she treated her well, she could slowly return to normal. however, chief zheng no longer had any hope. touching drugs was a crime. he lowered his head and waved tiredly behind him. two narcotics police officers passed by him on both sides and arrested zheng xin.. Chapter 485 - Chapter 485: The Wrong Beginning chapter 485: the wrong beginning translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when zheng xin was taken away, she was still not in a good state. it was not until the cold handcuffs were put on her hands that she suddenly came back to her senses and struggled violently. seeing that she was the leader¡¯s daughter, the two police officers didn¡¯t dare to use too much strength and almost couldn¡¯t hold her down. zheng xin kept twisting her body and kicking her legs as she walked. she roared miserably, ¡°zheng, how dare you let someone arrest me! didn¡¯t you say that i¡¯m your daughter? how can you treat me like this?¡± chief zheng closed his eyes in pain, and there was an imperceptible sob in his strong voice. ¡°but i¡¯m also a police officer! take her away!¡± ¡°xinxin!¡± madam zheng cried and wanted to pounce over to save zheng xin, but she was personally stopped by chief zheng. she watched helplessly as her daughter was brought down from the rooftop. chief zheng barely stabilized his emotions. he turned around and looked at shi man strangely. ¡°when did you change your clothes?¡± only then did shi man remember that she and yi zheng had rushed back from outside and had actually forgotten to change out of their casual clothes because they were in a hurry to find shen xian. she could only frown and answer without changing her expression, ¡°just now, i felt uncomfortable wearing the gown, so i changed back into my own clothes.¡± chief zheng didn¡¯t suspect anything. his gaze slid across her collar which was stained with blood. ¡°are you injured?¡± shi man shook her head gently. chief zheng sighed. when he turned to face shen xian, he felt ashamed. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. it¡¯s all my fault for not keeping an eye on zheng xin. however, i guess the reason behind this matter isn¡¯t so simple. when i obtain the results of investigation, i¡¯ll definitely tell you the truth immediately.¡± shen xian shook her head tiredly. her body swayed unsteadily and she quickly fell into a warm embrace. ¡°mom, i¡¯ll help you back to rest.¡± shi man¡¯s calm eyes swept past her and landed on chief zheng. ¡°uncle zheng, is that okay?¡± logically speaking, everyone present had to return to the police station with him for an investigation, but he was in the wrong after all. he could only make an exception and nod. ¡°alright, you guys go back first. tomorrow, my police officer will go to your house to take a statement. you must cooperate.¡± ¡°got it.¡± shi man and yi zheng looked at each other and helped shen xian into the car. yi zheng¡¯s parents, like the shi family, had been sent to the hospital by an ambulance because they had inhaled a large amount of unknown gas. shen xian insisted on accompanying them, but she was stopped by shi man. ¡°you just need to go home and rest now. leave the rest to me.¡± shen xian wanted to say something, but when she suddenly noticed her daughter¡¯s dark expression, she immediately swallowed her words. although she did not know how many secrets shi man and yi zheng were hiding from her, now was clearly not the time for her to get to the bottom of it. shen xian felt that it was enough as long as she listened to shi man¡¯s arrangements and believed in her precious daughter and did not cause trouble for her. the car quickly drove back to the shi family. the manor, which was originally lively at night, became quiet. after the three of them sent shen xian back to her room, su tang hesitantly grabbed shi man¡¯s sleeve and apologized to her with a guilty expression. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. if i could have followed her closely, this wouldn¡¯t have happened to mom today. if i had reacted earlier and found her, she wouldn¡¯t have suffered such humiliation.¡± tears of grievance were still welling up in her eyes. before it could fall uncontrollably, su tang suddenly felt a warm palm on her head. she looked up in a daze and saw shi man looking at her gently with a faint smile in her eyes. ¡°you¡¯ve already done very well. if you hadn¡¯t informed me in time, i wouldn¡¯t have been able to rush back so quickly. moreover, you were very smart. you knew that the fragrance was strange, so you didn¡¯t inhale too much. you¡¯ve done me a huge favor by protecting yourself.¡± tears finally flowed out of her eyes uncontrollably. for the first time, su tang cried loudly in front of shi man, her voice filled with unwillingness and grievance. shi man took out a tissue to wipe her tears and patted her back helplessly. ¡°alright, don¡¯t cry. go and have a good sleep. you still have lots to do tomorrow.¡± ¡°yes! i¡¯ll definitely be more useful in the future!¡± su tang sobbed childishly as she promised her. shi man chuckled helplessly. ¡°alright, i¡¯m waiting to see. go to sleep.¡± after finally sending su tang off, the moment the door closed, shi man¡¯s originally doting expression suddenly darkened. ¡°yi zheng, it must be that person again. he was the one who gave that strange incense to zheng xin. he was also the one who instigated zheng xin to harm my mother.¡± if she had been a moment later, the consequences would have been unimaginable. shen xian would definitely be addicted to drugs. if the mistress of the shi family was a drug addict, the news would definitely not be hidden. once it spread, the entire shi family would collapse. thinking of this possibility, shi man bit her lower lip in self-reproach until the smell of blood spread in her mouth. ¡°i was negligent.. the entire plan was wrong from the beginning!¡± Chapter 486 - Chapter 486: Casting a Net chapter 486: casting a net translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng pulled her back to her room and pressed her shoulder to let her sit on the sofa. then, he slowly analyzed for her. ¡°according to our previous analysis, if there¡¯s a mole inside immaculate, he must know that you have already grasped the clue of the strange fragrance.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man frowned and continued, ¡°he knew that i wouldn¡¯t stay in the hotel all day today, so he specially chose to take action after we left.¡± ¡°but sean has been at the entrance of the hotel. he didn¡¯t seem to be lying when he said that he didn¡¯t see us leave, which means that he really doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± yi zheng carefully recalled sean¡¯s surprised expression at that time and continued, ¡°moreover, the two of us left through the backdoor. the other party clearly knows this very well.¡± thinking of this, yi zheng looked over with a deep gaze. ¡°does anyone know that you arranged for sean to be at the entrance of the hotel today?¡± ¡°as far as i know, no one will know.¡± shi man wanted to take advantage of today¡¯s killing of three birds with one stone. after getting rid of cheng zhen, the scourge, she would use cheng zhen to lure out jun mo and finally identify the mole. however, at this point, all their previous plans had been disrupted. before shi man arranged this mission for sean, she specially instructed him to collect all the communication equipment of the members of immaculate. she told them to stay in the base and not leave easily without being able to contact the outside world. therefore, even shi man¡¯s engagement today should have been hidden flawlessly in front of the people of immaculate. not only did the person know where she would be getting engaged today, but he also knew sean¡¯s movements like the back of his hand. what was even more terrifying was that he had interacted with zheng xin. for someone like zheng xin, who prided herself on being the female lead and was very high-profile, as long as the other party had ulterior motives, it was easy to trick her to reveal her trump card. what if zheng xin stupidly exposed the fact that she had transmigrated¡­ shi man frowned fiercely and subconsciously clenched the armrest with her right hand. yi zheng kept staring at her, not missing the panic that flashed across her face. what on earth could make her show such panic? yi zheng pursed his thin lips and said carefully, ¡°are you thinking about the deal between the mole and zheng xin?¡± shi man was slightly stunned. she nodded hesitantly and said, ¡°yes, i¡¯m thinking that if i¡¯m the mastermind, i definitely won¡¯t just use zheng xin to attack one person. there must be another conspiracy behind it.¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows unhappily. from shi man¡¯s hesitant expression, he could tell that this was not what shi man was thinking about. however, he did not have any intention of making her say it clearly. after ail, he would slowly find out the truth. at that time, it did not matter even if she was still unwilling to speak to him. it was enough as long as she stayed by his side obediently. he quickly shook off the displeasure in his mind and regained his composure. ¡°if i were him, this would be an excellent opportunity to find someone to take the blame. he can take this opportunity to use zheng xin to the end and protect jun mo.¡± shi man knocked on the armrest of the sofa out of habit. suddenly, she smiled and said, ¡°however, he probably didn¡¯t expect that we would leave jun mo¡¯s empty pistol at the event location where cheng zhen was shot. at that time, regardless of whether cheng zhen woke up or not, the police¡¯s attention will be shifted to jun mo. then there¡¯s no need for him to use zheng xin to clear jun mo¡¯s suspicion.¡± ¡°he will also completely offend zheng xin because of this.¡± yi zheng slowly curled his lips. ¡°now, zheng xin is the only person who can give us clues about that person. if zheng xin is provoked and is willing to tell the truth, that person won¡¯t be able to sit still.¡± shi man suddenly turned her head to look at him. their gazes met in the air and they saw an affirmative answer in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°i hid the five catties of drugs that sean found inside immaculate last time and haven¡¯t had the time to destroy them.¡± the next day, the narcotics team searched zheng xin¡¯s bedroom as usual. they thought that they wouldn¡¯t find anything, but they actually found five catties of drugs under her bed. chief zheng was so shocked that he almost lost his balance. he pounced in front of the bag containing the drugs in disbelief and his vision darkened. as the chief of police, his daughter actually hid such a large amount of drugs at home, but he didn¡¯t notice it at all. he had simply failed as a father! he was sorry for the police uniform he was wearing! the narcotics police who had plundered the drugs were also shocked. they hurriedly held the old chief and helped him sit down on a chair to rest. they comforted him indifferently. director zheng endured the dizziness in front of him and waved his hand. ¡°don¡¯t worry about me. take these things back to the police station and interrogate zheng xin immediately!¡± at this moment, the police station was in a mess. drug trafficking by the chief¡¯s daughter was a huge case. everyone came and went with serious expressions. they gathered evidence, wanting to find the source of this batch of drugs as soon as possible. unfortunately, before they could find out anything, the police station received another call.. someone had actually picked up a discarded pistol in the old city! Chapter 487 - Chapter 487: Calamity Descends chapter 487: calamity descends translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios no matter how chaotic the police station was, shi man and yi zheng were only focused on busying themselves with the health of their family. at least on the surface. after a detailed checkup by the hospital last night, the poisonous gas that shi zhong and the others had inhaled had been expelled from their bodies and would not pose any threat to their bodies. therefore, early in the morning, butler qi personally brought the chauffeur back from the hospital. su tang helped the chef work in the kitchen for the entire morning, wanting them to nourish their bodies. shi he smelled the familiar fragrance of food and stretched comfortably on the sofa. ¡°home is still the best. the smell in the hospital is really disgusting.¡± shi mu slumped beside him listlessly. ¡°why do 1 still feel dizzy? why don¡¯t we get doctor kate to take a look at me!¡± ¡°you¡¯re so delicate.¡± shi zhong rolled his eyes at him angrily, but he turned around and threw himself into his wife¡¯s arms for a hug. shen xian pushed him in disgust, but she didn¡¯t really intend to push him away. she was just putting on an act. shi yu put down his teacup with lingering fears and said, ¡°have the police investigated the culprit?¡± at the mention of this, shen xian¡¯s expression changed. sensing the person in his arms suddenly stiffen for a moment, shi zhong straightened up and looked at her in surprise. ¡°did something else happen after we fainted?¡± shen xian sighed and could only briefly explain the situation on the rooftop. shi mu was so angry that he couldn¡¯t care less about fainting. he jumped up from the sofa and scolded, ¡°so it¡¯s this wretched girl again. how did our shi family offend her? she must be crazy!¡± shi yu sighed helplessly and said, ¡°even if it was for yi zheng, she went overboard.¡± ¡°yes, it must be because of this yi zheng!¡± shi mu was furious when he heard this person¡¯s name. under shi zhong¡¯s dissatisfied glare, he sat back on the sofa angrily and said, ¡°ever since our manman got together with him, nothing good has happened. do you think he¡¯s a jinx?!¡± ¡°ahem.¡± shi yu suddenly coughed dryly and interrupted shi mu¡¯s nagging. he smiled awkwardly at the person standing at the staircase and said, ¡°you¡¯re awake. were you and manman injured last night?¡± shi mu suddenly raised his head and followed his gaze upstairs. he met yi zheng¡¯s unfathomable eyes. ¡°why are you still at my house?¡± shi mu was shocked by him and protected his shoulder exaggeratedly. shi man glanced at her silly brother and slowly walked down the stairs. ¡°it was too late last night. so he stayed over?¡± shi mu keenly smelled something different from it and narrowed his eyes with a strange expression. ¡°he stayed over? where did he sleep?¡± shi man rolled her eyes and could not be bothered with his question. she smelled the fragrance and walked to the kitchen. as expected, she saw su tang busy scooping soup inside. frowning, shi man took the soup bowl from her and said reproachfully, ¡°why didn¡¯t you sleep more? why are you up so early?¡± su tang stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. ¡°i want to be more useful.¡± ¡°being useful doesn¡¯t mean you have to be so virtuous. you have your areas of expertise. you don¡¯t have to force yourself to do these things, let alone do everything.¡± shi man refuted her wrong thoughts without thinking and carried the steaming soup bowl out of the kitchen. su tang looked at her back in a daze for a long time. it was not until she heard shen xian call her out for dinner in the living room that she came back to her senses. she quickly took off her apron, washed her hands, and walked out of the kitchen. it was a huge blessing for shen xian that the family could sit down and eat together after experiencing such a huge danger. she was so happy that she even ate an extra bowl of rice. after breakfast, the police came to the house to record everyone¡¯s statements as chief zheng had said. however, to their surprise, the police officers also brought shocking news. zheng xin was actually hiding a large amount of drugs and was suspected of drug trafficking. when shi mu heard this, the expression on his face was more of understanding than surprise. the police officer thought that he knew something and hurriedly asked him for clues. unexpectedly, shi mu¡¯s words almost made him fall back in anger. ¡°no wonder she¡¯s been so crazy recently and her mind is so abnormal. so it¡¯s because she¡¯s taken drugs! drugs really harm people!¡± ¡°fourth young master.¡± at the same time that the police officer was helpless, he had no choice but to warn him sternly, ¡°we¡¯ve done a poison test on miss zheng. she has never taken drugs. please be careful with your words and actions. after all, our interrogation was recorded the entire time.¡± what he meant was that chief zheng would also hear this so he didn¡¯t want them to speak nonsense. shi zhong glared at his youngest son. when he looked at the young police officers, his tone softened. ¡°my son was spouting nonsense. don¡¯t take it to heart. actually, we don¡¯t interact much with zheng xin.. if we think of anything, we¡¯ll take the initiative to contact you, okay?¡± Chapter 488 - Chapter 488: Scenes Reappear chapter 488: scenes reappear translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios they still had to consider shi zhong¡¯s words. after the police officers finished asking the questions they wanted to ask as usual, they saw shi man sitting on the sofa quietly drinking tea. they suddenly asked seriously, ¡°miss shi, did you cause the wound on miss zheng¡¯s neck?¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man put down her teacup and admitted openly, ¡°at that time, she kidnapped my mother and wanted to poison her. 1 was defending myself. can¡¯t i?¡± ¡°of course.¡± the police officer felt her hostility and sighed helplessly. ¡°what i want to say is that miss zheng¡¯s injuries are not serious, and chief zheng doesn¡¯t intend to pursue the issue. don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°yes, i understand,¡± shi man replied coldly and continued to look down at the morning news in her hand. there were too many people involved yesterday. early in the morning, the newspapers were filled with reports of what happened at the engagement party yesterday. there were even photos of zheng xin causing a scene at the engagement party. the media commented on zheng xin¡¯s crazy actions. if not for chief zheng¡¯s personal status, they would probably have spoken more drastic words about zheng xin. however, this was not what shi man cared about. she was reading another piece of news. although it only occupied a small section of the news and newspapers, it was still especially eye-catching. this was because the headline of this news was: ¡°a bulletless pistol has appeared in an abandoned building. the event location is covered in blood!¡± shi man roughly read the entire story. it was basically the media¡¯s guess. as for what the police thought of this matter, they would probably not announce it to the public easily. she had already released the bait with zheng xin. next, it depended on whether she was willing to grab the only chance to live. in the basement, jun mo sat behind his desk in a daze. his fingers trembled, and he even forgot to flick away the cigarette ash. only when the cigarette butt burned his hand did he suddenly throw the cigarette butt into the ashtray. a figure rushed in from outside. jun mo looked at him and his eyes suddenly widened. ¡°how is it? did cheng zhen die?¡± ¡°he¡¯s not dead yet.¡± the secretary stood in front of the desk, panting. he reported the results of his investigation from the hospital. now that they were still absconding, they could not interact with their connections outside anymore. this would cause them to waste time and energy. fortunately, he was not dead yet, so he was not done for. jun mo heaved a sigh of relief. a smile finally appeared on his tense face. ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re not dead. it¡¯s good that you¡¯re not dead. this matter has nothing to do with us. perhaps it was done by cheng zhen¡¯s enemies!¡± ¡°boss.¡± the secretary hesitantly interrupted his beautiful fantasy. ¡°but it¡¯s already been published in the newspapers and news. last night, someone picked up a pistol from the place we traded. it¡¯s your pistol¡­¡± ¡°my pistol?¡± jun mo was stunned for a moment. then, he remembered that he had once been humiliatingly beaten up by a woman and even had his gun snatched away. he slapped the table angrily and said, ¡°damn it, why did that gun appear there!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, before anyone could answer, he reacted and said, ¡°someone wanted to harm us. that¡¯s right! if cheng zhen didn¡¯t die when that gun appeared and saw that news, he would definitely suspect that 1 deliberately didn¡¯t deal with him yesterday!¡± the secretary had obviously thought of this too. he frowned and asked with a solemn expression, ¡°boss, what should we do now? that gun is in the hands of the police now. it¡¯s only a matter of time before cheng zhen finds out.¡± jun mo leaned back in his chair dejectedly. his trembling lips suddenly pursed into a straight line, and his hesitant eyes gradually turned vicious. he suddenly kicked the chair away and stood behind the desk, panting crazily. ¡°then we might as well go all out. as long as cheng zhen shuts up forever, the police won¡¯t be able to contact us so easily! that batch of firearms was all blown up! they don¡¯t have any evidence!¡± the secretary had also guessed that his boss would do this. the people in charge of taking action had long been arranged. however, the most serious problem now was not cheng zhen. he waited for jun mo to regain his rationality before carefully reminding him, ¡°boss, although it¡¯s important to deal with cheng zhen, there¡¯s still a problem that we need to figure out.¡± jun mo narrowed his eyes and said coldly, ¡°why does anyone know about my deal with cheng zhen?¡± this was what the secretary had been waiting for. in fact, he had already thought of a suspect on the way over. when he heard his question, he immediately analyzed for him. ¡°now that the nighthawks have split into two, zhu wen, who should have inherited all of zhu meng¡¯s power, can only fish at sea. however, cheng zhen is doing well. moreover, these two factions used to form the nighthawks. it¡¯s hard to guarantee that their subordinates won¡¯t leak the news.¡± he deliberately pointed the finger at zhu wen, but jun mo lowered his eyes and weighed the other matter. his voice was so cold that it made one shiver. ¡°do you think what happened to cheng zhen this time was like the scene when zhu meng died?¡± at that time, nighthawk and hellgate were in a mess. both sides were pointing their guns at each other. no one noticed who fired the first shot and actually killed zhu meng.. Chapter 489 - Chapter 489: Hospital Assassination chapter 489: hospital assassination translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the secretary was shocked when he heard this. he asked hesitantly, ¡°could it be that you suspect that the person who killed zhu meng and shot him this time is the same person? but that¡¯s impossible! we were in zhu meng¡¯s nightclub when he died! unless it¡¯s a god-level gunman equipped with a sniper, no one could do such a thing from so far away!¡± after the incident, they had done an internal investigation. after all, that fierce battle was caused by the first shot. although hellgate had the upper hand, they had indeed suffered heavy losses. however, after investigating, no one was willing to stand up and admit that he was the one who pulled the shot. at that time, jun mo didn¡¯t think that this matter was a big deal. in addition, what happened later naturally threw the strangeness of zhu meng¡¯s death to the back of his mind. but now that he thought about it carefully, wasn¡¯t that girl good at playing with pistols? however, jun mo could not be sure if she really had such skills. most importantly, the last time the pistol¡¯s location signal appeared, it was indeed within the nighthawk¡¯s territory. it was indeed impossible to rule out that this matter was an internal strife of the nighthawks. in order to take back his faction, zhu wen framed the other party. jun mo was silent for a moment and chose to wait and see. however, in order to sit steadily and wait for the next good show, he still had to send someone to eliminate cheng zhen first. in the hospital, all kinds of machines in the intensive care unit were running on their own. after the bodyguards accompanied the nurse for ward rounds, they used the walkie-talkie to report the situation today to the secretary above. as he spoke, thick smoke suddenly floated over from the corridor. he immediately choked and bent over to cough. he could not even open his eyes. the nurses anxiously knocked on the door of each ward, informing the patients and their families inside to quickly take refuge at the emergency exit. they were worried that this might be a big fire. the corridor was instantly in chaos as stretchers and wheelchairs passed by. the bodyguard was about to open the door and move his boss out of the ward when his shoulder was suddenly bumped by a doctor in a hurry. the bodyguard staggered from the impact, but because the smoke was too thick, he couldn¡¯t open his mouth to curse. he could only wave away the thick smoke in front of him in frustration. the doctor looked at the patient in the ward who had not been removed and said worriedly, ¡°i¡¯ll help you. let¡¯s go out quickly.¡± the bodyguard sized him up suspiciously. before he could see the document hanging on the doctor¡¯s chest, he choked on the thick smoke and coughed violently. even his eyes were red. cheng zhen, who was resting in the ward, had already been affected. the bodyguards couldn¡¯t care less and hurriedly opened the door to enter. they brought the necessary simple medical equipment with the doctor and pushed the stretcher towards the safe passage. fortunately, the thick smoke did not last long this time, and there was no expected fire. the patients and their families felt lucky to have survived. just as they were about to leave one after another, they suddenly heard a plop behind them, right on the heels of which came a man¡¯s terrifying and shrill roar. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± a doctor and nurse immediately came over to ask when they heard the commotion. only then did she see a man dressed as a bodyguard lying tightly on the bed, shaking the patient under him. the nurses immediately pushed him away and let the doctor make room to save the patient. unfortunately, it was too late. the patient had completely passed away just now. the bodyguard clearly could not accept this outcome. just now, in the ward, when the nurse was making ward rounds, she said that his boss had a chance of waking up, but how did he become a corpse in the blink of an eye? he looked up in a daze at the doctors standing in front of him with regretful expressions. suddenly, he thought of something and grabbed everyone¡¯s shoulders crazily, leaning very close to observe their faces. nothing. it wasn¡¯t that person! ¡°the murderer!¡± the bodyguard glared fiercely, but he quickly realized the seriousness of this matter. if the person died while he was guarding, wouldn¡¯t he become the sinner of the entire nighthawk? ¡°no, that won¡¯t do!¡± he closed his eyes tightly and suddenly made up his mind. he picked up the knife in his hand and stabbed himself in the abdomen. the sound of flesh being pierced instantly entered their ears. the doctors and nurses present were completely dumbfounded. they hurriedly came over to support the man who was about to fall. the bodyguard¡¯s arms trembled, and his face was pale, but his gaze still intimidated the medical staff present. he grabbed the arm of one of them and stared straight at him. he said coldly, ¡°remember, my injuries today were stabbed by someone in the chaos just now. the person who killed my boss was wearing your hospital¡¯s white coat. if you want to live a stable life, remember my words. otherwise, bear the consequences.¡± the doctors were already scared silly by his actions. when they heard his words and looked at the cold corpse beside them, they immediately understood that the person who died was probably of high status and hurriedly nodded in agreement.. Chapter 490 - Chapter 490: Just What You Want chapter 490: just what you want translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the news that their boss had been killed in the hospital and even the bodyguard had been stabbed quickly spread back to nighthawk. the state of disunity that had shown signs of settling became chaotic again. with cheng zhen¡¯s death, this portion of the nighthawk mercenaries became leaderless again. some people suggested that the two split nighthawks should be merged, while others did not agree because they did not want to follow zhu wen to sell frozen fish. the entire office was in chaos. the secretary slammed the table in frustration and shouted coldly, ¡°boss just died. don¡¯t you want to avenge him? you actually want to split up!¡± the original discussion completely quietened down. someone carefully stole a glance at the secretary¡¯s expression and couldn¡¯t help but ask with a bitter expression, ¡°even if we want revenge, we don¡¯t know who to look for! why don¡¯t we wait for little six to wake up?¡± little six was the mercenary who had been sent to the hospital to act as a bodyguard today. now, he was still in the midst of emergency treatment. the secretary was anxious to avenge cheng zhen, but he really didn¡¯t know who did it. he ruffled his hair in frustration and said fiercely, ¡°investigate! the murderer this time must be the person who shot boss last time! investigate carefully if there are any clues at that time!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± the people below slapped their thighs and hurriedly went down to do something. soon, they returned with the news in the newspaper. looking at the pistol on it, the secretary narrowed his eyes dangerously. he took out his glasses from the drawer and stared at the pattern behind the gun. ¡°look, is this the symbol of the former hellgate?¡± the others hurriedly rushed forward. after being glared at by the secretary, they distanced themselves from him and narrowed their eyes nervously at the pattern on it. ¡°it seems to be true!¡± someone had good eyesight and could recognise that familiar pattern without glasses. he immediately exclaimed, ¡°yes! this is jun mo¡¯s pistol!¡± the noisy discussion sounded in his ears again. the secretary was extremely annoyed and scolded them to shut up. then, he shook off the newspaper and analyzed, ¡°jun mo didn¡¯t show up at all during the transaction that day. the gun was shot from the direction of the building, which means that someone had been lying in ambush there for a long time.¡± hearing the secretary¡¯s analysis, someone quickly raised their thoughts. ¡°brother, could it be that jun mo wanted to silence him and set up an ambush in advance? otherwise, how could there be a third party who knew that boss was going to trade there that night?¡± the secretary naturally thought of this possibility first, but he quickly extinguished it himself. ¡°no, what jun mo needs the most now is money. he really needs to continue working with us. killing boss won¡¯t do him any good. moreover, have you heard of anyone who wants to throw a murder weapon with their mark at the event location after killing someone?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true!¡± that person thought about it carefully and realized that it was true! the driver who accompanied cheng zhen to the transaction that night suddenly remembered something. he nodded and said, ¡°yes, after the gunshot that day, jun mo¡¯s people were obviously very flustered. they thought that someone was lying in ambush and drove away. we didn¡¯t react at that time and thought that their people had fired, so we hurriedly drove after them. however, boss couldn¡¯t take it halfway, so we changed our route to the hospital.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± the secretary pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said coldly, ¡°it seems that someone can¡¯t stand boss and wants to make things difficult for us.¡± ¡°then who could this person be?¡± the others stared at the secretary curiously, as if they had already treated him as their backbone. the secretary pondered for a moment and thought of the person who was most likely to do this. the corners of his lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°other than him, who else can hate boss so much? it seems that someone doesn¡¯t want to continue selling fish.¡± the secretary¡¯s idea benefited jun mo. when the news of the hospital reached his ears, jun mo was resting on the recliner with his eyes closed. when he heard that cheng zhen was completely dead, he suddenly opened his eyes, and a trace of anxiety appeared in his eyes. ¡°did anyone notice?¡± ¡°no one.¡± the person in charge of killing cheng zhen had already changed out of his white coat. at this moment, he was wearing a black suit. from his temperament, he looked like a completely different person from the gentle doctor just now. after saying that, he paused for a moment and mentioned something unbelievable. ¡°however, boss, the bodyguard in charge of protecting cheng zhen in the hospital was suddenly stabbed. he¡¯s being resuscitated now, but i didn¡¯t fight him at all.¡± jun mo suddenly sat up and stared blankly at his face for a while. he suddenly laughed crazily. ¡°good, very good. this matter has nothing to do with us anymore. you¡¯ve done very well. go to the secretary and collect a sum of money. don¡¯t show your face for the time being.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the man did not know why he was suddenly so happy. the haze that had shrouded the entire hellgate for a few days finally dissipated. however, he didn¡¯t want to know what his boss was thinking. he just had to kill the person he was assigned to kill and resolve his boss¡¯s worries. after the man left, jun mo lit a cigarette leisurely and narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. however, the girl who had caused a scene in the office kept appearing in front of him.. Chapter 491 - Chapter 491: Opening Gambit chapter 491: opening gambit translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios chief zheng was at a loss for what to do about zheng xin. this girl still believed that her so-called protagonist¡¯s aura would work and save her from the jail time. but what she didn¡¯t know was that the crimes she had committed were enough to warrant the death penalty. chief zheng was also in the predicament of being investigated because of her. if the matter was not resolved, he would not have to wear his police uniform anymore. madam zheng sat at home and cried all day. lu xiang and shen xian had known her for many years, so she could not be blamed for the child. therefore, they went to her house almost every day, afraid she would do something stupid. zheng xin had singlehandedly caused chaos in the originally happy family. shi man sat quietly in the office and listened to the results of meng hui¡¯s investigation. there was no expression on her face. meng hui couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking. she probed, ¡°boss, what if zheng xin refuses to spit it out?¡± shi man shrugged her shoulders indifferently. ¡°then let her die.¡± perhaps she could return to her original world. at this point, no one could give her a way out if she was still stupid enough to not reveal the mastermind. it was not shi man¡¯s turn to worry about zheng xin. after all, chief zheng and madam zheng were even more anxious than her. she looked at the documents piled up on the table and picked up one to read expressionlessly. suddenly, she thought of something and asked in surprise, ¡°is there nothing important to consult in my brother¡¯s entertainment company recently?¡± shi he did not have the experience of running a company. many big matters like cooperation would be routed to shi man for consultation first. however, shi man suddenly remembered that she had not received her brother¡¯s call for help for a long time. meng hui rolled her eyes. it was obvious that she knew something. she probed, ¡°perhaps third young master¡¯s company has a¡­ partner who can give him advice?¡± ¡°huh? partner?¡± shi man frowned in confusion. shi he¡¯s company was completely funded by him. where did this partner come from? meng hui coughed dryly and said, ¡°actually, this happened just two days ago. i wanted to tell you, but you were too busy during that period of time and i couldn¡¯t see you in the company.¡± ¡°oh.¡± shi man had indeed not come to the company much recently. she had been busy with immaculate, so she naturally did not blame her for not reporting in time. she put down the document and asked with interest, ¡°so, who¡¯s the partner?¡± ¡°it¡¯s miss lin, lin yue.¡± meng hui took a deep breath and simply said what she wanted to say in one breath. ¡°third young master voluntarily transferred a portion of his shares to miss lin. now, the two of them are the leaders of the company in name.¡± shi man frowned and said unhappily, ¡°is this my brother¡¯s idea? or is someone instigating it?¡± meng hui understood what she meant and hurriedly said, ¡°it¡¯s third young master¡¯s own intention.¡± shi man shook her head helplessly and stood up. ¡°get the chauffeur to prepare the car. 1 want to go to my brother¡¯s company. i want to see how the two of them are working together now.¡± when shi man arrived at he man entertainment, the young lady at the front desk stopped her because she had never seen her before and insisted that she show her appointment with ceo lin in advance. shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. she turned around and sat on the sofa on the first floor. she crossed her legs expressionlessly and said, ¡°get ceo shi to come out and see me.¡± the young lady saw that she had an extraordinary aura and felt a little nervous. she called lin yue¡¯s secretary for her opinion. shi man sat there quietly and listened to them call for ceo lin. she frowned deeply. why did it seem like this place had changed owners after not minding it for a few days? what was shi he doing? after a while, the door of the president¡¯s private elevator opened with a ding. the secretary, wan na, walked over gracefully in her stilettos. the young lady at the front desk hurriedly came out to welcome her. she looked in shi man¡¯s direction and said, ¡°sister wan, she doesn¡¯t have an appointment. do we let her go up?¡± wan na glanced at her gently and quickly turned to shi man. however, she raised her hand and slapped the little girl beside her. the young lady at the front desk turned her head away from her slap. everyone in the first-floor hall was so frightened by the sound of this slap that they immediately held their breaths. wan na walked to shi man¡¯s side with a smile and said respectfully, ¡°miss shi, i¡¯m really sorry. she¡¯s new and doesn¡¯t know the rules. in the future, you can just go upstairs. after all, you contributed to he man¡¯s success today.¡± shi man looked up slightly with a cold smile. ¡°i¡¯m here to see my brother.¡± wan na smiled apologetically and said, ¡°what a coincidence. ceo shi isn¡¯t here now, but you can follow me to the office upstairs to wait. ceo lin really wants to see you.¡± shi man sat still and the smile on her lips disappeared. wan na turned slightly to the side and gestured for her to go ahead. she leaned forward slightly with a standard polite fake smile on her face. shi man slowly drank her tea until wan na¡¯s waist couldn¡¯t support this action and her body swayed unsteadily. then, she slowly put down the teacup and said, ¡°then let¡¯s go..¡± Chapter 492 - Chapter 492: Losing Her Heart chapter 492: losing her heart translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wan na almost couldn¡¯t maintain the smile on her face, but after all, she had been in the entertainment industry for so many years. she would still do what she had to do on the surface. after she sent shi man into the office respectfully, she turned around and rolled her eyes in disgust. of course, shi man did not care about her emotions. after her brother¡¯s company was established, she had not had the chance to take a look personally. usually, it was her brother who brought his work home or called during the day to ask her about the details she had to pay attention to when working together. this was the first time she had entered this huge office. from the moment shi man stepped into the first floor, she realized that the company was filled with the same kind of green plants. shi man understood that this was a plant that lin yue liked. in order to pursue lin yue, it was understandable for her brother to put more of lin yue¡¯s favorite ornaments in the company. however, shi man looked at the current situation coldly and felt that it was a little too much. in the office, lin yue sat behind her desk proudly. when she saw shi man, she had no intention of getting up. instead, she crossed her feet and casually pointed at the chair opposite her. ¡°sit.¡± shi man sat down opposite her expressionlessly. her expression was no longer as pleasant as when she was on set. her intuition told her that the woman in front of her was no longer the cute and professional female celebrity, lin yue. she was now a serious businesswoman. shi man narrowed her eyes and glanced over with her cold eyes. her aura was not inferior to lin yue¡¯s. ¡°1 didn¡¯t expect to hear others call you ceo lin when we meet again. i¡¯m really not used to it.¡± lin yue chuckled and personally poured her a cup of tea. she said with interest, ¡°don¡¯t be so hostile to me. didn¡¯t we get along very well previously?¡± shi man smiled and said, ¡°president lin and 1 hit it off at first sight and chatted happily. last time, i heard you say that you¡¯ve already found the person you¡¯ve been wanting to see again. you haven¡¯t told me who this person is. could it be that you don¡¯t treat me as a friend after not seeing me for a while?¡± lin yue was stunned for a moment. clearly, she did not expect a person like shi man to have a fake side. however, she immediately came back to her senses and shook her head helplessly with a smile. ¡°that person is not a big shot. miss shi, there¡¯s no need to care about this. by the way, 1 suddenly want to eat ice cream from a new cold drink shop in the west district today. your brother went to buy it for me. miss shi, do you want one too?¡± ¡°xicheng district?¡± shi man recalled that the weather had been hot recently. many restaurants and cold drinks shops had opened near the project. sometimes, when the construction workers were uncomfortable from the heat, they would buy a glass of ice cream to relieve the heat. however, this place was more than ten kilometers away from the west district. the ice cream would probably melt on the way before shi he returned. ¡°no need. i¡¯ll wait here for my brother to come back. please do as you please.¡± shi man grabbed the entertainment magazine on the table and read it. lin yue ignored her and continued to look at the document in her hand. seeing that it was almost noon, shi he ran in with sweat all over his face. not only was his shirt completely drenched, but there were also water droplets falling from his hair. he was so sorry that one could not tell that he was the elegant and handsome best actor from before. shi he came in and was stunned when he saw shi man. then, he walked to lin yue¡¯s side and guiltily placed the ice cream that had clearly been insulated on the table. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, yueyue. that shop is really too far away. it has already turned into liquid on the way back.¡± lin yue took a casual look and threw the ice cream into the trash can by her feet. she said calmly, ¡°i won¡¯t be able to eat it after it has melted. you and your sister can talk first. i¡¯ll leave first.¡± with that, she stood up and was about to walk out. from the beginning to the end, she did not look at shi he. shi man frowned and couldn¡¯t help but stop her. ¡°miss lin, my brother worked hard to travel to more than half of the city to buy ice cream for you. what do you mean by throwing it away without even looking?¡± lin yue blinked innocently and said matter-of-factly, ¡°if something is spoiled, it can¡¯t be eaten. is there a problem? miss shi, don¡¯t tell me you think i¡¯m some diligent young lady? although our lin family can¡¯t compare to the shi family, we don¡¯t care about a small cup of ice cream.¡± ¡°but that¡¯s my brother¡¯s good intention.¡± shi man argued with her unhappily. shi he quickly tried to smooth things over. he pushed lin yue¡¯s shoulder and coaxed her to walk out. ¡°be good. next time, i¡¯ll definitely think of a way not to let it melt. 1¡¯11 definitely let you eat what you like. don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡± lin yue glanced at shi man with a faint smile and a mocking smile on her lips. ¡°alright, since you¡¯re so considerate toward me, why would i be angry with you? i¡¯ll leave first. you and your sister can chat slowly.¡± shi he wiped the sweat off his forehead as if he had been pardoned. just as he turned around, he was caught off guard and met shi man¡¯s deep eyes. he was shocked.. wanna gift the story? try one. Chapter 493 - Chapter 493: Fall Incident chapter 493: fall incident translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°sister, why are you looking at me like that?¡± shi he walked to the desk with an awkward smile and took out a tissue to wipe the sweat on his face. shi man¡¯s gaze drifted to him coldly. ¡°brother, what¡¯s going on between you and lin yue? why did you suddenly transfer your shares to her? isn¡¯t she an artist you signed?¡± ¡°sister, listen to me tell you about this slowly.¡± shi he held her shoulder and placed her on the sofa. he said earnestly, ¡°during the time i¡¯ve been running the company, other than relying on you, i¡¯ll also ask for lin yue¡¯s opinion appropriately. it¡¯s also because of this that i realized that she has the mind to run a company.¡± as he spoke, he kept stealing glances at shi man¡¯s expression. seeing that she didn¡¯t have any expression on her face and didn¡¯t seem angry, he heaved a sigh of relief and continued, ¡°you know that i¡¯m not good at this. instead of letting people poke my backbone when the company develops badly, it¡¯s better for lin yue and me to develop the company together.¡± shi man did not think that this was a good reason, so she naturally could not be completely convinced. she narrowed her eyes slightly and said coldly, ¡°does ning hui agree with your actions?¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± shi he was stunned for a moment. he rubbed his wet hair hesitantly and said awkwardly, ¡°i had a fight with brother ning over this. he went to take care of other artists.¡± sensing shi man¡¯s incredulous glare, shi he knew that he had messed up. he looked away unnaturally and said, ¡°sister, 1 know 1 did something wrong. 1¡¯11 apologize to brother ning later.¡± shi man sighed helplessly. right now, she did not care who had the management rights of the company. what she cared about the most now was shi he¡¯s attitude towards lin yue. ¡°brother, about buying the ice cream just now¡­¡± this time, before shi man could finish, shi he explained to her, ¡°i bought this for her voluntarily. don¡¯t blame her. i just don¡¯t know how to treat her well. the lin family has everything and doesn¡¯t lack anything. if i don¡¯t do anything for her, 1 feel that i¡¯m useless.¡± shi man did not expect him to think that way. just as she was about to lecture him, the office door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. wan na had a polite smile on her face as she reminded them kindly, ¡°ceo shi, miss shi, ceo lin asked me to remind the two of you that it¡¯s getting late. if you continue chatting, you¡¯ll probably delay lunch.¡± ¡°oh! i¡¯ll be right there!¡± shi he walked out almost as soon as she finished speaking. when he reached the door, he realized that shi man had not followed him. only then did he stop and turn around to look at his sister hesitantly. ¡°manman, aren¡¯t you coming to eat? the food in our company¡¯s canteen is very delicious.¡± shi man looked at the way the two of them were interacting and couldn¡¯t eat anymore. she stared at him expressionlessly and said, ¡°no, i¡¯ll go back first. brother, there¡¯s a limit to how good you are to a person. take care.¡± with that, shi man brushed past him without looking back and left the company with meng hui. as soon as she got into the car, meng hui turned on the air conditioner in the car anxiously and kept fanning herself with her hand. ¡°it¡¯s really hot today. ceo shi, 1 saw third young master holding an ice cream with sweat on his face just now. he looked so anxious as if he had been chased away by a wolf. what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± shi man turned her gaze to the window in frustration. she placed her arm gently on the armrest of the car chair and said, ¡°let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°okay.¡± meng hui hurriedly instructed the chauffeur to drive back to the company. the noon sun was really hot and dazzling. meng hui leaned back in her chair drowsily, thinking that she could take a break and rest for a while. unexpectedly, shi man¡¯s cold voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°he man entertainment might be hiring a new front desk recently. help me keep an eye on a suitable candidate.¡± meng hui jolted awake and hurriedly sat up straight to agree. after following shi man for so long, she had long been able to judge her true thoughts through shi man¡¯s expression. shi man must not be saying this just to help he man entertainment recruit people. on a deeper level, she wanted to take the opportunity to plant her own people. it seemed that ceo shi was indeed in a bad mood today. meng hui secretly prayed in her heart that nothing would go against her wishes for the afternoon¡¯s work. otherwise, ceo shi would definitely fly into a rage! at that time, she would be the one to suffer! unexpectedly, things did not go as planned. perhaps meng hui was not pious enough when she prayed, shi man indeed encountered a tricky matter in the afternoon. the residential building area of the west district¡¯s city reconstruction had already taken shape, but the staff in charge of the event location¡¯s construction supervision today sent back bad news. a young worker suddenly screamed when he was working in the middle level. right on the heels of that, he jumped down from the building and actually fell to his death on the spot. after the accident, the management at the scene called the police directly. shi man immediately brought people to the event location. fortunately, the person in charge of this area was chen wei. he was quite smart and immediately blocked the news, preventing the matter from worsening.. Chapter 494 - Chapter 494: Strange Suicide chapter 494: strange suicide translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°sister man, you¡¯re finally here. the hospital has already taken the corpse away. the police just spoke to a few colleagues at the event location for questioning. 1 more careful and secretly recorded the entire conversation. listen.¡± after experiencing the tempering at the construction site for the past few months, chen wei¡¯s skin had become much tanned. the originally fair and tender young master had now grown into a real man. shi man took the cell phone from him and pressed the play button of the recording to listen carefully to the ins and outs of the matter. everyone referred to the man who jumped off the building to commit suicide as xiao hui. he was young, but he had dropped out of school early to work with his father. when they heard that there was an explosion in g city, the father and son came to g city to participate in the city construction and wanted to take the opportunity to earn a sum of money. when xiao hui first entered the construction site, he was diligent and capable. he was also willing to suffer. even chen wei looked at him in a different light. the two of them were about the same age and often went for drinks with a few other colleagues after work. however, recently, xiao hui seemed to have been possessed. not only did he smile foolishly all day, but he also had to ask chen wei for leave from time to time. the construction project was now in a hurry to be completed. chen wei should not have given him breaks so often, but on account that he was about the same age as him and was honest, he thought that he had something urgent and gave him a break every time. after xiao hui received the approval, he would leave the construction site dressed neatly and would not return until the next morning when he needed to clock in. as time passed, the workers who lived in the same house were curious if he had a girlfriend, but they had never seen xiao hui call a woman in front of them. they couldn¡¯t hold back their curiosity and asked a few times, but xiao hui only stammered and didn¡¯t say anything. in the end, he even gave them a silly smile. chen wei had also talked to him about this, but whether it was seriously calling him into the office to talk or using the opportunity of drinking to get information, xiao hui did not reveal anything. chen wei couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. if he came to apply for leave again, chen wei would deduct his salary and bonus and even give him a warning. after his father found out, he scolded him a few times in public, but unfortunately, it was useless. until recently, xiao hui suddenly began to sigh frequently at work. he did not sleep at night and walked out of the dormitory alone. he went to the corner and stared at his cell phone without talking to anyone. then, xiao hui suddenly screamed and jumped off the building today. chen wei waited for her to hear the whole story before sighing and admitting her mistake. ¡°sister man, i¡¯m sorry. if i had discovered his problem earlier or simply fired him, this might not have happened at our construction site.¡± ¡°let¡¯s not talk about this first.¡± shi man had no intention of blaming him. she frowned and looked at the old man who was stopped by the workers on the other side. ¡°is that xiao hui¡¯s father?¡± ¡°yes.¡± chen wei nodded slightly. seeing that shi man was about to go over and talk to the man, he hurriedly advised worriedly, ¡°sister man, that man wants to blame us for xiao hui¡¯s death now so that he can ask us for compensation. it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t see him.¡± shi man walked over indifferently. ¡°we¡¯ll meet sooner or later. we can¡¯t hide.¡± she didn¡¯t like to avoid problems when she encountered them. she had to resolve things one by one so that she could complete what she wanted to do step by step. when that person saw shi man walking towards him, he immediately perked up and struggled even harder. ¡°your leader is here. let go of me quickly and let me talk to her. i have to get an explanation today. my son can¡¯t die in vain!¡± shi man quickly stood in front of the man. chen wei gestured for the workers to let go of the man¡¯s hand and glared at him unhappily. ¡°your son suddenly jumped off a building to commit suicide during construction. it wasn¡¯t an accident caused by the safety of our construction site. this matter has nothing to do with us. what explanation do you want from us?¡± ¡°why would a good person commit suicide? xiao hui has always been a particularly cheerful child. why did he suddenly commit suicide when he came to your construction site to work? i think there might be violence at your construction site that made my son contract that illness¡­ oh! depression! that must be it!¡± xiao hui¡¯s father righteously pushed the responsibility to the construction site, but he knew very well that there had actually been some clues about his son¡¯s abnormality long ago. it was just that he had not fulfilled his responsibility as a father and did not care about his son. but xiao hui was already dead. he had raised a son for nothing. if he did not get compensation, wouldn¡¯t he have nothing to live for the rest of his life? shi man knew what he was thinking, so she naturally did not stand on ceremony. ¡°i¡¯ll definitely cooperate with the police¡¯s investigation on whether there¡¯s any violence. however, your son has already been pulled to the hospital. are you sure you want to miss the last time you see your son because of these things?¡± the man was clearly stunned for a moment before his expression changed. his indignant expression instantly turned into grief.. he patted his thigh and cried, ¡°my poor son! if i had known, i wouldn¡¯t have let you come to this construction site! why did you lose your life now!¡± Chapter 495 - Chapter 495: Mischievous chapter 495: mischievous translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios chen wei rolled his eyes at him angrily and scolded, ¡°your son¡¯s death has nothing to do with our construction site. it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that he has been taking leave and running outside recently. what¡¯s the use of crying here if you don¡¯t investigate the reason for your son¡¯s abnormality recently?!¡± the man¡¯s eyes widened when he heard this. he shouted indignantly, ¡°how is it unrelated to you? didn¡¯t my son die at your construction site? then why didn¡¯t he commit suicide elsewhere? why did he have to commit suicide at your construction site? you must have done something to my son, but you don¡¯t want to admit it now!¡± chen wei took off his safety helmet angrily and clenched his fists, looking like he was about to fight. a few workers beside him hurriedly stopped chen wei. ¡°brother, don¡¯t be rash. if we do it here, there will be no end to it.¡± chen wei was furious, especially since it was still the hottest time of the day. he was about to flare up from his head. ¡°i must tear apart his mouth today!¡± ¡°don¡¯t, brother! calm down!¡± seeing that he was about to lose control of chen wei, the person beside him stole a glance at shi man¡¯s expression and immediately thought of something. he whispered in his ear, ¡°boss is still watching us here!¡± chen wei¡¯s nimble and struggling body stiffened visibly. from shi man¡¯s angle, she could only see his suddenly frozen back and the back of his head that was sweating. chen wei turned around in a daze. his anger was instantly extinguished, leaving only an awkward expression on his face. ¡°sister man, i¡¯m sorry. 1 was too agitated just now.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man looked away coldly. in the sultry afternoon, her gaze was still cold, and there was no sweat on her face because of the summer heat. just by standing there, she could lower the surrounding temperature to the freezing point. xiao hui¡¯s father shivered for no reason. he felt a cold wind blowing beside him. however, he was clearly not in the mood to care about these details. his son was dead. he had to strike while the iron was hot and blow up the matter to get compensation. otherwise, what would he rely on to retire in the future? the man had crooked thoughts and his eyes darted around. seeing that shi man was just a young girl, he immediately had an idea. ¡°are you their leader? let me tell you, since my son died on your construction site, that will be the responsibility of your construction site. don¡¯t blame uncle for not reminding you. if you don¡¯t give me a satisfactory explanation, when the time comes, you can forget about selling this building for a good price!¡± he thought that shi man was innocent and gullible. a scare would make her timid. he was hugging his shoulders and waiting for them to take the initiative to invite him in for tea and talk about compensation. unexpectedly, shi man did not care about his threat at all. she still looked stubborn and her expression was extremely cold. ¡°as 1 said, the reason for the deceased¡¯s death will be investigated by the police. before the truth is clear, i have no obligation to waste time with you here. chen wei, outsiders are not allowed to enter the construction site privately. chase him away.¡± ¡°yes!¡± chen wei had been waiting for her to say this. before shi man entered cassel academy, he was recognized as someone not to be trifled with in the cohort. he was most impatient to deal with such unreasonable people. it was a pity that he could not hit anyone casually now. otherwise, with his previous temper, he would definitely not be able to return if he could fight eight times a day with someone like xiao hui¡¯s father! ¡°what right do you have to chase me away!¡± the man kept taking a few steps and turning around to glare at shi man. unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at him. she turned around and returned to the office. this angered him. almost everyone at the construction site saw the scene of him being chased away, making him feel embarrassed. after thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t take this lying down. he might as well contact his niece, who was studying overseas, and ask her to help him record a video. he was prepared to post it online for everyone to judge him. this video completely distorted the truth and pushed the blame on the construction site. when shi man saw the video, she had just sent away a few police officers who had come to ask questions. meng hui hurriedly showed her the video. in the end, she pouted angrily and scolded, ¡°this man is too unreasonable. the police just said that this matter is not as simple as it looks and needs to be investigated further, but he insists that our people bullied his son! does he have evidence? how dare he speak like this!¡± shi man glanced at the video casually and looked away. she returned the phone to her without interest. meng hui muttered aggrievedly, ¡°ceo shi, don¡¯t you want to know what he said to slander us?!¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you summarize it just now?¡± shi man looked up at her in amusement. ¡°don¡¯t waste your time looking at these useless things. go and organize the summaries of the various departments last month and bring them to me. 1 have another way to resolve this matter.¡± since xiao hui¡¯s father wanted to blow things up, she would add fuel to the fire. only then would he know how painful it was.. Chapter 496 - Chapter 496: Personally Search For Evidence chapter 496: personally search for evidence translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios during the day, shi man obediently handled her own matters in the company. however, at night, she transformed into an omnipotent agent and sneaked into the police station¡¯s morgue at night. there were some clues that she had to personally investigate to grasp the ins and outs in detail. xiao hui had fallen from the middle of the building and hit his head on the hard stone on the ground, causing his death on the spot. otherwise, he would at most be paralyzed and crippled. she took off the white cloth covering the corpse. the corpse was cold, and the smell had gotten more pungent. however, shi man seemed to have completely lost her sense of smell. she lowered her eyes without changing her expression and carefully observed every trace left on the corpse¡¯s surface under the weak light. xiao hui was only 19 years old this year, and he was still at the age where appearance was the most important. almost every day, after returning to the dormitory from the construction site, he would go to the shower hall to take a shower. his skin looked clean and fair, and it was impossible to tell that he usually worked outdoors. what was worth noting was that there was an obvious burn mark on xiao hui¡¯s right arm. from the shape of the scar, shi man guessed that it was very likely burned by a cigarette butt. as he had died from falling from a high altitude, there were many external injuries on the surface of the corpse caused by the violent impact. shi man automatically ignored these and flipped over the corpse to check his back. no moonlight could leak into the morgue at night. the only thing in charge of lighting was the pale fluorescent bulb above their heads. the cold corpse was covered in a layer of frost. under the light, one could vaguely see the cold air rising around the corpse. the girl fiddled with the corpse in her hand expressionlessly, as if she was fiddling with an ordinary toy. after she checked it carefully, she placed the corpse back into the freezer unhurriedly. it was already ten in the evening. the police officer on duty was patrolling the corridor outside as usual. when he heard a soft click from the morgue, he immediately arched his back in horror and shone his flashlight nervously at the door. shi man sensed a strong light seeping in through the crack in the door. her eyes turned cold as she quickly turned around and leapt out of the window. before she left, she went to the evidence department. after finding xiao hui¡¯s phone, she connected it to her phone and copied his phone data. yi zheng was waiting for her in the car outside the police station. seeing that a black shadow was about to quickly disappear into the night, he hurriedly asked tang zhe to turn on the headlights to catch her attention. shi man narrowed her eyes, her expression terrifyingly cold. she subconsciously raised her hand to block the strong light that suddenly shone over. she saw the license plate of the car through her fingers and heaved a sigh of relief. before shi man got into the car, tang zhe quickly complained to his master in the backseat, ¡°miss shi is really bold. she dares to barge into the morgue alone in the middle of the night. she¡¯s really a heroine!¡± yi zheng smiled smugly, as if he was the one being praised. his eyes were filled with smiles. after shi man got into the car, she rolled her eyes at him and pursed her lips speechlessly. ¡°how did you know i would come here?¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows and seemed to really think about it. then, he said with a serious expression, ¡°maybe this is our telepathy?¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at him again. ¡°you guessed that i didn¡¯t ask sean to do this, right?¡± yi zheng tidied her messy hair matter-of-factly. ¡°you¡¯re worried about them, but what about me? why didn¡¯t you borrow someone from me?¡± ¡°do we let the mercenaries come to the police station to let them walk into a trap?¡± shi man teased with a smile and naturally shared the clues she had found with him. yi zheng was very satisfied with shi man¡¯s trust in him. ¡°a cigarette burn?¡± yi zheng looked at the scar in the photo and quickly recognized the cause of the scar. he frowned fiercely and said, ¡°1 heard that this level of stimulation will make some people with special hobbies achieve the pleasure brought by sex. i wonder if the deceased is one of these people.¡± ¡°damn, master, you know this!¡± tang zhe turned around in surprise and interrupted. yi zheng glanced at him suspiciously. ¡°why are you so agitated?¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but look up at him curiously, her gaze sized up his arm repeatedly. tang zhe immediately hugged his arms tightly. ¡°don¡¯t doubt me! i¡¯m really not that kind of person!¡± shi man¡¯s expression was clearly one of disbelief. tang zhe wanted to defend himself, but after being glared at by yi zheng, he immediately held back the words that were about to come out of his mouth. after checking this small wound, shi man quickly contacted chen wei to ask if xiao hui knew how to smoke. the answer was no. when they were together, the men at the table would smoke and drink. only xiao hui would only drink one glass every time he drank. he would not even touch the cigarettes. seeing that he was young, they naturally did not find it strange.. Chapter 497 - Chapter 497: Personal Baiting chapter 497: personal baiting translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios if the wound was not left by xiao hui himself, then the person who made this wound might know the truth about xiao hui¡¯s suicide. shi man pulled up the chat history of xiao hui¡¯s cell phone. on the surface, there was nothing special. most of them were ordinary conversations with colleagues and she did not see anything unusual. yi zheng glanced at the screen and said calmly, ¡°can you recover the deleted contact record?¡± ¡°of course.¡± shi man swiped the screen confidently and quickly restored the deleted contact and chat records in xiao hui¡¯s cell phone software. yi zheng took out a piece of candy from his pocket and stuffed it into shi man¡¯s mouth. ¡°i¡¯ll send you back after dinner. what do you want to eat?¡± shi man was busy flipping through the messy chat records and replied without looking up, ¡°anything is fine. it¡¯s up to you.¡± yi zheng gave an address according to her preferences, and tang zhe immediately drove into the night. along the way, shi man lowered her head to investigate the clues, not letting go of every word that seemed valuable, wanting to piece together a complete truth. it was not until she saw xiao hui¡¯s continuous requests for reconciliation in the chat box of the deepest contact that she frowned. shi man looked down at the screen, and yi zheng kept looking at her. ¡°you found it?¡± seeing her frown, he asked with a smile. shi man nodded slightly and stuffed the phone to him. ¡°his chat history with this person can only be restored to those from the past few days. it seems that their chat records have been deleted many times. their previous records can no longer be restored.¡± ¡°this is enough.¡± yi zheng forwarded the chat message to tang zhe and asked him to investigate the identity of xiao hui¡¯s ex-girlfriend after driving. from the chat records, this girl should have only been with him for two months, but she made xiao hui very infatuated with her. he even threatened the girl to get back together by jumping off a building. ¡°from the looks of it, this person jumped down just to scare his ex-girlfriend!¡± tang zhe parked the car at the entrance of the cafeteria. after quickly browsing through the chat history, he gave a very pertinent evaluation. ¡°an infatuated person can really harm others and himself.¡± shi man chuckled and glanced at yi zheng. ¡°but he¡¯s quite cute sometimes.¡± ¡°what¡¯s cute?¡± yi zheng followed closely behind shi man and insisted on touching her arm. ever since the engagement, his clinginess had increased exponentially. ¡°nothing.¡± shi man deliberately distanced herself from him. yi zheng quickly stuck to her again, as if shi man was holding a leash that could control him, making him unconsciously match her pace. ¡°how do you plan to investigate immaculate?¡± the sound of ¡°welcome¡± in the shop continued until the two of them walked into the private room that had been reserved in advance. shi man sat steadily on the chair and finished ordering before saying unhurriedly, ¡°there¡¯s no need to investigate at all. the mole will bite the hook himself.¡± ¡°oh?¡± yi zheng raised his eyebrows slightly and said, ¡°please elaborate.¡± shi man smiled and explained to him, ¡°only sean knows about the last mission. 1 trust sean, but i can¡¯t rule out the possibility that sean accidentally leaked the news and caused our plan to fail. therefore, 1 want to leave them hanging for a while. if the mole can¡¯t get the news, he will naturally be anxious.¡± yi zheng understood. shi man wanted to use sean as bait to fish in the water. once shi man unilaterally cut off the connection with immaculate, the mole would not be able to obtain any valuable information from immaculate. if the person behind it still wanted to take action, they would definitely think of another way. at that time, whoever reacted abnormally would be the problematic one. as soon as the food was served, shi man¡¯s phone rang. she took out her phone and realized that the person who called was shi he. she guessed that the other party was worried about her because she had not returned home so late, so she picked up the phone to tell him and her family that she was safe. ¡°so you¡¯re with yi zheng.¡± shi he was obviously relieved. then, he asked hesitantly, ¡°manman, how¡¯s the police investigation on the construction site?¡± shi man frowned in surprise and took a sip of hot soup from yi zheng¡¯s hand. shi he sensed her silence and hurriedly explained to her anxiously, ¡°manman, there are rumors about you on the internet now. the victim¡¯s family posted several videos online to gain sympathy and slander you and the company. dad just asked me to ask you if you need him to interfere.¡± ¡°no need,¡± shi man replied firmly. only when the matter had festered enough would the effect be good enough when she counterattacked. shi he sighed and said, ¡°alright, if you need any help, feel free to look for me. don¡¯t hold on alone.¡± ¡°i understand.¡± after shi man hung up, she casually looked up and met yi zheng¡¯s meaningful gaze.. Chapter 498 - Chapter 498: Dating Tool chapter 498: dating tool translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the next day, tang zhe sent the results of the investigation to shi man¡¯s phone. xiao hui indeed had a mysterious ex-girlfriend. to everyone¡¯s surprise, she was actually a student of cassel academy. when shi man found her, she was in the milk tea shop facing the makeup mirror on the table, constantly applying her already red nails. ¡°a steady drizzle.¡± shi man read her online name with a smile and sat on the chair opposite her uninvited. that person immediately recognized shi man and screamed in surprise, ¡°president! how do you know my online name? do you know me?¡± shi man¡¯s nose twitched. although the smell on the girl was extremely weak, shi man could still smell the faint smell of tobacco from her. ¡°i¡¯ve a friend who likes you quite a lot, so he specially asked me to ask if you have a boyfriend.¡± that person blushed shyly, but her ordinary facial features became more delicate because of this blush. ¡°president, i don¡¯t have a boyfriend yet. who exactly is the friend you¡¯re talking about?¡± shi man had already thought of a candidate when she came. at this moment, she betrayed him without hesitation. ¡°he¡¯s my classmate. he¡¯s cheerful and loyal. he works in my company now. if you want to get to know him, we can make an appointment. i¡¯ll get him to meet you.¡± the girl immediately narrowed her eyes in joy. her originally inconspicuous eyes were only left with a slit. ¡°alright, let¡¯s do it tonight? i happen to be free tonight.¡± shi man sized up her exquisite makeup from beginning to end. her gaze finally landed on the dazzling ten fingernails. she pursed her lips and said, ¡°can¡¯t i do it now? i can call him over immediately.¡± the girl waved her hand repeatedly and subconsciously looked at the time. she rejected tactfully, ¡°i still have something to do at home later. i¡¯m sorry, chairman. we can only meet tonight at the earliest.¡± shi man pretended to shrug helplessly and said, ¡°alright, it¡¯s settled then. give me your phone number. i¡¯ll get him to contact you personally tonight.¡± ¡°okay!¡± the girl immediately wrote her number on the note happily. after thinking for a while, she even signed a signature that she thought looked good. ¡°duan jia, okay, i¡¯ll pass on the message.¡± shi man stood up with a smile and bade farewell. when her figure turned the corner and confirmed that she could no longer see her, she flashed into the car parked by the roadside. meng hui turned around nervously and asked, ¡°ceo shi, how was it? did you succeed?¡± shi man shook the note in her hand and took out her phone to take a photo and send it to chen wei, the tool tonight. in the end, she did not forget to add a message. ¡°go for a meeting tonight. consider it overtime.¡± chen wei was puzzled who was this duan jia? why did she suddenly arrange for him to date her? before he could ask about the situation, the police who came to the event location to investigate yesterday came looking for him again. chen wei could only put down his phone to deal with them first. originally, the police had only come to ask some ordinary questions. it was not until they asked if xiao hui knew how to smoke that he suddenly realized that something was wrong. sister man had already asked him this question last night! could it be that sister man had already found out something and needed to verify it with him? then the person she suddenly wanted him to date this time¡­ could it be the mysterious girlfriend that xiao hui had been hiding? chen wei suddenly felt his blood run cold. the police officer saw his suddenly stunned expression and waved his hand in front of him in confusion. ¡°comrade, are you alright?¡± chen wei immediately came back to his senses and hurriedly shook his head. ¡°it¡¯s fine. xiao hui doesn¡¯t smoke. he only drinks a little. he¡¯s still young, so we won¡¯t deliberately teach him these.¡± the police officers looked at each other and confirmed some other unimportant questions before putting away the notebook and turning to leave. after they left, chen wei immediately took out his phone. instead of looking for shi man directly, he sent duan jia¡¯s message to the group chat of his brothers who he usually played well. he asked anxiously, ¡°does anyone know her? what¡¯s her background?¡± the boys in this group were all good-for-nothings. in their eyes, there were only beautiful women with extraordinary looks. they had never taken such ordinary-looking people seriously. coincidentally, there was really someone who knew duan jia. ¡°this is my classmate. why did you send her a photo? don¡¯t tell me you like her?¡± that person sent a voice message exaggeratedly; his tone was if he had seen a ghost. chen wei thought of the mission shi man had given him and gritted his teeth to admit, ¡°yes, i just like her. i¡¯m tired of eating delicacies and want to have some porridge and side dishes. so what?¡± ¡°is there something wrong with you? did you watch too many men at the construction site and now feel that a random woman looks good when you see one?¡± that person teased gloatingly. chen wei retorted angrily, ¡°cut the crap. i want all of this woman¡¯s information in five minutes. don¡¯t you know her? i¡¯ll leave this matter to you for brother chen!¡± ¡°wow, you¡¯re serious!¡± that person looked like he was watching a good show and quickly sent over the other photos of this girl in the class photo album.. Chapter 499 - Chapter 499: Date chapter 499: date translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the other buddies in the group began to mock chen wei¡¯s current aesthetic taste. chen wei had been by shi man¡¯s side for a long time and his old habits had changed a lot. at this moment, he felt that they had gone overboard and scolded unhappily, ¡°is there a point in saying that about a girl?¡± ¡°oh, oh, oh, oh, you¡¯re protecting her just like that?¡± the few of them laughed instead of being angry. they teased even more brazenly, ¡°it seems that our brother chen is really in love this time! alright! as brothers, we will definitely help you. although duan jia is an invisible person in our class and i don¡¯t know her very well, 1 can help you ask the other female students in our class.¡± chen wei knew this without him saying it. through the few photos he had sent just now, chen wei could tell that this girl was ordinary. at least in a school like cassel academy where there were as many beautiful women as there were clouds, she was considered a very inconspicuous person. in the photo, she always had a stiff ponytail and no makeup on her face. she was also dressed in an ordinary t-shirt and jeans. in this era, which girl would dress like this in the summer? chen wei frowned and pursed his lips. his gaze slowly moved away from her to look at the chat history that his brother had fowarded to him. the girls¡¯ evaluation of duan jia was very uniform. she was a bookworm who only knew how to study. she usually did not socialize with her classmates at all. they could not even see her in their usual class activities. her name could only be seen on the report card for every exam. chen wei wanted to ask shi man in confusion how much such a bookworm could have to do with xiao hui¡¯s death. however, thinking that shi man might be busy, he didn¡¯t dare to be long-winded. at night, he went to the agreed western cafeteria to meet her. when chen wei arrived first, he was still wondering why a person like duan jia would come to such a place. in his impression, star students usually didn¡¯t come out to eat. it was as if they could fill their stomachs by soaking in the library. of course, shi man, as a star student, could not be compared to ordinary people! it was not until chen wei saw a delicate and sexy girl in a tight skirt sitting in front of him that he had yet to recover from his imagination of duan jia. seeing a pleasant-looking woman sitting in front of him, he was tempted and regretfully rejected her. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯ve already arranged to meet someone.¡± the woman smiled and curved her eyebrows, her eyes narrowed into slits. ¡°aren¡¯t i the person you arranged to meet? why? don¡¯t you recognize me?¡± ¡°duan jia?¡± chen wei¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. an egg could be stuffed into his mouth. duan jia smiled and nodded. ¡°it¡¯s me. the president said that you¡¯ve liked me for a long time?¡± chen wei was stunned for a moment before nodding repeatedly. ¡°yes, yes, yes. i¡¯ve liked you for a long time. this is the first time i¡¯ve seen you in makeup, so i didn¡¯t dare to recognize you. you don¡¯t mind, right?¡± ¡°of course i don¡¯t mind.¡± duan jia gently lifted the hair by her ear and bit her sexy and voluptuous lower lip casually. ¡°i¡¯m indeed dressed differently in school and outside. it¡¯s normal that you didn¡¯t recognize me.¡± chen wei was shocked to the extreme. he immediately asked around curiously, ¡°then why don¡¯t you usually dress up like this in school? this makeup suits you very well. if you were like this in school, 1 would definitely like you more!¡± duan jia¡¯s eyes flickered as the corners of her mouth curled up sweetly. ¡°i¡¯ve met many handsome boys, but you¡¯re the one who moved me the most.¡± there was only ecstasy in chen wei¡¯s heart. the two of them chatted happily, and the atmosphere gradually became warm. shi man sat in the car and looked coldly at the two of them smiling at each other by the window. she took a bite of the meat bun in her hand expressionlessly. ¡°this is the third man 1 saw her date today.¡± yi zheng came over in amusement and scratched the bridge of her nose. ¡°then why did you let your sidekick get involved in this mess?¡± ¡°let¡¯s hope he doesn¡¯t fall so quickly.¡± with that, shi man turned around and saw a handsome face inches away. her gaze followed his gaze to the meat bun in her hand and she carefully swallowed it. ¡°this is my dinner. don¡¯t even think about coveting it!¡± yi zheng magically took out a thermos from the cabinet and opened the small table between their chairs. ¡°since a certain someone is already full, the food that mom made will belong to me alone.¡± shi man was upset as if sensing her overly aggrieved gaze, yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shake his head. ¡°alright, alright, i¡¯ll give you a share, alright?¡± ¡°i have a share to begin with.¡± shi man gave him a sharp look. ¡°why do you think she¡¯s dating so many men she met for the first time in the same day? is she leveling up like one would for an interview?¡± of course, shi man had also investigated duan jia¡¯s popularity in school. her attire and behavior today were too abnormal. shi man could not help but investigate the meaning behind her concealment.. Chapter 500 - Chapter 500: Spirit Suppression chapter 500: spirit suppression translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng ate the food in his mouth slowly, as elegant as if he was sitting in a western restaurant. ¡°compared to this, don¡¯t you think that the two of us, who can only squeeze in the car to eat, and have to look at others are more pitiful?¡± shi man glared at him and chewed the food in her mouth. ¡°i can tell that you¡¯ve never suffered. what¡¯s eating in the car?¡± ¡°oh?¡± yi zheng was suddenly interested. he smiled and said, ¡°what kind of hardship did miss shi suffer? tell me.¡± shi man was slightly stunned. it seemed that the original owner of this body had really not suffered much. she immediately pouted and changed the topic. ¡°i¡¯m telling you something serious. guess what duan jia wants to do? casting a wide net to fish?¡± yi zheng looked at her deeply and did not mention what had just happened. instead, he remembered something else that tang zhe had investigated today. he looked in the direction of the two of them thoughtfully and said, ¡°i heard that ding hui wasn¡¯t the only case of suicide recently. the police station is in chaos. zheng xin¡¯s case hasn¡¯t been resolved yet, and now there are a few more suicide cases in the city. they¡¯ve really suffered.¡± this was the first time shi man heard this news. she frowned and said, ¡°explain? why did they commit suicide?¡± yi zheng smiled and imitated her tone that night. ¡°an infatuated person harms others and himself.¡± shi man was suddenly stunned. her neck turned stiffly to the window. looking at the intoxicated expression on chen wei¡¯s face, she immediately felt her scalp tingle. ¡°could i have harmed him unknowingly? is duan jia really that powerful? could it be that we were wrong?¡± yi zheng¡¯s expression finally turned serious. the corners of his mouth pursed into a straight line. ¡°manman, do you know what a pick-up artist is?¡± shi man¡¯s expression suddenly darkened, and a cold glint flashed across her eyes. ¡°you mean that it¡¯s very likely that we have a collective pick-up artist in g city. through mental suppression, they are constantly suppressing the other party in our relationship to achieve the effect of control?¡± if that was the case, things would be serious. however, the pick-up artist did not seem to be able to do much good to the party exerting emotional pressure. what unknown conspiracy did the people of this organization have? chen wei¡¯s date did not end until ten at night. shi man was impatient and called the other party to remind him. only then did he suddenly remember his motive for tonight. he blushed and looked away. ¡°i have to go back first. i still have to work tomorrow. let¡¯s find time to have dinner next time.¡± ¡°sure. next time i want to see you in a dark suit, you¡¯d better wear a gray tie. what you¡¯re wearing today doesn¡¯t really suit you. i like the way men look in suits. if you wear it like i said, it¡¯ll make our date even more enjoyable.¡± after saying that, duan jia winked at him playfully. chen wei¡¯s soul immediately followed her coquettish gaze. it took him a long time to come back to his senses and he nodded eagerly. ¡°alright, we¡¯ll do as you say!¡± duan jia smiled in satisfaction. after bidding farewell to chen wei, she left the cafeteria before him. when she passed by him, chen wei could clearly smell the faint perfume on the other party¡¯s body. the smell was distant and long, making him stand rooted to the ground for a long time before coming back to his senses. shi man looked at him through the window and her heart skipped a beat. ¡°it¡¯s over. chen wei didn¡¯t control himself. what should we do?¡± this was really to suffer a double loss. her original intention was to find a trustworthy man to interact with duan jia and let her show her all her skills. she did not expect her to be so strong. in just two hours of conversation, she could mesmerize men. yi zheng frowned tightly and suddenly reached out to flick her lowered head. ¡°your tool is here.¡± in front of the western cafeteria, chen wei was looking around for something. since shi man called to remind him just now, it meant that she was nearby. after looking around, chen wei recognized yi zheng¡¯s car. he walked over hesitantly and knocked on the car window. ¡°sister man, did i perform well tonight?¡± the car window slowly lowered, revealing shi man¡¯s expressionless face. chen wei knew how low her evaluation of him was just by looking at her expression. he immediately smiled evilly and blinked. ¡°to be able to successfully deceive sister man, it seems that 1 did well tonight.¡± it was shi man¡¯s turn to be shocked. she scrutinized him suspiciously, as if to confirm if he had been bragging. chen wei smiled helplessly. ¡°pick-up artist. from the moment she spoke the first sentence, i already knew her trick. i¡¯m immune to her.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows in surprise, giving him a chance to show off. ¡°let¡¯s talk in the car.¡± ¡°alright!¡± chen wei was flattered as he sat in the front passenger seat. he turned around and looked at the two of them. he smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°actually, to be honest, i¡¯ve used this move on other young ladies in the past and i¡¯ve mastered it..¡± Chapter 501 - Chapter 501: Undercover chapter 501: undercover translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios seeing that shi man¡¯s eyes were about to reveal disdain, chen wei waved his hand and said, ¡°sister man, don¡¯t misunderstand. 1 didn¡¯t lie to them to make them commit suicide for me. i also paid for the breakup after that. it was consensual!¡± shi man rolled her eyes at him; she was not interested in his past love life at all. ¡°since you know so much about this, can you tell me if this method can really make people commit suicide?¡± ¡°yes.¡± chen wei gave an answer with certainty. ¡°the party who has been mentally suppressed for a long time will feel more and more inseparable from the perpetrator. once they are abandoned by the other party, they will doubt themselves too much and feel inferior or even depressed. in the end, they will choose to give up their lives.¡± after saying that, he stole a glance at the two of them and asked carefully, ¡°do you suspect that xiao hui¡¯s death was due to duan jia¡¯s pick-up artist tactics?¡± shi man¡¯s gaze suddenly turned sharp. she narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°are you confident that you can get useful information from duan jia? we now suspect that this is an organized and premeditated induced suicide.¡± chen wei was shocked, and his pupils suddenly dilated for a moment. then, he nodded firmly and said, ¡°i can. as long as i keep cooperating with duan jia and pretend to be subdued by her to gain her trust, i will definitely dig out more clues.¡± ¡°have you thought it through?¡± shi man reminded him especially seriously. ¡°if you don¡¯t stay awake in this relationship, your life might be in danger. speaking of which, this matter actually doesn¡¯t have much to do with you. you can totally choose not to get involved.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve thought about it. i¡¯m going to do it.¡± the moment shi man finished speaking, chen wei agreed to this matter firmly again. he even smiled generously and said, ¡°so what if i¡¯m really implicated one day? don¡¯t think that 1 can¡¯t keep my head on my shoulders just because i¡¯m not good at studying.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows in surprise. she took out a small listening device from her pocket and handed it to him. ¡°this thing also has a recording function. we¡¯ll keep in touch.¡± chen wei put the things in his pocket and opened the car door with a smile. ¡°alright, then wait for my good news!¡± with that, he jumped out of the car and his figure quickly melted into the night. what he did not say was that the reason why he was willing to put himself in danger in this matter was actually to completely gain shi man¡¯s trust. chen wei had done many wicked things in the past. it was obvious that he could not make shi man trust him based on his verbal display of loyalty. that was why he needed to make a difference. if he could make shi man look at him in a different light through this matter and let him follow her in the future, it would not matter even if his life was really threatened. shi man could be his backer. the car quietly sped through the dark night and arrived at the shi family in a moment. unexpectedly, a car was already waiting outside. chief zheng had been busy for the past few days, and his eyes were already bruised, but this fatigue did not affect his sharp eyes at all. ¡°uncle zheng.¡± shi man slowly walked over and greeted him as if nothing had happened. it was already late at night. for chief zheng to take the trouble to see her personally, there was probably something going on with zheng xin. indeed, in the next moment, chief zheng heaved a long sigh of relief. his tone was stern and helpless. ¡°xinxin wants to see you. she said that she can tell me who gave her the drugs and instructed her to harm your mother, but the condition is that she wants to talk to you alone.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and was not in a hurry to agree. instead, she said with a troubled expression, ¡°i¡¯m afraid this doesn¡¯t conform to the rules of the police station, right?¡± chief zheng shook his head and said, ¡°we can¡¯t care too much about the details now. the case is urgent and the higher-ups are watching too closely. if xinxin doesn¡¯t identify the person behind this, i¡¯m afraid she will be taken away by the prosecutor¡¯s office very quickly. at that time, there won¡¯t be any room for negotiation.¡± he looked up, allowing shi man to see the pleading in his eyes. at this moment, he was no longer the cold and impartial director who enforced the law impartially. he was now just an ordinary old father who was eager to save his daughter. even if he had to forgo his uniform, he had to try his best to protect his only daughter. only then did shi man agree hesitantly. looking at the light in chief zheng¡¯s eyes, she immediately changed the topic. ¡°but i have a request.¡± chief zheng nodded readily. ¡°just tell me what you want. our zheng family has let you down this time. i¡¯ll do my best to help you do whatever you want.¡± as long as shi man could make zheng xin spit it out, he would not hesitate to take his old life. shi man would not take his life. what she wanted was a promise. her eyes narrowed slightly, and her face seemed to be covered in a layer of frost. ¡°i want you to guarantee that no one else knows about my conversation with zheng xin except you. i don¡¯t want to get into trouble. in addition, even you can¡¯t listen to our conversation.¡± chief zheng thought that she didn¡¯t want to get into trouble and be targeted, so he nodded in agreement without thinking.. Chapter 502 - Chapter 502: Havoc at the Police Station chapter 502: havoc at the police station translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng was worried about shi man meeting zheng xin just like that and wanted to go to the police station with her. however, before he could say anything, shi man suddenly turned around and blocked his unfinished words. ¡°go back first. uncle zheng will send me back later.¡± chief zheng nodded solemnly. seeing that she had taken the initiative to say this, yi zheng couldn¡¯t say anything else. he sighed deeply and rubbed her head. ¡°alright, remember to tell mom not to worry about you at home.¡± ¡°i know.¡± shi man ran back to the shi family and explained chief zheng¡¯s request. then, she quickly returned and got into the police car parked at the door. the police station was still brightly lit. there was an old man sitting in the corridor outside, crying non-stop. shi man looked around in frustration and realized that the person was ding hui¡¯s father. father ding had clearly seen shi man too. he got up from the ground in disbelief and slapped his thigh excitedly. he shouted, ¡°the heavens have eyes! my son¡¯s death is indeed related to you! the police have finally arrested you!¡± chief zheng frowned and looked at the expressionless girl beside him. he said coldly and angrily, ¡°how can the police station let just anyone in? this is the office area. all cases have to be strictly confidential. how can you let irrelevant people in?¡± the police officers who had been scolded stood up innocently and explained timidly, ¡°chief, this person is the father of the deceased who jumped off the building in the west district. as soon as he entered, he sat on the ground and started crying. we really had no choice.¡± chief zheng narrowed his eyes majestically and stared at mr. ding with a cold gaze. ¡°you are interfering with the police¡¯s normal investigation. for that, i can detain you on the charge of disturbing the justice.¡± ¡°what right do you have to detain me?! i¡¯m here to demand an explanation for my son!¡± father ding was a rough person. he didn¡¯t know the law and didn¡¯t know how to read people¡¯s expressions. seeing that chief zheng¡¯s expression was getting worse and worse, he even criticized chief zheng for his mistakes. ¡°you police work for the people! then you should be supervised by the people. moreover, i¡¯m the victim¡¯s family. this woman is the person who should be responsible for my son¡¯s death. if you don¡¯t sentence her, you¡¯ll be protected by the officials!¡± his words were unreasonable, but ding hui still felt that they were stunned by his words. he immediately sat down on the office chair of the other police officers arrogantly and shook his legs calmly. ¡°what are you looking at me for? hurry up and do your case. my son is still in the morgue. if you don¡¯t investigate quickly, how can i bring my son back to rest?¡± director zheng looked away in frustration. if he wasn¡¯t a director who had to set an example, he would have chased father ding out and scolded him. he was in an extremely bad mood now. his daughter was still imprisoned and was about to be sent to the prosecutor¡¯s office for trial. how could he be in the mood to care about his pestering? he simply gave a look to a police officer beside him and asked him to quickly throw this unreasonable old man out, lest he sat here as an eyesore and delayed the progress of the investigation. the young police officer was also smart. he had long disliked the old man¡¯s behavior and had not dared to touch him because he was afraid of getting into trouble. however, now that he had the personal instructions of his leader, he immediately put down the dossier in his hand and walked over to easily pick up the old man who was still immersed in his smugness. ¡°what are you doing? i want to watch this woman confess here! i¡¯m not going anywhere!¡± father ding struggled in a panic, but he was obviously no match for the police. he was forcefully dragged to the door. ¡°idle people are not allowed to enter the office area. we will investigate your son¡¯s matter clearly. please go home and wait for our notice.¡± the police officer¡¯s words were extremely polite, and no one could find any fault with him, but his actions were not ambiguous. mr. ding could not break free. when he passed by shi man, he suddenly widened his eyes in anger and pointed at her fiercely. ¡°you must have bribed this group of police officers because you don¡¯t want to give my son¡¯s funeral fees, right?! you¡¯re black-hearted! you made money from my son¡¯s life! you¡¯ll suffer retribution sooner or later!¡± shi man glanced at him coldly, and the cold light in her eyes shooting straight into his heart. father ding panicked for no reason. he opened his mouth but forgot what he was about to say. he even forgot to struggle and was dragged out of the police station. after mr. ding left, the office fell silent again. everyone stared at chief zheng¡¯s gloomy expression in silence. in the next moment, they saw a gentle smile on his face. he turned around and took the initiative to make way for the girl beside him. ¡°let¡¯s go. we don¡¯t have much time. i¡¯ll send you back after it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man followed behind him expressionlessly. chief zheng sent her into the interrogation room and left with a complicated expression. at the same time, he turned off the video recorder inside and chased away everyone in front of the camera.. Chapter 503 - Chapter 503: Confession to Transmigration chapter 503: confession to transmigration translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the interrogation room, the young girl sat alone on the chair in the middle with disheveled hair. her wrists were handcuffed by the police, and the blood on the collar of her clothes had dried. the bandage around her neck added a fragile dimension to her beauty. the strong light on the table was facing away from the girl, as if someone had deliberately fiddled with it to prevent the girl who had not seen the sun for a few days from feeling that the strong light was dazzling. shi man sat on the chair in front of the table and suddenly remembered the last time she came to the interrogation room to torture the chauffeur. however, this move clearly could not be used on zheng xin. otherwise, she would not have gone through so much trouble. the hair that fell on the handcuffs moved slightly, and there was an itchy feeling on the back of her hand. zheng xin slowly raised her head. the hair in front of her blocked her vision, but the coldness in her the other party¡¯s eyes was not blocked at all. she raised her hand and brushed away the hair in front of her. her dry lips moved slightly, but she did not make any sound. it took her a while to ease the pain in her throat, but the voice she made was hoarse and dry. ¡°you also transmigrated. you know the truth of this world, don¡¯t you?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows. she did not expect her to figure this out after being locked up for just a few days. shi man did not intend to hide it in the first place. she smiled and nodded. ¡°yes, so from the first day i saw you, i knew your background.¡± zheng xin¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. she suddenly clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, wishing she could eat her bones and blood. ¡°you¡¯ve been looking at me like you were watching a monkey show, right? you could marry yi zheng because you used some method to snatch su tang¡¯s position?¡± ¡°you¡¯re wrong about that.¡± shi man shrugged playfully and said, ¡°it was yi zheng who liked me. i didn¡¯t snatch from su tang. su tang isn¡¯t interested in yi zheng at all.¡± zheng xin looked at shi man as if she was a monster. she suddenly hammered the table and said, ¡°you caused me so much trouble, yet you still want to obtain information about that person from me. isn¡¯t it too much of a fantasy?¡± shi man pursed her lips and smiled indifferently. ¡°no one wants to harm you. you¡¯re the one who¡¯s arrogant and thinks that you¡¯re the female lead. you¡¯re courting death unscrupulously just because you have some illusion you have the female lead¡¯s halo. to be fair, do you dare to be so arrogant in your original world?¡± zheng xin was silent for a moment. her heated brain seemed to have suddenly calmed down because of shi man¡¯s words. in her world, she was a young lady who had been doted on by her parents since she was young. her family had been a special group of people for generations, doing the most hidden and dangerous profession. her parents had high titles that allowed her to cause trouble in the country without restraint. however, if she caused too much trouble, her father would reprimand her. however, once her mother cried, he completely lost his temper. it was precisely because of this that she felt that she was the master of this world. she thought that her transmigration was unique and predestined, but she did not expect there to be someone else here who had suffered the same fate. she looked up at shi man steadily, her eyes filled with jealousy and hatred. ¡°i was just a little arrogant, but 1 didn¡¯t really harm anyone! isn¡¯t that woman called shen xian fine?! she¡¯s not your biological mother. why do you care so much about her?! don¡¯t forget that this is just an ordinary novel. don¡¯t tell me you treat them as humans?¡± shi man didn¡¯t like what she said. she frowned and reminded her in an unfriendly tone, ¡°if you don¡¯t treat this place as real, do you have a way to return to your original world?¡± zheng xin was slightly stunned. she had clearly not thought of this question. before she came, because of the special nature of her family, she had never been allowed by her parents to travel to other cities alone. in her heart, she had always yearned for freedom. she had treated her experience in this world as an unexpected trip, but it had never occurred to her that this trip might not have an option to return in the first place. thinking of this possibility, zheng xin suddenly cried in despair. she shook her head desperately and said, ¡°no, 1 want to go home. i don¡¯t like anyone here. i want to go back. 1 want to see my parents and friends!¡± shi man reminded her expressionlessly, ¡°but you¡¯re about to die here. the police found five catties of drugs in your residence. you should know what you¡¯re about to face.¡± ¡°no, i can¡¯t die!¡± zheng xin tried her best to open her eyes, but the tears in her eyes couldn¡¯t help but flow down. ¡°i didn¡¯t sell drugs. those drugs aren¡¯t mine. 1 never touched that thing!¡± as soon as she finished speaking, before shi man could say anything, she guessed that someone had probably placed those drugs in her room. she suddenly laughed bitterly, her face so pale that it was bloodless. ¡°by the way, since he can come to my house to look for me openly, he must be able to quietly put the things in my house again.¡± shi man frowned and said sternly, ¡°so, who exactly is this ¡°he¡± you¡¯re referring to!¡± Chapter 504 - Chapter 504: Final Celebration chapter 504: final celebration translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zheng xin shook her head gently and said, ¡°do you think he will come to see me with his true face? i¡¯m just a chess piece that will be abandoned after being used.¡± zheng xin, who was originally enjoying the treatment of a princess, had yet to recover from the treatment of being used and abandoned. she looked lonely and sad. shi man frowned and asked unhappily, ¡°then you can at least provide some useful clues, right? otherwise, the police won¡¯t let you off.¡± zheng xin sniffed aggrievedly. thinking of the situation that day when that person barged into her room, she frowned in distress. after thinking for a long time, she squeezed out, ¡°he¡¯s a man.¡± shi man rolled her eyes speechlessly. she put down her crossed legs and stood up to leave. zheng xin hurriedly stopped him and racked her brains to recall carefully. ¡°he was wearing a mask. he should be young and has a good figure. he¡¯s very muscular.¡± shi man¡¯s cold gaze swept toward her. zheng xin was shocked by her gaze and her heart skipped a beat. she hurriedly said, ¡°he¡¯s about 1.8 meters tall and is relatively thin. 1 only saw his exposed neck and felt that his skin was quite fair. his speech has been changed, but i keep feeling that his accent is a little strange.¡± shi man¡¯s face darkened as she stared at her and asked, ¡°why is it strange?¡± zheng xin hurriedly grabbed the edge of the table excitedly and widened her eyes. ¡°i¡¯m from the north. our family also lives in the north. every year, they come to my house for a gathering during the spring festival. i¡¯ve heard all the northern accents, but they¡¯re not like his, so i think he might be a southerner!¡± as she spoke, she stole a glance at shi man¡¯s expression and muttered weakly, ¡°isn¡¯t this a book created in our world? there should be many similarities, right? ordinary authors won¡¯t set their accents separately, right?¡± shi man nodded slightly and said, ¡°anything else?¡± it was impossible to find someone with just this little clue. zheng xin knew this very well. she continued to frown and said, ¡°there¡¯s a very sweet smell on his body, like popcorn or something. oh! by the way, his wrist might be injured because 1 accidentally grabbed his wrist and he gasped!¡± shi man looked at her and knew that this was all the valuable information she could provide. zheng xin could see the disappointment in her eyes and immediately felt her pride suffer a setback. she pouted unhappily and said, ¡°i¡¯ve only met him once. it¡¯s already very impressive to be able to obtain so much information, okay? what else are you dissatisfied with?¡± shi man looked at her unfathomably until zheng xin felt a chill down her spine. ¡°i¡¯ll tell uncle zheng the information you said, but you have to remember that as long as you can¡¯t return to your original world, you can¡¯t continue to be willful.¡± zheng xin fell silent for some reason. she lowered her head so that no one could see her emotions. shi man sneered and said faintly, ¡°also, we haven¡¯t settled the score with you for harming my mother. when you come out, i¡¯ll look for you to end things.¡± shi man said lightly and turned to leave the interrogation room, ignoring how surprised zheng xin was. outside, chief zheng was leaning against the sofa tiredly. when he heard the door open, he hurriedly opened his eyes and stood up. ¡°manman, what did xinxin say?¡± shi man looked at the people coming and going around and lowered her voice to tell chief zheng what zheng xin had just said. zheng xin¡¯s matter had come to an end, but for shi man, this was not over yet. sean took the lead in organizing a party at the immaculate base today. it had been a long time since shi man had contacted them. during this period of time, they had been free, so lin si urged sean to hold a gathering to let the brothers relax. sean knew that these brothers had suffered a lot because they had been poisoned. seeing that everyone could finally recover, he agreed without thinking. lin si brought a few people to prepare things. before he left, he stuffed another handful of corn into the pot. ¡°xiao si, you¡¯ve been eating like you were a popcorn spirit recently! it¡¯s not good for your teeth if children always eat sweet food!¡± someone in the same group hugged his shoulder and teased him. lin si walked in front with a smile. ¡°it¡¯s only in front of you that i¡¯m treated like a child.¡± they had all watched lin si grow up, so they naturally treated him as a younger brother from the bottom of their hearts. when they encountered anything, they would prioritize him and would never let him do dangerous work. lin si also treated them as family. he turned and looked at sean, who was busy at the other end. the corners of his mouth curled up into a meaningful smile. then he turned and left the base. late at night, shi man arrived at the base after a long time, but she only saw sean sweating anxiously. seeing that his boss had finally come, he hurriedly pounced on him as if he had seen his savior and shouted anxiously, ¡°boss, bad news! lin si brought people out to buy things in the afternoon, but he hasn¡¯t returned until now!¡± shi man smiled,as her eyes emitted a bone-chilling coldness in the night. ¡°he won¡¯t come back..¡± Chapter 505 - Chapter 505: Farewell chapter 505: farewell translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios sean was stunned on the spot and did not understand what she meant for a moment. he replied in a daze, ¡°boss, you said that he won¡¯t be coming back. did you assign him a mission alone?¡± even though he knew that the possibility was slim, he still lied to himself. he scratched his head and smiled honestly. ¡°it must be like this, boss. aiya, this kid is not mature enough! how can you trust him so much? what if he messes up your matter?¡± shi man shook her head gently and could tell how ugly the smile on his face was. she said expressionlessly, ¡°come to the office with me.¡± she walked steadily ahead, but sean¡¯s feet were unsteady, as if every step was walked on cotton. he was so dazed that he almost tripped over the steps in front of the office. he staggered and almost fell on shi man. under her complicated gaze, he hurriedly held the door frame to stabilize himself. he scratched his head in embarrassment and said, ¡°look how careless i am. 1 almost fell. boss, don¡¯t laugh at me.¡± shi man turned around silently and led him into the office. she raised her chin and gestured for him to sit on the sofa opposite her. ¡°i just said that lin si won¡¯t be back because he knows that his identity has been exposed.¡± sean¡¯s butt had just touched the sofa when he suddenly heard this. he was so frightened that he jumped up and shouted, ¡°boss, 1 don¡¯t quite understand what you mean.¡± shi man sighed softly and told sean the whole story. as sean listened quietly, his eyes were filled with disbelief. he was speechless for a long time. shi man did not interrupt his trance. she sighed silently and walked back to her seat, leaving him a quiet space to think. although zheng xin¡¯s description of the person behind the scenes was general, combined with shi man¡¯s previous suspicion of the spy, this person was not difficult to identify. thinking about it carefully, it was precisely after lin si appeared in g city that this series of things happened. sean could not accept this conclusion. his scarlet eyes were bloodshot as he suddenly remembered what lin si had said to him not long ago. that night, the sky was clear and the stars were bright. the gentle breeze blew across his face, bringing warmth. however, lin si¡¯s words were so cold that it made one feel cold. that night, sean failed his mission and returned to the base dejectedly. he leaned against the armrest and smoked. when lin si saw this, he slowly walked over and took out the cigarette box from his pocket. before he could put it in his mouth, sean snatched it back. ¡°children shouldn¡¯t learn this. you¡¯re not learning well!¡± sean always liked to lecture him like this. lin si was used to hearing it, so he was not angry. instead, he smiled and let sean reprimand him. when he was done, lin si narrowed his eyes and stared at him meaningfully. ¡°big brother, do you know why boss only told you about tonight¡¯s mission?¡± sean¡¯s eyelids lifted slightly. he threw away the cigarette butt in his hand and stubbed it out with his foot. he said in a low voice, ¡°because boss trusts me. i¡¯m the only one who can do this.¡± as lin si chuckled, his smile was mixed with helplessness and mockery. sean was instantly annoyed. he raised his hand and punched him mercilessly. he said unhappily, ¡°what are you laughing at? then tell me why?¡± lin si stopped laughing. there was a seriousness on his face that sean had never seen before. ¡°because she¡¯s suspecting that there¡¯s a mole among us.¡± sean¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, and he clenched his fists at his sides. he could not suppress his anger. ¡°what did you say?¡± lin si smiled matter-of-factly and said, ¡°she only let you go on a mission alone, but she wants to confiscate our communication equipment and doesn¡¯t let us contact you because she doesn¡¯t want us to communicate with each other. at the same time¡­¡± he deliberately paused for a moment and looked at sean¡¯s rapidly changing expression. he shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°at the same time, she would test you.¡± sean had never thought too deeply about the deeper meaning of shi man¡¯s actions. he felt that since he had already recognized her as his boss, he naturally had to trust her wholeheartedly. she had always trusted them. however, he never thought that he would be suspected one day. however, sean was not a child who was so childish that he did not know anything. although he was a little sad, he still looked calm. ¡°boss has her own considerations. it¡¯s understandable for her to do this. anyway, i¡¯m upright. i¡¯m not afraid of being suspected.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± lin si looked thoughtfully at the smile on his lips that was about to disappear. he pursed his lips and smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. ¡°but brother sean, you still told me your mission.¡± sean turned around and glared at him. ¡°it¡¯s all because i pitied you when you were young that i agreed to that lousy agreement with you. as long as we¡¯re out on a mission, we¡¯ll inform each other of our movements!¡± as lin si chuckled, his eyes reflected the bright moonlight. ¡°brother sean, no matter what happens in the future, you will always believe in me, right?¡± sean did not see the seriousness in his eyes and rolled his eyes angrily. he avoided the topic and said, ¡°when you were young, you were clingy.. 1 didn¡¯t expect you to still be like this even after growing up!¡± Chapter 506 - Chapter 506: Apologize On His Behalf chapter 506: apologize on his behalf translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios a trace of nostalgia appeared in lin si¡¯s eyes. he hunched over the armrest and stared at the stars in the south. ¡°brother sean, i still like m city more than this place.¡± ¡°then head back.¡± sean patted his shoulder indifferently. ¡°when you go back, without me watching you, you¡¯ll work for your second brother. but the rules can¡¯t be broken. your hands can¡¯t be stained with blood.¡± lin si lowered his head and looked at the spariding sweat on his open hands that were reflected by the moonlight. he smiled and said, ¡°who said i¡¯m going back? i still have unfulfilled wishes here. ¡°what wishes can you have here?¡± sean sneered. he did not take his words seriously at all, so he naturally did not understand the deep meaning in his eyes. but now, sean seemed to understand everything in an instant. ¡°boss.¡± he suddenly looked up at the girl sitting opposite him. she was clearly very close, but his vision was so blurry that he couldn¡¯t see the expression on her face. ¡°boss, i picked lin si up. i¡¯m willing to take responsibility for everything he does.¡± ¡°why are you doing this?¡± shi man frowned and narrowed her eyes in disapproval. ¡°the mistakes he made can¡¯t be easily repaid. if you really treat him as a younger brother, think of a way to capture him personally and let him bear the consequences. don¡¯t continue to make mistakes.¡± how could sean not know that this was what he should do at this moment? however, how could he bear to? it would probably be difficult to redeem what lin si had done even if he handed over his life. sean only wanted to exchange his life for a chance to for lin si to change for the better and let him live well like a normal youth. shi man slowly walked to his side and patted his shoulder. ¡°we¡¯ll talk about everything after we find lin si. if you see him, you must bring him back to see me. 1 have something very important to ask him personally.¡± sean¡¯s body trembled as he barely suppressed the discomfort in his heart. he nodded heavily and said, ¡°alright, 1¡¯11 definitely bring him back to see you.¡± if everything was really done by lin si, he would die for his mistakes. over the past few days, yi zheng had been hurriedly arranging for people to search for lin si¡¯s whereabouts in g city. he had even contacted his uncle in m city. once he found lin si, he would immediately inform yi zheng. shi man was watching chen wei¡¯s progress with duan jia. the internet was filled with scoldings against the shi family, but a few discerning people still remembered shi man¡¯s deeds of disregarding her well-being to save others after the explosion on the internet. however, they were all rendered speechless by the words ¡°for show¡±. the first thing meng hui did every day when she opened her eyes was to turn on her computer to see who was clinging to her boss on the internet today. then, she secretly recorded these people¡¯s online names in a small notebook and waited for her boss to expose the organization behind them before looking for these people to slap their faces! shi man did not care about the negative comments online at all. she did not have the time to read those brainless negative comments that were maliciously led by others. to her, the most important thing was to ensure that chen wei did not fall into the enemy¡¯s trap. today, chen wei and duan jia arranged to meet at the western cafeteria again. chen wei was a full hour ahead of the agreed time. when he arrived at the cafeteria, he sat upright and was still wearing the clothes that duan jia had requested after their last meeting. the waiter asked chen wei many times if he needed to order, but seeing his dejected appearance, he was too embarrassed to keep urging him. it was only when a beautiful woman appeared at the entrance of the cafeteria that the waiter could clearly see the unconcealed ecstasy in chen wei¡¯s eyes. duan jia arrived 40 minutes later than the agreed time, but there was no guilt on her face. instead, she sat opposite chen wei as if it was only natural and started to complain about chen wei¡¯s outfit today. ¡°why are you wearing a suit and not a tie? didn¡¯t 1 ask you to choose a good tie to match? also, what¡¯s wrong with your hair? it¡¯s so ugly. why are others dressed better than you?¡± an awkward expression flashed across chen wei¡¯s face before he lowered his head sadly and said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry. 1 thought you would like it if i wore it like this.¡± duan jia scolded sternly, ¡°you were clearly quite handsome when we first met. why did you change in just a few days? do you not like me anymore?¡± ¡°why wouldn¡¯t i like you?¡± chen wei began to coax her. the waiter was dumbfounded. he had even forgotten to come over to take the customer¡¯s order. it was only when the head waiter reminded him that he came back to his senses. he walked awkwardly to the two of them and handed them the menu. ¡°hello, do you want to order?¡± duan jia snorted and looked up aggressively. however, when she saw the handsome waiter, the light in her eyes instantly lit up. ¡°little brother, can you give me a steak?¡± ¡°of course.¡± the waiter lowered his eyes and recorded their orders. not long after, he heard a sharp voice continue to scold chen wei behind his back.. Chapter 507 - Chapter 507: Acting chapter 507: acting translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°look at how he looks better than you in a formal suit. isn¡¯t this your problem?¡± duan jia rolled her eyes at chen wei in disdain. ever since she arrived, she had not spoken to chen wei nicely. duan jia¡¯s words were like a knife that stabbed deeply into chen wei¡¯s heart. his expression scrunched up in pain as he tugged at her arm aggrievedly. ¡°i¡¯ll definitely dress up well next time and definitely satisfy you, alright?¡± duan jia pushed his hand away ungratefully and said, ¡°do you think i¡¯m as free as you? i still have to buy the latest bag. how can i have the time to accompany you?¡± ¡°i¡¯ll buy it for you!¡± chen wei replied without hesitation. many customers around had been curiously paying attention to the commotion here. when they heard chen wei¡¯s words, they immediately looked like they were watching a good show. the girl sitting at the back table who had been wearing sunglasses suddenly stood up in front of everyone. she took off her glasses, revealing a beautiful face. she walked to chen wei¡¯s side and pulled the man to her side. ¡°brother chen wei, do you still want such a woman?¡± everyone was dumbfounded by this sudden change. they never expected there to be such a reversal. they couldn¡¯t help but look up to see what the girl who spoke looked like. duan jia did not expect a woman to suddenly appear, but she quickly recognized who this person was. she sneered and sized up chen wei and her. ¡°so secretary su actually likes someone else¡¯s boyfriend?¡± su tang was now shi man¡¯s chief secretary in the student union. all the teachers and students in the school were familiar with her because of this. duan jia had once watched her fervently below the stage and stood in the vast crowd, imagining that she was standing in her position. however, su tang did not know any of this. her face turned red from duan jia¡¯s provocation, and the shame in her eyes flashed. however, when she thought of her goal, she braced herself and retorted, ¡°i don¡¯t like other people¡¯s boyfriends. i just can¡¯t stand you treating brother chen wei like this!¡± duan jia glanced at the man beside her playfully and slowly stroked his cheek with her fingers that were covered in cardamom. she said slowly, ¡°your little sister is teaching me a lesson. if you don¡¯t perform well, i¡¯ll never talk to you!¡± chen wei bounced up from the booth almost immediately and glared at su tang unhappily. ¡°don¡¯t cause trouble here. what has this got to do with you? hurry up and leave! don¡¯t affect my date with my girlfriend!¡± su tang¡¯s eyes were red as she moved away and hid herself completely in chen wei¡¯s tall figure. she winked at him and continued to cry pitifully, ¡°brother chen wei, she¡¯s lying to you! she¡¯s trying to cheat you of your money! actually, you look really good in this outfit!¡± duan jia couldn¡¯t help but push chen wei away. she stood in front of su tang and glared at her coldly. ¡°have you said enough? this is my boyfriend. only i have the right to evaluate him. who do you think you are?¡± su tang was extremely aggrieved by the scolding. her eyes were red like those of a rabbit. the corners of duan jia¡¯s lips curled up proudly. she was about to scold him again when someone suddenly grabbed her arm from behind. chen wei¡¯s eyes were so deep that one could drown in them. ¡°jiajia, i¡¯m really happy to hear you say that.¡± duan jia was stunned for a moment, but she quickly reacted. instead of shaking off his hand, she bragged to su tang, ¡°see? no matter what you say, chen wei will ignore you. get lost.¡± su tang pursed her thin lips and stirred her sleeves uneasily. her voice was weak and pitiful. ¡°brother chen wei¡­¡± before she could finish speaking, the phone in her pocket kept vibrating. su tang¡¯s emotions, which had just been brewing, were suddenly interrupted. in order not to let duan jia see through her, she could only turn around and answer the phone. on the phone, shi man¡¯s cold voice was emotionless. ¡°who asked you to go?¡± the moment su tang heard that voice, her heart couldn¡¯t help but race. she hurriedly turned around and covered her mouth. she lowered her voice and said, ¡°i¡¯m here to help chen wei. this can stimulate her to be faster¡­¡± ¡°faster? come out. i¡¯m in the car diagonally opposite. come over immediately!¡± after shi man roared, she decisively hung up and held her forehead speechlessly. did this girl know how dangerous their organization was? did she think that there were no men in this organization? if those men were to get serious, they would be even more ruthless than duan jia. after su tang finished the call, her expression suddenly became flustered. she looked at chen wei¡¯s probing gaze and made up her mind. she closed her eyes and shouted, ¡°brother chen wei, you¡¯re really handsome today. don¡¯t be deceived by her!¡± then, she turned around and ran out of the western cafeteria. others thought that she was shy, but only chen wei knew that she had been exposed! the call just now was probably from shi man! chen wei felt that he had provoked someone he shouldn¡¯t have. he touched his nose in distress and thought about whether he should kneel down and beg for forgiveness when he saw shi man later. however, in duan jia¡¯s eyes, his cheap trick was interpreted as him being moved by su tang¡¯s words.. Chapter 508 - Chapter 508: Chance Encounter chapter 508: chance encounter translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios duan jia immediately felt unhappy. she didn¡¯t even eat the steak she had ordered and left the cafeteria angrily. chen wei hurriedly ran to the front desk to settle the bill and brushed past the waiter who came to serve the food, almost knocking over the expensive steak in his hand. the waiter hurriedly stopped him and pointed at the two steaks in his hand in confusion. ¡°sir, don¡¯t you want them anymore?¡± ¡°no, eat it.¡± chen wei took out his bank card to settle the bill. he looked out of the window anxiously, afraid that he would not be able to see duan jia if he was any later. the others were so shocked by this drama that they forgot to eat the steak and cake on their plates. they stared fixedly at chen wei, who was afraid of being left behind. they watched him rush out of the cafeteria before sighing and whispering. su tang left the cafeteria and went straight to shi man¡¯s car. as soon as she got into the car, her wrist was held tightly by the person inside. she leaned forward uncontrollably and was caught off guard by a pair of angry eyes. su tang¡¯s heart trembled. she curled her lips awkwardly and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°manman, i was actually just going to provoke duan jia. i really didn¡¯t do anything else!¡± shi man tightened her grip on her wrist until her expression changed in pain. only then did she come back to her senses. she hurriedly let go and turned her head to the side. ¡°don¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°definitely!¡± su tang leaned closer to shi man happily and muttered carefully, ¡°manman, do you think duan jia can really expose the organization behind her in advance after my stimulation?¡± shi man glanced at her and said coldly, ¡°i don¡¯t know, but you have to be careful in the future and ignore any men who approach you for no reason.¡± ¡°alright! i¡¯ll listen to you!¡± su tang agreed obediently. the next day, she went to a design exhibition in g city and met an anxious man sweating profusely at the entrance. su tang originally wanted to come with bai xue, but bai xue¡¯s mother was not feeling well this morning. bai xue had to stay behind to take care of her mother, so she could only come alone. when the man saw su tang, his eyes lit up. he hurriedly blocked her way. ¡°miss, i¡¯m sorry. 1 lost my cell phone. can you lend me your cell phone so that i can make a call?¡± su tang remembered shi man¡¯s words and ignored the man. however, his expression did not seem to be fake. she stopped hesitantly and pointed at the staff on the other side. ¡°you can ask him for help. he will definitely help you.¡± the man was speechless, but he revealed a grateful expression. ¡°thank you, thank you. i was so anxious that i forgot about this. thank you so much!¡± su tang was a little embarrassed by his repeated thanks. she blushed and nodded. ¡°then go quickly. be careful that someone picks up your cell phone later. i¡¯ll leave first.¡± with that, su tang walked around him and walked straight into the design exhibition hall, not noticing the sharp glint in the man¡¯s eyes. this exhibition had taught su tang a lot. design had never been a closed-door job. she needed to constantly broaden her horizons. after seeing many dazzling masterpieces, she had some understanding and planned to write down her inspiration when she returned. unexpectedly, just as she walked out of the exhibition, she met the man who had lost his cell phone again. this time, the man seemed to be waiting for su tang. seeing her come out, he walked over happily. ¡°miss, i finally see you again. you left in a hurry just now and accidentally dropped your wallet on the ground. i didn¡¯t dare to hand this to anyone else as i was afraid that they wouldn¡¯t be able to contact you, so i¡¯ve been waiting for you here.¡± su tang looked at the pink wallet in his hand in surprise and then at her pocket. indeed, it was empty. she immediately smiled gratefully and said, ¡°i¡¯ve really troubled you. i¡¯m really sorry to have delayed you for so long.¡± su tang had observed and studied around the exhibition for three hours before coming out. this man had actually waited outside for so long with her wallet, which surprised su tang. the man smiled honestly and stuffed the wallet into her hand. just as he was about to turn around and leave, he cleared his throat casually and reached out to wipe the sweat off his face. the sound of ice cream being sold kept coming from the side. su tang felt bad and took the initiative to stop him. ¡°brother, wait a minute. you helped me find my wallet. i haven¡¯t thanked you properly. why don¡¯t you let me treat you to a dessert to cool down?¡± the man had already stopped in his tracks the moment su tang spoke. when he heard her say this, he immediately turned around with a smile and said with a guilty expression, ¡°how can i accept this? let me pay!¡± although the man said that, he pretended he was feeling too hot when it was time to pay the bill. he covered his glasses with his hands and did not look like he was going to take out money. su tang didn¡¯t want him to pay at all, so she naturally didn¡¯t care about his actions. after buying two sets of ice cream, she brought the man to an empty seat.. Chapter 509 - Chapter 509: Defeated chapter 509: defeated translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after the two of them finished their ice cream, they went to the cafeteria next door for dinner. as usual, su tang spent the money, and the man enjoyed the fruits of her labor. during dinner, the man bragged about his work; his words and actions were filled with pride. su tang sat at the side quietly eating her food. occasionally, she would look up and smile in response. the man completely viewed su tang¡¯s reaction as being perfunctory. he frowned unhappily and said, ¡°what about you, miss su? you haven¡¯t graduated at your age, right?¡± su tang nodded calmly and said, ¡°yes, why?¡± a hint of joy flashed across the man¡¯s eyes. he rubbed his hands excitedly under the table and said, ¡°i especially miss my school days. i was always among the top in those years! 1 was firmly in the top 100 of the cohort!¡± su tang couldn¡¯t help but laugh and replied indifferently, ¡°oh.¡± the man immediately pretended to be curious and asked, ¡°how are miss su¡¯s academic results? they shouldn¡¯t be much different from mine, right?¡± most of the people who could come here to watch the design exhibition were employees of a serious design company. for a student like su tang, the man could almost conclude that she was just an outsider coming to watch the show. after watching, she could return to school to brag to her classmates. he did not think that su tang really understood these things. after all, even someone as outstanding as him sometimes could not understand the concept of design in the exhibition hall. when su tang heard him ask about her results, she pretended to be shy and blushed. under the man¡¯s presumptuous expression, she smiled humbly and said, ¡°there¡¯s nothing impressive about it. i¡¯m just fourth in the cohort!¡± the man held his forehead speechlessly. he had seen countless women over the years, but he had never seen anyone praise themselves so much. his expression immediately darkened unhappily. ¡°miss su, it can be considered fate that we met. can¡¯t we be more sincere when we make friends?¡± su tang nodded in confusion. ¡°i think i¡¯m quite sincere. you helped me, so 1¡¯11 treat you to something. isn¡¯t that enough?¡± the man had nothing to say. he couldn¡¯t tell for a moment if su tang was pretending to be confused or if she was really born to anger people. after thinking carefully, he simply changed the topic. ¡°miss su, 1 actually don¡¯t need your gratitude. 1 just feel that we hit it off at first sight. 1 think if the two of us continue to get along, we will definitely become very good friends.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± su tang thought about it carefully and shook her head in disagreement. ¡°that¡¯s what you think, but i don¡¯t think we can be friends.¡± ¡°why?¡± the man had never met a girl who didn¡¯t know how to be nice when speaking. after ordinary girls were greatly helped by him, most of them were grateful to him. he could attract their admiration with just a few words of bragging. it was obvious that women were just ignorant creatures. he could fool them with just a few words and die for him. however, he had been rejected by su tang today. he increasingly suspected that she was playing hard to get. ¡°no reason.¡± after eating, su tang took out a tissue to wipe her mouth. she glanced at the video that suddenly popped up on the screen and raised her hand to call the waiter to settle the bill. the man watched silently as she took out her phone and tried his best to reduce his presence. he thought that after su tang paid, he would use the flirting strategy he had learned from his teacher and continue to pursue su tang. unexpectedly, she glanced at the bill that totaled more than a hundred dollars and only took out a few dozen dollars from her wallet and placed it on the waiter¡¯s tray. ¡°this is my portion. the gentleman opposite will pay for the remaining portion himself.¡± this woman actually wanted to go dutch with him? the man had never seen such a thick-skinned woman! in the past, even if girls were unwilling to pay the bill, at the critical moment, he would suddenly play with the missing person¡¯s escape order. he had almost never paid for his meals with girls! he was willing to spend time to please her, but she actually asked him to pay his own cent! the man immediately put down his chopsticks angrily, and a blush unconsciously appeared on his face. ¡°didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to treat me to a meal to thank me? why are you suddenly going back on your word now? don¡¯t tell me you care about someone who only has a few dozen dollars!¡± he deliberately provoked her, thinking that su tang would feel ashamed because of this. after all, there was an outsider watching. however, su tang was not affected by him at all. she said calmly, ¡°oh, didn¡¯t 1 treat you to ice cream?¡± the man widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°but 1 waited for you outside the exhibition for three hours! are you only spending a few dollars to treat me to an ice cream?¡± su tang smiled brightly and tidied her satchel. she raised her eyebrows matter-of-factly. ¡°that¡¯s right. didn¡¯t you just say that you actually don¡¯t need my gratitude? then what¡¯s wrong with me not treating?¡± the man was speechless and almost couldn¡¯t hold back the expression on his face. it took him a while to barely suppress the urge to curse. he gritted his teeth and stared at her. ¡°alright, i like miss su¡¯s personality.. let¡¯s add each other¡¯s contact details, okay?¡± Chapter 510 - Chapter 510: Trick and Counter Trick chapter 510: trick and counter trick translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su tang did not refuse this time. under the waiter¡¯s surprised gaze, she took out her phone and placed it in front of him, allowing him to add her contact number to his phone. after he finished operating, su tang reached out and took the cell phone. she smiled and waved at him. ¡°goodbye, mr. doe.¡± with that, she turned around and left without looking at the gloomy man. after leaving the cafeteria, shi man called. when she heard that su tang had left safely, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°i¡¯ve already sent someone to pick you up. find a safe place and wait. don¡¯t talk to strange men again.¡± su tang agreed obediently. after hanging up, she found a nearby dessert shop and sat down to take a closer look at the surveillance screenshot shi man had sent. in the video, after su tang said something to the anxious man, su tang walked around the man and walked towards the entrance of the exhibition. however, the moment su tang passed by the man, the man quickly reached out and took her wallet from her open bag. then, he pretended that he had picked it up and waited at the door for su tang to come out. actually, even without the surveillance video that shi man had turned on, su tang suspected that this man had ulterior motives. she thought that this matter would end like this, but the next day, when su tang was reading alone in the library, she bumped into this man again. he sat beside her with a history book. when he saw her, he pretended to be surprised and opened his mouth wide, his eyes filled with unconcealable joy. ¡°miss su, it seems that we are indeed fated to meet in the library.¡± su tang sneered. she would not be deceived by his flowery words, but she still nodded cooperatively. ¡°it¡¯s indeed quite a coincidence. 1 came to the library on a work day during the summer vacation and actually met mr. john doe, an elite in the workplace. how can it be a coincidence?¡± the man sat opposite her awkwardly and secretly glanced at the people who were engrossed in their books. seeing that no one noticed the commotion here, he heaved a sigh of relief and moved to her side. ¡°don¡¯t call me john doe. my name is zhou he. you can call me brother zhou.¡± ¡°oh.¡± su tang pretended to move away unintentionally and continued to bury herself in the words in the book. zhou he was unwilling to be lonely. he swallowed nervously and asked tentatively, ¡°miss su, it¡¯s already lunchtime. why don¡¯t we go to the library¡¯s canteen for lunch?¡± su tang hid the frustration in her eyes and lazily looked up at him. ¡°are you hungry?¡± ¡°i¡¯m hungry. i rushed over to borrow books after work and haven¡¯t had time to eat.¡± zhou he blinked at su tang in distress and pity. unfortunately, he would never understand. such actions would be very cute on a child, but on an adult man like him, it would look especially¡­ disgusting. su tang suppressed the nausea in her stomach and smiled as she put away the book. she nodded and said, ¡°alright, let¡¯s go together.¡± zhou he subconsciously revealed a look of joy. he thought to himself that su tang looked cold on the surface, but she was actually just so-so. wasn¡¯t she still coaxed by him with a few words? su tang had only agreed to go downstairs to the canteen with him for dinner, but in zhou he¡¯s opinion, she had already agreed to go on a private date with him. zhou he had already treated su tang as his girlfriend. he even had to pick up food for su tang during dinner. this disgusted su tang. she lost her appetite and threw the food that she had not eaten into the trash can. zhou he was shocked by her sudden action. his face turned pale as he asked in confusion, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? you¡¯re not eating anymore?¡± su tang looked straight at him expressionlessly and said word by word, ¡°i don¡¯t like others using their own chopsticks to pick up food for me. i¡¯m full. goodbye.¡± with that, su tang turned around and left with a straight face like last time. she did not give zhou he another look. even though zhou he had wanted to get close to su tang from the beginning, he could not help but be a little angry from embarrassment now that he was being snubbed by the same girl twice in a row. he stared at su tang¡¯s back as she left; his gaze as cold as a poisonous snake that would always hide in the dark. after successfully shaking off zhou he again, su tang could not help but cheer herself on in her heart. as long as she endured it a few more times and did it according to the method chen wei had taught her, she would definitely be able to successfully counter zhou he¡¯s tactics and use him to get close to that mysterious criminal organization faster. she was not worried that zhou he would be angered by her and give up on her completely. after all, a man like zhou he, who had an inferiority complex and needed to pretend to be himself, should not be able to stand women¡¯s contempt. sure enough, su tang returned to her seat and had just read a page when zhou he walked back expressionlessly. along the way, he pondered over su tang¡¯s attitude towards him. if su tang really didn¡¯t like him, she could have rejected him directly when he invited her.. why did she have to eat with him and then pretend not to like him and throw away the food? Chapter 511 - Chapter 511: Defeated Again chapter 511: defeated again translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after thinking about it, zhou he could not figure out su tang. when he returned from the canteen and saw the girl still waiting for him, the doubts in his heart suddenly became clear. how could he have forgotten that women were creatures who didn¡¯t mean what they said? she didn¡¯t reject him clearly because she was giving him a chance to show off! with this thought in mind, zhou he sat on the chair without any psychological burden. he pretended to be concerned and approached her to ask, ¡°are you really full? if you¡¯re not full, 1 can accompany you down to eat more.¡± su tang knew that he would come again, but she still deliberately pretended to be shocked by him. she patted her chest in shock and said, ¡°i thought you wouldn¡¯t come back.¡± the man thought to himself, ¡°as expected.¡± the smile in his eyes became even more meaningful. ¡°why would i leave you behind?¡± he thought he looked at su tang dotingly. then, under her increasingly doubtful gaze, he suddenly placed the plastic bag in his hand in front of her. ¡°what is this?¡± su tang took a look and hurriedly looked away because she really couldn¡¯t tell what it was. however, zhou he looked at her as if she was shy. the smile on his face widened. ¡°this is the egg pancake 1 brought for you. it¡¯s six dollars a serving in the canteen. it smells quite good. you should like it.¡± su tang wanted to ask him where he had come to the conclusion that she liked to eat this kind of thing, but she still reached out to take it. before she could open the bag to see what was inside, she heard the man opposite her test her hesitantly. ¡°by the way, we went dutch for our last meal. i think this is a good habit. you¡¯ll transfer the money for this egg pancake to me later, right? 1 know you¡¯re not a materialistic girl who cares about money.¡± su tang was speechless. zhou he saw that she was silent and frowned anxiously. he asked again, ¡°you¡¯ll transfer the money to me, right? i don¡¯t care about these few dollars, but i think you¡¯re a good girl. you¡¯re definitely different from those materialistic women outside who covet men¡¯s money.¡± su tang forced a smile and stuffed the egg pancake back into his hand. ¡°thank you, but 1 don¡¯t like it. i didn¡¯t eat it, so i don¡¯t have to pay, right?¡± ¡°why are you like this? i specially bought this for you!¡± zhou he raised his voice unhappily, immediately attracting the attention of the surrounding people reading. he felt embarrassed and frowned. he lowered his voice and said, ¡°this is my sincerity. how can you not want it just because i asked you to pay? it¡¯s only six dollars. do you have to do this? i really didn¡¯t expect you to be such a person!¡± he had bitten back quite quickly, but unfortunately, su tang did not fall for it at all. even in front of everyone, she was not afraid of being embarrassed. she just had to ensure that she would not suffer. this was the calmness she had learned from shi man. as long as she could guarantee her interests and ensure that she was happy, she did not have to consider others¡¯ feelings too much. she had indeed lived more freely after abandoning those useless understandings and concessions. zhou he did not expect her to be able to turn around and continue reading expressionlessly. he was so angry that he gritted his teeth. but before he could flare up, the librarian, who had been attracted by the shout, had already walked to his side. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, sir. the library doesn¡¯t allow people to bring food in. if you need anything, you can eat in the canteen downstairs.¡± the volume of this sentence was neither loud nor soft, but it successfully attracted everyone¡¯s attention. most of the students who could come to the library to study on holidays were students from various schools in g city. they were nervous about their studies and had strict requirements for themselves, so they especially hated these people who came to the library to occupy a spot and not study, but insisted on disturbing the studies of others. the surrounding gazes at zhou he were really not friendly. seeing that he was sitting still, the librarian looked a little impatient and urged him again in a low voice. whispers and complaints quickly sounded around. most of them were blaming zhou he for affecting the order of the library and continuously making noise. zhou he¡¯s face turned from green to white before finally turning red. he stood up from the chair with a whoosh and took a deep look at su tang, whose expression did not change. then, he snorted coldly and carried the plastic bag containing the egg pancakes before turning to leave the library. after being defeated in front of su tang again, zhou he was completely embarrassed and angry. he stood at the door of the library in frustration and made the nearest call. on the other end of the phone, the woman was sitting leisurely in the fitting room touching up her makeup. she was wearing a luxury brand dress worth tens of thousands, and she was holding a limited edition bag. this time, duan jia¡¯s target was a very rich man. she had to package herself well. only then could she make that man fall in love with her and spend money for her. the man¡¯s irritable roars kept coming from the phone. duan jia lazily put the phone aside and continued to put on satisfactory makeup for herself in the mirror.. Chapter 512 - Chapter 512: Spending Money chapter 512: spending money translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zhou he was still furious on the other end of the phone. he did not hear duan jia speak and frowned impatiently. ¡°did you hear what i said? this girl is really stubborn!¡± ¡°so, you admit defeat?¡± after duan jia finished putting on her lipstick, she looked at herself in the mirror with a smile and said in a frivolous tone. zhou he was silent for a moment before gritting his teeth indignantly. ¡°no, i won¡¯t admit defeat. even if it¡¯s not to help you, 1 won¡¯t stop just like that! 1 want this girl to know how powerful i am!¡± ¡°then why are you still complaining to me? hurry up and think of a way to deal with her. alright, i still have a big fish waiting to catch. i won¡¯t talk to you for now.¡± duan jia put away her makeup. the shop assistant had already knocked on the door worriedly when she saw her enter for so long. she sent him away impatiently and picked up her phone. ¡°brother zhou, i believe in you. don¡¯t forget what we learned from the teacher. you can definitely do it!¡± after saying that, she hung up the phone without waiting for zhou he¡¯s answer. she picked up her phone and took a crazy photo of herself in the mirror. then, she used exquisite editing methods to modify her dissatisfaction and posted the photo on her dating website. zhou he had been defeated by su tang three times. when he returned home, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. he opened his contact list and pulled out a woman who was begging him to get back together. he invited her to his house and pretended to reconcile with her. the next morning, after zhou he woke up refreshed, he found a random reason to chase away the woman who was immersed in her beautiful dream again. through su tang¡¯s social account, zhou he noticed that she had gone to a nearby mall alone today. zhou he steeled his heart and gritted his teeth. after spending money to buy two movie tickets, he went straight to the mall to pretend to bump into her. little did he know that su tang had deliberately exposed her whereabouts on the internet. she wanted to buy some fabric at the mall today to make clothes. unexpectedly, she bumped into zhou he at the entrance of the shop. he came quickly. su tang thought this in her heart, but she still looked surprised. ¡°how did i bump into you again? don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been following me?¡± zhou he squeezed out a smile and went to her side ingratiatingly. ¡°after i woke up this morning, there was a voice in my heart telling me that i had to come here. at first, i didn¡¯t understand why, but after seeing you, i was sure.¡± su tang put away the surprise on her face and stared at him expressionlessly. zhou he thought he was handsome and suave as he winked at her and said, ¡°this is the heavens guiding me to see you, the only girl who touched my heart.¡± su tang was speechless. thanks to him, she was going to throw up breakfast! seeing that she was silent, zhou he blinked in confusion and asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re too happy to suddenly see me?¡± su tang really wanted to turn around and leave, but her strong sense of mission made her forcefully stop in her tracks. she smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°i was just thinking that after we had such an unhappy fight yesterday, you could actually appear in front of me today as if nothing had happened.¡± zhou he smiled indifferently. ¡°i¡¯m a man with a broad mind. why would i stoop to the level of a woman like you?¡± su tang glanced at him sideways and retracted her gaze to continue looking at the fabric in her hand. after looking at zhou he for a long time, she actually felt that the patterns on the fabric were beautiful. seeing that she was ignoring him again, a trace of impatience flashed across zhou he¡¯s eyes, but he quickly concealed it. ¡°miss su, why don¡¯t we go upstairs to watch a movie together? what¡¯s so good about these fabrics?¡± su tang compared another bolt of cloth to the previous one and carefully chose one of them. she handed it to the shop assistant standing at the side and carefully instructed her on the size she wanted to cut. only then did she take the time to look at the embarrassed zhou he and say, ¡°what did you just say? do you want to watch a movie? sure.¡± zhou he¡¯s deep eyes lit up. he hurriedly wanted to hold su tang¡¯s hand and bring her to the movie theater upstairs. to him, su tang had agreed to watch a movie with him to give him a psychological hint. after the movie, the two of them ate. after the meal, the atmosphere was just right. he could naturally bring her home and do what he wanted to do the most. at that time, his mission would be completed. in his opinion, sleeping with a woman was equivalent to having her hand her soul to him. this meant that he could do whatever he wanted to her from now on. she could not complain at all. if she was lucky enough to marry him, she should do her best to serve him at home. otherwise, she would not be a virtuous woman. su tang walked beside him. although she didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, she could roughly sense the emotions of the person next to her and couldn¡¯t help but sneer in her heart. after arriving at the cinema, su tang thought that they would go dutch again, but she did not expect zhou he to have paid in advance this time. while she was surprised, she suddenly felt a chill down her spine. for this stingy man to take the initiative to spend money, it meant that he must have some even dirtier thoughts.. Chapter 513 - Chapter 513: Counterattack chapter 513: counterattack translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man had not seen su tang for the past few days. she asked bai xue and did not expect her to not know what su tang was doing all day. she was a little worried. thinking of the man who approached su tang maliciously last time, she hurriedly took out her phone and called su tang. unexpectedly, no one answered. shi man¡¯s face darkened and she immediately began to investigate where su tang had been all day. at the entrance of the mall, the night had already arrived quietly. the people entering and leaving the mall were getting denser. zhou he helped su tang, who was unconscious, avoid the crowd and stood by the street to stop a taxi. he helped her into the car with great effort. after giving his address, he looked at the girl sleeping on his shoulder with a smug smile in his eyes. no matter what kind of chaste woman she was, she could not escape the effect of the small pill in his hand. when the medicine took effect later, no matter how unwilling su tang was, she would not be able to help but submit to him and let him do whatever he wanted. along the way, zhou he urged the chauffeur to speed up lest the drug took effect and the two of them were still in the car. su tang¡¯s head was extremely dizzy. the buzzing sound in her ears kept making her head hurt, but she could not open her eyes to investigate. it was not until she felt that her entire body was floating and sinking that her consciousness returned a little. her eyes opened slightly, and the heat in her chest made her reach out to unbutton her tight collar. seeing her like this, zhou he knew that she was about to wake up. a hint of anxiety appeared in his eyes. he lifted her up and hugged her in his arms with difficulty. there was a lewd smile on his lips. ¡°my little darling, i¡¯ll help you cool down soon. don¡¯t be anxious!¡± hearing the man¡¯s heavy breathing above her head, su tang suddenly opened her eyes and stared at zhou he¡¯s stubbled chin in disbelief. she suddenly realized something. she suddenly began to struggle violently. ¡°let go of me, beast. let go of me!¡± zhou he almost couldn¡¯t hold on to her. he staggered and almost fell to the ground with her. he hurriedly placed her on the ground and grabbed her hair impatiently. ¡°why are you moving? i¡¯m so tired! you can walk the rest of the way yourself!¡± ¡°no! let go of me! oh¡­¡± in order to avoid being heard by his neighbor, zhou he took out a ball of toilet paper from his pocket and stuffed it into her mouth. then, he dragged her hand to a house and took out the key to open the door. su tang wanted to struggle free of his greasy hand, but for some reason, she could not muster any strength. even her legs were trembling. just standing still was exhausting. there seemed to be a ball of flames running around her body, burning her skin red. she only wanted to take off her annoying clothes and cool down in the cold wind. just as she unbuckled her belt, su tang suddenly realized what she was doing. she hurriedly removed the hairpin on her head and pricked her thigh while zhou he was not paying attention. the intense pain suddenly made her especially awake, but the paralysis that followed still crawled into her mind. she gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to lose consciousness again. she glared at zhou he with bloodshot eyes. seeing her like that, the man felt that the anger he had suffered from her had finally been relieved. he pulled her into the house and continued to peel her clothes. su tang used the little bit of consciousness she had just now to start struggling with all her might. in the chaos, she was pushed onto the bed by zhou he. seeing that the man¡¯s large hand was about to enter her shirt, su tang gathered all her strength and suddenly pulled the lamp on the bedside table, smashing it towards zhou he¡¯s head. zhou he felt his vision go black, and the glass shattered everywhere in an instant. right on the heels of that, he felt a sharp pain on his head, and a slippery liquid dripped down his forehead. he stared at the drop of blood for a long time, but the buzz in his ears continued. while he was stunned, su tang hurriedly pushed him away and stood up, trying her best to find other tools in the room to protect herself. zhou he shook his head gently and barely drove away the ringing in his ears, letting the blood flow to his face. however, he only stared at su tang and walked towards her step by step, his expression becoming even more ferocious. ¡°b*tch.¡± when he got close, zhou he roared and was about to strangle su tang. su tang recalled the self-defense technique shi man had taught her and calmed down to tell herself to calm down. seeing that zhou he¡¯s hand was about to reach in front of her, su tang turned around slightly and dodged his big hand that was about to restrain her with a deft technique. then, she raised her hand and gritted her teeth as she slapped the back of his neck. with this slap, su tang¡¯s hand suddenly felt a sharp pain, but she couldn¡¯t care less about her injuries. she stared fixedly at zhou he, afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be knocked down by her strike. zhou he¡¯s figure swayed as he slowly turned around and looked at her disdainfully. ¡°little girl, you still want to fight¡­¡± before he could finish speaking, zhou he actually fell to the ground with a plop.. Chapter 514 - Chapter 514: Misdirection chapter 514: misdirection translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when shi man hurriedly found su tang, zhou he was already tied to a chair in the bedroom. shi man looked at her carefully and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that she was only slightly injured in the leg. she walked around her and walked into the bedroom, blocking su tang from the door. ¡°manman!¡± su tang was a little worried about shi man and hurriedly patted the door. ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± shi man turned her head slightly and comforted the person outside. when she turned to look at zhou he, her lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile. ¡°sister, sister, who are you? if you like me, can you let go of me first? it¡¯s so uncomfortable to tie me up like this!¡± zhou he was still begging her for mercy, completely unaware of the terrifying nightmare waiting for him. seeing the girl in front of him getting closer and closer, zhou he couldn¡¯t help but shiver. for some reason, he felt that this girl was looking at him as if she was looking at a dead person. however, he had been spoiled by his family since he was young and looked down on women from the bottom of his heart. even though he was kidnapped now, he did not think that a woman alone could not do anything to him. he swallowed his saliva and persuaded nervously, ¡°sister, you¡¯ve already broken the law, understand? let go of me now and 1 can let bygones be bygones. really! let go of me and we¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened! how about that?!¡± he thought that shi man would hesitate because of his words. at that time, as long as they let him go, he could deal with these two people! he had heard that there was a different feeling with a threesome. he had never tried it before. today, he could take advantage of these two girls! zhou he¡¯s thoughts became even more despicable. the fear in his eyes gradually receded, and his gaze on shi man became hotter and hotter. even a dog knew what he was thinking. shi man sneered and turned to look at the broken glass on the ground. she casually picked up a piece and pinched it in her hand. she pulled open his collar and said with a smile, ¡°my handwriting is very good.¡± zhou he was stunned for a moment. he clearly didn¡¯t understand what she meant by telling him this. however, he looked at the glass piece in the girl¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t help but shiver in fear. ¡°you, what are you doing?¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t learn your lesson if you don¡¯t teach a man like you a lesson.¡± shi man held the blade expressionlessly and pressed the sharp side against his chest. a sharp pain suddenly came from his chest. zhou he couldn¡¯t help but gasp and glare at her in disbelief. ¡°what do you want? i¡¯m warning you not to act recklessly. be careful or 1¡¯11 call the police to arrest you!¡± ¡°you¡¯ll call the police?¡± shi man seemed to have heard a huge joke. she lowered her eyes and looked at his naked chest. her hand that was holding the glass moved slightly and slowly wrote the word ¡°animal¡± on it. screams suddenly sounded in the bedroom, and su tang¡¯s heart trembled. she thought that shi man would come out after this scream, but she didn¡¯t expect an even more miserable scream to come from inside right on the heels of that. su tang walked to the door worriedly and knocked. ¡°manman, come out quickly. what are you doing?¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± shi man slowly threw away the glass piece covered in blood in her hand and looked at the word ¡°beast¡± on the man¡¯s chest with satisfaction. it was as if the word had really come alive. ¡°you, you motherfucker!¡± zhou he couldn¡¯t help but curse, but what followed was a loud slap. shi man stared coldly at his pale face, her tone so cold that it made his entire body tremble. ¡°these are punishments for touching someone you shouldn¡¯t have. you have to answer my next question honestly, or you know the consequences.¡± ¡°what exactly do you want to ask?¡± zhou he already knew that he had encountered a nail that was not to be trifled with. he broke down and kept struggling on the chair. however, the more he moved, the more the blood in his chest flowed. the pain gradually numbed his entire upper body. zhou he no longer had the strength to move. he could only pant and hang his head, thinking about how to call the police later. shi man did not give him much time to think. she stared at him coldly and said, ¡°do you know how 1 found you? you know duan jia, right?¡± zhou he, who had his head lowered and was about to give up on himself, suddenly looked up when he heard this name. his pupils constricted. ¡°did she tell you?¡± ¡°yes, she told you that she wanted you to help her settle su tang, right?¡± shi man slowly took out a tissue to wipe the scarlet blood on her hand, not in a hurry to finish her sentence. she wanted zhou he¡¯s imagination to run wild. this way, once the answer she said confirmed his guess, he would believe her without a doubt. zhou he was naturally led astray by her. he couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly, ¡°could it be that she betrayed me? impossible! why did she betray me?¡± shi man sneered and lowered her eyes with an unfathomable expression. ¡°because she wants to do our shi family a favor. she has taken a fancy to my brother, shi ke..¡± Chapter 515 - Chapter 515: Misdirection chapter 515: misdirection translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zhou he was stunned for a moment before he suddenly remembered that when he was on the phone with duan jia last time, she had mentioned that she was going to catch a big fish recently. only then did he come to a realization and bare his teeth in hatred. ¡°b*tch, you actually used me as a favor!¡± ¡°wait!¡± zhou he instantly thought of something and widened his eyes in shock. ¡°you mean the shi family? are the two of you from the shi family?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. duan jia is our classmate. she knows our identities very well.¡± seeing that zhou he believed what she had just said, the smile on his face deepened. ¡°you¡¯ve already been sold by her. do you still have to count the money for her?¡± ¡°damn it!¡± zhou he spat on the ground and said fiercely, ¡°b*tch, don¡¯t let me catch her, or i¡¯ll rape her!¡± shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered with his dirty words. she leaned lazily against the side and glanced at him. ¡°i can give you a chance to take revenge on her now. it depends on whether you cooperate.¡± zhou he sized her up skeptically and asked cautiously, ¡°why? she has taken a fancy to your brother and is very likely to be your sister-in-law in the future. you two will become a family, but now you want to give me a chance to take revenge?¡± ¡°because 1 don¡¯t like her. it¡¯s that simple.¡± shi man pretended to be a hooligan and successfully deceived his trust. in zhou he¡¯s heart, he had already treated her as an arrogant young lady who could not leave her brother. he had even forgotten how the wound on his chest came about. he stared at her playfully and said, ¡°then how do you think we should work together?¡± shi man did not plan to tell him too much. she only smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°i¡¯ll let you go and help you ask her out. at that time, you can take revenge however you want.¡± a man like zhou he quickly understood what shi man meant. the corners of his lips curled up slightly as he agreed excitedly. ¡°as expected of the daughter of the shi family. you¡¯re indeed ruthless. then this matter is decided! i¡¯ll help you chase her away and not let her have the chance to become your sister-in-law. you¡¯re not allowed to cause trouble for me again today!¡± shi man smiled and replied, ¡°okay.¡± chen wei had been waiting for an opportunity to obtain information recently. unfortunately, duan jia was still on guard against him. or rather, she did not treat him as a person at all. naturally, she would not trust him. chen wei did not have the chance to get information from her, nor did he have the chance to steal her phone. he could only stabilize his state of mind and stay by her side as a spy. however, he could still complete a small matter such as asking duan jia out. after shi man agreed, the plan was completely laid out. duan jia was a cautious person. perhaps there was an important secret hidden in her phone, so she refused to leave it lying around. she even brought it with her when she went to the washroom. she never spent the night outside and did not give chen wei any chance. however, there were no absolutes. no matter how cautious a person was, there would always be times when they were negligent. the next day, chen wei spent a lot of effort to ask duan jia out and brought her to a bar. he spent a huge sum of money and opened an excellent booth. duan jia was very satisfied with his arrangement. she suddenly felt that this man was not so useless. this bar was famous in g city. many wealthy families spent money here without batting an eye. duan jia had always wanted to come to such a place, but she didn¡¯t expect her wish to be fulfilled so quickly. the corners of her eyes curled up proudly. ¡°on account of your hard work today, i¡¯ll sit with you for a while longer. your outfit today is not bad. after being with me for so long, you¡¯ve finally improved.¡± chen wei naturally praised her repeatedly. from the corner of his eye, he secretly glanced at the man who was walking over angrily. the corners of his mouth curled up into a faint smile. ¡°you¡¯re not honest. why did you call someone else?¡± duan jia was about to scold him for spouting nonsense when she turned her head and saw zhou he. her eyebrows twitched for no reason, and she suddenly had a bad feeling. she hurriedly wanted to hide behind chen wei, but the man who had always listened to her dodged to the side. she glared at him angrily. in the next second, someone grabbed her wrist and she staggered, almost falling to the ground. ¡°are you crazy?¡± duan jia rolled her eyes at him in disgust. just as she was about to stand up and curse, a gust of wind suddenly blew by her cheek, and right on the heels of that, a loud slap exploded in her ear. ¡°why did you hit me? zhou he, are you crazy!¡± duan jia covered her face in disbelief, her beautiful eyes filled with fear. zhou he grabbed her wrist in anger and questioned her fiercely, ¡°why did you lie to me? you brought me to meet teacher and i¡¯ve always been very grateful to you, but why did you treat me like this!¡± ¡°hey, what teacher are you talking about? don¡¯t say it here!¡± duan jia hurriedly glanced at chen wei and hurriedly struggled to shake off his hand. however, the man¡¯s grip was too strong, so she couldn¡¯t resist easily. duan jia had no choice but to vent her anger on chen wei.. ¡°are you blind? can¡¯t you see that i¡¯m being bullied?! why are you still standing there stupidly?¡± Chapter 516 - Chapter 516: Caught chapter 516: caught translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°you want my help?¡± chen wei raised his eyebrows slightly and crossed his arms calmly as he watched the show. his attitude was wrong. a strange feeling flashed across duan jia¡¯s heart. she struggled to pull out her arm to grab chen wei. however, zhou he obviously would not give her this chance. he did not know chen wei and was afraid that he would help duan jia escape. he hurriedly pulled her back and threw her onto the booth. he grabbed her collar and roared, ¡°tell me! why did you lie to me?¡± duan jia was completely stunned by her fall. she was in a daze for a moment, and right on the heels of that, she felt a sharp pain in her wrist. she accidentally knocked her hand on the table beside her. her bones hurt so much that her expression twisted. duan jia immediately lost her temper. she glared at zhou he, who was pressing down on her, and said fiercely, ¡°are you crazy? what did 1 lie to you about? didn¡¯t you want to settle your little girl? why did you come to me to cause trouble? don¡¯t you think you¡¯re embarrassing yourself enough?¡± zhou he was stunned for a moment before his expression turned fierce again. he grabbed her collar and said, ¡°aren¡¯t you going to tell the truth? didn¡¯t you tell the shi family the whereabouts of that girl?¡± he raised his hand to unbuckle his collar and tore it open to reveal his bloody chest. he pointed at the words on it and said, ¡°do you see? this is all your fault! you colluded with the shi family and betrayed me. are you satisfied now?¡± duan jia was stunned by the huge word on his chest, but she reacted quickly. she suddenly understood something and hurriedly grabbed his hand. ¡°listen. i didn¡¯t betray you. 1 asked you to help me teach su tang a lesson, but 1 have no reason to betray you! what¡¯s in selling you to me!¡± ¡°you really know how to quibble!¡± zhou he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°didn¡¯t you specially betray me to give her a favor because you liked her brother? don¡¯t be delusional. she doesn¡¯t want you to be her sister-in-law at all.¡± ¡°what brother and sister-in-law?¡± duan jia was a little confused. didn¡¯t she just want to vent her anger because she didn¡¯t like su tang? wait! could he be talking about¡­ duan jia¡¯s eyes turned cold as she asked him for confirmation in a panic, ¡°you mean i betrayed you to shi man?¡± ¡°isn¡¯t that so?¡± zhou he was a little confused by her attitude. however, before the matter was clarified, he would not easily believe this scheming woman. however, duan jia had already figured out the ins and outs of the matter. she suddenly turned her head to look at chen wei. when she saw what he was holding, her heart suddenly sank. ¡°you and shi man are in cahoots. you were plotting against me from the beginning.¡± ¡°what else? don¡¯t tell me you really think your outdated tricks will work on me?¡± chen wei waved duan jia¡¯s phone and the business card of a teacher in an education and training institution in disdain. ¡°yo, miss duan¡¯s makeup skills were due to a professional class. no wonder you improved so much in a short period of time!¡± ¡°i¡¯m a woman. i love beauty. isn¡¯t it normal for me to learn how to put on makeup?¡± duan jia glared at him righteously and pushed away zhou he, who had loosened his grip. she straightened her clothes with a straight face and said arrogantly, ¡°give me back my things, or i¡¯ll call the police.¡± ¡°i¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to call the police!¡± chen wei rummaged through the woman¡¯s phone album and found her chat history with various victims. it was as if she was saving her spoils of war. she kept the chat records of these people begging her and even threatening to kill themselves to get back together. there were about four to five people who had been harmed. one of them was ding hui. ¡°give it back!¡± duan jia could no longer maintain her composure and pounced over with a ferocious and terrifying expression. unfortunately, just as she pushed away the stunned zhou he, she suddenly tripped over something. her body leaned forward uncontrollably and she fell to the ground. shi man took the cell phone from chen wei and squatted down with a smile. she pinched her chin and said, ¡°tell me who your teacher is. this is your only chance to reduce your crime.¡± at that moment, the music in the bar was deafening. it was the happiest time in the entire nightclub. hot bodies twisted on the dance floor, and the dazzling lights intertwined, making the dead silence in the private room even more suffocating. duan jia knew that she had been caught. everyone in the school would know that she had fallen into shi man¡¯s hands, so she could not be let go easily. duan jia closed her eyes in despair and said in a low voice, ¡°it¡¯s not good for you to ask about teacher¡¯s identity. teacher is a very powerful person. teacher won¡¯t be as gullible as zhou he and 1 and won¡¯t fall for your trap easily.¡± shi man curled her lips sarcastically and couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her naivety. she let go and said coldly, ¡°you just have to tell me this person¡¯s true identity and location. you don¡¯t have to care about anything else.¡± duan jia pursed her lips. the coldness on the ground had already climbed up her abdomen to her entire body. since she couldn¡¯t escape, she could only try her best to protect herself. without much hesitation, she took the initiative to explain, ¡°she¡¯s the owner of that business card. she¡¯s my makeup teacher. she saved those of us who were born unpopular..¡± Chapter 517 - Chapter 517: Differential Treatment chapter 517: differential treatment translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man asked her to get up from the ground and sit on the sofa to explain. her attitude was worlds apart from her attitude towards zhou he. chen wei lowered his voice and asked her why. shi man glanced at him and replied lazily, ¡°because she¡¯s a girl, it¡¯s not good to attack directly. otherwise, 1 wouldn¡¯t have let you go.¡± chen wei was speechless. however, on second thought, it made sense. shi man seemed to be especially patient with girls. shi jing, who had schemed against su tang, was not beaten up as shi man did to men. zhou he sat beside duan jia with mixed feelings. he no longer knew if he should resent shi man or hate himself for not having a brain. he could only lower his head and remain silent. the words on his chest were still hurting, but he did not even dare to look up at shi man. shi man asked the waiter to serve a bottle of red wine. she poured a glass for duan jia and said gently, ¡°tell us. we all want to know about this teacher.¡± duan jia held her wine glass uneasily and stole a glance at her expression. ¡°if i¡¯m willing to say anything, will you let me go?¡± shi man gave a negative answer without thinking. chen wei originally thought that shi man would be a little more tactful. at the very least, she had to lie to duan jia to get to the truth! however, he did not expect shi man to be so straightforward. he immediately looked at duan jia worriedly, worried that she would play some tricks and refuse to tell the truth. duan jia was also a little hesitant, but before she could consider a result, she heard the girl sitting opposite her smile casually. her calm tone carried an indescribable dignity. ¡°you can hold back, but 1¡¯11 also use other methods to make you spit out everything you know.¡± this was a blatant threat. duan jia sighed and helplessly recognized the reality in front of her. she nodded and said, ¡°alright, 1 can tell you everything.¡± before the summer vacation began, in order to obtain better results at the end of the semester, duan jia immersed herself in practice questions all day. she did not interact with anyone almost week after week. she did not even have the time to answer questions from her classmates and only focused on her own matters. gradually, the students in the class had a bad impression of duan jia. everyone said that she was selfish and arrogant. duan jia felt terrible when she heard this, but she still tried her best to suppress her emotions. in order not to affect her exam results, she studied hard. even if others had already returned home from school, she would still study in the classroom until late. this was until that day when she was slandered for stealing money from the class. the class monitor walked over with an empty paper bag and threw it on her table. he did not distinguish right or wrong and asked her where the money went. duan jia frowned and finished the last math question in her hand. only then did she look up from her book and say coldly, ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°how could you not know? you¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t leave after school every day! before 1 came home yesterday, this money was clearly still in the drawer of the table! who else could it be?¡± the class monitor raised her voice angrily, and the messy classroom instantly fell silent. everyone¡¯s disdainful or gloating gazes landed on her. duan jia suddenly felt a little aggrieved. she had always been an invisible figure in the class. no matter how hard she tried, even the teachers sometimes could not remember her name. she looked ordinary and came from an ordinary family. the only thing she could show was her results on paper. but even though she had given up socializing and not participated in their trivialities, they still refused to let her go. duan jia was so angry that her eyes turned red. she couldn¡¯t help but stand up and retort, ¡°1 didn¡¯t take this money! 1 don¡¯t know where you put the money at all!¡± as soon as she said this, not only did it not garner the approval of the surrounding people, but it also caused a wave of whispers. in terms of the use of this money alone, duan jia was the most suspicious person. two days ago, the class monitor suggested that the entire class and the teacher go to a gathering to relax after the exam. everyone donated the funds excitedly, but duan jia refused to attend on the grounds that she wanted to study. at that time, the students in the class looked at her strangely. duan jia never interacted with them. in their opinion, she looked down on them. ¡°isn¡¯t she just good at her studies? why is she pretending? the last time i asked her a question, she was actually very impatient and asked me to leave quickly. hmph, my family has plenty of money! i don¡¯t have to rely on my studies to do better than her!¡± such whispers were endless. duan jia was trembling with anger, but she pretended to be calm. she suddenly sat down and tried her best to immerse her thoughts in the question again. unfortunately, someone would not let her have her way. the class monitor slammed the table angrily and looked down at her coldly. ¡°come with me to the teacher¡¯s office and hand over the money!¡± ¡°i told you, i didn¡¯t take your money!¡± duan jia waved her hand away irritably. however, this action completely angered the class monitor and the surrounding students.. Chapter 518 - Chapter 518: Framed chapter 518: framed translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°what kind of attitude is that?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! if you really didn¡¯t take this money, why don¡¯t you dare to go to the teacher¡¯s office with the class monitor?¡± ¡°she must have taken it! if she doesn¡¯t want to go, she doesn¡¯t want us to go too! this kind of person is crazy!¡± unbridled curses kept entering her ears. duan jia broke down and pounced on the smug class monitor. tears wet her face, and her twisted facial features made her look rather ferocious. she saw the disgusted gazes of the surrounding students and the disdainful gazes of the boys she liked. a great grievance blurred her vision. the students around her tried to pull her away. her hands were grabbed tightly, leaving only a pair of red and angry eyes to declare her innocence weakly. the class monitor felt embarrassed to be pressed to the ground by duan jia in front of so many students. seeing that duan jia was restrained and could not move, she got up from the ground in anger and raised her hand to slap her. duan jia¡¯s face was red and swollen from her slap, but the person holding her hands still had no intention of letting go. the class monitor raised her chin proudly and interrogated her sternly, ¡°did you take the money!¡± ¡°no!¡± duan jia refused to admit it. she received another loud slap on the face in response. the students¡¯ eyes flickered with schadenfreude. no one felt pity for duan jia. they only felt that this was duan jia¡¯s own fault. as long as a person was found guilty by the people around her, even if the police could prove her innocence, they would think that she would do such a thing sooner or later. she was the one who did such a thing. it must be her own problem. 0then-vise, why would others suspect her and not others? at this moment, duan jia was powerless to prove her innocence. she could only be humiliated by having her hands pressed down and letting them vent their dissatisfaction and anger on her. after an unknown period of time, only an indistinct buzzing sound was left in duan jia¡¯s ears. her face was burning, and a line of blood seeped out of the corner of her numb mouth. ¡°what are you doing?¡± when the bell rang, the teacher finally saw what was happening in the classroom. she hurriedly pushed the students away and walked to duan jia to help her up from the ground. she looked at duan jia and then frowned at the students in her class. she frowned and reprimanded, ¡°how can you bully the student of another class together? which class are you from?¡± in response, the entire class laughed mockingly and a tear fell from duan jia¡¯s face. she gathered her strength from somewhere and pushed the teacher away. amidst the students¡¯ wanton mockery, she ran out of the classroom aimlessly. she ran for a long time and did not stop until she was exhausted. it was class time, and this was an extremely remote corner of cassel academy. there was no one there. duan jia liked such a place very much because only then could she have the courage to stop to lick the wound in her heart. tears of grievance, grief, and indignation slid down her swollen face. every time her tears touched her cheek that had been hit, it would cause a sharp pain, but this was far inferior to the sadness in her heart. she didn¡¯t understand why the students and teachers around her wouldn¡¯t accept her or even remember her even though she had tried her best. could it be that an ordinary appearance was bound to not obtain fair treatment and the recognition of others? duan jia fell into unprecedented self-doubt. her tears fell out of her eyes worthlessly, and the originally dazzling sunlight above her head was blocked by dark clouds. even the heavens were stingy with giving her this insignificant warmth. just as duan jia was thinking in despair, a fragrant tissue suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of her. the fingers holding the tissue were slender and fair, and her nails were round and beautiful. duan jia looked up in a daze. that person was facing the light with a gentle smile on her face, like an angel that had suddenly descended from the sky. she was so beautiful that she forgot to breathe. ¡°wipe your tears. this is the last thing we women should have.¡± the angel¡¯s voice was also pleasant, soothing, and gentle with the power to instantly soothe people. duan jia hesitantly reached out to take the piece of tissue and wiped the tears off her face. her embarrassment was suddenly discovered by a stranger. she sniffed awkwardly and smiled through her tears. ¡°don¡¯t women love to cry the most? how did it become something that shouldn¡¯t be?¡± the angel shook her head and smiled. she slowly took her hand. ¡°come with me.¡± those hands were so warm and soft. duan jia followed behind her in a daze. for a moment, she forgot the estrangement she should have toward strangers and followed her in a daze. in the office, the angel pulled out a chair and sat her down at the dressing table. she gently removed the tightly tied headband from her hair and smiled as he let her long hair fall. ¡°there will only be the two of us here. you don¡¯t have to worry about being seen.¡± ¡°why did you bring me here?¡± duan jia looked away in embarrassment when she saw her ugly self in the mirror.. Chapter 519 - Chapter 519: Tempting Angel chapter 519: tempting angel translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios so this was what an angel¡¯s office looked like. she seemed to be a teacher at cassel academy, but she had her own makeup artist here. all kinds of cosmetics that duan jia had never seen were neatly placed on the table. a refreshing fragrance kept lingering in her nose. it was the smell of an angel. the angel smiled at duan jia, whose face was swollen like a pig¡¯s head in the mirror. she patted her shoulder comfortingly. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i know what you want in your heart. i can help you get what you want the most.¡± ¡°the thing 1 want the most¡­¡± duan jia subconsciously muttered under her bewitchment. her watery eyes narrowed into slits, and she suddenly closed them tightly in resignation. for some reason, she wanted to indulge herself and trust this woman she had just met wholeheartedly. the angel really knew magic. in less than an afternoon, duan jia had completely transformed into another person in her hands. when she opened her eyes again, she didn¡¯t dare to recognize herself in the mirror. she couldn¡¯t help but touch her cheek. there was still some pain there, underscoring how cruelly her classmates had treated her. ¡°there¡¯s no need to doubt it. this is who you are.¡± the angel leaned over to continue the bewitchment in her ear. ¡°look, you can also become as beautiful as anyone else. you¡¯re completely worthy of everything you want.¡± duan jia looked up at her in shock. her originally listless eyes were now filled with liveliness. her curly eyelashes flickered, making her big eyes look even brighter and more moving. ¡°do you have a boy you like?¡± the angel lowered her head and asked her with a smile. duan jia thought of the boy¡¯s disgusted gaze in the afternoon and her heart suddenly ached. ¡°i have someone i like, but he looks down on me like the other students. he accused me of stealing class fees and even hit me with others.¡± as she spoke, duan jia felt aggrieved. however, before she could feel sorry for herself, she saw the angel looking at her gently and calmly. ¡°i can help you make changes and teach you how to capture a man¡¯s heart and make them crazy for you.¡± her words seemed to have a different kind of temptation, making a person like duan jia unable to help but be tempted. without waiting for her answer, the angel raised an index finger in front of her eyes and smiled. ¡°there¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in the world. i helped you do this, so you have to agree to one of my requests.¡± ¡°what request?¡± duan jia was too surprised by her current face. she couldn¡¯t wait to become the person described by the angel. therefore, no matter what the angel asked for, she would agree without hesitation. unexpectedly, the angel pursed her thin lips tightly at this moment. she took out a business card from the drawer and placed it in her hand. ¡°my request is very simple. 1 want you to never be with the same man for more than three months. if you¡¯ve thought it through, come to the address here to look for me. i happen to be free on the weekend afternoon. see you.¡± duan jia gripped the business card tightly, and the mocking and disdainful gazes of those classmates flashed across her mind. she turned her body slightly and looked at the stunning beauty in the mirror. suddenly, she reached out to pick up the wet tissue on the table and desperately wiped the makeup off her face. looking at the swollen and embarrassed face under the makeup, duan jia suddenly laughed loudly. when she was done laughing, she realized that the office was already empty. she looked down at the business card in her hand in a daze, her eyes gradually becoming firm. ¡°chi ling?¡± so the name of an angel could be so beautiful. on the weekend, duan jia found the training institute according to the address she had left behind. as she wished, she became chi ling¡¯s student. without blinking, she took out a total of 50,000 dollars from her bag. there were new and old notes, neatly folded, and handed them all to chi ling as tuition fees. ¡°that¡¯s the class fee for your class, right?¡± chen wei¡¯s sinister gaze drifted straight to her. duan jia lowered her head and frowned for a moment before suddenly relaxing. ¡°if i say no, will you believe me?¡± chen wei looked at her in shock. when he heard her mention the cause of the matter just now, he firmly believed that duan jia had stolen the money. he admitted that he was prejudiced against duan jia. a ruthless woman who deliberately forced someone to commit suicide could not be a good person. however, he had forgotten that before this, duan jia had been ostracized and looked down on. she had done the most overboard thing, but she had actually only refused to explain the questions to her classmates. shi man was not too concerned about who took the class fees. her focus was clearly on chi ling. ¡°how many students like you does she have? how many of them are from cassel academy?¡± duan jia looked up at her and suddenly laughed helplessly. ¡°chairman, after seeing you, 1 finally know why teacher chi ling is so afraid of your existence.¡± shi man¡¯s eyes turned cold, and her face turned cold. ¡°what do you mean?¡± duan jia shrugged and said with a smile, ¡°although teacher didn¡¯t say it directly, 1 keep feeling that she pays special attention to you..¡± Chapter 520 - Chapter 520: Gender Opposition chapter 520: gender opposition translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man narrowed her eyes. duan jia continued to say indifferently, ¡°of course, this is just my personal guess. after all, i seem to have seen someone you know at teacher¡¯s place.¡± ¡°who?¡± shi man felt that there was something else going on and asked anxiously. this time, duan jia refused to say anything. no matter how shi man threatened her, she refused to let go. shi man was forced into a corner. she casually took out a small knife and placed it on her neck. ¡°tell me, who did you see at chi ling¡¯s place?¡± duan jia was forced to lean back by her. zhou he gasped in fear and hurriedly stood up to call for help. shi man glanced at him coldly and said, ¡°do you want to see if the people outside are faster or my dagger is faster?¡± zhou he was so frightened that he immediately fell silent. he looked at duan jia in fear and sat down obediently under shi man¡¯s deep gaze. duan jia took a deep breath and was so nervous that her throat was a little hoarse. ¡°she¡¯s the same as you. i can¡¯t afford to offend her either. president, if i say her name, she won¡¯t let me go even if you don¡¯t do anything to me.¡± chen wei could tell that shi man was anxious and couldn¡¯t help but chime in. ¡°at least you can give a hint! if you don¡¯t say anything, you won¡¯t be able to get past sister man!¡± duan jia suddenly glared at him, as if she had remembered that this person had been lying to her. her anger instantly soared in her mind. ¡°you lying man, a scumbag like you should die!¡± ¡°f*ck, why did you get so angry? i just didn¡¯t fall into your trap! look at how many men you¡¯ve harmed!¡± chen wei defended himself indignantly. this woman was simply twisted in her own mind and wanted to create a gender confrontation. she had really harmed someone else¡¯s life! ding hui¡¯s corpse was still lying in the mortuary with no one to collect it! duan jia did not feel that she was in the wrong at all. she said matter-of-factly, ¡°i¡¯m just letting you men know your status in love. do you dare to say that men have never used the methods i used on women? why should those scumbags still be free outside while 1 have to be interrogated by you here!¡± chen wei was dumbfounded because, in all fairness, duan jia was right. there were many men who continuously suppressed women in a relationship and made them willing to work for them. however, the key to this problem was not whether a man had used such a trick, or whether a woman use the same method to take revenge on a man. instead, no one should use such a despicable method to hurt someone who truly loved them. this was true regardless of gender. chen wei had never regretted his previous dastardly actions like this because if he had always taken every emotion seriously, he could calmly and fearlessly tell duan jia that he had never done such a thing. unfortunately, he was not a good man. he was in no position to teach duan jia a lesson. shi man glanced at him from the corner of her eye and saw through his thoughts. she sneered and said, ¡°there are too many beasts in the world. catch as many as you can. duan jia, 1 don¡¯t care what your thoughts are. no matter how you want to take revenge on this society, it has nothing to do with me. however, i¡¯m sorry that you provoked me this time.¡± ¡°ding hui was instigated by you to commit suicide, right?¡± shi man held her gaze tightly, not letting her dodge for a moment. duan jia¡¯s face turned pale. she lowered her eyes helplessly and muttered, ¡°1 just wanted to try. i didn¡¯t expect him to really die! he was too stupid! how can you blame me?¡± shi man narrowed her eyes and took out her phone to inform yi zheng to investigate information about chi ling from cassel academy. she also told sean to immediately go to the address on the business card to catch chi ling on the spot. after arranging all of this, she sized up duan jia and turned to point at chen wei. ¡°the two of you can stay with chen wei for the time being. don¡¯t think of running. even if you crawl into the crack, 1 can dig it out the two of you.¡± zhou he¡¯s body trembled inexplicably. seeing that shi man had also taken his cell phone away, he hurriedly reached out to stop her. ¡°what are you doing?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and said, ¡°the people on the internet are still scolding me. i have to think of a way to give the public an explanation.¡± she smiled as she spoke and her eyes reflected the colorful light in the bar. however, zhou he still felt a chill coming at him from all directions. he couldn¡¯t help but shiver. he watched as shi man operated their phone a few times. soon, she returned their phones with a satisfied expression. ¡°alright, wait here. someone will pick you up in a while.¡± shi man smiled and stood up to leave. she had just informed the police that they would naturally take over the matter here. she wanted to catch the big fish behind the scenes.. Chapter 521 - Chapter 521: Suicide chapter 521: suicide translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it did not matter if duan jia did not say who that acquaintance was. when she found chi ling, she naturally had a way to ask everything she wanted to know. seeing that everything was about to surface, even shi man could not help but feel a little excited on the way to the training institution. she really wanted to see the true face of this teacher who was very good at controlling people. the car drove to the congested traffic intersection. there were dozens of cars waiting in front. shi man hated wasting time in traffic. she remembered that there was a small path that could lead to that institution. on the way, she would pass by the vicinity of he man entertainment, so she quickly turned the steering wheel and pressed it against the hood of the car behind. she stepped on the accelerator and jumped onto the pedestrian road beside her without hesitation. she turned into the alley behind and disappeared without a trace before anyone could react. when she was about to reach he man entertainment, the traffic became congested again. shi man remembered that when her brother chose the location of the company, he deliberately avoided the roadz where the traffic peaked. he gave up on the most prosperous area and chose a slightly remote place. in shi he¡¯s own words, this would make it easier for him to rush home for dinner. however, for some reason, the road ahead was even more blocked than the crossroads just now. after more than ten minutes, the car did not move at all. shi man found it strange. just as she was about to call sean to ask about his situation, an unfamiliar number called first. shi man suddenly had a bad feeling. she frowned and picked up the phone, her face tense. ¡°hello? who are you?¡± a noisy voice came from the other end of the phone, but soon, a calm male voice pressed against the cell phone. he raised his voice and tried to make her hear him better. ¡°hello, is this madam shi man? i¡¯m the police. your brother, shi he, just committed suicide by jumping off a building. he has been sent to the hospital. may i confirm if you and mr. shi he are siblings?¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± shi man suddenly tightened her grip on the steering wheel, and her hands and feet turned cold in an instant. she seemed to have suddenly lost her ability to understand. the words ¡°jumped off a building and committed suicide¡± were still repeating in her mind, but she could not understand the police¡¯s words no matter what. the police officer softened his tone and said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, your brother just committed suicide by jumping off a building. we¡¯ve already arranged a rescue operation at the scene. there was also a fire air bag set up under the building. he¡¯s already been sent to the central hospital. you¡¯re the emergency contact on his phone. can you inform the other family members to go to the hospital?¡± ¡°okay.¡± shi man hung up the phone with trembling hands. an ear-piercing whistle kept coming from behind. she looked up in frustration and realized that the congested intersection had become clear. there were no cars lined up in front of her. she called shi ke with one hand and turned the steering wheel with the other. she took a deep breath and tried her best to calm down. in the hospital, the cold surgical light hung high above. the glaring red light became everyone¡¯s hope outside the operating theater. as long as this lamp was not extinguished, shi he had a chance of survival. shen xian sat on the chair and was already sobbing. shi zhong hugged her with heartache and glanced in the direction of the operating lights from time to time. the brothers of the shi family stopped smiling, especially shi mu. he had the best relationship with shi he. when he suddenly heard the news of shi he jumping off the building, he almost fell down the stairs. why would shi he commit suicide out of the blue? he was a top actor in the entertainment industry, and now he was running his own company. everything was developing in a better direction. he had no reason to commit suicide. ¡°could it be that someone is threatening third brother!¡± shi mu racked his brains and could only think of this reason. shi zhong¡¯s expression was dark, and it was unknown what he was thinking. his gaze gently swept around and finally landed on shi ke. ¡°where did manman go? isn¡¯t she the first person here?¡± ¡°manman took a call and left first. she said that she would be back soon.¡± shi ke was afraid that his father would criticize shi man at this moment. after explaining, he quickly changed the topic. ¡°dad, i¡¯ve already sent someone to check xiao he¡¯s company accounts. there¡¯s indeed a problem.¡± shi zhong¡¯s eyes narrowed as he said coldly, ¡°tell me about it.¡± shi ke suddenly found it difficult to say it, but at this point, he could only say it openly. he said with a conflicted expression, ¡°lin yue seems to have transferred all the money from xiao he¡¯s company. not long ago, she became the largest shareholder of he man entertainment. her status even exceeded xiao he¡¯s.¡± ¡°lin yue.¡± shi zhong clenched his fists and snorted. ¡°if the lin family dares to attack my son, i won¡¯t let them off!¡± ¡°dad! do you want to bring lin yue over now? 1 suspect that third brother¡¯s suicide must have something to do with her!¡± shi mu widened his red eyes and roared in the corridor. he was furious. shi mu was a little arbitrary, but it had to be said that under certain circumstances, his intuition had always been very accurate.. Chapter 522 - Chapter 522: Injured or Dead chapter 522: injured or dead translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios among the brothers, only shi he and shi mu had the most similar personalities. shi mu knew shi he well. even if he had no choice, shi he might not choose to commit suicide! that was why what happened today was especially strange! shi zhong narrowed his eyes. he was so cautious and calm that he did not seem like a father who was about to lose his son. ¡°get someone to investigate what happened before and after xiao he jumped off the building and determine if this matter is really related to lin yue.¡± ¡°alright.¡± shi ke endured his grief and quietly walked up to shen xian. he squatted down and held his mother¡¯s hand comfortingly. ¡°mom, don¡¯t be sad first. xiao he might be fine. 1 heard from the police that the rescue team did their best and cushioned him in midair. although he still fell in the end, the impact on the airbag was not strong. he will definitely be fine!¡± his words were filled with determination. not only was he trying his best to comfort shen xian, but he was also trying his best to convince himself to believe it. even so, jumping down from he man¡¯s building would definitely cause huge damage to shi he¡¯s body. ¡°go ahead. i¡¯m here for your mother.¡± shi zhong urged shi ke to hurry up. he was afraid that some people would destroy the evidence against them while they were all in the hospital. however, shi zhong¡¯s concerns were clearly unnecessary because shi man had driven back to he man entertainment early and met lin yue, who had been waiting for her at the top of the company. after four hours, the surgical light finally went out above. shen xian ran to the door in a hurry and did not even bother to wipe her tears. she grabbed the doctor¡¯s hand and begged urgently, ¡°doctor, how¡¯s my son? he must be fine, right? we can do anything he needs! please, doctor!¡± ¡°don¡¯t be agitated first.¡± the doctor sighed. his dry eyes, which had been focused in the operation for a long time, looked around the corridor. ¡°are you all the families of the injured?¡± ¡°yes, doctor. how is my brother?!¡± shi mu kept asking anxiously. he noticed that the doctor addressed him as ¡°injured¡± and nothing else. he almost couldn¡¯t help but stomp his feet in excitement. the doctor nodded at them and said, ¡°fortunately, the impact of the injured person¡¯s fall was reduced. he¡¯s temporarily out of danger, but there are still many fractures all over his body. you have to take care of him carefully. i¡¯ll tell you everything you need to take note of during the ward round.¡± hearing the doctor¡¯s words, the shi family finally heaved a sigh of relief. the tense strings in shen xian¡¯s mind suddenly snapped. even her legs could not help but turn weak. if not for shi zhong supporting her, she would have fallen to the ground and could not get up. on the top floor of he man entertainment, lin yue sat elegantly in the office chair, her hands forming a tower in front of her chest. she smiled at the aggressive woman at the door. ¡°you came a little slower than 1 thought.¡± shi man sneered and turned to look at wan na, who was following behind her. her intention of expelling her was very obvious. lin yue waved at wan na and gestured for her to leave first. then, she smiled and pointed at the sofa opposite the desk. ¡°ceo shi, i know what you want to ask this time. it¡¯s my choice whether i should tell the truth or not.¡± ¡°do you think you still have the chance to keep your mouth shut?¡± shi man walked slowly to lin yue with the dagger in her hand. the blade was pressed against her neck as she asked coldly, ¡°chi ling, do you know her?¡± a trace of surprise appeared in lin yue¡¯s eyes, but this expression disappeared in an instant. then, she regained her composure. ¡°ceo shi, who is this person you¡¯re talking about? i¡¯ve never heard of her.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± shi man moved the dagger another inch forward and cut into her flesh. she watched as her blood flowed down the blade, and her eyes reflected a bloodthirsty cold light. ¡°then you know lin si, right?¡± lin yue was still smiling, but she secretly clenched her fair hands on the armrest. it was unknown if it was because of the pain of her wound or some other reason, but she said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, 1 don¡¯t know this person either. lin si? is this person¡¯s surname lin? but why have 1 never heard of this name?¡± when she spoke, her tone was calm and her breathing was stable. she did not show any fear even when the knife was placed on her neck. at this point, her expression did not change. this was expected of a popular female celebrity. even shi man could not help but admire her acting skills. shi man retracted the dagger and looked down at lin yue¡¯s pale face. she said coldly, ¡°more than ten years ago, you were almost kidnapped. it was lin si who saved you, right? but now, he wants you to kill someone?¡± ¡°ceo shi, i think you must have misunderstood. shi he¡¯s matter really has nothing to do with me.¡± lin yue looked up at her with a smile. just from her aura, she was not at a disadvantage at all. shi man narrowed her eyes and her expression darkened. ¡°in that case, i can only invite miss lin to my place for tea.¡± she raised her hand and grabbed lin yue¡¯s wrist tightly. she pulled her up from the chair and was about to leave the office with her. only then did a trace of panic flash in lin yue¡¯s eyes.. she did not expect shi man to be so simple and crude! Chapter 523 - Chapter 523: Late-Night Meeting chapter 523: late-night meeting translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios she hurriedly struggled with her hands and said, ¡°shi man, do you think only you will investigate shi he¡¯s matter? i¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t let your family know where you want to bring me!¡± shi man turned around and lifted her chin. she said word by word, ¡°who do you think you harmed? even if i don¡¯t want anything, i¡¯ll drag your lin family down with me.¡± ¡°young master shi, you can¡¯t go in.¡± outside the office, wan na¡¯s voice came in hurriedly, as if she was deliberately signaling the two people in the room. lin yue¡¯s flustered eyes were suddenly filled with smiles. she lowered her eyes and looked at the knife that was still dripping blood from shi man¡¯s hand. a faint smile appeared on her lips. ¡°ceo shi, aren¡¯t you going to put it away? when your brother comes in and sees it later, what will he think of his sister, whom he has always treasured?¡± shi man did not expect shi ke to come so quickly. calculating the time, shi he should not have come out of the operating theater yet. she frowned tightly. just as she was hesitating, the office door was kicked open from the outside. shi ke had never been so hot-tempered before, but now that shi he¡¯s life was still in danger, he had long forgotten about his usual calmness. he came this time to have some evidence to confront lin yue, but he did not expect to see shi man sitting on the sofa drinking tea leisurely. his monstrous anger instantly subsided. ¡°manman, why are you here?¡± ¡°just like you.¡± shi man glanced at him lightly, her gaze slowly falling on the document in his hand. she narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°what is that?¡± only then did shi ke remember his purpose for coming this time. he walked up to lin yue and spread the document in his hand in front of her expressionlessly. ¡°i want to ask miss lin to explain why miss lin can transfer all the company¡¯s accounts privately when she and my brother are both shareholders of the company?¡± lin yue raised her eyebrows as expected. she put down her teacup and smiled smugly. ¡°young master, you also know that shi he and i are in charge of this company. i¡¯m afraid this has nothing to do with you, right?¡± shi ke had expected her to say this. he took out another document and threw it in front of her. ¡°alright, then i¡¯ll ask miss lin a private matter. did you take the initiative to break up with my brother after only dating him for a week?¡± shi man narrowed her eyes, and her gaze turned sharp in an instant, staring straight at lin yue. lin yue was surprised for a moment before she smiled regretfully. ¡°yes, 1 admit that shi he is a very good man, but we¡¯re not compatible, so our relationship only lasted for a short week before it ended. i¡¯m deeply sorry.¡± she turned her head and looked at shi man with a smile. ¡°women are always the ones to suffer in relationships. having a boyfriend for such a short period of time will have a lot of negative effects on me. i think ceo shi, who is also a woman, should be able to understand this better.¡± her words were sincere, and no one could find fault with her. shi man pursed her lips and did not answer. she had been busy with other work recently and had really neglected shi he and lin yue. however, she did not notice that shi ke had already sent someone to investigate clearly. after lin yue came to the house as a guest last time, shen xian thought that she was about to have her first daughter-in-law, so she asked shi ke to check on lin yue¡¯s preferences. at that time, shi ke did not deliberately investigate her, but he was still careful and got someone to pay close attention to the two of them. he did not expect the investigation to be useful in such a situation. he took out a photo from the surveillance cameras in his hand and placed it in front of lin yue. he said expressionlessly, ¡°during the time you were with xiao he, you took the time to see a man almost every night. who is he?¡± this time, lin yue could no longer remain calm. she did not expect shi ke to find out about this. after standing up in a panic, she realized that her reaction was too agitated. she tilted her head slightly and was caught off guard by shi man¡¯s suddenly cold eyes. she quickly explained, ¡°1 didn¡¯t cheat. when i was with shi he, we were stuck together almost every day. he knows best. as for who i went to see, that¡¯s my freedom!¡± ¡°lin yue!¡± shi ke¡¯s gentle voice was suddenly tainted with traces of coldness. he stared at the girl in front of him who had obviously been exposed and said with a dark expression, ¡°if you tell the truth now, we can only blame this matter on the relationship between the two of you. otherwise, i won¡¯t let the entire lin family off.¡± lin yue knew the seriousness of the matter after it was exposed. a trace of stubbornness flashed across her eyes as she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°i¡¯m not lying! i didn¡¯t let shi he down! shi he jumping off a building and committing suicide has nothing to do with me.¡± shi ke couldn¡¯t take it anymore. he suddenly walked over and grabbed lin yue¡¯s wrist, his eyes filled with anger.. ¡°lin yue, my brother really likes you, but what about you? i¡¯m afraid your relationship was a scam from the beginning to the end!¡± Chapter 524 - Chapter 524: Mystery of the Past chapter 524: mystery of the past translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°i didn¡¯t!¡± lin yue denied her role in this. no matter how he interrogated her, she had no intention of relenting. shi man stopped shi ke¡¯s hand and said with a solemn expression, ¡°brother, let¡¯s go back and check on third brother first. we¡¯ll ask about this later.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± shi ke frowned worriedly. he was worried that if he relaxed now, lin yue would find an opportunity to inform that man to hide his tracks. at that time, it would be difficult for them to find him again. shi man already had another plan in her heart. she shook her head at shi ke and looked at lin yue deeply before turning to leave the office. seeing this, shi ke could only go back first. after the interrogation just now, they had found lin yue¡¯s weakness. but why did his sister¡¯s reaction seem so strange just now? shi man and shi ke sat back in the car, but they were not in a hurry to let the chauffeur drive. her expression was dark as she asked shi ke to take a closer look at the surveillance video. it was already late at night, and the two of them only stood and said a few words. the man had his back facing the camera and could not be seen clearly, but shi man still recognized that the person was lin si. she hurriedly sent the information about this footage to yi zheng and asked him to investigate the other surveillance cameras nearby. as for whether lin yue would send a message to lin si, shi man was not worried at all. just now, she had taken the opportunity to install the signal jammer in lin yue¡¯s office while lin yue¡¯s attention was on shi ke. as long as she activated the device, at least lin yue would not be able to contact lin si in the company. on the contrary, every call she made would be under shi man¡¯s surveillance. what shi man wanted was for her to sense that something was wrong and think she was smart enough to contact lin si so that she could find his location faster. however, shi ke was by her side now, so it was not convenient for shi man to do this. after telling yi zheng the news, she asked the chauffeur to drive back to the hospital immediately. on the way, the two of them heaved a sigh of relief when they received the news that shi he was safe. as long as shi he survived the calamity and his life was saved, his injuries could slowly recover. when the two of them rushed to the hospital, yi zheng had just arrived. as the son-in-law of the shi family, he had to express his condolences when shi he was injured. fortunately, tang zhe was very capable. yi zheng had always been very relieved to leave the matter to him. the three of them went to the ward to visit shi he. at that time, shi he had yet to wake up from his coma. his entire body was covered in bandages. the doctor said that he had many fractures. if he did not recuperate well, there would probably be sequelae in the future. the tears on shen xian¡¯s face were still wet. when she saw yi zheng come in, she quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile. ¡°thank you for making this trip so late at night.¡± ¡°mom, we¡¯re all family. don¡¯t say that.¡± yi zheng placed the things he had brought in the corner and walked to shi he¡¯s bed to look at his injuries. he said worriedly, ¡°i¡¯ve already invited the best orthopedic doctor overseas. he can definitely recover.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± shen xian couldn¡¯t help but cry again. shi zhong¡¯s heart ached when he saw this. he quickly hugged her and coaxed, ¡°honey, don¡¯t worry. our son will definitely get better!¡± yi zheng returned from the bed and stood beside shi man. he held her hand but looked in shi zhong¡¯s direction. ¡°dad, manman and i still have something to discuss. the two of us will go out first and come back soon.¡± ¡°go.¡± shi zhong had seen his daughter return with shi ke just now and roughly guessed where she had gone just now. however, because he was worried about shen xian, he could only endure the doubts in his heart for the time being and wait for shen xian to calm down before worrying about other things. yi zheng brought shi man to the corridor and handed the information in his hand to her. ¡°chi ling only came to cassel academy as a teacher half a year ago. just as you expected, she and lin si arrived in g city at the same time. i¡¯m afraid she didn¡¯t make a move before because the city had just been blown up. she hadn¡¯t found a chance.¡± shi man roughly glanced at the information and sneered. ¡°recently, the city construction project has been progressing smoothly, and most of the displaced people have returned to the right track. i¡¯m afraid she saw that there are more men and women who want to fall in love now, so she chose this time to attack. but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡± yi zheng frowned and pondered for a moment before nodding. ¡°from our previous analysis, the person behind this is probably targeting me. however, from the commotion they made in the past two times, they¡¯re also targeting the shi family.¡± shi man pursed her thin lips and her eyes suddenly turned cold. ¡°i suspect that lin si is taking revenge on the both shi family and the yi family. he hates the yi family for targeting and my mother for leaving them in the lurch back then.¡± yi zheng had also heard shi man¡¯s guess about lin si¡¯s background, but after killing the child back then, they had indeed done a dna test on the child and confirmed that he was lin wei and yao jing¡¯s biological son.. Chapter 525 - Chapter 525: Internet Trolls chapter 525: internet trolls translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios moreover, yi zheng and many people in the lin family knew that child. it made no sense that they could not recognize lin si at all. he remembered that the child had thick eyebrows and big eyes. there was nothing similar to the current lin si. ¡°is it possible that it was plastic surgery?¡± shi man continued to ask. however, yi zheng quickly denied her guess. ¡°i consulted a professional plastic surgeon and showed them lin si¡¯s facial features. they said that there were no traces of plastic surgery.¡± shi man could not think of any other possibility and could only insist, ¡°lin si must be their son. 1 vaguely tested lin yue just now. he is indeed the young man who happened to have saved her after the lin family was destroyed.¡± ¡°but this also proves that he¡¯s not the lin family¡¯s son.¡± yi zheng frowned in disapproval. ¡°if he¡¯s really lin wei¡¯s child, then even if he and lin yue are cousins, how could lin yue not recognize lin si back then and enter the entertainment industry to look for her for so many years?¡± this was indeed suspicious. shi man couldn¡¯t figure it out for a moment, so she stopped thinking and asked another question. ¡°did sean contact you? how¡¯s the training institute?¡± ¡°it¡¯s empty.¡± yi zheng rubbed his eyebrows tiredly and said, ¡°it seems that they¡¯re really well-informed. 1 guess lin si didn¡¯t just have this helper. he might have spies everywhere in g city. you have to be more careful in the future.¡± ¡°i know.¡± shi man sighed faintly. she did not expect things to reach a stalemate. fortunately, duan jia and zhou he had already been captured. the shi family¡¯s crisis could be resolved. at that time, a statement about the pick-up artist organization released by the police on the internet caused a thousand ripples and shocked the entire internet. everyone had been paying attention to whether the shi family would compensate ding hui for falling off the building for so long. who would have thought that such a heavy message would confront them? they were immediately shocked and read the statement many times before confirming that they had not misunderstood. ding hui¡¯s death was because he had fallen into a honey trap by a pick-up artist. it was completely inconsistent with the news that father ding had said online that his son had been bullied at the construction site. only then did everyone know that they had been used by father ding to denounce the shi family on the internet these few days! this person was clearly trying to extort some compensation from the shi family. that was why he did not go to the mortuary to retrieve his son¡¯s corpse. for his own selfish interests, he actually did not let the deceased rest in peace. he even cried and pretended to be pitiful online. it was really hateful. some people with discerning eyes on the internet had long seen through the truth but some people were stubborn. with hatred for the rich, they still insisted on slandering shi man. [this is how officials protect each other! didn¡¯t the police issue this statement to help the shi family clear their name? now that the shi family doesn¡¯t have to compensate a single cent, ding hui looks like he deserves it. the shi family has really taken advantage of them!] [previous poster, you didn¡¯t believe the police¡¯s statement, but you chose to believe an old man who live-streams online every day and earns money by pretending to be pitiful. he can¡¯t even bear to let his son rest in peace. isn¡¯t he just trying to earn more money from people like you?] [you¡¯re the shi family¡¯s lackey, right? how much did that b*tch shi man give you to speak up for her like this? could it be that the two of you have slept together?] [watch your mouth! miss shi rushed to the event location to participate in the rescue the moment the explosion happened in g city. you closed your eyes and pretended not to see all of this! 1 think you¡¯re a classic hater of the rich and can¡¯t stand others living better than you!] the internet was arguing happily about shi man. meng hui thought highly of it and squatted on the sofa with dinner in one hand and quickly liked the recent post! her president had clearly spent money and effort at that time. during that period of time, she had racked her brains and stopped her own work. she had voluntarily vacated a few high-end hotels under her name to provide accommodation for the victims for free. however, these people could only see the small benefits on the surface and could not see shi man¡¯s efforts at all. today, she went to the company¡¯s finance department to check the accounts. shi man did not use the shi family¡¯s money for all her donations this time. she used her own savings. the value of the supplies she donated far exceeded the money she could earn from this project. to shi man, what she did was definitely a loss. however, she still did it. even if others chose to be blind and scolded her for putting on a show for the sake of power, she never took it to heart. she still did what she wanted and helped countless families in g city. shi man was such a selfless person. she looked cold, but she was actually more humane than many people. had she been a narrow-minded person, would she have trusted meng hui and let her continue to be her chief secretary? now, meng hui was shi man¡¯s number one fan. she had been waiting for the truth to come out, so those critics could be slapped in the face. indeed, she had been holding back and did not refute these people who were causing trouble on the internet. but now that the matter had been clarified by the police, she could finally show her strength! Chapter 526 - Chapter 526: Backlash chapter 526: backlash translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios meng hui couldn¡¯t be bothered to eat. she simply threw her dinner aside and personally went online to argue with these people. she logged into the company¡¯s official account, so she still had to speak elegantly. she couldn¡¯t use vulgarities, but she could still like posts. hence, the netizens were surprised to find that after the shi corporation branch company¡¯s account released a clarification statement, it liked several accounts that helped scold. for example, [did shi man dig up your ancestral grave? do you hate her so much? oh, i¡¯m sorry. i forgot that it¡¯s impossible for a heartless thing like you to have a family!] after this sentence was posted, that person received a message almost instantly. he clicked on it and did not expect it to be a notification from the system. [the shi corporation branch gave you a like.] after the shock, the person hurriedly took a screenshot and sent it to the chat group with his friends. ¡°look! goddess shi man actually saw me speaking up for her. she even liked my post!!!¡± seeing this, the others immediately went online. seeing that those people who were staring at the shi family and insisting on helping father ding continue to slander the shi family maliciously, they pounced on them and divided them up. then, right on the heels of that, they received the news that the company¡¯s official account liked their posts. overnight, the shi family did not spend a single cent to buy a trending topic, but they were accidentally trending because of the likes. while everyone was happy that shi man would really read the news online, they were even more motivated to speak up for shi man. the online scolding over the past few days suddenly turned into cheers. on the other side, father ding¡¯s live-stream was filled with criticism. the positions of both sides actually instantly switched. father ding continued to pretend to be pitiful in the live-stream and wiped his tears. ¡°why don¡¯t you believe me! i¡¯m just an ordinary farmer. 1 want to seek justice for my son¡¯s death! what right do you have to scold me for being heartless?¡± however, the netizens who had been deeply sympathetic to him a few days ago now knew the truth. they immediately felt that they had been used. their previous overflowing sympathy had now turned into malice. now, not only did no one believe him, but they also began to curse his character in the comments section. some even directly reported the live-stream, hoping that the platform could deal with such people who spread malicious rumors. the live-stream platform had naturally been paying close attention to the development of the matter between shi family and the ding family. the situation was very clear now. in order not to continue offending the shi family, the officials reacted very quickly and immediately banned father ding¡¯s live-stream account. mr. ding was racking his brains to cry in front of the screen when his cell phone suddenly turned black. he was shocked. he subconsciously thought that his cell phone had run out of battery, but after looking at it for a while, he realized that the account through which he had painstakingly accumulated hundreds of thousands of fans had been officially banned. he could not sit still anymore! in today¡¯s society, online live-streaming was popular. father ding only realized that there was such a way to earn money after hearing the words of his relative¡¯s child. these past few days, shi man had not spoken up for herself on the internet. instead, father ding took the opportunity to earn a large sum of money. he thought that he had taken the opportunity to become a very famous public figure, but he did not expect that the shi family¡¯s casual counterattack could make all his efforts these past few days go to waste. this time, he could no longer sit still. after thinking about it, he could only put on his clothes and run to the hospital in the middle of the night. as he cried, he forced the doctor to move his son¡¯s body out of the morgue. the doctor thought that he had thought it through and wanted to bring his son back to cremate the corpse. unexpectedly, not only had father ding not come to his senses, but he also set up a cell phone stand at the side and hugged his son in front of the camera, crying bitterly. he kept shouting for justice. the commotion at the mortuary was not small, attracting many doctors on duty that night. they knew father ding¡¯s character the best. seeing that he still didn¡¯t give up and wanted to use his son¡¯s corpse to hype up matters for profit, someone couldn¡¯t stand the noise and secretly took out his phone to capture him and the phone stand he had placed aside. then, he pixelated the corpse and posted the video online before father ding could make his move. once this video was uploaded, it immediately caused the entire country to spin crazily. the person who was still stubborn and insisted on speaking up for father ding was completely speechless. [how selfish must a father be to keep using his son¡¯s corpse?] the person who spoke up for shi man made those people speechless. the internet also gave shi man a unanimous good review, thinking that she was very calm. previously, she did not take it to heart after father ding scolded her like that. overnight, the shi family¡¯s stock prices began to rise crazily on the internet again. father ding had made a huge contribution to the shi family¡¯s market value. at this moment, shi man, who was still accompanying her mother in the hospital, did not know this. she didn¡¯t care what others said about her at all. all she wanted to do now was dig out lin si¡¯s true identity, drag him out of the sea of people, and make him confess in person.. Chapter 527 - Chapter 527: Interrogation chapter 527: interrogation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ning hui had brought another artiste under him to the neighboring city to film an advertisement yesterday. when he saw the news of shi he jumping off the building, he was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. he rushed back on the nearest plane early in the morning. when he arrived at the ward and saw shi he still sleeping, ning hui was furious. he ruffled his hair in frustration. ¡°did lin yue do it?¡± shen xian still didn¡¯t know about her son and lin yue. when she heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but stand up. her voice trembled as she probed, ¡°mr. ning, what did you say? is lin yue involved in my son jumping off the building?¡± only then did ning hui realize that the shi family might still be hiding this from shen xian. he wished he could bite off his tongue immediately and hurriedly changed his words. ¡°i was just guessing. madam, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± shen xian took his words seriously. in a panic, she grabbed shi man¡¯s arm and her eyes were filled with tears again. ¡°manman, tell me, does this have anything to do with that girl?¡± shi man sighed softly and helped her sit on the sofa. she found a blanket and draped it over her. she comforted her softly. ¡°mom, didn¡¯t brother and dad already investigate this matter early in the morning? i believe there will be a conclusion soon. sleep for a while. your body won¡¯t be able to take it after staying up all night.¡± shen xian was so flustered now that she was not in a hurry to sleep. she pulled shi man helplessly, her eyes filled with desire. ¡°manman, mom knows that you¡¯re a capable girl now. you must know something, right? can you tell mom so i won¡¯t continue to worry, okay?¡± shi man pursed her lips. seeing that she couldn¡¯t hide the truth, she could only pick out the less important parts to share with her, ¡°mom, i only know that brother and lin yue broke up very quickly after being together for a week. we¡¯re just guessing if brother did something stupid because of this.¡± when shen xian heard this, a vicious look suddenly condensed in her pitiful and helpless eyes. shi man thought that she would want to look for lin yue to interrogate her. unexpectedly, she slapped the table angrily. her eyes were filled with disdain. ¡°he doesn¡¯t want to live because of such a small matter. 1 raised this son for nothing! to think that i even worried about him for the entire night! if that¡¯s really the reason, he deserves to lie on the hospital bed for the rest of his life!¡± she was really¡­ his biological mother! shi man could not help but laugh. however, seeing that shen xian had some vitality again and was not as lifeless as the entire night, she was slightly relieved. shen xian seemed to be really angry with this guess. after glaring at her son on the hospital bed, she actually yawned for once and complained regretfully, ¡°if i had known that this was the reason, i would have gone home to sleep last night. alright, i¡¯m tired. i¡¯ll sleep on the sofa for a while. help yourselves.¡± as shen xian spoke, she really lay on the sofa and closed her eyes under the blanket. shi man gave ning hui a look and left the ward quietly with him. no one noticed that the moment the ward door closed with a click, the woman lying on the sofa suddenly opened her clear eyes. how could one see any sleepiness? the two of them stopped in the stairwell a little further away. shi man stared at ning hui with a grave expression, her tone not friendly at all. ¡°why did you leave my brother behind?¡± ning hui was stunned for a moment. he did not expect missy to interrogate him so forcefully. compared to her, ning hui was actually at a disadvantage for a moment. he replied weakly, ¡°your brother isn¡¯t the only artist under me. moreover, he¡¯s the boss of a company now. 1 have a lot of free time. of course, i have to personally bring others to an event.¡± shi man clearly didn¡¯t want to hear this. her expression didn¡¯t change, and her lips moved with a hint of coldness. ¡°i said, why did you leave my brother behind? you should be able to tell that his condition during that period of time was very abnormal.¡± ning hui let out a faint breath and took out a cigarette from his pocket. he lit it but only held it between his fingers. his expression was painful and irritable. ¡°before i left, we had a big fight over the company¡¯s transfer of shares. he didn¡¯t listen to me and insisted on giving up he man entertainment, which he had finally stabilized. what can i do?¡± shi man leaned against the cold wall and lowered her head. ¡°was lin yue the one who suggested the transfer of shares?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ning hui spat out a mouthful of smoke circles, and his stubbled chin looked even more tired amidst the smoke. ¡°she wanted shi he to prove his sincerity to her by transferring the company¡¯s shares. shi he agreed without thinking.¡± shi man fell silent. the corners of ning hui¡¯s lips curled up sarcastically as he smiled silently. ¡°he¡¯s such a person. once he decides on something, he will do his best. 1 really want to ask him properly what he man entertainment is to him.. what position has he been placed in after working hard for so many years?¡± Chapter 528 - Chapter 528: Smoke at Night chapter 528: smoke at night translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in ning hui¡¯s opinion, shi he was like a child who had not grown up. the status that the two of them had worked so hard for so many years was completely destroyed by a woman in just a few days! how could ning hui not hate him? he hated shi he for being a disappointment, and he hated himself even more for supporting shi he and lin yue back then! shi man hated the smell of smoke and stood a little further away. ¡°how much do you know about lin yue? in your opinion, why did she get together with my brother?¡± ning hui smiled self-deprecatingly and shook his head. ¡°1 thought the two of them really liked each other, but lin yue¡¯s thoughts are too heavy. 1 don¡¯t understand. with the lin family¡¯s current status, why would they care about a mere entertainment company that has just been established?¡± shi man sneered and said, ¡°i¡¯m afraid her goal is to suppress my brother.¡± seeing the disbelief in ning hui¡¯s eyes, shi man told him that lin yue might have another man behind her. she didn¡¯t say that she already knew the man¡¯s identity. she only said that the surveillance cameras had only captured a back view and handed this matter to ning hui to investigate. lin yue was a public figure. the media might be secretly observing her every move. shi man was an amateur in this aspect, but ning hui had been in the entertainment industry for many years. he might really be able to find some clues. no matter how she thought about it, it was an entertainment news that could easily cause a sensation in the country. she was betting that someone had taken a photo of all of this, but it had not been made public. ning hui immediately understood what shi man meant and immediately said that he would investigate the man¡¯s identity. he had a feeling that this man might be the instigator of lin yue¡¯s approach to shi he. the commotion on the internet during the day had not stopped. after night fell, another war broke out. four or five silver-white vans turned into a sharp sword in the night and quickly plunged into the dark night. finally, they stopped near the dock where the sound of boats could still be heard. dozens of men with machetes filed out of the van. leading them was an elegant man in a black suit with sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. however, this elegance completely disappeared when the man spoke. ¡°brothers! that traitor zhu wen is in front! today, we want to seek justice for big brother cheng zhen!¡± ¡°seek justice!¡± ¡°seek justice!¡± battle cries resounded throughout the entire base. when zhu wen heard the commotion, he hurriedly ran out of the freezer. he was caught off guard when he saw many aggressive people surrounding him. his expression panicked for a moment before he regained his composure. ¡°secretary wu, what do you mean by this?¡± the man in the lead pushed up his glasses and smiled sarcastically. ¡°second young master, do you really not know or are you pretending not to know? back then, when the nighthawks split up, if you had such courage, why would we split up on bad terms?¡± zhu wen took off the thick gloves on his hand and walked over slowly with a frown. his swinging arm raised a heat wave, bringing with it the pungent smell of fish. ¡°what do you mean?¡± secretary wu smiled mockingly and stuffed his hands into his pockets. he tiptoed and said, ¡°come on, don¡¯t pretend to be confused with me. you should have expected us to come looking for you, right? brother cheng zhen is dead. you can finally monopolize the entire nighthawk!¡± the henchman beside zhu wen couldn¡¯t stand his lapdog appearance. he couldn¡¯t help but stand up and point at his nose and scold, ¡°cheng zhen¡¯s a b*stard. even nighthawk has been reduced to this by you. what else do you want? cheng zhen deserves to die! if he doesn¡¯t die, i still have to go¡­¡± halfway through his scolding, that person suddenly realized something. under secretary wu¡¯s understanding gaze, his expression became even more stunned. ¡°boss, what did he say? who, who died?¡± ¡°cheng zhen is dead.¡± zhu wen heard it clearly, and a trace of coldness appeared on his face. ¡°he¡¯s dead. instead of investigating the real culprit, you came to cause trouble here. secretary wu is really outstanding as a good leader.¡± ¡°you!¡± secretary wu glared angrily. the cold light reflected from the lenses added to his aura. ¡°as expected of the second young master who went to cassel academy. you¡¯re indeed eloquent. but don¡¯t forget that you did it. don¡¯t ever think that no one will know!¡± after saying that, he suddenly put his hands behind his back. those who were used to the underworld naturally knew what this action meant. the lackey beside zhu wen blocked in front of him without thinking. zhu wen coldly pushed him away and swept his gaze across the surrounding crowd. the atmosphere instantly became tense. it only needed a spark to start a huge fire. however, secretary wu did not intend to attack directly. in order to convince the the rest, he had to make zhu wen confess first. secretary wu took out the pistol from his waist and threw it on the ground aggressively. ¡°jun mo¡¯s gun has appeared in the nighthawk¡¯s territory in the past. ever since i followed my brother, i haven¡¯t seen it again. now, it¡¯s actually discovered at the event location where my brother was shot.. wasn¡¯t it you guys who did it?¡± Chapter 529 - Chapter 529: Internal Strife chapter 529: internal strife translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zhu wen silently bent down and picked up the pistol on the ground. he held it in his hand and looked at it carefully. when he saw jun mo¡¯s unique mark behind the butt of the gun, his expression was especially strange. ¡°have you really figured out the origin of this gun? why didn¡¯t you look for hellgate? why did you come to me?¡± secretary wu was certain that this was zhu wen¡¯s doing. otherwise, he would have become a huge joke today. hearing that zhu wen did not admit what he had done, secretary wu could not help but roar at his brothers behind him and order, ¡°brothers, if young master zhu doesn¡¯t want to admit it, let¡¯s not continue talking nonsense with him. get your weapons and attack!¡± when the brothers surrounding him heard his order, they immediately gathered aggressively. every silver knife in their hands was fatally cold in the night. the henchmen protected zhu wen tightly. there were only the two of them at the event location. the others went out to drive the truck to deliver the goods. if they really fought, they would probably lose their lives here. zhu wen¡¯s expression was dark. he looked at the especially familiar faces around him and suddenly raised his hand to stop them. ¡°wait, what makes you so sure that this gun is the one that appeared at the nighthawk¡¯s base?¡± secretary wu was stunned for a moment. clearly, he did not expect him to ask such a question in the face of danger. her face was instantly filled with impatience. ¡°when i was with boss zhu meng in the past, i saw jun mo take out this gun. later, this gun appeared on boss¡¯s desk for no reason. 1 thought boss zhu meng had made a deal with jun mo, but after boss died, i couldn¡¯t find this gun no matter what.¡± ¡°so you suspect that 1 took this gun with me when 1 left and deliberately left it at the event location where cheng zhen was shot to death. my goal was to frame jun mo, but i didn¡¯t expect your sharp eyes to see through me?¡± when zhu wen said this, his eyes were filled with a playful smile. he looked at secretary wu as if he was looking at a fool. secretary wu inexplicably felt that he had underestimated her and immediately frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡°isn¡¯t that so? other than you, who else can enter boss¡¯s office at will?¡± zhu wen raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders indifferently. he asked a question that made everyone present fall silent at the same time. ¡°do you think i know how to use a gun?¡± secretary wu was speechless. this seemed to be a problem! when zhu meng was alive, he had never put zhu wen in danger, let alone taught him how to use a dangerous weapon like a gun. in their eyes, zhu wen was just a gentle student. although he would do some things that hedonistic sons would do, zhu wen was still relatively obedient. at the event location where cheng zhen was assassinated, the light was especially dim. the building was a certain distance away from cheng zhen. if he wanted to shoot cheng zhen under such harsh conditions, the person who shot him would definitely not be a newbie. from the looks of it, zhu wen did not meet the conditions to become a murderer at all. secretary wu¡¯s gaze suddenly became complicated. this was because if zhu wen was really not the real murderer of cheng zhen, then he might have already offended his future boss. fortunately, zhu wen was not a petty person, and things had not developed to the point where they had to fall out. he repeatedly fiddled with the gun in his hand, and his thoughts raced. suddenly, he thought of something and suddenly stopped. ¡°i remember that before we fell out with jun mo, he said that a woman snatched his favorite pistol?¡± this matter was too long ago. secretary wu thought about it carefully for a long time before he found this matter from the corners of his memories. he nodded seriously and said, ¡°that seems to be the case.¡± he was stunned for a moment before quickly following zhu wen¡¯s train of thought. ¡°young master, do you mean that this gun was deliberately placed in our base at that time so that the people from hellgate would misunderstand that we had long had ill intentions towards them and use this to sow discord between the two gangs so that the person could reap the benefits?¡± zhu wen had clearly thought of more than that. in a flash, he had even thought of the most likely candidate. however, every time he thought of that face, he would feel his heart race and his breathing become chaotic for no reason. he quickly composed himself and nodded in agreement with secretary wu. ¡°so this gun should have been stolen in the chaos. the person who killed cheng zhen was the person who stole this gun.¡± secretary wu was completely convinced by his logic. he hurriedly leaned forward to smell it carefully. ¡°then who do you think stole this gun?¡± zhu wen opened his mouth and almost blurted out those two words, but he swallowed them and changed to another person¡¯s name. ¡°jun mo.¡± this gun was jun mo¡¯s favorite weapon. it was normal for him to take it back in the chaos after knowing the whereabouts of the gun. he was just curious why he would throw it at his killing event location. if he had to explain, zhu wen could only think of one possibility. jun mo wanted the nighthawks to fight among themselves again so that he could reap the benefits.. Chapter 530 - Chapter 530: Nighthawk Restart chapter 530: nighthawk restart translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios from a different perspective, there would be different outcomes. if the nighthawk men were united, they would naturally be the first to suspect that jun mo had ulterior motives instead of suspecting zhu wen, resulting in today¡¯s internal strife. fortunately, the two sides had yet to fight. there was still room for negotiation. when zhu wen finished speaking, the people beside him heard him clearly. now, they firmly believed that jun mo had deliberately thrown the gun to frame zhu wen. actually, it was understandable when they thought about it. jun mo had nothing now. the base had been blown up and he had become a wanted criminal in the police station. he could not even return to his home. what could he not give up, let alone a gun? secretary wu realized that he might have been used by someone and hurriedly turned serious. cold sweat broke out on his forehead. ¡°second young master, i didn¡¯t mean to have a conflict with you.¡± zhu wen didn¡¯t take it to heart, but he still put on a posture and said with an unfathomable expression, ¡°cheng zhen is dead. in order to avenge him, you actually forgot the friendship my brother had with you in the past? you came with machetes. do you want to kill me and your brothers who used to fight side by side?¡± zhu wen¡¯s words were powerful and everyone was stunned. only then did they remember that even though the nighthawk had been split into two, they had been brothers for several years. how could they fight just because they were suspicious? the machete in their hands suddenly became a hot potato. many people came back to their senses and subconsciously threw the machete to the ground. the crackling sound was endless. the blades that were originally filled with cold light could only lie on the ground and reflect the gentle moonlight. zhu wen pacified the turmoil that almost caused internal strife again without any bloodshed, making everyone convinced. moreover, he was not flustered tonight. he indeed had the demeanor of zhu meng back then. even secretary wu, who had always looked down on zhu wen¡¯s image as a weak scholar, could not help but admire his intelligence and methods. secretary wu took a step forward and saw the situation clearly. he knelt on the ground with his brothers behind him and bowed to zhu wen. after zhu meng¡¯s death, zhu wen was originally the orthodox successor of the nighthawk commander. cheng zhen was ambitious and sowed discord between the nighthawks, splitting the originally glorious mercenary group into two. however, he was already dead, so all the forces naturally returned to zhu wen¡¯s hands. secretary wu did not know the truth and only thought that jun mo had taken the opportunity to take revenge on them. instead, he hit the jackpot and united the nighthawk men again. there was even a hint of joy on his face. zhu wen didn¡¯t hold back anymore and personally helped secretary wu up. the others only waved their hands and let them get up. this was a direct confirmation of secretary wu¡¯s status in the nighthawk in the future. secretary wu was happy, but in the next second, his expression changed because of the unpleasant fishy smell in the air. that was the smell on zhu wen. he had almost forgotten that although this kid was very smart, he was selling fish now! he was so excited just now that he actually forgot such a crucial thing! as the chief secretary of the nighthawk, he didn¡¯t want to go fishing and selling fish at sea after retiring. wouldn¡¯t he be laughed at if word got out? thinking of this, secretary wu frowned and said with an ugly smile, ¡°boss, since we have already reunited, can we do something big? it¡¯s probably very difficult for our brothers to show off if we keep selling fish.¡± what he said was what his other brothers were thinking. who among them had never had a human life in their hands? however, they could not accept it no matter how they thought about it. zhu wen naturally understood this logic. now that he had done this, his brothers were already complaining. if he was in for the long haul, he still had to resume his old business and pick up the business his brother had done in the past. but this also meant that there was no turning back. zhu wen only hesitated for a moment before saying to his henchmen who had been protecting him, ¡°call all the brothers who went out. after this business is done, we¡¯ll stop. i¡¯ll bring you to do something big!¡± zhu wen¡¯s words were simply like the best stimulant, instantly making the surrounding people cheer. compared to cheng zhen, it was obvious that zhu wen¡¯s identity was more convincing. previously, they had chosen to follow cheng zhen because they saw that he had some ability and ambition. who would have thought that he was a short-lived ghost who was good-looking but useless? he was killed so easily. sure enough, it had to be someone like the second young master who was educated. if they followed him, they might be able to do better than when they followed brother zhu meng. although half of nighthawk¡¯s men were almost middle-aged, their hearts were still drenched in hot blood. even if they had to live a life of bloodshed, they would only find such a life exciting! it was worth it! the people who went out to complete the order quickly received zhu wen¡¯s summons and rushed back. when they saw that secretary wu and the others were present, they almost fought with them.. Chapter 531 - Chapter 531: An Insurmountable Mountain chapter 531: an insurmountable mountain translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°boss.¡± the man who came back from selling fish smelled of blood. he stood in front of zhu wen with wide eyes and looked at secretary wu and the others in an uproar. ¡°why are these people here? boss, are you injured?¡± secretary wu looked embarrassed and desperately winked at zhu wen for help. zhu wen helplessly pushed away the few people who had been at daggers drawn the moment they met and briefly explained the situation just now. the man selling fish had an honest personality. when he heard that his brothers wanted to reconcile, he immediately changed his expression. his angry face suddenly revealed a bright smile. ¡°secretary wu, you should have said so earlier. i told you that you¡¯re a civilized person. you probably won¡¯t fight and kill. i misunderstood this matter. 1 apologize to you.¡± secretary wu lowered her eyes guiltily and hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°let¡¯s not talk about this first. the most important thing for nighthawk now is for us to think of how to take revenge on jun mo.¡± ¡°yes.¡± although zhu wen had been silent for so long, he had actually been thinking about avenging his brother. now that his brothers had united again, he naturally would not let go of such a good opportunity. the night was still long. the nighthawks were gathered together, planning their first operation after the merger. while shi he was unconscious, the entire shi family and the yi family were not idle. yi ming originally wanted to watch from the sidelines and not add another enemy to himself, but yi long¡¯s attitude was unyielding. he and yi che could only be forced to take sides and completely stand against the lin family. at night, master lin had a straight face since he returned from the company. he was not in the mood to care even if his madam spoke to him. as soon as he entered, he called lin yue over anxiously. after bringing her into the study, he smashed his favorite teacup on the table. the teacup fell to the ground and shattered. the broken porcelain pieces splashed everywhere, and the remaining tea inside wetted lin yue¡¯s pants. however, she still stood rooted to the ground, allowing her father to vent his monstrous anger on her. she knew why her father was so angry today. three days later, the leaders of the capital had to go to a place for a routine inspection. because of lin yue¡¯s mother, the lin family was determined to get the reception this time. the lin family had also been busy for more than a month preparing to receive the leader. however, the matter that was originally a sure bet, was suddenly snatched away by the shi family today. it was even personally planned by shi zhong, who had long announced that he would withdraw from this competition. the lin family was definitely not as strong as the shi family, but the two families usually had a good relationship. in addition, shi zhong was impatient to deal with such things, so he let the lin family do it almost every year. the lin family was also happy to pick up benefits. the lin family¡¯s master had always tried his best to maintain the relationship between the two families. unexpectedly, all his hard work had disappeared because of his daughter¡¯s affair. the matter of shi he jumping off a building and committing suicide caused an uproar. although the lin family¡¯s master did not know what had happened between the two of them, the shi family had already openly declared war on their family. this caught him off guard. the person who had created this situation was actually his daughter, lin yue, whom he had always treasured. the lin family¡¯s master was furious when he saw her calm face. he scolded sternly, ¡°do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve caused this time? the shi family and the yi family have already joined forces. i couldn¡¯t even suck up to them, but you offended them all at once!¡± faced with her father¡¯s roar, lin yue¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. however, she held back the bitterness in her heart and pursed her thin lips stubbornly. ¡°father, i naturally have my reasons for doing these things. don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t harm the lin family. i did all this for the good of the lin family!¡± ¡°for the good of the lin family?¡± the lin family¡¯s master was so angry that he wanted to laugh. he placed his hands on his hips, pointed at lin yue¡¯s nose, and roared, ¡°alright, tell me, what benefits do you have for our lin family that you almost killed their son!¡± lin yue felt aggrieved. she looked up with a choked voice and her gaze became even more determined. ¡°father, even if the shi family treats us well now, do you know what outsiders think of us? they all say that we¡¯re the shi family¡¯s lackeys. we look noble, but in fact, we¡¯re just following behind the shi family and waiting for them to give us alms.¡± ¡°nonsense! our lin family is strong. who dares to say that about me!¡± the lin family¡¯s master suddenly pushed the things on the table to the ground. his heaving chest showed that this man was already furious to the extreme. ¡°continue!¡± lin yue knew that her words had worked. she swallowed nervously and continued to fan the flames for him. ¡°father, they look down on our lin family because we are always suppressed by the shi family. only when the shi family is gone can our lin family truly rise up.¡± master lin took a deep look at his daughter. it had to be said that his daughter¡¯s current thoughts were exactly the same as when he was young, but he had long passed the age where he relied on his passion to do things. after so many years of chasing and defeat, he had already worn down his edges. he knew very clearly that the shi family was like an insurmountable mountain to him.. Chapter 532 - Chapter 532: Hostility chapter 532: hostility translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios however, his daughter¡¯s words gave him a glimmer of hope. the father and daughter talked late into the night in the study. it was not until mother lin came over to knock on the door worried that the two of them had no choice but to end the conversation. mother lin waited outside the door nervously. she thought that she would see the father and daughter turn against each other. just as she was thinking about how to persuade father lin to calm down, she met the father and daughter¡¯s smiling eyes the moment she opened the door. mother lin was stunned for a moment. in her surprise, the huge rock in her heart finally relaxed. she leaned over with a smile and said, ¡°it¡¯s almost time to eat. what fun things are you two talking about? why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°mom.¡± lin yue held her mother¡¯s arm coquettishly and smiled. ¡°dad said that he would bring the two of us on a trip in two days!¡± mother lin looked at her husband in surprise. ¡°aren¡¯t uncle and the others coming over in two days? why are we still¡­¡± before she could finish speaking, lin yue pulled her mother away and whispered to her about her granduncle¡¯s trip to the shi family. mother lin had just found out about this and widened her eyes in shock. ¡°how could this be? your granduncle even said that he specially brought you a gift this time! why did it suddenly become that he¡¯s going to the shi family?¡± mr. lin¡¯s expression darkened as he heard this. however, when he thought of his daughter¡¯s words just now, his gloomy expression softened. the nobles from the capital were coming to g city. other than shi he, who was lying in the hospital recuperating, the rest were waiting outside the airport to pick him up. anyone with a discerning eye knew that the shi family had snatched this great opportunity from the lin family, but no one dared to criticize the shi family in person. at most, they were secretly guessing that the relationship between the two families was tense. shi man and shen xian sat in the third car together. she raised her hand and looked at the watch on her wrist. ¡°they should be here soon. mom, aren¡¯t you worried about brother? why do you have to come along?¡± shen xian shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°you¡¯ve never done such a thing, so you don¡¯t know the inside story. the leader who came today is called lu jun. he¡¯s the biological uncle of lin yue¡¯s mother. our family snatched the business that the lin family had internally decided on. if we don¡¯t put on a good appearance, won¡¯t we be rushing to give someone something to use against us?¡± shi man was silent for a moment. she slowly lowered the window and let the breeze from the window blow into the car, sweeping away the suffocating heat. the plane was originally scheduled to arrive at ten in the morning, but they waited outside the airport for a full hour and did not see the leader of the capital at all. shi zhong was very patient. he waited outside the airport with his family until noon before the leaders arrived. the shang dynasty did not make enemies with the officials. shi zhong knew this very well. therefore, even if the other party deliberately made him unhappy and made him wait for two hours in the hottest weather, he had no intention of being angry. seeing the figures of the leaders from afar, he hurriedly surrounded them with his family. he smiled and shook hands with the man in the lead as he introduced, ¡°this must be chief lu. during the time that chief lu come to g city, our shi family will take care of you personally. if you have any requests, feel free to ask.¡± shi zhong¡¯s attitude was humble, and he did not have the airs of a rich man. lu jun felt a little better. he hummed coldly and got into shi zhong¡¯s car under the protection of the shi family. along the way, shi zhong tried his best to get lu jun to talk to him. lu jun originally wanted to ignore him. after all, if not for the shi family¡¯s sudden interference, he would have been able to see his niece¡¯s family as he wished. however, shi zhong was too enthusiastic, so it was not good for him to keep putting on a face for others. occasionally, shi zhong would say something, so he could only echo him. from the looks of it, the journey back to the city seemed to be a little harmonious. however, lu jun knew very well that the shi family was probably deliberately making things difficult for the lin family, causing his niece and grandniece to hide in another province while he was in g city, leaving him here with the sly old fox of the shi family. the shi family¡¯s manor had prepared for this welcome party for a few days. they had cleaned the rooms inside and out for the leaders to live in. along with lu jun were two of his students. one of them was called chu yue, and she was the demonic female instructor who made everyone¡¯s expressions change when they talked about her. the other was a short-haired man with a black pistol at his waist. he was one of the commanders of the capital force. the few of them came to g city this time to find a family who could cooperate to make the latest batch of armaments. shi zhong invited them into the living room and asked butler qi to quickly hand over hot tea. he smiled and said, ¡°chief lu, did you trip over something on the way here?¡± he was referring to the fact that the three of them got off the plane two hours late today. lu jun sat on the sofa expressionlessly with a straight face and a golden dragon walking stick in his hand. he did not intend to answer shi zhong. he ignored shi zhong so that he could admire his awkward expression.. Chapter 533 - Chapter 533: Provocation chapter 533: provocation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios but his student, chu yue, clearly did not understand what he meant. her phoenix eyes were slightly raised, and the corners of her eyes naturally curved up into a sharp arc. when she spoke, her voice was always much louder than those of ordinary people. ¡°the reason why my teacher arrived late this time was that he didn¡¯t know in advance that the person in charge of receiving them had been changed to your shi family at the last minute. he went back and got someone to verify if someone had done something behind his back.¡± these words were a little harsh. however, shi zhong nodded seriously and said, ¡°yes, we should investigate carefully. 1 don¡¯t dare to think too highly of myself, but even if i¡¯m humble, our shi family¡¯s strength is obvious in the entire g city. however, for some reason, only the lin family has this honor to receive all the leaders in the past.¡± the expressions of chu yue and lu jun changed. just as the two of them were about to fall out, they heard shi zhong continue to smile and say, ¡°the leaders are good at governing the army, but i¡¯m afraid they don¡¯t know very much about business. in the end, our shi family didn¡¯t have this honor in the past. fortunately, after our shi family¡¯s tireless efforts, we finally managed to invite the three leaders to our house.¡± chu yue glared at him as if she did not take him seriously. her gaze shifted slightly to shi man, and her eyes were filled with interest. ¡°you must be miss shi, right? i often hear people mention you in the capital.¡± shi man nodded coldly. she didn¡¯t want to say much to her, but shi zhong kept giving her a look. she could only cough dryly and add awkwardly, ¡°mention what about me?¡± only when chu yue had a way out could she continue speaking. she laughed heroically and leaned forward slightly with one hand on the arm of the sofa. ¡°they said that you beat up your mistress at your engagement party and are extraordinary, but when 1 saw you today, i only felt that you were thin and weak. that¡¯s all. sure enough, rumors are rumors.¡± shi man looked up slightly and said calmly, ¡°instructor chu is from the army. of course, i¡¯m still far inferior to you.¡± chu yue narrowed her eyes slightly. she remembered that she had received news from g city that shi man was an irritable, brainless, and willful young lady. however, she had already mocked her so obviously just now, but this person¡¯s expression did not change. it was indeed a little unexpected. she glanced at lu jun from the corner of her eye. seeing that he did not react, she turned to shi man again and said provocatively, ¡°miss shi, it¡¯s meaningless to be too humble. we don¡¯t like people who know how to talk.¡± shi man looked at her calmly. ¡°then what do you want?¡± chu yue stood up and casually took out the dagger at her waist. she put away the scabbard and threw it to shi man. shen xian was so frightened that her face turned pale. seeing that the knife was about to fly toward her daughter, she hurriedly screamed and stood up to block it. chu yue seemed to have thrown it casually, but she used a lot of strength. if she could not dodge this time, the tip of the knife would definitely injure someone. at best, it would be an insignificant small wound, and at worst, there might be blood. chu yue¡¯s action was to scare shi man and intimidate the shi family. she wanted them to know how unwise it was to snatch the lin family¡¯s business this time! shen xian did not have any technique to speak of in this block. it was just an instinctive reaction of a mother who was worried about her daughter. seeing the tip of the knife getting closer and closer to her, time seemed to have frozen at this moment. she closed her eyes in resignation. the pain she imagined did not come as expected. after waiting for a long time, when shen xian was finally sure that she would be fine, she dared to open her eyes, wanting to see what had just happened. unexpectedly, when she opened her eyes, she saw her daughter standing upright in front of her. from her angle, she could only see shi man¡¯s back. it dawned on her that it was shi man who took the dagger for her. in an instant, heartache and fear assaulted her, making her face turn pale. shen xian hurriedly went forward and hugged shi man¡¯s shoulder. she lowered her head in a panic to check on her injuries. only then did she realize that the handle of the knife was held firmly in shi man¡¯s hand. the tip of the knife flickered with a silver light in chu yue¡¯s direction. she looked up at her daughter again and realized that shi man¡¯s expression was so cold that it could freeze someone. her eyes were filled with killing intent. just now, shi man did not take chu yue¡¯s provocation seriously at all. she was confident that she could dodge the knife and not be injured, but she did not expect shen xian to stand up at the critical moment and stand in front of her resolutely. shi man¡¯s breathing stopped for a moment. in a flash, she did not have time to think too much. she jumped in front of shen xian and stood steadily in front of her, taking the dagger. she casually threw the dagger and let it fall to the ground. her eyes flickered and the murderous intent in her eyes had already disappeared. she smiled faintly and said, ¡°did instructor chu¡¯s hand slip? it¡¯s better to hold your weapon tightly.¡± all of them could see shi man¡¯s actions clearly. lu jun couldn¡¯t help but sit up straight, and his expression suddenly darkened.. ¡°who did you learn your skills from just now?¡± Chapter 534 - Chapter 534: Competition chapter 534: competition translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man glanced at him from the corner of her eye and did not answer. instead, she turned around and checked shen xian up and down before holding her hand and helping her sit down on the sofa. chu yue was shocked by her actions just now. she was stunned for a long time before she came back to her senses. her eyes were filled with jealousy and hatred. ¡°my teacher is talking to you. didn¡¯t you hear him?¡± as shi man turned her head slightly, her eyes emitted a terrifying light. chu yue took a step back for no reason. when she reacted, the sharp light had already disappeared. lu jun glanced at chu yue, who was taking a step back, indifferently. his expression softened, and the hostility in his eyes when he looked at shi man was gone. ¡°young lady, come here.¡± not only did shi man not listen to him, but she also sat on the sofa and crossed her legs. ¡°there¡¯s no need. let¡¯s talk here.¡± shi zhong was shocked by the scene just now. when he came back to his senses, he was angry. ¡°leader, this is the first time our shi family has not treated you well. if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re dissatisfied with, you can bring it up. however, i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not right to use a dagger, right?¡± ¡°ceo shi, you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± the man who had been silent suddenly interrupted shi zhong¡¯s question and smiled. ¡°my sister has liked such weapons since she was young. she can¡¯t help but share them with the person she likes. in fact, she doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions.¡± no malice, his ass! shi mu was already angry with chu yue¡¯s actions just now. now that he heard her twist the truth and say that she was sharing a toy with the person she liked, he couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°the leader¡¯s preferences are really extraordinary. is this how you do things in the capital?¡± ¡°shi mu!¡± shi zhong scolded him coldly, but there was no anger in his eyes. it was obvious that he agreed with his son¡¯s words. however, as the head of the shi family, it was not appropriate for him to fall out with the leader. chu yue took a step forward and stood in front of shi man. she pointed at her provocatively and said, ¡°come out and fight me. if you can beat me, i¡¯ll agree to cooperate with you.¡± shi man looked up at her steadily and said with a faint smile, ¡°it¡¯s not up to you.¡± ¡°you!¡± chu yue was furious. she placed her hands on her hips and burned with jealousy. ¡°i asked you to fight me, so you have to fight me. don¡¯t you want your family¡¯s business anymore?¡± of course, she wanted the business. shi man looked away and skipped past her gaze to look straight at lu jun. ¡°chief lu, what do you think?¡± chu yue still had her hands on her hips as she glared at shi man arrogantly. she had no intention of turning around to discuss it with lu jun. it was as if she had expected lu jun to agree. she was so confident not only because of lu jun¡¯s indulgence of her but also because she had long seen through lu jun¡¯s interest in shi man¡¯s skills. perhaps her actions were more to lu jun¡¯s liking! when she pressed shi man to the ground and hit her, the shi family¡¯s reputation would be trampled on by them. at that time, the teacher would naturally be able to vent his anger for not being able to see his niece¡¯s family as he wished! however, of course, lu jun would not agree directly. he had to put on a helpless act. otherwise, if this matter spread in the future, outsiders would say that he was bullying others. the man sitting at the side said at the right time, ¡°teacher, sister is used to fooling around. don¡¯t be angry with her. but speaking of which, i¡¯m afraid there aren¡¯t many people who can interest yue¡¯er so much. 1 really want to see the two young ladies compete.¡± lu jun pondered for a moment and still did not open his mouth. instead, he calmly turned his gaze to shi zhong. the man immediately understood and looked at shi zhong with a smile. ¡°ceo shi might not know my sister¡¯s temper very well. she doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions and won¡¯t bully miss shi. she just has a childish temper. she only said this because she thinks highly of miss shi.¡± his words politely supported the shi family. if shi man did not agree, she would be deemed disrespectful. shi zhong frowned and looked up at shi man, wanting her to make a decision herself. they had seen chu yue throw the dagger clearly just now. her reputation as the famous demonic female instructor was definitely not undeserved. although shi man¡¯s performance at the engagement party surprised him, she was not chu yue¡¯s match at all. he could not make a decision for shi man, but as her father, as long as shi man showed a trace of unwillingness, he would reject at all costs. as shi man¡¯s eldest brother, shi ke naturally did not want his sister to be sandwiched in the middle. just as he was about to reject on her behalf, shi man spoke first and stopped him. ¡°i can fight, but 1 have to make things clear first. if 1 win, no matter what happens in g city or the capital in the future, you can only leave the business to our shi family for the next five years. you can¡¯t let any other family interfere, including the lin family..¡± Chapter 535 - Chapter 535: Agreement chapter 535: agreement translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios lu jun never expected that not only was this girl not flustered in the face of danger, but she could also ask for an exorbitant price at this time and take the initiative to propose conditions. he was stunned for a moment before his expression returned to calm. he said in a low voice, ¡°miss shi, you should know the unpredictable principle of life. i can¡¯t agree to it easily.¡± shi man looked back at him expressionlessly. ¡°everything depends on the person. as long as you want it, what can¡¯t be done? or are you so sure that your proud student will lose to me easily?¡± lu jun widened his eyes in surprise. to be honest, logically speaking, he did not think that shi man would beat chu yue, but for some reason, lu jun always had an inexplicable intuition. this intuition told him that he could not easily agree to her offer, because he might very well have to pay for his rash promise. however, even if he could still keep his composure, chu yue could not take it anymore. as early as when shi man dared to make such a request and bargained with lu jun, she had already disliked shi man more and more. she was so calm and composed. did she not take her seriously at all? ever since she was young, she had been sought after everywhere she went. no one had ever looked down on her like this! chu yue glared at her angrily. she could not care less about lu jun¡¯s intentions and agreed on his behalf. ¡°alright, as long as you can beat me, the shi family will be in charge of our orders for the next five years. but if you lose, not only will the shi family not have the chance to obtain this easy order, but you can¡¯t participate in the bidding in the future.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and said proudly, ¡°deal.¡± invisible smoke spread between them. the order of hundreds of millions was hurriedly finalized by the two of them. not only did lu jun frown, but even shi zhong, who had always put on a poker face, could not help but change his expression. he couldn¡¯t sit still anymore and stood up from the sofa. he looked at lu jun expressionlessly and said, ¡°leader, you must be tired from all the way here. why don¡¯t i get butler qi to bring you to rest and take a look at your rooms first? as for the competition, you have to consider it carefully.¡± in shi zhong¡¯s opinion, this competition was simply nonsense. without this incident, he was determined to get this year¡¯s order. however, if it was really as the two of them had said just now, their family would forever miss the cooperation with the army and become the joke of the entire g city once shi man lost. at that time, not only would he offend the leader, but he would also be suppressed by the lin family. the future of the shi family would probably be worrying. he did not think that shi man could deal with the instructor of the capital with her skills! however, in chu yue¡¯s opinion, shi zhong¡¯s words were no different from admitting defeat. she looked even more smug, and the disdain in her eyes was not concealed at all. ¡°miss shi, you agreed so readily. so you¡¯re relying on the fact that your father would always back you up? miss shi made it very clear just now. if you want to admit defeat, don¡¯t blame us for leaving.¡± ¡°but¡­¡± shi zhong was angry, but he tried his best to smooth things over on the surface. ¡°chief lu, i think we should forget about this competition. my daughter has never practiced martial arts, so this competition is meaningless. why don¡¯t we eat first and sit down to chat?¡± no one responded to shi zhong. lu jun stared at chu yue¡¯s back with a dark expression. his concerns were the opposite of shi zhong¡¯s. the reason why he had not said anything until now was to figure out what the uneasiness in his heart was. but now that things had come to this, things would probably develop in a worse direction if he didn¡¯t speak. chu yue was impatient and irritable. if he did not let her have her way this time, the matter would probably not be resolved. silence gradually spread in the living room. everyone¡¯s hearts were in their throats, waiting for an answer. lu jun sighed deeply and slowly stood up with his walking stick. he walked to the two of them and stared at shi man with a deep gaze. ¡°little girl, i can agree to what you just said, but correspondingly, you have to keep your promise and not try a cheap shot behind our backs.¡± his last sentence meant something. shi zhong clenched his fists anxiously. just as he was about to persuade him again, lu jun beat him to it and said, ¡°then let¡¯s go to your courtyard. when i came, it looked very spacious. you can apply your skills there.¡± ¡°teacher, you¡¯re so considerate.¡± chu yue smiled smugly and took the lead to walk out. shi zhong glared at shi man in anger at her willfulness. however, at this point, he was helpless to change anything. he could only snort coldly and turn to leave behind the army. the reason why the shi family took the risk to snatch the business from the lin family this time was actually to avenge shi he. however, all of this was clearly nothing compared to shi man¡¯s safety. the brothers of the shi family regretted not protecting their sister well. shi mu hugged shi man¡¯s shoulder and looked determined to carry everything for her. ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll beat her up later! at most, you¡¯ll be beaten up.. it¡¯s not embarrassing!¡± Chapter 536 - Chapter 536: The Thrown Competition chapter 536: the thrown competition translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°no need.¡± shi man always felt helpless when facing shi mu. he was the most unstable of her brothers, but he had always been considerate of her. shi mu was still worried and wanted to persuade his sister to let him replace her. however, shi ke held his shoulder and stopped him. ¡°this matter can¡¯t be resolved by you fighting for your sister. calm down and stop fooling around.¡± shi mu was instantly furious. what he hated the most was that his brothers always treated him like a child and did not seem to take him seriously. at this moment, this emotion completely erupted. he couldn¡¯t help but roar at him, ¡°you¡¯re always so capable. you¡¯re calm enough and can do everything well. then why don¡¯t you come up with an idea now!¡± his voice was so loud that lu jun, who had walked outside, heard him. the few of them turned around in surprise and happened to see the brothers arguing. lu jun couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°people outside say that the shi family is the most amiable. now, it seems that the rumors are indeed not true.¡± after being mocked time after time, the smile on shi zhong¡¯s face was about to disappear. he turned around and glared at his sons. after giving shi ke a look, he pulled a long face and invited lu jun and the others to sit in the pavilion. butler qi hurriedly brought the tea over. shen xian could not sit still, but she did not want to make a fool of herself. she could only be in an uncomfortable situation and be on tenterhooks. shi man quickly walked out surrounded by her brothers. the other two brothers could still hide their anger without batting an eyelid, but shi mu did not hide it at all. he glared at chu yue as if she was his enemy. he wished he could chase her out of the shi family¡¯s manor immediately and not let her in again. however, he could only think about it in his heart. no matter how angry he was, he did not dare to be rash with shi zhong suppressing him. chu yue had already stood in the empty space in front of the pavilion. the mocking smile on her face provoked shi mu so much that he almost couldn¡¯t take it anymore. shi man reached out to stop him and pushed shi mu. ¡°brother, go and sit with mother. just protect her.¡± she was worried that chu yue would go crazy after losing and attack randomly again. shi mu¡¯s eyes were red, and his arms were trembling from anger. however, he could only be pulled away by his other two brothers. he looked back at his sister, who had become alone, with every step, and his heart ached. their shi family¡¯s precious treasure was actually bullied like this. no matter what, he could not let his sister be injured later. at most, they would not have the business this time. they would fall out with these people and chase them back to the capital! after making up his mind, shi mu broke free from his two brothers¡¯ arms and stood outside the pavilion, unwilling to enter, in case anything happened to his sister later. the other two thought so too. the three of them stood side by side in front, like an indestructible city wall. lu jun looked at the three of them approvingly. in the end, his gaze landed on shi man, who was standing straight in the empty space and not panicking at all. as her opponent, chu yue naturally sensed her nonchalance, which was why she was even more jealous. her mentality and courage were far from what chu yue could achieve. however, when she thought about how she might be bluffing, chu yue felt better for some reason. the smile on her lips deepened, and she said faintly, ¡°when you¡¯re beaten up later, don¡¯t cry and call for your brothers!¡± shi man sneered and mocked without hesitation, ¡°didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t have the time to talk?¡± chu yue¡¯s eyes turned cold. she raised her fist and swung it. shen xian¡¯s heart was instantly in her throat. she hurriedly stood up to take a look, but in the next second, she saw that chu yue¡¯s slender arm was held firmly by shi man. shi man turned her wrist slightly, and chu yue immediately frowned in pain. however, she had been in the army all year round, so she was naturally not stumped by this pain. she quickly turned her body and removed the force from shi man¡¯s hand. after pulling away slightly, she rushed up again. shi man stood in her original position calmly. she would only defend when she was attacked, but every time she attacked, she hit the vital points, making chu yue¡¯s seemingly dense attacks useless. it was noon, and chu yue was covered in sweat. the long hair on her forehead was completely drenched in sweat. however, shi man still stood there coldly, like a statue that kept emitting cold air. however, this statue was agile, so chu yue could not even touch the corner of her clothes. no one present expected such an outcome. especially shi mu, who was worried about his sister at first. now, he wished that his sister could quickly defeat this woman so that they could go home for dinner. lu jun¡¯s calm expression could not help but fall. he stared fixedly at shi man¡¯s every seemingly simple action and could not help but frown and shake his head. there was no need to continue this competition. chu yue was destined to lose. she was no match for shi man.. Chapter 537 - Chapter 537: Suppression chapter 537: suppression translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the empty space, shi man raised her hand and gently hooked her finger at the panting chu yue. ¡°continue.¡± chu yue was already sweating profusely. she had a constitution that made it easy for her to sweat, but only she knew in her heart that the reason why she was sweating so much was not because of the intense exercise at noon, but because she realized that she could not do anything to shi man. shi man seemed to have been passively enduring her attacks, but she had been at ease. it was just like when lu jun trained her back then. he smiled as she watched this child fool around. even if she used her fists and feet, lu jun would still not let her hurt him at all. but how was this possible? the reason why lu jun could become the current commander was that his skills were outstanding in the country. in the early years, he had never met his match in the army. even his instructors were not his match back then. but how could shi man be so powerful? chu yue could not help but think further. if shi man had such methods, the family would definitely not be as simple as it looked! she glanced coldly in shi zhong¡¯s direction and suddenly pulled out the dagger hanging on her waist. she actually used the dagger. shi zhong frowned and said coldly to pressure lu jun, ¡°chief lu, should we really stop at nothing? i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate to use a dagger again, right?¡± lu jun also knew that chu yue must be at her wits¡¯ end to make such a rash decision. however, in his heart, he really wanted to see how shi man would deal with it. he decided to be thick-skinned and say, ¡°shi zhong, my student has always been very sensible. just watch in peace.¡± shen xian suddenly turned her head and glared at the old man beside her. the scene of the knife flying towards her was still vivid in her mind. this old man did not take the shi family seriously at all! shen xian quietly clenched the corner of the table, and her gaze suddenly became sharp. she had always been obedient and did not get into conflicts with others. however, this did not mean that she did not have the strength to resist and would let others step on her head. chu yue brandished her dagger and rushed in front of shi man. just as she was about to stab her throat, shi man remained motionless. chu yue did not believe that she could do it with ease at such a close distance. she did not hide the mockery in her eyes. ¡°what? are you scared silly? have you forgotten how to dodge?¡± ¡°do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± shi man¡¯s cold voice answered her. chu yue felt her vision suddenly blur. the person standing in front of her disappeared in an instant. she stood rooted to the ground in a daze, but in the next second, she felt a pain in her wrist and subconsciously let go of the dagger. right on the heels of that, a sharp blade appeared in front of her neck. ¡°checkmate.¡± shi man¡¯s playful voice sounded in her ear. behind her, the fragrance unique to a young girl assaulted her. chu yue was shocked. she did not expect to be suppressed by shi man, but her title as a demonic instructor was not unearned. she would not admit defeat so easily! she quickly reacted to shi man¡¯s movements just now. she bent her elbow and struck behind her, risking the consequences of being stabbed to injure shi man. however, she never expected shi man to be able to see through her unexpected actions so easily. her every move seemed be done in slow-motion in shi man¡¯s eyes. in shi man¡¯s opinion, chu yue was even weaker than yi zheng, let alone be her opponent. the moment shi man struck her elbow, she flashed in front of her, but the dagger was only a millimeter away from chu yue¡¯s neck. if shi man¡¯s hand had been unstable just now, chu yue would have bled. the situation was turned around by shi man. other than being shocked, the shi family felt very happy! chu yue, who was originally arrogant, had her aura completely extinguished. the jealousy in her chest burned even stronger. she could not help but be jealous of the talent of the girl in front of her. she could not help but think that if shi man was born in the capital, the title of the top female instructor would not have landed on her at all. jealousy and resentment instantly burned away her rationality, so much so that chu yue made a decision that she would regret later. as if she had gone crazy, she placed her right hand behind her back. before anyone could react, she suddenly pulled out the pistol on her waist and shot shi man. the distance between chu yue and shi man was very close just now. it was so close that shi man would definitely be killed by this bullet. this time, even lu jun could not sit still. when chu yue attacked just now, he knew that shi man had a way to deal with her, so he did not stop her. but now, chu yue was using a gun! if shi man was injured by her under such circumstances, even he would not be able to protect her! ¡°stop!¡± lu jun and the man beside him said at the same time, but unfortunately, it was already too late. chu yue had already pulled the trigger and fired the bullet.. Chapter 538 - Chapter 538: Accepting a Disciple chapter 538: accepting a disciple translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the moment the gunshot sounded, she suddenly came back to her senses and realized what she had just done! but it was too late to regret now. the speed of the bullet was clearly incomparable to a dagger. even if shi man moved too quickly, she would probably not be able to retreat in time. however, to everyone¡¯s surprise, shi man was actually faster than her. as soon as she reached behind her, shi man noticed her actions. she staggered slightly and was prepared to dodge at any time. the moment she took out her pistol, shi man had already turned her body to avoid the trajectory. she threw away the dagger and arrived in front of chu yue in the blink of an eye. shi man raised her hand and grabbed chu yue¡¯s fingers holding the gun. she exerted a little strength and dislocated her wrist. after snatching her pistol, shi man skillfully removed the cartridge inside and threw the pistol in front of lu jun. she turned around and glared at him coldly. ¡°this is the good student that chief lu taught? it¡¯s really an eye-opener for me!¡± everything happened in a flash. even lu jun could not react in time. if not for the man who claimed to be chu yue¡¯s brother pushing lu jun, the high and mighty chief lu would have been smashed. the murderous aura in shi man¡¯s eyes turned into disdain the moment she looked at chu yue. ¡°are you still going to fight?¡± she asked it casually, but chu yue was shocked! what was going on with shi man?! at such a close distance just now, even she would probably die. however, this young girl could actually resolve the crisis in an instant and even deftly dismantle her pistol. chu yue lowered her head slightly and saw the bullets scattered all over the ground under her feet. she could no longer hide her shock and surprise. lu jun pushed shi mu away in shock. he stared at shi man in disbelief and sized her up. in the end, his gaze landed on the scattered bullets. he could not hide his surprise. ¡°you know how to use a gun? who did you learn it from?¡± after saying that, he subconsciously looked at shi zhong, who was following him closely. he instantly shook his head and decisively eliminated this possibility. shi man calmly accepted their scrutinizing gazes and asked, ¡°can¡¯t 1 self-study?¡± ¡°how is this possible?¡± lu jun thought of something and waved behind him. chu yue bit her lower lip indignantly. no matter how unwilling she was, she realized that she had done something wrong and did not dare to go against his wishes. she turned around and returned to the pavilion. she picked up the pistol and placed it in his hand. lu jun handed the gun to shi man and pointed at the removed cartridge. ¡°you, put it back.¡± as if afraid that shi man would not listen to him, he specially emphasized, ¡°this is a military firearm. install it back.¡± shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste time with him under the sun, so she didn¡¯t hide her strength anymore. her movements were so clean that there was no unnecessary movement as she reattached the gun perfectly. the speed at which she assembled the pistol was even a few seconds faster than chu yue. apart from being pleasantly surprised, there was gradually a determined glint in his eyes. he had been arrogant all his life and had taken in countless students, but no one could satisfy him like shi man. even chu yue, who had already graduated, had to admit defeat in front of her. how could lu jun not be tempted! this was despite shi man being from the shi family and might be a strong enemy of her niece¡¯s family in the future! shi zhong could see the turmoil in lu jun¡¯s eyes and was worried that he was up to something. he was the first to darken his face and start to denounce him. ¡°chief lu, in that competition just now, my daughter was unarmed, but your student actually used a dagger and even shot my daughter. may i ask if her actions just now have already violated the rules of the army?¡± it was a violation of course. strictly speaking, if chu yue fired at an innocent citizen, it would be enough for her to be fired from her position as an instructor. however, as long as lu jun was willing to protect her, there was still room for negotiation. this matter happened in the shi family in g city, not in the capital. if lu jun wanted to hush things, it was not impossible. it just depended on whether he wanted to put down his pride to protect this student. but at that moment, lu jun¡¯s focus was clearly no longer on chu yue. he stared at shi man intently. his dry lips suddenly parted slightly as he asked a question that no one had expected. ¡°are you willing to go to the capital with me to participate in the army training?¡± shi zhong¡¯s heart sank. he did not expect lu jun to have such thoughts. shen xian couldn¡¯t bear for her daughter to go to the capital alone to undergo such arduous training. without thinking, she rejected him on behalf of shi man. ¡°chief lu, my daughter hasn¡¯t graduated from cassel academy. i¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll let you down.¡± chu yue was petrified at the side and did not come back to her senses for a long time.. it was only when her brother pushed her that she pursed her thin lips and mustered her courage to ask in a low voice, ¡°teacher, are you really going to take shi man in as your student?¡± Chapter 539 - Chapter 539: Desperate chapter 539: desperate translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when chu yue first entered the army, she became the goddess who attracted the attention of everyone with her results. back then, she joined the army and became lu jun¡¯s only female student. she had always been very hardworking and had never embarrassed lu jun. she carried out the same mission as a man with a woman¡¯s thin body and her results were not inferior at all. she had always enjoyed being the only woman in the limelight and basked in the pursuit of others. but now, everything was about to be destroyed by shi man. if shi man joined lu jun, her status would definitely plummet. to be honest, chu yue was most proud of her skills, which she had trained for many years, but she became vulnerable in front of shi man. she looked lu jun almost pleadingly, but lu jun only wanted to take shi man in as his last disciple and end his life of hard work. all the worried, surprised, and jealous gazes were focused on shi man. the breeze stirred up by the surroundings teased the taut string in everyone¡¯s hearts as they waited for her answer. however, shi man, who was at the center of attention, could not understand their feelings. she looked back at lu jun without changing her expression and handed the assembled pistol to him. she said coldly, ¡°no, thank you.¡± she rejected him very bluntly. even lu jun did not expect to meet such a girl one day. in the face of his invitation, she did not even blink and rejected him directly. lu jun had lived for more than half of his life, but this was the first time he had the mentality of thirsting for talent. he was not discouraged by the rejection and said persistently, ¡°i¡¯m the head of the national army. if you follow me, won¡¯t the shi family benefit from it?¡± shi man turned to look at shen xian. as expected, she saw the other party shaking her head at her worriedly. shi man couldn¡¯t help but smile and said smugly, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, chief lu. my family doesn¡¯t need this honor. they want me to live comfortably and happily.¡± lu jun¡¯s expression darkened when she rejected him in person again. however, he was not angry that shi man did not know what was good for her. he was just thinking about what conditions he should offer to make shi man follow him to the capital willingly. after thinking about it, an idea suddenly flashed through lu jun¡¯s mind. he couldn¡¯t wait to stop shi man, who was about to turn around and leave. he took the initiative to say, ¡°come back to the army with me. not to mention the next five years, 1¡¯11 prioritize your shi family for all such orders in the future.¡± this simple sentence settled a business worth hundreds of millions. not only were the shi family shocked, but even chu yue did not expect lu jun to do this to persuade shi man. just now, he was clearly unwilling to even agree to the five-year bet! a huge wave of sadness and grievance washed over her. chu yue gritted her teeth and wanted to stop him, but her brother suddenly grabbed her arm. shi man did not reject him directly this time. instead, she seriously considered his suggestion. she knew that this was the biggest concession lu jun could make. she sighed slightly; she would be lying if she said that she was not moved. however, when she thought about how yi zheng and the shi family would have to face the enemy hiding in the dark alone after she left, shi man could not be at ease. but if she refused again, it would make her look very rude. shi man softened her tone and said ambiguously, ¡°chief lu, after i think it through, i¡¯ll give you an answer personally.¡± ¡°good! that¡¯s great! you must seriously consider it!¡± lu jun was so happy that he could not close his mouth. now that he was in a better mood, he felt a little hungry. he turned around to look for shi zhong and saw his gloomy expression. only then did he remember that he still had something very important to deal with. he quickly waved his hand for chu yue to come over and pulled her to shi zhong. ¡°chu yue violated military discipline and fired a gun without permission. she¡¯ll be severely punished. write a thousand words of self-reflection and apologize to ceo shi quickly.¡± chu yue¡¯s face flushed red as she reluctantly admitted her mistake to shi zhong. however, there was no guilt in the meaning between the lines. lu jun had already given the shi family a lot of respect by doing this. shi zhong couldn¡¯t continue to pursue the matter. he could only soften his expression and say a few polite words before asking butler qi to go to the cafeteria to prepare. he accompanied lu jun into the cool villa. on the way, chu yue deliberately lagged behind. with a dark expression, she snorted coldly in shi man¡¯s ear. ¡°just wait and see. 1 was careless this time. 1 won¡¯t let you win next time.¡± shi man looked at her in confusion. before she could say anything, chu yue turned around and walked in. ¡°wait!¡± a smug male voice suddenly sounded from behind. chu yue turned around in confusion and saw her brothers from the shi family walking towards her aggressively. the leader had a sloppy smile on his face, looking especially dazzling under the dazzling sunlight. ¡°what do you want?¡± chu yue could not defeat shi man, but she did not think that she could not defeat these men.. Chapter 540 - Chapter 540: Arrest chapter 540: arrest translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi mu quickly took the opportunity to sneak to shi man¡¯s side and smiled proudly. ¡°thank you for the five-year order instructor chu sent. our shi family will definitely work harder.¡± chu yue was so angry that her face turned red, but she could not say a word. she could only snort coldly and turn around to follow lu jun. shi man glanced at him and said indifferently, ¡°aren¡¯t you hot?¡± only then did shi mu move his hand away from her shoulder. he coughed dryly and said, ¡°sister! that move of yours was too cool! can you teach me?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t teach you.¡± shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered with him and continued to walk forward expressionlessly. shi mu chased after her unwillingly and continued to beg aggrievedly, ¡°then how did you learn how to use a gun? you can tell me, right?¡± only then did shi man stop and look at him indifferently. under shi mu¡¯s increasingly expectant gaze, she slowly revealed, ¡°i trained with a toy gun. do you need a toy gun too?¡± he wanted to ask shi man what kind of toy gun could be so realistic, but shi man clearly did not want to talk to him anymore. she had already walked quickly into the villa while he was in a daze. compared to the hot weather outside, the villa was very cool. after butler qi carefully prepared a cup of hot tea for each of them, he respectfully invited them into the cafeteria. for the sake of the leader¡¯s visit, the shi family specially invited the top chef in the country to cook at home personally to satisfy lu jun. however, it was obvious that the famous chief lu¡¯s thoughts were not on these appetites at all. all he wanted was to make shi man his student so that he could retire in peace. he wanted shi man to inherit his position. however, in shi man¡¯s opinion, this title that was sought after by tens of thousands of people in the capital was not as practical as the food in front of her. what kind of person had she not assassinated in the past? many high-ranking officials had died in her mission. she was not interested in these positions, but she had to admit that the position of the chief could indeed allow her to enjoy a lot of convenience. the meal was filled with different thoughts. although the shi family had experienced many twists and turns in the day, the first day of receiving the leader was finally over. late at night, shen xian knocked on shi man¡¯s door alone. she knew that her daughter should not be asleep at this time, so she secretly ran over while everyone was resting. shi man invited her to sit on the sofa and poured her a cup of tea with a smile. ¡°mom, you want to ask me about the proposal from chief lu, right?¡± shen xian nodded and said, ¡°mom respects your decision.¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but laugh. she stood up and moved to shen xian¡¯s side again to sit down. she hugged her shoulder and said, ¡°mom, i¡¯m not leaving. i still have very important things to do in g city.¡± shen xian knew that to shi man, would definitely have a good future if she went with chief lu to the capital, but she did not want her daughter to suffer in the army. no matter how high her military rank was, she still had to rise to the occasion at the critical moment. moreover, lu jun could not retire for the time being. it was obvious that lu jun would definitely send her to do a few especially dangerous missions to convince her on her arrival to the army. shen xian did not know much about these matters, but she knew that the missions were definitely not something that ordinary people could complete easily. as a mother, how could she bear to let her daughter live such a life? however, what she did not know was that shi man was already in the center of danger. in order to find lin si faster, her hand was already stained with the blood of many people. it was rare for the mother and daughter to whisper warmly in the room. later on, shen xian felt sleepy and slept in shi man¡¯s room. they all thought that this business would be a sure bet, and that chief lu would return to the capital soon. unexpectedly, something unexpected happened the next morning. when butler qi went out in the morning, he habitually went to get the letters outside the door. however, when he saw the long line of police cars outside the door, he was completely shocked and hurriedly went back to look for shi zhong. when shi zhong heard him explain the situation, he forced himself to calm down and said, ¡°don¡¯t panic first. none of us committed a crime. the police might be here to visit chief lu.¡± butler qi also thought of this possibility on second thought. he quickly calmed down and recalled his panic just now. he immediately blushed shyly. ¡°ceo shi is right. look how i forgot! our family didn¡¯t break the law. why am i anxious!¡± however, although he said that, butler qi felt very flustered. chief zheng quickly walked in with the police officers lined up behind him. when he saw shi zhong, his expression became even uglier. ¡°i¡¯m here specially to look for shi man. can you ask her to come out.¡± ¡°looking for miss shi?¡± butler qi asked in surprise. after being glared at by chief zheng, he immediately retracted his probing gaze and hurriedly ran upstairs to call for help. lu jun, who had long heard the commotion, walked down the stairs accompanied by chu yue and her brother. he looked at the crowded police officers in the room expressionlessly and said, ¡°elder zheng, what do you mean by this?¡± after causing such a huge commotion, could there be dangerous criminals here? Chapter 541 - Chapter 541: Surveillance Monitor chapter 541: surveillance monitor translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios chief zheng and the army could be considered old acquaintances. when he saw lu jun, his expression softened. ¡°old lu, i¡¯m here for serious business this time. there are rules in the bureau, so it¡¯s not convenient to talk about it in detail. i¡¯ll treat you to a meal personally another day. let¡¯s go out for a gathering.¡± however, lu jun ignored him. he sat on the sofa with his walking stick and asked bluntly, ¡°what is it?¡± chief zheng was silent for a moment before asking the police officer behind him to guard outside. he looked up at shi zhong with his malicious eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°this morning, the bureau received a report letter with a usb flash drive recording a surveillance video.¡± ¡°what surveillance video?¡± lu jun¡¯s mind was heavy. he looked at chief zheng¡¯s serious expression and knew that this matter was probably not small. sure enough, the next second, chief zheng¡¯s words made everyone fall silent. he lit a cigarette and exhaled coldly. ¡°it¡¯s the surveillance video of shi man cutting off an arm and injuring someone continuously. at the beginning of the video, shi man even had a silver pistol.¡± when shi zhong heard this, he was the first to stand up and retort coldly, ¡°impossible! where did shi man get the gun? it¡¯s even more impossible for her to cut off someone¡¯s arm!¡± chief zheng sighed and said, ¡°1 don¡¯t want to believe that this was done by manman, but the technicians in the bureau have verified the surveillance video. it definitely hasn¡¯t been processed by any technology. the person in the video is shi man herself!¡± shi man heard everything from upstairs and couldn¡¯t help but recall the day she broke into the casino and interrogated brother liang. so there were surveillance cameras in that scum¡¯s office? she had been careless. beside her, shen xian gasped in shock. she hurriedly pulled shi man¡¯s arm and wanted to hide her behind her. however, chief zheng had already seen them with his sharp eyes. he immediately pulled a long face and slowly looked at shi man with a sinister gaze. ¡°there are some things that need miss shi¡¯s cooperation in the investigation. please come with us to the police station.¡± ¡°wait!¡± ¡°wait!¡± two different voices sounded at the same time. shen xian looked at lu jun, who had suddenly spoken, in disbelief. afraid that he would hate shi man because of what happened yesterday, she hurriedly stood in front of shi man and said, ¡°chief lu, chief zheng, i have to see the evidence before 1 can let you take manman away.¡± ¡°that¡¯s evidence. how can i show it to you casually?¡± chief zheng still felt guilty about what had happened last time, so he subconsciously softened his tone when he faced shen xian,l. however, lu jun, who thought that he would take the opportunity to cause trouble for the shi family, chose to stand on shi man¡¯s side this time and speak up for shen xian. ¡°old zheng, there are no outsiders here today. take out the video and let us take a look. if there¡¯s really a misunderstanding, we can let the girl explain it to you in person.¡± it was clear from his attitude that he wanted to minimize the matter. chief zheng looked at him strangely. it was difficult not to suspect that he had ulterior motives. he actually said that there were no outsiders here in the shi family just now? could it be that he treated this place as the lin family? chief zheng couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°i¡¯m afraid 1¡¯11 really have to take off my police uniform if i leak evidence to unrelated people.¡± his daughter¡¯s matter had yet to be settled. zheng xin had yet to come out of the police station safely. he really did not want to cause trouble here. however, lu jun was determined to see what shi man had done to make chief zheng mobilize so many people and even use his identity as the chief to oppress him. chief zheng couldn¡¯t dissuade a leader whose military rank was more than one level higher than his, so he could only give lu jun a standard military salute. then, he took out his phone and placed the video in front of everyone. lu jun was about to focus when a hand suddenly covered the screen. shi man looked at chief zheng expressionlessly and said, ¡°i¡¯ll go back with you.¡± chief zheng¡¯s mouth fell open in surprise. he did not expect that the person who was most cooperative with him was actually the person whom he had to arrest. when lu jun heard this, he was secretly anxious. he tried his best to give shi man a signal, but she ignored them all. shi man turned to look at chief zheng and said firmly, ¡°i¡¯ll go back with you.¡± ¡°then let¡¯s go.¡± chief zheng took out the handcuffs and was about to put them on shi man. chu yue, who had been watching the show from the side, stretched out her hand and stopped chief zheng¡¯s actions with a smile. ¡°chief, my teacher came to g city this time for an inspection mission. since my teacher said that he wants to see it, why don¡¯t you let him see it before taking her away?¡± ¡°i said you don¡¯t need to see it,¡± shi man retorted with a frown. her gloomy expression was like a ghost that had crawled out of hell. chu yue was shocked, but she could not help but show a look of joy on her face. she became even more determined. ¡°chief zheng, please cooperate with us and play the surveillance video immediately!¡± she wanted to see what it was that shi man was desperately trying to hide in front of her family! shi man¡¯s eyes were red. she glared at chu yue. there was another side of her that the shi family did not know about in the surveillance cameras. it was also the other side of her that she did not want shen xian to know! Chapter 542 - Chapter 542: Mother’s Embrace chapter 542: mother¡¯s embrace translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios however, chu yue did not intend to let her off just like that. the reason why lu jun insisted on looking at this surveillance video was to understand what had happened. he could take the opportunity to protect shi man in exchange for her entering the army with him. chief zheng¡¯s gaze lingered on chu yue and shi man. in the end, he pushed shi man¡¯s hand away and placed the surveillance video in front of everyone. ¡°you should take a look yourself. if you find anything suspicious, you can explain it in person.¡± in the scene, shi man was holding a silver pistol with a cold expression. after entering, her figure quickly flashed, and right on the heels of that, a well-built man knelt on the ground in pain. beside him was a severed arm, and there was a pool of scarlet blood at his feet. right on the heels of that, shi man stabbed another person¡¯s body. the other two trembled and said something. in the end, shi man turned around and left in satisfaction. the entire process took less than twenty minutes, but it left an indelible shadow in their hearts. in the surveillance cameras, shi man seemed to have become another person. she was cruel, violent, and ferocious. especially after every time she stabbed someone, she had to carefully wipe the blood on the silver dagger. the scene was terrifying, making one¡¯s back turn cold. even chu yue, who had been clamoring to see the video, could not help but turn pale with fear. it was not that her hands had never been stained with blood, but she had never seen anyone do these things with a smile. moreover, from shi man¡¯s methods, it was obvious that this was not the first time shi man had done such a thing! ¡°man, manman¡­¡± shen xian covered her mouth tightly to stop herself from screaming, but she was already extremely afraid! the girl¡¯s expression in the scene was extremely cold; it was exactly the same as shi man¡¯s. this person was really shi man herself¡­ shi zhong frowned and was so shocked that he could not speak for a long time. chief zheng had already seen it many times in the police station. now that he saw it again, he couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked again. he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°shi man, the police immediately started an investigation after receiving this video. the person whose arm you cut off just now is the boss of the underground casino. his name is brother liang, and he¡¯s also a famous drug dealer in the dark. how did you know them and find out where they are?¡± after zheng xin¡¯s incident, chief zheng had no choice but to be fully focused on drug trafficking. decades of police career told him that shi man must be inseparable from this matter. shi man slowly lowered her eyes. she, who had always been fearless, suddenly did not dare to look into shen xian¡¯s eyes. she only answered chief zheng¡¯s question expressionlessly, ¡°these people are drug traffickers. i was getting rid of evil for the people.¡± ¡°then how did you know about them?¡± chief zheng asked impatiently. he suddenly had a feeling that he might really be able to find out the truth about zheng xin¡¯s case through shi man! while he could not tell what role shi man had played in this, he hoped that shi man would remember her identity and not mix with the drug dealers. but even so, just this surveillance video was enough to convict shi man. shi man pursed her lips and stopped talking. the few people she had caught at the nightclub that day had only revealed brother liang¡¯s identity to her after her interrogation. now that they had successfully quit their drug addiction and returned to the right path, and had agreed to be used by her, she could not easily expose them again. thinking of this, shi man shook her head gently and refused to say another word. shen xian was extremely anxious at the side. she walked to her side with tears in her eyes, wanting to reach out and pull her precious daughter into her arms like usual. however, when she thought of the glaring blood in the surveillance cameras just now, her outstretched hand suddenly stopped in the air. shi man looked fixedly at her arm that had suddenly stopped and lowered her eyes in loneliness. half of her face was covered by the hair on her cheek. no one knew how sad she was. however, shen xian only hesitated for a moment. in the next second, shi man was pulled into a warm embrace. shen xian patted her head gently, her gentle voice comforting her fragility. ¡°be good. no matter what the truth is, you will always be mommy¡¯s baby. mommy will always believe that you won¡¯t do anything bad. the surveillance video just now must have only captured the tip of the iceberg. mommy believes that they must have done something overboard first.¡± shi man, who was suddenly hugged, widened her eyes in disbelief. there had never been a moment that made her want to cry, but shen xian¡¯s simple words easily touched her heart. shi man slowly raised her hand and hugged shen xian. a smile finally appeared on her lips. ¡°mom, thank you for believing me. fortunately, you¡¯re here.¡± lu jun kept looking over with a dark expression. just as shi man was about to confess, he suddenly weighed the walking stick in his hand and said without changing his expression, ¡°i asked shi man to go. this is a mission i secretly assigned to shi man to destroy the drug trafficking den..¡± Chapter 543 - Chapter 543: Bow chapter 543: bow translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios not to mention chief zheng, even the shi family was unwilling to believe this far-fetched reason. not to mention that shi man did not know lu jun at all, even if she did, it was impossible for him to send someone other than a member of the organization to carry out such a dangerous mission. however, he could still say it righteously, rendering chief zheng speechless. shen xian hesitated for a moment and immediately said firmly, ¡°yes, it¡¯s the mission chief lu secretly gave manman. 1¡­ i heard manman mention it before. otherwise, how would manman know where the criminal gang is!¡± ¡°you¡­¡± chief zheng held his forehead helplessly in his heart and shook his head in disapproval. ¡°madam shi, i think you should consider it carefully before saying this. the leaders of the city take this case especially seriously. everything you say has to be recorded.¡± shen xian¡¯s hesitant gaze drifted to shi man and met her bright eyes. she was about to continue nodding to confirm what she had just said when shi man suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly. shi man shook her head at her, indicating for her to take back what she had just said. although this matter was a little difficult, shi man did not want to owe lu jun a favor. it was impossible for lu jun to help her for no reason, especially when it was obvious that there was a problem with her identity. he suddenly spoke up and took all the blame on himself. it was nothing more than to force her to agree to be his student. at that time, she would probably not be able to stay in g city anymore. shen xian naturally knew the twists and turns in this matter, but when she thought that her daughter might be facing jail time, she still nodded resolutely. ¡°what 1 said just now is true. if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask chief lu.¡± how could bureau chief zheng dare to investigate lu jun? this gave him an even bigger headache. on the other hand, lu jun had a smug expression on his face. the chief, who had always been stable, actually revealed an old urchin¡¯s expression. chu yue felt that the smile in his eyes was too dazzling, but she could not refute him. this was because once she told the truth, she would be harming her teacher. then, even if shi man could not go to the capital, she would definitely not have a good ending when she returned. damn it, could she only watch helplessly as shi man went back with them and made her lose everything she had now? chief zheng was helpless now. he had mobilized so many people to arrest shi man. he thought that he could obtain some useful clues from shi man, but now that lu jun had made a scene, he could no longer investigate. chief zheng pulled a long face and glared at the smiling lu jun. he said coldly, ¡°leader, please fill in the procedures later. 1¡¯11 wait at the police station.¡± ¡°alright,¡± lu jun agreed with a smile. after watching chief zheng leave with a complicated expression, he turned back to shi man and smiled. ¡°girl, aren¡¯t you going back to the capital with me this time?¡± he had something on shi man now. with victory in hand, he could not help but feel smug. shi man looked up coldly and met his eyes, not giving him a good look. ¡°chief lu, you should know that with my strength, if i don¡¯t want to go, there are ten thousand ways to escape.¡± ¡°but the family you care about the most can¡¯t escape, can they?¡± as lu jun threatened her with her weakness, he was not afraid that she would play any more tricks. it had to be said that the lu jun¡¯s move was indeed brilliant. the last thing shi man could let go of was her family. but she couldn¡¯t leave. she had not caught lin si, who was hiding in the dark. if she left, shen xian would definitely be harmed again! she sighed deeply. for the first time in her life, she bowed her head to those who threatened her. ¡°i can go back to the army with you, but i have conditions.¡± when lu jun heard her first sentence, he could not hide the joy on his face. now that he was in a good mood, he immediately nodded and said, ¡°tell me about it.¡± ¡°i can go back with you, but not now. 1 still have something very important to do in g city. when i¡¯m done, i¡¯ll go to the capital to see you.¡± shi man stared at him deeply. this was the greatest concession she could make. however, when lu jun heard this condition, he frowned and said unhappily, ¡°then how long will it take you to finish? you can¡¯t make me wait for you for decades, right? then 1¡¯11 already be buried by then.¡± shi man sighed softly and said, ¡°1 don¡¯t know how long it will take. perhaps a year or two, or three to five years, but 1 will definitely go over.¡± ¡°no!¡± lu jun thought that she was stalling for time and immediately refused unhappily. did this little girl know what it meant to be his student? she was actually still making excuses! did she know how many people struggled to even see him? this time, shi man refused to take another step back. she stood in front of lu jun expressionlessly and refused to let go.. Chapter 544 - Chapter 544: Apologize chapter 544: apologize translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the living room fell into a dead silence. neither side was willing to give in. chu yue couldn¡¯t wait for her teacher to be so angry at shi man and be completely disappointed in her. she deliberately broke the silence and provoked, ¡°shi man, with my teacher¡¯s current status, he can have any student he wants. who do you think you are? my teacher helped you so much today. if you still don¡¯t know better, 1¡¯11 let you go to prison for a few years!¡± shi man frowned. the anger of being threatened lingered in her heart again. she looked up at chu yue and said, ¡°this is between me and your teacher. how can you interrupt?¡± ¡°you!¡± chu yue¡¯s eyes turned red from embarrassment. her voice instantly became sharp and ear-piercing. ¡°shi man! you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you! to think that my teacher valued you so much. in the end, you¡¯re a heartless wolf who doesn¡¯t know how to repay him!¡± she was slapping everyone in the shi family in the face by scolding shi man in public. shi zhong stood up with an ugly expression and stood in front of shi man and shen xian. ¡°instructor chu, please watch your words. i¡¯m shi man¡¯s father. 1 know her best. if you don¡¯t take back what you just said, there¡¯s no need for us to continue talking!¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, then so be it. if you have the ability, then you can give up the business!¡± chu yue sized shi zhong up disdainfully. from the beginning to the end, she had never looked him in the eye. it was obvious that she looked down on him as a businessman who was good at scheming. shang did not become enemies with the officials, but if the officials went overboard, shang did not have to tolerate it anymore. the men from the shi family were provoked to stand up. shi ke¡¯s cold eyes landed on chu yue, enough to make her shiver for no reason. ¡°instructor chu, since you¡¯ve already said that, our cooperation will end here. however, i hope you can understand that the shi family has the ability to force you to do business with us. naturally, we have the ability to make you feel uncomfortable after you go back.¡± shi ke¡¯s words were full of threat. only then did chu yue remember that before she came with her teacher, her teacher¡¯s expression was dark and ugly. wasn¡¯t it because the higher-ups changed their minds at the last minute that her teacher had no choice but to give up on his niece¡¯s family and change his path to the shi family? if she really analyzed the situation, the person behind the shi family was far stronger than her teacher! when she understood this, chu yue was so shocked that her pupils shrank. but since things had come to this, wouldn¡¯t it destroy her momentum if she retreated at the last minute? would it be a slap to her face? chu yue made up her mind and confronted him coldly and fearlessly. ¡°young master shi, you have to understand that my teacher is the chief. if you offend him, do you think that even if you have someone behind you, you can protect your family?¡± the two sides faced each other in the living room. the thick smell of gunpowder only needed a spark to ignite. unexpectedly, lu jun was the first to break the silence. he leaned on his walking stick. although he was talking to chu yue, his sharp hawk-like eyes were fixed on shi man. ¡°apologize to miss shi!¡± chu yue¡¯s mouth fell open in shock. this was the first time her teacher had spoken to her sternly! in the past, even if she messed up a mission, he had never reprimanded her like this! chu yue immediately felt aggrieved. she bit her lower lip and refused to let go. her eyes were red with humiliation as she glared at shi man. if looks could kill, shi man would have been cut into pieces by her gaze. ¡°apologize!¡± lu jun tapped his walking stick again, his voice even more dignified and loud than before. chu yue¡¯s heart ached as she let go of her lower lip that had been bitten until it bled. she frowned and endured the sourness in her nose. ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°louder!¡± lu jun was staring at shi man from the beginning to the end. an invisible pressure enveloped her, trying to force her to compromise. shi man understood that on the surface, the army was deterring chu yue, but in fact, the person he wanted to intimidate was her. chu yue almost cried from his roar. she hurriedly forced back her tears and lowered her eyes. she made up her mind and clenched her fists as she shouted, ¡°miss shi, i¡¯m sorry!¡± only then did lu jun¡¯s expression ease up in satisfaction. he looked at shi man with a smile. ¡°miss shi, it¡¯s your turn.¡± shi man frowned tightly. lu jun was setting her up so that she and chu yue were completely on opposite sides. he wanted to tell her that what chu yue said just now had nothing to do with him, but if she still refused to return to the capital with him, then with this humiliation, chu yue would definitely not let her off in the future. he wanted shi man to understand that only he could protect her! shi man closed her eyes and suddenly relaxed her clenched fists. she heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°chief lu, i¡¯ll tell you the truth. the main reason i can¡¯t agree to go to the capital to join the army with you now is that 1 can¡¯t leave my mother in g city. i have to be by her side at all times to protect her.¡± lu jun frowned deeply and looked at shen xian. shi zhong calmly took a step to the side and shielded shen xian behind him. he said with a solemn expression, ¡°this matter is not trivial. we need time to discuss it..¡± Chapter 545 - Chapter 545: Decision chapter 545: decision translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°alright.¡± lu jun did not press on. he left the shi family with his two students and went to the city to inspect the reconstruction situation after the disaster. the shi family was only left with their own people. shi mu could finally scold lu jun as he pleased. thinking of the surveillance camera footage of shi man, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°sister, that matter¡­ why did you do it?¡± his question was also what the others in the shi family wanted to ask. although shi man had changed a lot in their eyes, she would not do such a cruel and bloody thing. she was completely different from the shi man they knew. shi zhong stared at her with a dark expression, waiting for her to give them an explanation. shi man took a deep breath, her expression cold and indifferent. ¡°father, mother, brothers, those people trafficked drugs and harmed g city. i just want to teach them a lesson.¡± her answer was clearly not enough to satisfy them, but that was all shi man could say. shi zhong pondered for a moment and watched as his anger surged. shi ke quickly changed the topic for her. ¡°dad, the most important thing now is if sister wants to go to the capital with lu jun.¡± shi mu also realized that he shouldn¡¯t have asked this question in front of his father just now. he immediately echoed shi ke¡¯s words. ¡°big brother is right, dad. manman can¡¯t go with him! is the army a place for girls?¡± ¡°then what do you think we should do now?¡± shi zhong rolled his eyes at them. now, he had something on shi man. even if shi zhong used all his connections, he was only a businessman after all. there was still a limit to what he could do. shi ke frowned and suggested, ¡°why don¡¯t we send manman overseas? when she¡¯s overseas, lu jun won¡¯t hold on to this matter anymore. after lu jun retires in a few years, we¡¯ll let manman come back.¡± this was a good idea, but¡­ shi man rejected coldly, ¡±1 can¡¯t leave.¡± shi zhong glared at her angrily. ¡°this won¡¯t do, and that won¡¯t do! what exactly do you want!¡± shen xian was still immersed in her daughter¡¯s words about not leaving her in g city. now that shi zhong shouted at her, she was so frightened that she immediately came back to her senses. she trembled and grabbed shi man¡¯s arm. ¡°my good daughter, i know your feelings, but this is not a small matter. we can¡¯t be willful. be obedient.¡± ¡°mom, 1 really can¡¯t leave you alone.¡± shi man¡¯s serious eyes made shen xian¡¯s heart tremble. only then did she realize her daughter¡¯s determination, and her eyes quickly filled with tears. she nodded solemnly at her daughter. when she looked at shi zhong again, her eyes were filled with determination. ¡°hubby, 1 can¡¯t let manman leave her hometown alone. no matter where she goes, i have to follow her.¡± ¡°honey, you¡­¡± shi zhong was helpless against shen xian. he had always been a strict father in front of the children, but only in front of shen xian, he would always be a gentle and considerate husband. he had always been obedient to shen xian. when he heard her say this, he could only sigh deeply and nod in compromise. ¡°alright, since you¡¯ve said so, wifey, how can our family be separated like this? 1¡¯11 leave with you!¡± shi ke smiled. he knew that no matter how bad his father¡¯s temper was, it could be appeased in front of his mother. he heaved a sigh of relief and finally smiled. ¡°in that case, let manman decide where she wants to go. we will take care of the business in g city carefully.¡± shi man looked at her family, whom she had only interacted with for less than a year, and an unfamiliar emotion suddenly spread in her chest. so this was the warmth that family brought. shi man smiled foolishly and lowered her red eyes. she shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°if mom is willing, let¡¯s go to the capital. in short, 1 won¡¯t go overseas. i can¡¯t leave too far away for the time being.¡± shi zhong and shen xian looked at each other. although they did not understand what important things shi man had to do, they still chose to shut up and support her silently. for the first time, shi man felt that having such family members who loved each other was a blessing. if it were in the past, she would definitely be willing to live alone without any worries. shi man¡¯s decision naturally made lu jun overjoyed. he had just specially gone to patrol the event location of the city under shi man¡¯s jurisdiction. seeing the orderly construction site, lu jun knew that this city would wake up soon. shi man was indeed a rare talent. in order to hold this talent firmly in his hand, lu jun could not even care about what she had done in the past! since the matter had been settled, shi man had to tell yi zheng that she was leaving g city. in the evening, when yi zheng came to the shi family to meet shi man with full sincerity, lu jun had already called her manman.. Chapter 546 - Chapter 546: Let’s Go Together chapter 546: let¡¯s go together translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng frowned and looked at him with an unfriendly expression. he was not too polite. ¡°chief lu, you¡¯ve gained a lot this time. i¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve even forgotten about your niece.¡± when he said this, his eyes raised slightly, and his thin jawline tightened, making him look even more upright and handsome. chu yue could not help but be stunned. this man¡¯s face was completely in her aesthetic sense! what right did shi man have to have such a handsome and capable fiance? lu jun looked coldly at the young man in front of him, as if he did not admire him much. he sneered and said, ¡°you¡¯re manman¡¯s fiance? manman has already agreed to work with me back in the capital. i¡¯m afraid your engagement can¡¯t be fulfilled.¡± yi zheng wouldn¡¯t give him a good look. he turned to look at shi man. ¡°i¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± shi man did not expect yi zheng to make such a decision. the shi family also had a company in the capital, and the business in g city could be handed over to shi ke. however, yi zheng was different. the burden of the yi family was still on him, not to mention that he had to protect lu xiang. yi zheng smiled and dispelled her worries. ¡°don¡¯t worry. my father is still in g city. we¡¯ve already discussed it. coincidentally, someone has to take over the yi family¡¯s company in the capital. i¡¯ll go.¡± shi man was stunned on the spot. she did not expect yi zheng to do this for her. ¡°but¡­¡± she lowered her voice and took a step closer to him. she rubbed his ear and whispered, ¡°if you leave, i¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be safe for dad and mom to stay in g city.¡± yi zheng leaned closer to her with a serious expression, but he could not hide the smile on his lips. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ve already made the stakes clear to them. 1¡¯11 also leave some of my men behind to ensure their safety. they can protect themselves.¡± in the end, yi long and lu xiang were not shi zhong and shen xian. they knew far more than shi man¡¯s parents. over the years, they had many enemies, but they could all avert danger in the end. yi zheng was actually not too worried that these two would not protect themselves well. he was worried about shi man going to an unfamiliar city alone and starting from scratch. shi man sighed. of course, she knew that this decision was not easy for the yi family. she couldn¡¯t help but feel a warm feeling in her heart. she shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°alright, since you¡¯ve already decided, i won¡¯t say anything else. after all, i don¡¯t want to be separated from you.¡± yi zheng¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at shi man in surprise and joy. he did not recover for a long time. the two of them had been together for so long, but this was the first time he had heard shi man say such cheesy words to him. in the past, he was the one who said it, and she was only responsible for listening. however, now that yi zheng suddenly heard shi man say that she did not want to separate, his heart immediately surged violently. chu yue watched the two of them being intimate as if no one was around. she was so jealous that her eyes turned red. she gritted her teeth and mocked, ¡°miss shi, shouldn¡¯t you pay attention to the occasion now? the teacher is still around. you¡¯re already the teacher¡¯s student. you have to take the teacher seriously at all times.¡± shi man turned to look at her. not only did she not pull away from yi zheng, but she also placed her head on his broad chest and smiled provocatively. ¡°this is my fiance. i can do whatever i want. can¡¯t you stand it? then you don¡¯t have to look.¡± ¡°you!¡± chu yue stomped her feet at her hatefully. she could not help but be jealous of her good life. why could this woman not only be born into the richest family and have such a good native family, but now she also had a fiance that everyone was envious of? it was as if she had taken all the good things in the world! the more chu yue thought about it, the angrier she became. seeing that they were about to quarrel again, lu jun raised his hand in frustration to interrupt her anger. ¡°alright, chu yue, you¡¯ve been too rash these past few days. how can you still maintain the calmness that an instructor usually needs to maintain? do you want me to punish you?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± chu yue shut her mouth in defeat. now that even the teacher was speaking up for shi man, she was helpless. however, she did not believe that she could not find an opportunity to deal with shi man! when shi man returned to the capital with them, she would be in her territory! shi man only glanced at her and knew what she was thinking, but she did not care. with such a person who was desperately looking for fun for her, it would not be too boring to go to the capital. before leaving, shi man still had instructions for sean and the others. she and yi zheng felt that lin si¡¯s first target of revenge was actually yi zheng himself. lin si¡¯s hatred for the others was clearly not as strong as his hatred for yi zheng. therefore, once the two of them switched cities, lin si might very well follow. sean did not say anything after hearing this. he wanted to bring his brothers to the capital with shi man. in order to catch lin si with his own hands, he would not hesitate even if he was asked to go up the mountain.. Chapter 547 - Chapter 547: Cry chapter 547: cry translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the matter of going to the capital had been decided. next, the shi family and the yi family had to hand over their work. it was unknown if the lin family had heard some news, but they rushed back after leaving g city for two days. they called lu jun one after another, insisting that he come to their house for a gathering. lu jun also missed his niece and granddaughter very much. after instructing shi man, he moved to the lin family with his disciples. mr. lin stood at the door with his wife and daughter for a long time before he finally saw lu jun¡¯s car drive over from afar. mother lin nudged her daughter beside her, indicating that she should explain everything she wanted to say later. lin yue nodded silently and followed her parents to welcome them. as soon as lu jun got out of the car, he hurriedly ran toward his niece. mother lin had not seen her family for a long time and was so happy that her eyes turned red. ¡°why didn¡¯t you wait for me this time? i wanted to have a good gathering with you, but you actually went on a trip?¡± lu jun patted mother lin¡¯s back reproachfully and smiled. ¡°where did my niece go to play this time?¡± mr. lin explained on his wife¡¯s behalf with a smile, ¡°uncle, we were forced to leave g city this time. we heard that you were about to leave, so we were worried, so we rushed back.¡± ¡°forced?¡± lu jun frowned and looked at him deeply. ¡°this is not the place to talk. let¡¯s go in first.¡± chu yue ran to lin yue¡¯s side excitedly and held her hand with a smile. in the past, she often accompanied her teacher to g city to visit lin yue and her family. the two girls hit it off very well. they had been good friends for many years, but they were separated physically in two places. now that they could finally meet again, of course, they had a lot to talk about. however, lin yue had her own goal this time. she couldn¡¯t just focus on catching up with chu yue, so she didn¡¯t bring her back to her room to play like before. at this moment, everyone was sitting in the living room, and the atmosphere was a little solemn. lu jun was not a fool. he could guess the reason why the lin family was acting so abnormally this time. he took a sip of tea and put down the teacup. ¡°tell me, what exactly happened?¡± mr. lin gave lin yue a look. the latter immediately understood and quickly let go of chu yue¡¯s hand. she walked to lu jun¡¯s side and wrapped her arms around his with an aggrieved expression. ¡°granduncle, it¡¯s not that mom and 1 don¡¯t want to reunite with you this time. it¡¯s just that the shi family has gone overboard. we don¡¯t have the face to stay in g city, but granduncle is leaving. how can we be at ease if we don¡¯t come back to meet him?¡± ¡°i know all this.¡± lu jun sighed softly. seeing her red eyes, he immediately patted her hand and said, ¡°we¡¯re family. don¡¯t hesitate. why did you come back at this time?¡± lin yue paused and lowered her head to steal a glance at her mother. lu jun looked at mother lin and then at lin yue. he suddenly laughed and shook his head helplessly. ¡°don¡¯t think that i really don¡¯t know anything. didn¡¯t you specially rush back this time because 1 wanted to bring shi man to the capital?¡± seeing that granduncle had brought this up himself, lin yue didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. she nodded solemnly and said, ¡°i¡¯m afraid granduncle doesn¡¯t know yet, right? i just broke up with the third young master of the shi family. in order to force me to get back together, the third young master actually threatened to jump off a building. the shi family hates me to death now. just two days ago, shi man even personally went to my office and interrogated me about why i wanted to harm her brother.¡± ¡°uncle, i¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know about yue¡¯er. at this moment, the family has really become enemies with us!¡± since she had already spoken, mother lin might as well say everything she wanted to say. originally, lin yue deliberately induced shi he to commit suicide and turned it into shi he threatening lin yue to reconcile. shi man and shi ke only took out the evidence for her to explain, but she said that she was declaring war on the lin family. it was as if the shi family had already treated the lin family as their mortal enemy. lu jun listened to the whole story quietly and nodded. ¡°in that case, i really can¡¯t bring shi man back to the army. otherwise, when she gains power one day, i¡¯m afraid the first thing she will do is deal with you.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± when mother lin heard lu jun¡¯s words, she immediately felt confident and quickly added fuel to the fire. ¡°shi man is far from being as simple as she looks! moreover, she had the yi family behind her. old lin and 1 are already trembling in g city. uncle, if you still value shi man, how can we continue to live in g city!¡± as she spoke, mother lin actually lowered her head and wiped her tears. even lin yue¡¯s eyes were filled with pain. it was impossible for them to let shi man enter the capital. although she was still suppressed by lu jun, shi man would definitely hold a high position once lu jun retired. at that time, there would be no place for them. they left this time to avoid arousing suspicion so that the mastermind could attack shi man.. they did not want to see her rise step by step and step on their heads! Chapter 548 - Chapter 548: Conspiracy chapter 548: conspiracy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios chu yue listened from the side, and the corners of her lips could not help but curl up. she had the same thoughts as the lin family and did not want shi man to enter the capital successfully. now that they were taking the lead, she naturally could not be indifferent. she pretended to feel sorry for lin yue and walked to her side. when she looked at lu jun, her expression was filled with hatred. ¡°teacher, we can¡¯t let a person like shi man enter the army! otherwise, won¡¯t our regular army become foul? the shi family is not good people. otherwise, you would have been able to reunite with yue¡¯er and her family long ago!¡± her words hit the sore spot of lu jun. when lu jun was young, he did not care about family reunions. he only wanted to go out and carve out a career. however, when he was really old, he wanted to return to his roots and gather with his family to enjoy the joy of family. therefore, even though mother lin and lin yue were separated from him all year round, lu jun had always been concerned about the two of them. however, he was busy with work and never had the time to come to g city to take a look. he could only use his annual patrol work to come to g city for a business trip and stay with the lin family. this was also the reason why all the businessmen in g city were willing to think highly of the lin family. it was also the rule that they had been silently following. no one had ever dared to snatch this business from the lin family, but now, the shi family had really done it. most importantly, they were very successful. this made the lin family very embarrassed. before lu jun came, he deliberately delayed the flight and made the shi family wait outside the airport. he more or less wanted to vent his anger. however, no one expected lu jun to value shi man so much. they didn¡¯t know what kind of bewitching drug this wretched girl from the shi family had drugged lu jun with! mother lin gritted her teeth as she thought about this. she tried her best to throw herself beside her uncle and cry. she cried that her daughter had been dumped and now she had to bear the infamy. of course, lu jun¡¯s heart ached for lin yue, but he was not blind. he could tell that shi man was neither good nor evil. she did not seem like someone who could do such a thing. however, he had no choice but to believe his niece and granddaughter. after thinking about it, lu jun could only sigh softly and decide to persuade the two of them who were crying. ¡°don¡¯t cry first. i¡¯ll send someone to investigate this matter in detail. if the shi family really did something wrong to you, i won¡¯t let them off.¡± mother lin¡¯s eyes lit up with a trace of ecstasy. however, before she could be happy enough, what lu jun said next shocked her. lu jun thought about it and still couldn¡¯t bear to part with shi man¡¯s talent. he couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°but her brother¡¯s matter shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with her. as long as she¡¯s not involved, i¡¯ll still bring her back to work in the army.¡± ¡°uncle!¡± mother lin screamed and covered her mouth. she did not expect lu jun to be so obsessed with shi man. she tried her best to give lin yue a look, but unfortunately, at this point, it was clearly useless to persuade him unless they had a reason to trip shi man up! a cold glint suddenly flashed across lin yue¡¯s eyes as a sinister plan quietly surfaced in her heart. that night, outside the 11th floor of the central hospital¡¯s intensive care unit, the nurse was chased out by the injured man inside again. the loud roar spread throughout the entire hospital corridor through the ward door which was not soundproof. many patients and nurses were shocked and stopped what they were doing. however, they realized who the owner of the roar was and ignored what they were doing. the dim light was not very bright. shi he lay on the hospital bed alone, panting as he recovered from the pain in his chest. he was seriously injured from jumping off the building this time. a few of the ribs in his chest were broken. usually, just talking would poke his lungs. it hurt, let alone shouting at the top of his lungs just now. he didn¡¯t have to lose his temper at the two innocent nurses, but he was very frustrated and only wanted to be alone for a while. he lay on the bed with the white ceiling above his head. he didn¡¯t know if it was because he hadn¡¯t eaten for a long time that he was seeing things or something else, but lin yue¡¯s voice and smile always subconsciously appeared in front of his eyes. shi he blinked gently, as if he was afraid of waking up the beautiful dream in front of him. however, in the blink of an eye, that bright smile turned into a ferocious look of disgust. it was her deep disgust for him. his heart seemed to be grabbed by a large hand. he was in so much pain that he almost cried, but he endured it. the time he spent with lin yue was especially short, so short that it was like a beautiful dream. then, there was an endless nightmare that tortured him. shi he thought that he was quite good-looking. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have so many fans in the entertainment industry. however, he didn¡¯t understand why lin yue despised him so much and even spoke ill of him, forcing him to die. he wanted to die. only by stopping his heart could he stop his heartache. however, the moment he stood on the rooftop, he suddenly didn¡¯t want to die.. Chapter 549 - Chapter 549: Number One Fan chapter 549: number one fan translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the cold wind on the rooftop cut through his heart like a knife. he retracted his leg that had just reached out and suddenly felt that it was not worth it. however, before he could completely wake up, an arm suddenly stretched out from behind and pushed him down. he couldn¡¯t remember what happened after that. the fear of falling from the sky made him break out in cold sweat even now. shi he could not figure out who would harm him and insist on letting him die. just as he was letting his imagination run wild, the ward door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. shi he subconsciously turned his head to roar, but when he saw the person who came in, he was suddenly stunned. he frowned as if he was carefully recalling something. after a while, he relaxed his eyebrows and smiled helplessly. ¡°how did you find this place?¡± at the door, the girl walked into the ward in silence. after casually closing the door, she stood in the middle of the ward at a loss, not daring to go over. ¡°i just wanted to see if you were okay. 1 didn¡¯t mean anything else.¡± shi he was silent for a moment before he suddenly felt a little pain in his chest. he frowned and endured it for a while, but he did not expect her to misunderstand. seeing his frown, the girl hurriedly waved her hand and promised, ¡°i came alone. i definitely didn¡¯t let the media discover you. they don¡¯t know that you¡¯re hospitalized here.¡± shi he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. he raised his chin slightly and gestured for her to sit on the chair beside him. he endured another wave of pain that almost drowned him and smiled. ¡°then why are you looking for me?¡± the girl¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. she almost ran to his bed. her lonely eyes swept across the bandages on his body, and tears fell. ¡°shi he, why did you commit suicide? you¡¯re so good-looking and your acting skills are good. there are many people who like you. how can you bear to commit suicide?¡± shi he was stunned for a moment. seeing the sincere heartache in the girl¡¯s eyes, he sighed helplessly and said, ¡°wen xiu, don¡¯t cry first. 1 promise i won¡¯t do it again, okay?¡± as soon as he said this, shi he was stunned uncomfortably. he did not have any relationship with wen xiu. what did he promise her for no reason? however, since he had already said it, shi he would not take it back easily. moreover, this was indeed his true thoughts. when wen xiu heard this, her sobbing lessened. she raised her hand and wiped the tears off her face with her sleeve. she choked and asked, ¡°really? this is your promise to your fans who love you the most. you can¡¯t go back on your word!¡± ¡°yes, i¡¯ll definitely do it.¡± shi he couldn¡¯t help but smile from the bottom of his heart. the gentle light in his eyes made wen xiu blush. she hurriedly turned her head away and smiled through her tears. ¡°alright, this is the shi he 1 imagined. from now on, i¡¯m your number one fan. you can¡¯t forget me!¡± ¡°number one fan?¡± shi he was stunned for a moment before he remembered that this girl had asked him for an autograph the first time she saw him. at that time, she even used her friend as an excuse. when shi he thought of what happened that day, the smile on his face deepened. he nodded solemnly and said, ¡°alright, i won¡¯t forget. it¡¯s very late. go home quickly. remember to tell me that you¡¯re safe when you get home. you can take down my phone number.¡± since she was shi man¡¯s friend, it was convenient to contact her. when wen xiu heard that he had actually given her such private contact information, she immediately jumped up in joy. ¡°thank you! you¡¯re really the best idol in the world!¡± shi he smiled helplessly and said a string of his phone number. seeing that she had saved it happily and subconsciously hugged her cell phone, he could not help but smile. ¡°alright, go back quickly.¡± ¡°yes!¡± wen xiu nodded heavily, and then she instructed him carefully before turning around and leaving. unexpectedly, before she could reach the door, the ward door was pushed open from the outside. wen xiu subconsciously thought that shi man had come. she hurriedly put her phone behind her back guiltily, as if she was afraid that she would snatch the number she had just obtained. however, when she saw who it was, she was stunned on the spot and muttered, ¡°who are you? are you brother shi he¡¯s friend?¡± she had basically seen everyone in the shi family, but this was the first time she had seen this person in a long black robe. the cold wind in the corridor blew past the person¡¯s body. for some reason, wen xiu felt that this person did not come with good intentions, so she subconsciously stood in front of shi he and put on a defensive posture. ¡°who are you?¡± shi he heard the commotion at the door and looked up. his gaze happened to meet the dagger held tightly by the person¡¯s side. he didn¡¯t even care about his injuries and hurriedly shouted at wen xiu, ¡°leave quickly!¡± wen xiu had clearly seen the man¡¯s actions. she subconsciously wanted to escape, but her feet seemed to have taken root and she could not move. behind her was shi he, who was lying on the hospital bed and unable to move.. if she escaped, he would definitely die! Chapter 550 - Chapter 550: Argument chapter 550: argument translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios thinking of this, wen xiu¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. the hand behind her back quietly pressed the buttons on both sides of the phone to quickly call the police. then, she pounced on the person¡¯s sharp blade with a look of fearlessness. the change happened in an instant. when shi lie saw her rushing up, he shouted until his throat broke. lie tried to move his body, but he could only feel the pain of his entire body falling apart. the person with the knife did not seem to expect there to be a second person in the ward and hurriedly dodged wen xiu¡¯s actions, but she still bumped into the knife. in an instant, blood flowed down the cold tip of the knife. the person¡¯s eyes, which were hidden under a hat, stared at wen xiu in shock and suddenly pulled back the knife, panting heavily as if in fright. wen xiu¡¯s abdomen hit the knife, and a sharp pain suddenly spread throughout her entire body. she could even clearly feel that something warm was constantly flowing out of her body. the person suddenly pulled the dagger back mercilessly. she could only hold the wound on her abdomen and endure the pain. she raised her head and glared at the man in front of her, unwilling to fall. a large pool of blood quickly accumulated on the ground. the smell of blood was blown away by the cold wind outside, filling the entire ward. wen xiu¡¯s face turned even paler, but she still stubbornly stretched out her other hand and trembled as she tried to take off the hat on the person¡¯s head. the man seemed to be stunned for a moment. he did not expect someone to be willing to rush over and block the knife for shi he at this moment. however, he was only distracted for a moment before he quickly came back to his senses. he grabbed wen xiu¡¯s thin wrist and threw her to the ground. the messy footsteps in the corridor were getting closer and closer. it was obvious that the nurses outside had heard shi he¡¯s roar and was worried and wanted to come over to take a look. the man glared at shi he on the hospital bed, then turned around and left the ward without hesitation. when the nurses and caregivers arrived, they happened to see wen xiu lying unconscious in a pool of blood. they were immediately shocked and gasped. the nurses hurriedly carried her onto a stretcher and hurriedly sent her into the resuscitation room. the nurses also rushed over in fear to check on shi he. seeing that the wounds under many bandages were already bleeding, they hurriedly called a doctor to treat his wounds again. since this matter had alarmed the police, the shi family naturally knew very quickly. as soon as shen xian entered the ward, she broke free from shi zhong¡¯s arms and pounced on her son¡¯s bed, burying her head and crying. shi he¡¯s injuries did not show any signs of improvement. because of the sudden movement just now, the injuries ail over his body were even more serious. he lay on the hospital bed like a broken rag doll. after a few tortures, he was finally pieced together. he was pitiful and weak. shi man walked into the ward and looked at the obvious bloodstains on the ground. she asked in a low voice, ¡°brother, what happened just now?¡± when the nurses and caregivers arrived, they were still late. they did not see who had entered this ward just now. shi man had retrieved the hospital¡¯s surveillance cameras on the way here. the recording had also been changed once. it was obvious that the person behind it had planned it. shi he turned his head slightly and blinked at her with teary eyes. after a while, he opened his mouth and said in an unbelievably hoarse voice, ¡°manman, where¡¯s wen xiu?¡± his voice was too weak to be heard, but shi man could tell from his mouth that he was asking about wen xiu. she shook her head with a solemn expression. ¡°she¡¯s still being saved. brother, tell me first if you saw that person¡¯s face clearly!¡± shi he¡¯s eyes flickered. someone who had died once had long lost the fear of death. however, he still shivered as if he had thought of a bad scene. he shook his head and said, ¡°i didn¡¯t see it clearly. he was wearing a hat.¡± shi man sighed softly and turned to shi zhong. ¡°dad, i¡¯ll leave brother and mom to you.¡± ¡°where are you going?¡± shi zhong narrowed his eyes and glared at her warningly. not to be outdone, shi man looked back and clenched her fists by her side. ¡°dad, i¡¯m going to find the traces of that person leaving. the nurses said just now that the blood has spread throughout the entire corridor. if i investigate now, 1 might be able to find some traces.¡± ¡°and then?¡± shi zhong took a step forward and stood in front of her, staring at her. ¡°then what do you plan to do? remove half of someone else¡¯s arm? who do you want to continue protecting you this time?¡± his voice was so loud that the doctors and nurses in the ward did not dare to make a sound. shi he still did not know about shi man¡¯s surveillance video and hurriedly struggled to get up from the bed. seeing the wound on his body that had just been bandaged open again and blood seeping out of the wound again, shen xian¡¯s eyes turned red from heartache. she shouted at shi zhong angrily, ¡°enough! what manman wants to do is her business.. if you lose your temper again, go home yourself! i¡¯ll stay in the hospital today!¡± Chapter 551 - Chapter 551: Trace chapter 551: trace translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi zhong immediately shut his mouth and did not dare to make a sound. shi he was also shocked by her. in his impression, shen xian was always gentle and gentle. she had never been so fierce. it could be seen how much her heart ached now. her son had been harmed time and time again. he could not even escape from the hospital. her daughter had been forced to go to the capital. for the first time, she realized how weak her personality was. if she had realized this earlier and become stronger, just like lu xiang, perhaps she would not be helpless now and even become a burden to her daughter. shi man could see the loneliness in her eyes. she frowned and walked to her side. she reached out and pulled her into her arms. she lowered her voice and whispered in her ear, ¡°mom, as long as you¡¯re fine, you¡¯ve helped me a lot. you don¡¯t have to think too much. leave anything to me.¡± shen xian stared at her solemn daughter in a daze and nodded slowly. ¡°manman, you have to be careful.¡± ¡°i know. wait for me to come back.¡± after shi man said this, she turned around and left the ward without looking at shi zhong again. outside the hospital, a black figure silently turned into the alley. that person raised a hand to take off the hat and leaned against the wall, panting. the person¡¯s long hair was tied tightly into a knot behind. she raised her hand and took out her phone to look at the time. just as she was about to walk to the quiet night to change her clothes, she looked down and suddenly saw the dried blood on the tip of the knife. a drop of blood was still condensed on the blade. it was actually very difficult to discover it in the night. lin yue¡¯s heart tightened. she hurriedly wiped the blood off her clothes and carefully returned the way she came. she had been looking down at the traces on the ground carefully. fortunately, the blood had already dried up when it reached the entrance of the alley, but there were still some traces dripping at the entrance of the hospital. lin yue was about to turn out of the alley to clean up these traces when she suddenly looked up and saw a figure running out of the hospital. her heart skipped a beat. she quickly turned around and panted nervously. she patted her chest and forced herself to calm down. she tiptoed out of the other exit of the alley and got into the car she had parked there. after getting into the car, lin yue threw away her hat. her rapid breathing calmed down for a while before returning to normal. the cushion on her shoulder slipped off. lin yue took off her clothes tiredly and threw everything into the backseat. she changed into her own clothes and heaved a sigh of relief before driving back to the lin family. she had taken the initiative to think of tonight¡¯s operation. even mother lin did not know where she had gone in the middle of the night. lu jun was sitting on the sofa playing chess with mr. lin. when he saw her return, his nose twitched slightly, as if he had smelled something unusual. however, he didn¡¯t say anything in the end. in the blink of an eye, his expression changed to a kind smile. ¡°your mother has been waiting for you for a long time. hurry up and go to the cafeteria to eat.¡± ¡°alright, granduncle. take your time playing chess. i¡¯ll come and accompany you after dinner.¡± lin yue smiled at him obediently, then turned around and walked into the washroom. looking at her pale and flustered self in the mirror, she hurriedly turned on the tap and washed her face and hands. only then did her rash heart calm down. lin yue had just regained her senses when someone knocked on the bathroom door from outside. she frowned warily and leaned against the door, listening carefully for any movements outside. ¡°who is it?¡± she was panicking. she was always worried that lu jun had seen something just now and came over to talk to her alone. fortunately, the person outside quickly replied. chu yue¡¯s excited and curious voice came from outside through the door. ¡°yueyue, where did you go just now? i just discovered some news!¡± lin yue heaved a long sigh of relief. she wiped the water off her face and hands before opening the bathroom door. she asked with a long face, ¡°what is it?¡± chu yue saw her expressionless face and thought that she had been rude. she looked inside awkwardly and said hesitantly, ¡°is it convenient for me to say it now?¡± lin yue sighed and walked out of the washroom. she led her to the dining table and scooped a bowl of rice for herself. then, she said slowly, ¡°what is it?¡± chu yue was stunned for a moment. she suddenly felt that lin yue was very cold to her tonight. however, she did not think too much about it. she only thought that lin yue had gone out to relax in a bad mood. after all, anyone who had a strange boyfriend like shi he would be a little frustrated, right? thinking of this, she was even happier. she leaned towards lin yue mysteriously and said, ¡°you don¡¯t know yet, right? yi zheng actually had a fiancee before shi man! she¡¯s already back from overseas!¡± ¡°so what?¡± lin yue raised her eyebrows and looked at her indifferently. even if yi zheng had a fiancee in the past, shi man was his official fiancee now. even if that woman came back to snatch her, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to.. Chapter 552 - Chapter 552: Preparing chapter 552: preparing translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios however, chu yue clearly did not think so. she felt that this was a wonderful opportunity for them. if she could successfully expose this matter and create an image of shi man snatching someone else¡¯s fiance, the outside world would have an extremely bad evaluation of shi man. it was not easy to enter the army. if shi man¡¯s lifestyle was very problematic, even if her teacher protected her, she would most likely not be able to enter. this was also the most fundamental reason why lu jun tried his best to suppress shi man¡¯s matter with the surveillance footage. she whispered her plan to lin yue and nudged her shoulder excitedly. ¡°this matter will definitely work! moreover, don¡¯t forget that zheng xin caused trouble at her engagement ceremony. this matter isn¡¯t groundless. if we can find yi zheng¡¯s real fiancee in the past, won¡¯t things be simple?¡± ¡°will that work?¡± lin yue felt that this matter could not be done, but when she saw chu yue¡¯s eager expression, she knew that she could not stop her. she simply followed her words and said, ¡°but if this matter is really done, we will definitely be able to stop shi man from entering the army.¡± ¡°of course! do you think anyone can enter the army?¡± disdain appeared in chu yue¡¯s eyes. the more she thought about it, the more she felt that this plan was feasible. however, her forces were all in the capital after all. if she wanted to do anything in g city, she really had to borrow people from lin yue! lin yue nodded thoughtfully and told her to go back and settle this matter herself. in fact, she told the person behind this to do it. all the information about yi zheng¡¯s former fiancee was quickly pulled out. lin yue happened to be dealing with some company matters that day, so she sent it to chu yue without looking at it carefully. after chu yue received the information, she excitedly began to plan the entire matter in her mind. to her, the most difficult thing was to announce this in a crowded setting. coincidentally, yi zheng and shi man were holding a banquet in two days to announce that they were about to leave g city. when chu yue found out, she was so happy that she did not sleep the entire night. she repeatedly thought about every detail of her plan. soon, the banquet was held as scheduled. that night, chu yue dressed and accompanied her teacher to the banquet. the lin family and the shi family were at odds, so no one from the lin family was present this time. when the people at the event location saw the three of them appear, they immediately stopped whispering. they held wine glasses and smiled apologetically to make their presence known. lu jun had always been serious. his face was so cold that ice seemed to seep out. not many people dared to approach him, so the chu siblings were especially popular. chu yue loved such occasions the most. she liked the feeling of being surrounded by people. just as she was enjoying the light brought to her by the banquet, a figure that had been waiting at the entrance of the banquet for a long time instantly made chu yue¡¯s eyes light up. here we go. this time, no one from the shi and yi families invited wen xiu. in order to save shi he, she had just undergone an operation and was extremely weak. how could the shi family bear to let her be discharged and walk around at this time? however, if they did not invite them, someone would naturally send invitations for them. there were many people who wanted to curry favor with chu yue. it was not difficult for her to get a real invitation. she personally wrote an identical invitation and asked someone to give it to wen xiu, who was in the hospital. she thought that victory was in her grasp, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention to why wen xiu was hospitalized. she only felt that this was a godsend opportunity. the fact that a sickly ex-fiancee had told the truth at the banquet that she had been betrayed and poached would definitely cause a huge commotion. she had already arranged for the media to hide near the banquet. as long as there was a confrontation inside, the media would naturally smell it and record the entire process. at that time, shi man would definitely be infamous. chu yue had planned well, so ever since wen xiu entered the banquet, her eyes had never left wen xiu. at that moment, the banquet was brightly lit and there were ordinary social events everywhere. after shi man accompanied yi zheng to toast an elder, she turned around and saw wen xiu standing at the door in a daze. she frowned. yi zheng was talking to the person beside him in a low voice. sensing shi man¡¯s abnormality, he immediately looked over. following her gaze, yi zheng naturally saw wen xiu, who was standing at the door at a loss. he frowned and said, ¡°did you invite her here?¡± ¡°how is that possible?¡± shi man sighed softly and walked towards wen xiu. chu yue, who was watching from the side, could not help but scream in her heart. she thought that she would soon see a big show where they would argue with each other. she was so excited that she could not even hide the smile on her lips. lu jun looked up and glanced in her direction. he knew what she was thinking, but he only sneered and did not stop her. he also wanted to see how shi man would break out of the situation tonight. in any case, even if it was exposed, it would not be a big deal. lu jun was confident that it could help shi man.. Chapter 553 - Chapter 553: Acting chapter 553: acting translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man slowly walked up to wen xiu and frowned. ¡°why are you here?¡± wen xiu was stunned for a moment. when she faced shi man again, she was no longer as arrogant as before. coupled with the fact that the wound on her abdomen was really painful, her face immediately turned pale. she said, ¡°didn¡¯t you call me over? it hurts so much. quickly find a seat for me to rest for a while.¡± shi man raised her hand and called the waiter at the side to help her rest first. seeing that her face was getting paler, she must have pulled on the wound that had yet to heal. she called the private doctor at home and asked him to come over quickly. from chu yue¡¯s angle, she only saw shi man walk up to wen xiu with a dissatisfied expression and wave for someone to take her away. however, she did not expect wen xiu to really leave just like that! how could this be? if wen xiu didn¡¯t make a fuss, wouldn¡¯t it be meaningless for her to arrange this scene today? chu yue gritted her teeth and made up her mind. she took the initiative to walk forward. when wen xiu was helped past yi zheng, she suddenly screamed and fell towards wen xiu. wen xiu was injured and could not dodge in time. she could only watch helplessly as this person who suddenly appeared collided with her. the wounds on her body suddenly felt a tearing pain. her body fell towards yi zheng uncontrollably and in the next moment, she fell into his arms. everything happened in a flash. chu yue¡¯s scream just now successfully attracted the attention of many people. when everyone turned around to look, they happened to see an unfamiliar woman fall into the arms of the male lead tonight. shi man¡¯s expression darkened. when chu yue saw this scene, her eyes were filled with smugness. she deliberately shouted in pain and asked the surrounding waiters to help her up. then, she looked at her ankle with a pained expression. ¡°i¡¯m really sorry. i think i sprained my ankle just now. are you alright?¡± wen xiu¡¯s face twisted in pain, but the surrounding waiters were forcefully pulled to her side by chu yue. she fell into yi zheng¡¯s arms and could not stand up. yi zheng wanted to push her away, but seeing that her bandaged abdomen was already bleeding, his outstretched hand paused in midair and he looked at shi man innocently. wen xiu¡¯s wound was caused to save shi he. shi man had always repaid kindness, so she naturally did not mind her temporarily leaning in yi zheng¡¯s arms. however, it was not necessarily the case for another person who deliberately pushed wen xiu down. shi man¡¯s face darkened as she slowly walked over and gently helped wen xiu into her arms. at this moment, wen xiu was already sweating from the pain, and her pale and dry lips were trembling uncontrollably. shi man frowned and was about to call someone to quickly send wen xiu back to the hospital when someone among the guests who came to the banquet recognized wen xiu and exclaimed, ¡°isn¡¯t this that girl from the wen family? i even carried her when she was young! why is she here?¡± ¡°old wen¡¯s family? i think i heard someone say that president yi once had a fiancee who was engaged when she was young. her surname seems to be wen?¡± the surrounding noise kept entering her ears. wen xiu¡¯s face turned green from the pain. she did not forget to complain in her heart about when she became so famous that even the people in g city knew that she was yi zheng¡¯s fiancee! shi man looked thoughtfully at chu yue, who had been helped to a chair. coincidentally, she also looked over slowly. their eyes met, and shi man could clearly see the smugness in her eyes. it was self-evident who had directed tonight¡¯s show. shi man sneered in her heart, but her face was still expressionless. ¡°take miss wen down to rest and get the doctor to come over quickly.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the waiters had actually been bribed by chu yue¡¯s coercion, but since shi man had personally spoken, they did not dare to really go against her. they could only lower their heads and walk over. ¡°wait!¡± when chu yue saw that wen xiu was useless and was still leaning against shi man without saying a word, she immediately made up her mind and said coldly, ¡°miss, i¡¯m really sorry just now. 1 didn¡¯t expect you to be president yi¡¯s fiancee. you¡¯re so weak, but you actually came to see him off personally. i admire your relationship very much.¡± admiration her ass! wen xiu was already cursing in her heart. if not for the fact that she did not want to offend shi man, she would not have secretly run out of the hospital behind the doctor¡¯s back to suffer! what nonsense was this woman talking about? could this be the vicious supporting actress that often appeared in television dramas? with this thought in mind, wen xiu forced herself to open her eyes. she opened them only a crack and glared at chu yue with sweat on her forehead. ¡°don¡¯t spout nonsense.¡± her voice was too weak, so chu yue did not hear her clearly. she only thought confidently that she had echoed her words. she quickly added fuel to the fire and shouted, ¡°i know you¡¯re here to ask shi man for an explanation! she stole your fiance and caused you to become like this.. i¡¯ll definitely uphold justice for you!¡± Chapter 554 - Chapter 554: Angry chapter 554: angry translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when the guests around them heard chu yue¡¯s words, they were instantly stunned. only then did everyone realize that missy actually had a grudge against instructor chu! this made things difficult for them, who needed to take sides. even though the shi family was going to move to the capital, they still had a lot of power in g city. however, in the long run, chu yue was the instructor of the capital¡¯s army. they could not afford to offend her. everyone kept quiet about the conflict between the two of them. no one dared to speak rashly. after chu yue finished saying those words, her voice could be said to be powerful. however, she did not receive the expected agreement. she was momentarily stunned. according to her script, everyone should be very curious about the relationship between the three of them. then, she would induce wen xiu to tell the truth and provoke shi man about snatching someone else¡¯s fiance so that the media would report it wantonly. this was the entire reason why she designed this scene. however, things had clearly been completely different from what she had expected from the moment wen xiu appeared. not only did wen xiu not make a fuss, but she also leaned weakly in shi man¡¯s arms, as if the two of them were very close! however, chu yue did not believe that the two of them were really close. she frowned and comforted her in a clear voice again. ¡°miss wen, you don¡¯t have to be afraid. 1 know the pain in your heart. if you need anything, i can help you immediately.¡± she had already said this and was waiting for wen xiu¡¯s reaction. as long as wen xiu said that she wanted yi zheng, she could immediately gain a foothold and interfere in this matter. unfortunately, wen xiu was bound to disappoint her. miss wen was also very hot-tempered. she was in so much pain now, and she still had to listen to a stranger say something for no reason. her anger immediately surged. she gathered her strength and couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°who the hell are you? aren¡¯t you annoying? can¡¯t you see that 1 need to rest now? i¡¯m in pain. i¡¯m about to die from the pain! hurry up and move aside!¡± chu yue chose to block out wen xiu¡¯s other words. she only deliberately raised her voice to emphasize what she had just said that she was in pain. with an understanding expression, she said, ¡°miss wen, don¡¯t worry. 1¡¯11 help you.¡± as she spoke, she slowly turned to shi man and said in a dignified manner, ¡°miss shi, you¡¯re about to enter the capital to participate in the army. as an instructor, i have to investigate your personal style closely. you have to explain to me here what miss wen just said about you snatching someone else¡¯s fiance!¡± shi man glanced at her coldly. she had no intention of paying attention to her and treated her as a lunatic. chu yue thought that she was feeling guilty and thought that she had finally caught her weakness this time. she immediately pressed the dial button and called the media in. in front of the cameras, she asked again, ¡°miss shi, the army won¡¯t want someone with a problem with their lifestyle. you have to explain things clearly immediately. did you snatch someone else¡¯s fiance?¡± it had been a long time since the media had seen such an exciting scene. it was actually a drama between three women. although they were afraid of the shi family, they were already here. they had to record what happened today. shi man glanced at them coldly. before she could speak, tang zhe, who was in charge of receiving them outside, finally arrived with the doctor. seeing so many media people, he immediately frowned and looked at his master. yi zheng shook his head at him, indicating that he should stay out of this for now. tang zhe immediately understood. he walked around shi man and looked at wen xiu, who was still in her arms. ¡°miss wen, the doctor is already here. please follow us to the guest room for a checkup.¡± he hadn¡¯t been around just now because he wanted to borrow the medicine that the hotel¡¯s management had prepared. wen xiu immediately nodded when she heard this. she raised her hand with difficulty and placed it on tang zhe¡¯s shoulder. it was difficult for her to even move now. she really could not walk. tang zhe did not say much. he hugged her and was about to leave when a figure suddenly flashed in front of him. chu yue stood firmly in front of them and raised her head arrogantly. ¡°you can¡¯t leave, miss wen. 1 know you¡¯re in pain now, but since you¡¯re already here, i can¡¯t let you leave so aggrieved.¡± tang zhe said with an unfriendly expression, ¡°instructor chu, please move aside.¡± ¡°no!¡± chu yue frowned and looked at shi man coldly. she argued, ¡°miss shi, i¡¯ve said it before. if you still want to enter the army, you have to explain your personal problems clearly!¡± the surrounding cameras were clicking. the media excitedly took photos of the stalemate between the two sides. then, they aimed the camera at shi man and waited for her answer. ¡°can you move aside?¡± before shi man could speak, the girl in tang zhe¡¯s arms suddenly complained weakly. the media quickly turned their cameras to take photos of her. wen xiu was really annoyed. her vision was already a little dark, but she still understood what chu yue was talking about just now.. she mocked her in annoyance, ¡°who told you that 1 like yi zheng?¡± Chapter 555 - Chapter 555: Gossip chapter 555: gossip translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios chu yue was stunned for a moment. she did not understand what she meant for a moment. she muttered, ¡°yi zheng is your fiance since you were young. how can you not like him?¡± wen xiu looked at shi man guiltily and turned her head away. she said in a muffled voice, ¡°that was in the past. he already has a fiancee now. i don¡¯t like him anymore.¡± chu yue inexplicably smelled some regret. she did not give up and continued to ask, ¡°is it because shi man took your position? if not for shi man, you would have been officially engaged to yi zheng long ago!¡± wen xiu frowned and thought seriously for a moment. then, she shook her head and said, ¡°no, i was only bound by the engagement previously, so i didn¡¯t investigate my heart in detail. but actually, my feelings for yi zheng aren¡¯t that kind of love.¡± ¡°miss wen¡­¡± tang zhe looked down at her pale face and suddenly understood her true thoughts. but now that something like this had happened to the shi family¡¯s third young master, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to accept her feelings for the time being¡­ shi man also frowned and looked at wen xiu. she looked down slightly and saw the blood seeping out of her abdomen. her pupils constricted as she hurriedly said, ¡°quick, send her to the prepared room. don¡¯t waste time here!¡± how could chu yue let her leave just like that? the trap she had worked so hard to set up could not be broken just like that! the media reporters also looked at them eagerly. there was no news yet. how could they leave just like that? they looked at chu yue for help. chu yue gritted her teeth and said, ¡°miss wen, 1 said that 1 would stand up for you. tell me who you really like. if you like yi zheng, then shi man stole from you. i won¡¯t let her off.¡± wen xiu had never seen anyone more difficult to deal with than her. her anger couldn¡¯t help but rise. she endured it again and again, but she couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°damn it, can¡¯t you see that i¡¯m about to die? what does it have to do with you who i like? if you¡¯re so capable, why don¡¯t you let shi he like me? why should he like lin yue?¡± as soon as she said this, the surrounding people gasped. the entire banquet instantly fell silent, leaving only the continuous clicking of cameras. only then did wen xiu realize what she had just said. she glanced at shi man in panic and quickly blushed. there was finally some color in her pale face. ¡°don¡¯t misunderstand. it was a slip of the tongue. i don¡¯t like your brother that way.¡± her stammering was the complete opposite of her aggressive appearance just now. it was very unconvincing. shi man smiled helplessly. did she think that others could not tell what she was thinking? from the moment she used her as an excuse to wait outside the house every day, shi man already knew her feelings for shi he. chu yue did not expect things to develop to this extent. the happiest people were the media present. mr yi¡¯s ex-fiancee liked miss shi¡¯s biological brother. if this news was released, it would definitely be hotly discussed online for a period of time! it seemed that the internet would not be too lonely from now on! ¡°instructor chu.¡± only then did shi man stand up and speak. under the flashing lights, her expression became even colder, making one¡¯s heart palpitate. ¡°what are you doing?¡± chu yue felt inexplicably guilty, but when she thought about how there were still so many people watching, she could not lose face. she gathered her momentum and confronted shi man again. shi man rolled her eyes at her and said, ¡°move.¡± that¡¯s all? chu yue was surprised for a moment. she blinked and looked back at her in confusion. ¡°you¡­ you knew that yi zheng had a fiancee in the past?¡± at this moment, no matter how slow her reaction was, she had already understood. she could only blame herself for being too stupid. ever since wen xiu appeared, from shi man¡¯s reactions, it was enough to tell that the two of them had actually known each other for a long time. ¡°yes.¡± shi man quickly confirmed her thoughts, and there was a hint of mockery in her beautiful eyes. ¡°before you made a big deal out of this, wen xiu had already made a fuss. she now understands what she wants, but you still don¡¯t seem to understand.¡± chu yue was slightly stunned. she looked up at her in a daze. ¡°what don¡¯t i know?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t understand the meaning of your current position. what do you take the position of a military instructor for? what do the soldiers training under you take you for? come and find me when you understand these things.¡± ¡°you¡­¡± chu yue watched her and tang zhe leave in a daze. the unwillingness in her heart suddenly swelled to the extreme. she couldn¡¯t help but shout at shi man, ¡°she¡¯s the woman who was engaged to yi zheng first. 1 don¡¯t believe that you don¡¯t mind at all!¡± shi man stopped in her tracks, but she did not turn around. she only tilted her head slightly and glanced at her with cold eyes. ¡°don¡¯t think of everyone else as you. today¡¯s matter is not over. i¡¯ll settle wen xiu first before settling the score with you..¡± Chapter 556 - Chapter 556: Pawn chapter 556: pawn translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the room, the doctor carefully unwrapped the bandage on wen xiu¡¯s body. her wounds had basically split open and she had lost a lot of blood. the moment the bandage was undone, the strong smell of blood suddenly permeated in the room. shi man frowned as she watched the doctor treat her wound. wen xiu gritted her teeth in pain. when she looked up, she saw that shi man was still staring fixedly. she couldn¡¯t help but complain while panting, ¡°are you a psychopath? how can you watch such a bloody scene?¡± shi man sneered and replied slowly, ¡°i¡¯ve seen all kinds of bloody things.¡± wen xiu thought that she was bragging, but at this moment, the doctor was applying medicine for her. her wound hurt even more and she could not say a word. when the doctor finally wrapped a new bandage around her, she was already so tired that she lay on the bed and could not move. it was a little difficult to even move her fingers. seeing that she was fine, shi man asked the waiter to prepare some food. she watched as the food was placed on the bedside table beside her pillow before leaving with tang zhe in relief. of course, chu yue had not left. if she had left just now, no one knew what the people outside would say about her. if this matter were to spread to the capital, the consequences would be even more unimaginable. she had also thought of asking her teacher for help while shi man was not around, but lu jun had been leaning against the chair with his eyes closed. he looked like he did not want to care about anything. even the arrogant chu yue did not dare to disturb lu jun again. the media found a place to sit down and stole glances at yi zheng¡¯s expression, afraid that he would chase them out. however, it was obvious that president yi and miss shi had the same thoughts. since shi man did not deliberately instruct these media reporters to leave before she left, yi zheng naturally would not take matters into his own hands. instead, he casually found a place to sit down like a member of the audience. only chu yue could feel yi zheng¡¯s sharp gaze sweep past her from time to time. a strange thought appeared in chu yue¡¯s heart. he was looking at her on behalf of shi man, afraid that she would run away. just as this thought appeared, a layer of cold sweat subconsciously appeared on her forehead. when shi man finally came out, the media reporters swarmed over. they found seats and set up their cameras, waiting to enjoy the end of this scene. the moment chu yue saw shi man, her heart skipped a beat. right on the heels of that, she saw shi man walking straight toward her until she stopped in front of her. she subconsciously stood up from her seat and looked at shi man uneasily. ¡°what do you want?¡± shi man stared at her expressionlessly and said coldly, ¡°you wrote the invitation to wen xiu.¡± chu yue was stunned for a moment. she opened her mouth to retort. shi man interrupted her. ¡°don¡¯t be in a hurry to deny it. that invitation is still there. why don¡¯t we find a professional to do a handwriting appraisal?¡± chu yue fell silent, and her expression instantly turned a little ugly. ¡°you can find a handwriting appraisal. anyway, i didn¡¯t do it. i didn¡¯t even know wen xiu before today.¡± she might as well die if she had to admit this in front of all the media! shi man sneered and saw through her thoughts. she suddenly raised her hand and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards her. ¡°listen carefully. i¡¯m not going to settle scores with you because you wanted to stop me from entering the capital. it doesn¡¯t matter if 1 go to the capital or not. what i want to settle scores with you is that you injured wen xiu for your own goal.¡± ¡°are you crazy?¡± chu yue widened her eyes in disbelief. when their eyes met, she did not see any hesitation in shi man¡¯s eyes. there was only determination that she could not understand. ¡°why?¡± why did she help a woman who had once been engaged to her fiance? ¡°because she saved my brother.¡± shi man let go of her wrist and pushed her away in disgust. ¡°why do you think chu yue was hospitalized? she hurt herself to save him, and the person who helped you investigate wen xiu was the one who hurt him.¡± chu yue was suddenly pushed by her. her body fell unsteadily onto the sofa. she stared straight at the ground and panted heavily. she shook her head repeatedly and said, ¡°that¡¯s impossible. if she knew that wen xiu was already injured, why didn¡¯t she tell me and asked me to put on such a show?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly. she looked at yi zheng, who was smiling in the distance, from a distance and saw a hint of understanding in each other¡¯s eyes. it seemed that she had guessed correctly this time. chu yue had just arrived. if she wanted to find out so much in such a short period of time and arrange it so quickly, there must be someone helping her behind the scenes. when she thought about which family she had been staying with recently, the answer was obvious. shi man slowly retracted her gaze and looked at her again. ¡°because no matter what the outcome of this show is, it has nothing to do with her. but you¡¯re different. if you win, i¡¯ll have a bad reputation as you wish. if you lose, she¡¯ll just lose a pawn..¡± Chapter 557 - Chapter 557: Sowing Discord chapter 557: sowing discord translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°impossible! what you said isn¡¯t true!¡± chu yue screamed in disbelief. she suddenly thought of something, and her expression changed a few times. her expression became even uglier. ¡°you were lying to me just now, right? in fact, you didn¡¯t know about this at all!¡± in front of the media, chu yue did not dare to really say lin yue¡¯s name because lu jun was present. however, those who knew could tell that the person they were referring to was lin yue. shi man shook her head mockingly and shrugged helplessly. ¡°you¡¯re really stubborn and stupid. at ten o¡¯clock last night, the person who helped you shouldn¡¯t be at home, right?¡± chu yue was clearly stunned, as if she was recalling something. soon, the light in her eyes suddenly became a little broken. she muttered to herself, ¡°yesterday, she came back very late.¡± lu jun, who had been standing by the side without saying a word, suddenly frowned. he looked at chu yue unhappily. shi man continued, ¡°that night, my brother was almost killed in the hospital. wen xiu was there to save my brother. i guess that person¡¯s goal should be the same as yours. it¡¯s to make our entire family feel uneasy about leaving g city. she wants us to stay and not go anywhere.¡± ¡°this is how wen xiu was injured and hospitalized. she¡¯s my brother¡¯s savior, so 1 won¡¯t let go of the person who hurt wen xiu.¡± shi man enunciated every word clearly. even the surrounding people who didn¡¯t know the truth came back to their senses. if what shi man said was true, then chu yue had planned this scene today and had been used. the gazes looking at her suddenly became a little sympathetic. however, chu yue refused to believe shi man. she and lin yue had been good friends for many years. compared to shi man, she believed that lin yue would not treat her like this. she straightened her neck and raised her head stubbornly. she glared at shi man, unwilling to admit defeat. ¡°i don¡¯t believe you. you must be saying all this to drive a wedge between me and her. she won¡¯t lie to me, let alone use me!¡± shi man sneered, the smile on her lips carrying some pity. ¡°the technical methods of the army should be good.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± chu yue looked at her warily. shi man shook her head and chuckled. ¡°i arrived at the hospital later that day. although i didn¡¯t catch her in person, 1 still found some traces. she must have driven to the hospital that day, so you can check the car she drove that day.¡± shi man saw her eyes flash, as if she had already taken her words to heart. she continued with a satisfied expression, ¡°someone in the hospital said that a suspicious-looking person in black left the hospital in a hurry that day. there were even a few drops of blood on the ground. that should have been left by her. you can check for yourself. if it wasn¡¯t her, there shouldn¡¯t be any traces, right?¡± when chu yue heard shi man¡¯s words, she could not help but feel more suspicious. she looked at the teacher not far away helplessly. if she wanted to investigate lin yue, she had to get the teacher¡¯s approval. otherwise, if she rashly did this, she would offend her leader. lu jun was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. ¡°investigate. go back immediately. this matter must be investigated immediately.¡± when lin yue returned home late that day, he did smell blood on her. however, he wanted to know the truth not to help shi man, but to know who was behind lin yue¡¯s actions. he did not forget the source of shi man¡¯s surveillance video had yet to be traced. perhaps that person was behind the lin family¡¯s sudden departure from g city. after being the chief of the army for so many years, what he could not tolerate the most was that he had become a pawn on someone else¡¯s chessboard. this person actually dared to scheme against him. it seemed that he had some ability. now that things had come to this, chu yue could not expose anything. she had spent money and effort to arrange this show, but in the end, it became a complete joke. she laughed at herself, but she quickly restrained her expression. there was finally the sternness and seriousness she had when she was an instructor. ¡°alright, shi man, just you wait. if you¡¯re just sowing discord in this matter, i won¡¯t let you off!¡± late at night, in the lin family, lin yue felt inexplicably uneasy. she still did not know how the things chu yue had arranged for her at the banquet were going. she wanted to call and ask, but she was afraid that her call would not come at the right time. she could only sit in front of the computer anxiously and wait. she had just finished dealing with the company¡¯s documents. just as she was about to turn off the computer, her gaze swept past a document saved on the table and she suddenly paused. she remembered that she had hurriedly transferred the information to chu yue after receiving it. she had not had the time to look at it. on a whim, she suddenly moved the mouse and opened the information. she, who was originally a little sleepy, suddenly woke up when she saw the photo on the information. how could it be her? lin yue suddenly jumped up from her chair and sat down quickly. she read the information page by page carefully and was shocked.. only then did she realize how big a mistake she had made because of her momentary negligence! Chapter 558 - Chapter 558: Clarification chapter 558: clarification translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when chu yue returned to the lin family, she did not enter. instead, she took advantage of the fact that there was no one around to sneak into the lin family¡¯s garage. she had been in the lin family for many years and knew that the butler here had a habit of wandering around the courtyard alone for a period of time after dinner every day. he would not come here to patrol. calculating the time, this was the time for the butler to slack off. chu yue sneaked into the garage with relief. with her recollection, she quickly found the car lin yue drove that night. she had undergone many missions for her teacher, so the simple lock on the car door was naturally not a problem for her. with a soft click, the car door slowly opened. the rich fragrance of the car assaulted her face, but if she smelled it carefully, it was not difficult for chu yue to smell the lingering smell of blood. chu yue¡¯s hands had been stained with a lot of blood. some of it belonged to her, and some belonged to others, so she was especially familiar with this smell. after confirming that she did not smell wrong, her frown deepened. chu yue first checked the storage space beside the driver¡¯s seat. she did not find anything suspicious, but her upper body was stuck in the car, and the smell of blood became stronger. she followed the smell and quickly turned to the backseat. at a glance, she saw the blood that had accidentally dripped from under the car seat. in a flash, shi man¡¯s words suddenly appeared in front of her. she got out of the car in a daze. before she could recover from her shock, chu yue turned around and met lin yue¡¯s dark eyes. ¡°what are you doing here?¡± lin yue¡¯s face was abnormally cold, and completely different from her usual gentle demeanor. anger instantly rose in chu yue¡¯s heart, and her expression became even more mocking. ¡°miss lin, i want to ask you, why did you come back so late the night before yesterday?¡± lin yue looked at her bloodstained fingertips and was silent for a moment. her expression suddenly darkened. ¡°do you know everything? who told you?¡± the suspicion in her heart was suddenly confirmed, and the anger in chu yue¡¯s heart increased. ¡°were you really lying to me? you went to kill shi he that day, right? why didn¡¯t you tell me that wen xiu was injured to save shi he that day?¡± lin yue looked at her angry face expressionlessly and turned to leave without saying a word. ¡°stop!¡± chu yue took a step forward angrily and stopped her. lin yue turned her body slightly and said coldly, ¡°this is not the place to talk. follow me.¡± then she turned and walked in the direction of the garage door. chu yue followed her skeptically. she was skilled and was naturally not afraid of lin yue playing tricks on her. however, she was still a little vigilant in her heart. after all, this was lin yue¡¯s territory. if lin yue really did something, she might not be able to escape unscathed. lin yue did not care what she was thinking. she brought her back to her room. after closing the door, lin yue¡¯s tense shoulders suddenly relaxed. she suddenly reached out and pulled chu yue to sit in front of her computer desk. she pointed at the document on the screen and said, ¡°whether you believe it or not, something has happened in the company these past two days. i just opened this document to take a closer look. when i sent it to you previously, i really didn¡¯t open it.¡± chu yue looked at the last time the document was opened. the scales in her heart tilted towards her again. but chu yue had already made up her mind. this time, she had to know the entire truth, so she did not show relax her look of anger. ¡°what does this mean? you just opened this document once, but we don¡¯t know if you opened it before.¡± lin yue sighed helplessly and placed her hands on her shoulders intimately. she smiled bitterly and said, ¡°we¡¯ve been friends for so many years. what¡¯s the benefit of me harming you? moreover, your teacher is my granduncle. the two of us can be considered family.¡± these words touched the softest spot in chu yue¡¯s heart. how could she not treat lin yue as her biological sister? that was why she was so angry when she heard shi man¡¯s words. she held lin yue¡¯s hand and asked anxiously, ¡°so you really went to kill shi he that day? why?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t want to kill him.¡± lin yue bit her lower lip and lowered her eyes in embarrassment. ¡°i just wanted to teach them a lesson and let shi man remember that she still has a brother lying on the hospital bed who can be killed at will. that way, they won¡¯t be at ease leaving g city so quickly. even if it can only delay for a while, there will always be another way.¡± lin yue¡¯s thoughts coincided with chu yue¡¯s. chu yue completely believed lin yue¡¯s words now. when she thought of what shi man had said, the anger in her heart intensified. ¡°that damn woman made me lose face in front of so many people. i won¡¯t let her off this time!¡± lin yue sighed and patted her shoulder guiltily. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. actually, it¡¯s my fault for being negligent. if i had opened the document and looked at it before sending it to you, what happened today wouldn¡¯t have happened..¡± Chapter 559 - Chapter 559: Leaving Together chapter 559: leaving together translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°no, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± chu yue closed the document. she did not ask lin yue who had secretly helped her find these things. instead, she held her hand with a guilty expression and said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, yueyue. 1 was really obsessed with suspecting you just now.¡± lin yue shook her head gently and said, ¡°it¡¯s okay. this is all shi man¡¯s scheme.¡± seeing that the crisis between her and chu yue had been resolved, lin yue asked another question worriedly, ¡°does your teacher, my granduncle, already know what i went to do that night?¡± chu yue was stunned for a moment before she carefully recalled lu jun¡¯s attitude tonight. she originally thought that her teacher was supporting her actions by not saying a word, but now that she thought about it, he might have known what she was planning to do. the reason why he did not interfere was because he was sure that she would not be able to do anything to shi man. thinking of this, she became even more jealous of shi man. on what basis could she make teacher insist on her when she had just met him? seeing the hatred in chu yue¡¯s eyes, a flash of calculation appeared in lin yue¡¯s eyes. then, it disappeared and was replaced by worry. ¡°it seems that we can¡¯t stop shi man and granduncle from going back together.¡± ¡°is there no other way? he¡¯s only suspecting you now. he doesn¡¯t have any substantial evidence, so he shouldn¡¯t do anything to you.¡± chu yue still had a trace of hope in her heart. perhaps there was another way to stop shi man before she returned? however, lin yue could not think of any other way. going to the hospital to hurt shi he was already her most stubborn method. now that lu jun had shifted their attention to her, she would be walking into a trap if she acted rashly. it seemed that it was imperative for shi man to join the army. the next day, what happened at the yi and shi families¡¯ banquet caused a storm in the city. those who had nothing to do with it treated this matter as news, but those close to shi man could not help but sweat for her. bai xue had also seen the news on the internet and knew that someone was actually causing trouble for shi man at an event like yesterday. she couldn¡¯t help but run to shi man¡¯s house angrily to stand up for her. unexpectedly, when bai xue arrived at the shi family, she saw a happy scene. she was instantly stunned on the spot, and her monstrous anger instantly disappeared. ¡°xiao xue, you¡¯re here. come and sit here.¡± shen xian warmly invited her to sit beside her. su tang also waved at her happily and smiled. ¡°why are you still standing there stupidly? mommy is calling for you!¡± ¡°oh! i¡¯m coming!¡± bai xue walked over in a daze and sat obediently beside shen xian, allowing her to hold her hand. shen xian patted her hand reluctantly and said, ¡°good child, i¡¯m going to the capital with manman this time. you¡¯re the one i¡¯m most worried about. xiao tang is coming with us and entering a new school with manman. you¡¯re the only one left in g city.¡± ¡°auntie¡­¡± of course, bai xue couldn¡¯t bear to let them bring her along, but she couldn¡¯t say it. she felt that she had already caused a lot of trouble for the shi family. this time, when shi man came to the capital, she could guess that the reason behind it was probably not shi man¡¯s own wish. then how could she make an unreasonable request at this time? however, when she thought about how she was alone in cassel academy after they left, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sad. the tears in her eyes were about to fall. before she could say goodbye, shi mu suddenly interrupted, ¡°why don¡¯t we have xue come with us? we¡¯ll take good care of you and auntie.¡± bai xue looked up in disbelief and was caught off guard by the man¡¯s hot and serious eyes. as if scalded, she jerked her gaze away and dropped it to the side. a suspicious blush crept over her face. shi mu kept staring at her with a burning gaze, as if he wanted to see enough of what he might not be able to see next. he could actually stay in g city with his brothers, but he was really worried that manman would have it hard after entering such a dangerous zone, so he had to follow her and watch her personally until he confirmed that manman could really adapt to life there. perhaps he would stay in the capital this time, so he really wanted bai xue to go with them. su tang was a daughter of the shi family, so it was only natural for her to go with them. however, bai xue was only a girl sponsored by the shi family, so there was no reason for her to go. shi mu had been uneasy last night because of this matter, but there was no suitable time to speak. now, he could finally say what was on his mind. even though he was so nervous that his back was covered in cold sweat, he was still stubborn and refused to retreat. he just wanted to wait for bai xue¡¯s answer. shi man glanced at her brother and decided to help him. ¡°xiao xue.¡± her gaze was fixed on bai xue, and her cold eyes carried some kind of bewitching magic. ¡°come with us..¡± Chapter 560 - Chapter 560: A New Beginning chapter 560: a new beginning translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios they really treated her as his family. bai xue was touched and that feeling in her heart overshadowed the shyness that shi mu had just provoked. she hesitated and looked around. everyone in the shi family was smiling happily. shi yu was the warmest and brightest brother of the shi family. when he saw bai xue looking at him, he pursed his lips and smiled, silently encouraging her to agree to the invitation of shi man and shi mu. bai xue¡¯s heart warmed. she looked at shi mu¡¯s eager eyes and the worry in her heart suddenly disappeared. she nodded heavily and lowered her head with an embarrassed smile. ¡°actually, i also want to follow manman and tangtang. i only have the two of them as friends. i can¡¯t bear to part with them suddenly.¡± when shi mu heard that she had finally agreed, the huge rock in his heart suddenly relaxed. he heaved a long sigh of relief, but at the same time, he could not help but be tempted by her words. he actually wanted to know if shi man and su tang were the only people bai xue could not bear to part with. could it be that one of the seats belonged to him? however, he did not have the guts to ask this. it was not easy for bai xue to agree. he did not want to scare her away because of such a stupid question. the banquet that night could be considered a farewell to the various families in the business world. tonight¡¯s banquet at the shi family was the farewell of the family. the brothers of the shi family could not bear to be separated from their family. however, the shi family¡¯s roots grew in g city and could not be left unattended. butler qi naturally had to follow old master and madam to the capital to live, but shi ke and shi yu could not leave no matter what. there was also shi he, who was still lying in the ward. when he first heard that his parents and sister were leaving, he was in a difficult position in the hospital for a long time. in the end, he did not say that he had actually been pushed off the rooftop, afraid that they would worry about him. however, just because he didn¡¯t say anything didn¡¯t mean that shi man didn¡¯t know anything. before leaving, shi man looked at him deeply and instructed sean to leave a few reliable brothers in g city to protect the rest of the shi family. on the yi family¡¯s side, yi zheng would naturally arrange for his own people. after all, the shi family had brought their family to accompany shi man to the capital, but yi zheng was alone. when lu jun came, he only brought two proud disciples with him. there was only anger towards the shi family on his face, but when he left, he could not hide the smile on his face. the group got on the plane and left g city. however, shi man knew that she would have to return to this place one day. after all, there were some things that could only be resolved in g city. at the capital airport, the weather was so clear that it made people feel refreshed. even the wind that blew past their cheeks was gentle and intoxicating. the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. the airport was noisy and there was an endless stream of busy people coming and going. it was much livelier than g city. the people working in the capital seemed to carry a heavier burden than the people in other cities. all of them lowered their heads and walked in a hurry. occasionally, they would only raise their wrists and look at their watches to count the time they had left. after shi man and the others got off the plane, they were sent to the airport exit by car. at this moment, there were only a few people sitting in the vip room. they all looked down at the work in their hands. there were all kinds of snacks on the plate beside them, but no one had really touched them. ¡°old master, the person in charge of picking you up is waiting inside. i¡¯ll leave first.¡± after the staff who had been carrying their luggage respectfully sent them to the door of the vip room, he bowed and left. when the people in the vip room heard the commotion, they finally looked up from their busy work. after all, there were probably only a few people who could receive such treatment at the airport, and the person in front of them was the reason why they specially came to the airport to waste time. when these people saw the arrival of lu jun, warm smiles appeared on their serious faces. their expressions changed very quickly. one of them walked confidently to lu jun and took the luggage standing beside him with a smile. ¡°grandpa, did your trip to g city go smoothly?¡± lu jun glanced at shi man behind him from the corner of his eye and the corners of his mouth curled up to the maximum. ¡°it went smoothly. i gained a lot this time. the people behind me are all big shots. get to know them well.¡± shi man stood coldly behind lu jun, exuding an aura that kept people away. the man¡¯s gaze slowly swept across each of their faces. after pausing on shi man, his gaze finally landed on shi zhong. ¡°these two must be uncle shi and aunt shen. hello, my name is lu li. it¡¯s our first time meeting. please take care of me in the future.¡± he bowed respectfully to shi zhong and shen xian. his attitude was gentle and humble, and he observed etiquette. shi zhong couldn¡¯t find any fault with him and could only smile at him. ¡°yes, i¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll see each other often in the future. my daughter is new here and needs your care..¡± Chapter 561 - Chapter 561: Staying Under Someone Else’s Roof chapter 561: staying under someone else¡¯s roof translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios lu li¡¯s gaze naturally followed his words to shi man. before he could speak, the man who had been standing beside shi man suddenly flashed and stood in front of her. lu li lowered his eyes and saw the two of them holding hands tightly. his eyes turned cold and a trace of displeasure flashed across them, but he quickly regained his bright smile. ¡°this should be president yi. president yi is famous. i¡¯ve always wanted to see him personally.¡± he shook yi zheng¡¯s hand politely, but his eyes were fixed in shi man¡¯s direction. he smiled and said, ¡°miss shi is indeed the daughter of the richest man. it¡¯s rare for my grandfather to value someone so much. moreover, the person he values is a girl. it seems that there are many things i need to learn from miss shi. please guide me in the future.¡± shi man nodded coldly and did not say anything else. lu li was stunned for a moment before coming back to his senses. he turned his attention to shi mu and naturally exchanged pleasantries. there was no danger in lu li, but shi man had already investigated before she came. he was a young officer who had followed his grandfather into the army when he was young and carried out many tight missions. his strength could not be underestimated. however, his performance today was like that of a smooth businessman. it was completely different from what she had heard. shi man couldn¡¯t help but look at him. a fiery gaze beside her suddenly became burning. shi man retracted her gaze helplessly and turned to look at the unfriendly man beside her. she leaned closer and coaxed in a low voice, ¡°you don¡¯t have to be jealous just because i took a few more glances at someone, right? am i the kind of person who changes her mind?¡± yi zheng snorted and turned away, ignoring her. he tightened his grip on her hand again, wishing he could crush her and rub her into his bones so that she could never look at other men again. lu li invited the group to the car. the lu family even sent a special driver to send them back to the shi family¡¯s manor in the capital. shi zhong was considerate. a few days ago, when they decided to leave g city, he had already sent someone here to clean the rooms in advance. yi zheng took this opportunity to live next to shi man openly. shi zhong did not say anything after seeing this. he just frowned and let him be. he had traveled thousands of miles just to accompany his daughter and put down his family business to come to the capital. how could he not even let her stay in a room? anyway, they were only staying next door to each other and not in the same room. he could just get someone to keep an eye on them. as soon as the shi family settled down, lu li came to visit personally. he brought a group of servants and nannies. after instructing them to help pack, he sat in the living room and drank tea with shi zhong and shen xian. before leaving, lu xiang and shen xian squeezed in the same room and chatted privately for the entire night. the two of them had married into g city from m city together and had never been separated since they were young. this time, she had gone far to the capital and did not even have a friend to talk to. naturally, she felt lonely and sad. lu li seemed to be able to see through her thoughts. he chatted with her warmly and said with a smile, ¡°aunt shen, you don¡¯t know yet, right? my mother has actually always wanted to get to know you. tonight, the lu family will hold a welcome banquet. i specially came to invite uncle and auntie to participate. auntie will definitely get along well with my mother.¡± ¡°sure.¡± shen xian nodded without a smile. the lu family had personally sent their eldest grandson to invite them. even if they were unwilling, they had to go. when they arrived in the capital, the originally high and mighty shi family actually seemed to be living under someone else¡¯s roof. shi man stood above the stairs and looked coldly at the scene downstairs. lu li seemed to have sensed something and looked up at her. the smile in his eyes was deep, and there was no malice. shi man looked away coldly and slowly walked down the stairs. ¡°mom, when we took the plane today, you said that you weren¡¯t feeling well. why don¡¯t you let dad accompany you to your room to rest for a while now?¡± shen xian glanced at lu li awkwardly, her meaning very obvious. he was still sitting here. how could she go back to her room to sleep with her husband? however, shi man did not ask shen xian to follow her to make her suffer. she had always been protective. at this moment, she saw the worry in shen xian¡¯s eyes and did not take it to heart. instead, she turned to lu li expressionlessly and opened her thin lips. her voice was so cold that the temperature in the room dropped. ¡°young master lu, my mother is not in good health and needs to rest. you won¡¯t mind, right?¡± lu li was stunned for a moment, as if he had never seen a girl like shi man who did not take him to heart. he nodded in a daze and said, ¡°of course not. 1 came too suddenly and disturbed uncle and auntie¡¯s rest. 1¡¯11 leave first.¡± ¡°yes, 1 won¡¯t send you off.¡± shi man never smiled at him. after he left, shi man personally bent down to help shen xian up. shi man sighed with heartache. ¡°mom, it¡¯ll be the same here as in g city in the future. you don¡¯t have to worry so much.¡± ¡°how can it be the same?¡± shen xian shook her head helplessly. ¡°the lu family is powerful and this is their territory.. how can we be as at ease as in g city?¡± Chapter 562 - Chapter 562: Reception Banquet chapter 562: reception banquet translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man suddenly stopped in her tracks and tightened her grip on shen xian. shen xian frowned and looked up in surprise. she met her daughter¡¯s murderous gaze and was shocked. she subconsciously asked in a trembling voice, ¡°manman, what¡¯s wrong?¡± shi man closed her eyes and took a deep breath. when she opened her eyes again, she looked at shen xian steadily and said word byword, ¡°no matter where you are or who you face, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to do what you don¡¯t want to do. i¡¯m here for everything. you don¡¯t have to worry about anyone¡¯s feelings. just do what you want.¡± shi man desperately wanted to tell her that she was still confident that she could do whatever she wanted. shen xian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. immediately, a warm liquid rushed into her eyes, forcing her nose to ache and she almost cried. it was only because shi zhong hugged her shoulders that she barely suppressed the urge to cry. shi zhong¡¯s heart ached for his wife the most. of course, he didn¡¯t want to see her force herself. he coaxed her softly, ¡°that¡¯s right, wife. don¡¯t worry. no matter where 1 am, i will protect our family. manman is right. no one can force you.¡± shen xian was touched as she held their hands. as long as their family could still be together happily, it did not matter which city they were in. shi mu stood quietly on the stairs and watched the scene in the living room. sensing a figure beside him, he said in a low voice, ¡°you can take good care of my sister, right? if you can¡¯t, 1¡¯11 take her away. i won¡¯t let her suffer at all.¡± yi zheng was silent for a moment, his dark eyes flickering with heat. he nodded firmly and promised shi mu and himself, ¡°i can definitely protect her.¡± at the lu family¡¯s welcome banquet, they invited all the dignitaries and their families in the capital. the shi family had just arrived, but they were treated as guests by the lu family. naturally, they attracted the gazes of a group of people who sized up them. lu jun took this opportunity to officially introduce shi man to everyone as a new student. he also instructed her to enter the capital military academy with su tang and bai xue. this school had a long history. the students studying there were all descendants of military officers. shi man was the first to come from a business family. not to mention that she had brought two burdens. however, with the approval of lu jun, no one dared to say anything on the surface. most of them smiled and said flattering words. chu yue stood in the middle of the group of girls with a livid expression. she looked coldly at shi man, who was surrounded by people in the crowd. that position that should have belonged to her alone was easily snatched away by shi man. she could only stand at the edge and look up at her being praised. the girls beside her were all young ladies from high-ranking officials in the capital. all of them were smart. with just one look at chu yue¡¯s expression, they understood the grudge between her and shi man. tong su rolled her eyes and carefully moved to chu yue¡¯s side. ¡°sister chu, 1 don¡¯t think this shi man is much. why does grandpa lu dote on her so much?¡± chu yue was annoyed at the mention of this. she rolled her eyes angrily and said, ¡°how would i know? shi man might have drugged my teacher.¡± it was impossible for her to admit that the reason why shi man had her current status was all because of her arrogant bet. otherwise, shi man would not have had the chance to show her face in front of lu jun. tong su¡¯s thoughts raced. she smiled and leaned closer. she grabbed her arm and coaxed, ¡°sister chu, don¡¯t be angry. you and i have always been on the same side. i will definitely think of a way to help you deal with the person you hate.¡± chu yue¡¯s dark eyes lit up. tong su was the daughter of the principal of the military academy. shi man would soon enter the military academy to attend classes. wouldn¡¯t tong su be useful? she had an idea, but she deliberately put on airs. ¡°since you have the heart, 1¡¯11 leave this matter to you without worry. after this is done, i¡¯ll definitely give you benefits.¡± tong su pursed her lips and chuckled. her scheming gaze swept across shi man and turned into a harmless smile. she had a high status in school and had endless torture methods. if shi man fell into her hands, it would probably not be long before she took the initiative to leave. the few people who had been deliberately targeted by tong su had all ended up like this. lu li had been skillfully wandering among various people. after sending away another group of people who came to flatter him, he finally had the time to lure shen xian to his mother and introduce the two of them to each other. mrs. lu was a straightforward person. when she saw shen xian, she did not put on any airs. instead, she held shen xian¡¯s hand warmly and carefully asked her if she needed anything after coming here. she sensed a thin layer of calluses on shen xian¡¯s finger and understood. she smiled even more warmly. ¡°sister shen must like to play cards too! 1¡¯11 set up a game another day.. come to my house and let¡¯s have fun together!¡± Chapter 563 - Chapter 563: Start of School chapter 563: start of school translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios mrs. lu was indeed as enthusiastic and hearty as lu li had said. shen xian felt that she could get along with her after seeing her. the two women quickly progressed from the stage of politeness to the game of cards and chatted happily for a moment. shi man had been paying attention to the commotion here. she was relieved when she did not see shen xian looking uncomfortable. yi zheng walked to her side with a glass of wine and tilted his head to say something to her. this scene happened to be seen by tong su. she grabbed chu yue¡¯s arm excitedly and shook it desperately. ¡°sister chu, that man is president yi, right? he¡¯s even more handsome than on television!¡± ¡°of course.¡± for some reason, chu yue felt a little smug when she heard others talk about yi zheng like this. however, this smugness quickly disappeared under yi zheng and shi man¡¯s intimate whispers. tong su saw the smugness and jealousy in her eyes clearly. she had some more ways to deal with shi man. it was a pity that chu yue had taken a fancy to such a handsome man. otherwise, she would have fallen in love with him and snatched him over. the next day, after shi man finished her meal early in the morning, she was sent to school by yi zheng and shi mu. bai xue and su tang were with her. the two of them originally only needed to study in other humanities universities in the capital, but they insisted on accompanying shi man, especially su tang. it was not that she was worried about shi man entering the new school alone. she just wanted to stay by shi man¡¯s side. otherwise, her heart would always be empty and uneasy. as the three of them were personally introduced by lu jun and had not gone through the entrance examination, they were placed in the best class in the cohort, class s. many of the students in the class had personally participated in the welcoming banquet last night, so they naturally knew the three of them. after the teacher briefly introduced the three of them as usual, he had to arrange seats for them. the class monitor, tong su, raised her arm enthusiastically and suggested with a smile, ¡°teacher, let manman sit beside me! i heard that shi man¡¯s academic results are especially outstanding. i want to consult her more!¡± tong su was the principal¡¯s daughter, so the teacher naturally had no objections. however, tong su already had a deskmate by her side¡­ the teachers of this military academy were also in the military. they were basically all subordinates of the army. although they were respectfully addressed as teachers in school, only they knew that the identities of these students in school were more than a little higher than theirs. this military academy was different from cassel academy. cassel could still accommodate students with good academic results but ordinary family backgrounds, but this military academy was a place specially designed to nurture talents for the army. the identities of every student were not simple. therefore, it was impossible for the form teacher to take the initiative to ask her to change seats. anyway, with tong su¡¯s personality, she would definitely do what she wanted. as expected, when tong su saw that shi man¡¯s face was expressionless, she automatically tacitly agreed that shi man had agreed to be her deskmate. she turned to look at the boy who was still stunned beside her. he clearly had a pair of lovable peach blossom eyes, but the gaze that shot out of his eyes was not charming at all. instead, it was extremely threatening. the boy immediately reacted and hurriedly packed his things. he decisively moved to the empty seat in the last row and handed his seat over without saying anything. only then did tong su retract her gaze in satisfaction and continue to look at shi man with a smile. ¡°student shi, please sit.¡± everyone in class s knew tong su¡¯s character. at this moment, they looked at shi man with some sympathy and schadenfreude. shi man glanced at them indifferently and finally landed her gaze on tong su. she said slowly, ¡°there¡¯s no need. 1 like to sit in the last row.¡± with that, she ignored tong su¡¯s change in expression and actually held su tang¡¯s hand. she openly walked to the two empty seats in the last row and sat down. bai xue quickly reacted and hurriedly sat beside the boy. this was the first time tong su had been disrespected in public. her expression was so dark that even the form teacher could not help but sweat for shi man. fortunately, the bell rang at this moment, barely saving the students in the classroom who did not even dare to breathe. su tang leaned to shi man¡¯s ear under the cover of the ringtone and asked worriedly, ¡°manman, actually, you don¡¯t have to be my deskmate. we offended our classmates as soon as we arrived. i¡¯m worried¡­¡± ¡°what are you afraid of?¡± shi man interrupted her indifferently. she flipped open the newly issued textbook and said casually, ¡°i like you to be my deskmate. i¡¯m not used to it if it¡¯s someone else.¡± su tang was stunned for a moment. then, she remembered that when she and shi man were in cassel academy, she actually felt as if a lifetime had passed. she pursed her lips and chuckled. she also read her textbook and stopped talking. forget it. she didn¡¯t want to be separated from shi man anyway. as long as man man was around, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid even if she became enemies with everyone in this school.. Chapter 564 - Chapter 564: Scheme chapter 564: scheme translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after the class ended, su tang was exhausted. the curriculum of this military academy contained a lot of knowledge that she had never touched before, making it especially difficult for her to learn. she could only choose the key points and note them down in her notes. she would study them carefully after class. on the other hand, shi man still looked at ease, making su tang feel even more melancholic. comparisons were indeed infuriating. if only she was half as smart as manman! as su tang wailed in her heart, she resigned herself to fate and picked up the textbook for the next class. she prepared to study it well first, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to keep up with the teacher¡¯s lecture in the next class. she was scribbling in her textbook when she suddenly felt that the sunlight on her left was blocked. she looked up in surprise and realized that the chaotic classroom had quietened down. tong su was standing by shi man¡¯s table with her back facing the light, staring at her with a faint smile. shi man, who was resting on the table, seemed to have sensed something and stood up. she narrowed her eyes and looked at tong su unhappily. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?1¡¯ tong su¡¯s smile did not fade as she placed a document in her hand on her desk. ¡°registration form. after you¡¯re done, i¡¯ll bring you to the finance department to register and apply for the school¡¯s meal card and student id.¡± ¡°okay.¡± shi man looked down at the registration form seriously. after confirming that there were no problems, she handed the extra two to bai xue and su tang. after writing, she looked up at tong su, who was still waiting at the side, and said expressionlessly, ¡°tell me the location. 1 can go myself.¡± ¡°how can that do? it¡¯s my duty as the class monitor to help the new students with the procedures.¡± seeing that they had filled in the form, tong su smiled and made way for them to follow her. shi man did not refuse and followed her out of the classroom. from the teaching building to the teacher¡¯s office, one had to walk outside and circle from the field to another building. the field of the military academy was different from that of ordinary universities. it was not an exaggeration to say that this was a training ground, but it was obvious that there were no strict military disciplines in the army. the students who came here to participate in the training were only here to complete the course and not really train any skills. some of them would join the army after graduation, and some would enter the army to work as civilian commanders. they did not need a strong physique or outstanding skills. therefore, the school¡¯s instructors did not ask them to strictly complete the mission like in the army. occasionally, they would still give them time to move around in class. once these hedonistic sons obtained freedom, they would completely let themselves go. this was also the reason why very few girls chose to take the path in front of the teaching building as long as there were classes participating in training downstairs. they usually walked around the back of the building. tong su had specially brought shi man and the other two girls around the school today, so she naturally came in a high-profile manner. on the training ground, many sweaty male students had already taken off their shirts and were sizing them up. even from a distance, tong su could feel the endless heat coming from there. she hated the smell and subconsciously stood a little further away, almost walking close to the wall. however, shi man was already used to such a scene. she followed behind her without changing her expression. although the boys were still participating in training, their eyes had already fallen on shi man. the teacher naturally understood their thoughts. he closed his eyes in frustration and pretended not to see. he said in disgust, ¡°today¡¯s training will end here. you can move around freely, but don¡¯t cause trouble.¡± ¡°yes!¡± a loud voice sounded in the field. without the restraint of the instructor, the group of youths immediately ran over like wild horses and surrounded shi man and the others. they knew tong su and did not dare to provoke her easily, so they subconsciously blocked her out of the crowd and stared at the three new girls fearlessly. the man in the lead with a buzz cut grinned from ear to ear. his tanned chest was covered in sweat. he raised his chin slightly and looked at the three of them proudly. ¡°who¡¯s shi man?¡± su tang was suddenly surrounded by a group of half-naked men. she looked at shi man uneasily, pursed her lips, and stood in front of her. she stammered nervously, ¡°i¡­ i am!¡± tong su looked at her in surprise and said gently, ¡°su tang, stop joking. they just want to greet the three of you.¡± su tang couldn¡¯t help but turn around and glare at her. seeing the teasing flash in her eyes, she realized that they had actually been schemed against by her! tong su clearly knew that such a scene would happen, so she specially brought them on this route! when the boys heard tong su¡¯s words, they immediately understood. the boy with the buzz cut pushed su tang, who was blocking in front of him, into the arms of his brothers. then, he approached shi man with a malicious smile. however, before he could speak, the girl with a dark expression in front of him suddenly flashed and disappeared in front of him.. Chapter 565 - Chapter 565: Practice chapter 565: practice translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios before he could react, his brother suddenly let out a scream, right on the heels of which was the muffled sound of something heavy falling to the ground. the man turned around in horror and saw the girl he had casually pushed away just now leaning firmly in shi man¡¯s arm. his brother was actually wailing as he fell to the ground two meters away, holding his stomach and coughing non-stop. ¡°what did you do?¡± the man glared at shi man fiercely, his gaze sweeping across tong su. sensing the surprise in her eyes before she turned around, his weathered face darkened. shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at him. she gently let go of the girl in her arms and asked with concern, ¡°are you alright? did he touch you?¡± the man¡¯s chest was filled with disgusting sweat. if su tang accidentally fell on it, she would probably not want her clothes. shi man remembered that the dress su tang was wearing was personally made by her, and it was her favorite. ¡°i¡¯m talking to you! are you deaf?!¡± the man couldn¡¯t stand being ignored like this. he immediately walked up to shi man angrily and pointed at her nose. ¡°what did you do just now? apologize to my brother quickly!¡± ¡°why?¡± shi man raised her eyelids lazily, not taking him seriously at all. the man was so angry that he laughed. there was a mocking smile on his lips. ¡°don¡¯t think that just because your shi family is the richest in g city, you can do whatever you want in our capital. let me tell you, your shi family¡¯s lousy money is nothing in our eyes!¡± ¡°oh.¡± shi man helped su tang tidy her wrinkled skirt before looking up at him in satisfaction. ¡°so?¡± the man had been in the school for so many years. other than tong su, he had never seen a girl who did not take him seriously. he immediately placed his hands on his hips angrily and said, ¡°do you know who i am? lu li is my cousin! a businessman can never compare to an official! no matter how rich your shi family is, you have to obediently submit to the lu family!¡± he thought that the lu family would make shi man afraid. after all, everyone knew that shi man was a new student of the army. unfortunately, shi man did not have a good impression of the lu family at all. when she heard him mention the lu family proudly, her expression became even more disdainful. ¡°oh, then whose family are you from? why are you only mentioning your cousin¡¯s family? can¡¯t you say your family name?¡± ¡°you!¡± the man¡¯s face turned red from his words. he pointed at her nose angrily and said, ¡°listen carefully. my name is feng kai. everyone in the military school has to listen to me except for tong su!¡± shi man slapped his hand away in disgust. she seemed to have used a little strength, but the back of feng kai¡¯s hand was already red. her eyes darkened as she took a step forward and stood in front of him. ¡°listen carefully. 1 don¡¯t care who you are. if you dare to point your finger at me and speak again, i¡¯ll chop off your finger and feed it to the dogs.¡± ¡°you¡¯re really f*cking shameless!¡± feng kai gritted his teeth and cursed, the expression on his face becoming even more ferocious and terrifying. ¡°brothers, we¡¯ll let this girl know how powerful we are today!¡± ¡°yes!¡± the men around her were already tempted by shi man. what they liked the most was to bully every newcomer who transferred over. the first few were boys, so it was not interesting to play with them. however, this time was different. these were three delicate young ladies who had returned. although shi man looked quite imposing, with so many men gathered together, it was impossible for them not to be able to defeat a young lady. admittedly, they were very afraid of shi man¡¯s kick that had sent their companion flying. however, shi man was outnumbered after all. it was difficult for two fists to defeat four legs. they were absolutely confident that they could capture shi man together. tong su sensibly took a step back and stood in a shady place far away from them to watch the commotion. if a teacher came, she could pretend to be innocent and complain to the teacher. the naked men around them rubbed their palms together and stared at the three prey gathered in the middle with lecherous smiles. the scent unique to males lingered in her nose for a long time. shi man frowned uncontrollably. in order not to let her body be tainted by this pungent smell, she decided to end the battle quickly. feng kai was the first to move. he reached out to grab shi man¡¯s wrist, wanting to pull her into his arms and take advantage of her. however, before his outstretched hand could touch the corner of shi man¡¯s clothes, a kick flew up from the side and hit his arm, causing him to grimace in pain. shi man turned around in surprise to look at su tang, who had just retracted her leg and was waiting solemnly. she couldn¡¯t hide the smile in her eyes. ¡°not bad. you¡¯ve improved a lot. it seems that you did train according to my plan previously.¡± su tang was praised by shi man and raised her eyebrows proudly. ¡°of course! i haven¡¯t dared to slack off. this time, i can use them to practice!¡± ¡°shameless boasting!¡± feng kai covered his injured arm and ordered sternly, ¡°all of you, attack! capture them as your reward!¡± Chapter 566 - Chapter 566: Complaint chapter 566: complaint translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man sneered and casually knocked down two boys who pounced on her. su tang was not at a disadvantage. although she had just trained for a short time, there were not many people who could persist according to shi man¡¯s plan. her physical fitness and combat skills had improved greatly in a short period of time, and she was no longer a weak woman! on the other hand, bai xue screamed repeatedly. however, shi man could easily overturn them all by herself. now that su tang had diverted the attention of a portion of the people, it was not a problem for her to protect bai xue. occasionally, when shi man knocked down a boy, she could even take the time to look at tong su. tong su felt her hair stand on end from her stare. coincidentally, the instructor walked out of the washroom and noticed the commotion. she hurriedly ran towards the instructor and shouted in a muffled voice, ¡°not good, teacher. the new students are fighting with someone! 1 can¡¯t stop them. what should we do!¡± the instructor hated it when someone fought in school. when he heard this, his expression immediately turned extremely ugly. he ran towards the crowd. he looked at the boy who had fallen to the ground and the three girls standing steadily in the middle. he suddenly felt that the scene was too comical and could not help but ask, ¡°what exactly is going on?¡± how could this group of hot-blooded youths be beaten up by three thin and weak girls? feng kai covered his arm and walked to the instructor¡¯s side with sweat on his forehead. he complained first, ¡°instructor, we just wanted to get to know our new classmate, but we didn¡¯t expect this classmate to attack us. look at my arm. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s already broken!¡± the instructor frowned and looked down at his forearm. he nodded with a solemn expression. ¡°it¡¯s very serious. hurry up and go to the infirmary to get the teacher to deal with it. otherwise, i¡¯m afraid there will be aftereffects.¡± hearing that there would be aftereffects, feng kai¡¯s expression turned even uglier. he glared at the calm shi man and snorted. before he left, he didn¡¯t forget to complain. ¡°teacher, she was the one who hit me just now. you have to punish her! she caused trouble and fought as soon as she came to school. our military school can¡¯t take in such a student!¡± ¡°alright!¡± the instructor knew feng kai¡¯s character. usually, when he saw him bully his classmates, he would turn a blind eye. as long as he did not go overboard, he could not be bothered. after all, feng kai usually wouldn¡¯t catch and bully someone endlessly. when he was tired of it, he naturally wouldn¡¯t find trouble with the same person. however, the instructor did not expect that this young master, who was domineering in school with his family background, would be taught a lesson today. suppressing the smile in his heart, the instructor asked with a serious expression, ¡°what exactly is going on? new student, do you have anything to say?¡± shi man calmly moved her gaze away from feng kai and landed on the instructor who was trying his best to suppress his laughter. ¡°no, i just beat him up. in the future, if he provokes me again, i¡¯ll beat him up every time 1 see him. you can punish as much as you want, but as long as he¡¯s not honest, i¡¯ll still beat him up.¡± this time, not only the instructor, but even feng kai could not help but widen his eyes. after being domineering for so many years, he had never seen such an arrogant woman! she actually said that she wanted to beat him up every time she saw him! how preposterous! feng kai walked forward angrily. ignoring the pain in his arm, he raised his finger and was about to point at shi man¡¯s nose. shi man glanced coldly at his fingers, her eyes flashing with anticipation. feng kai panicked for no reason and understood that she was really looking forward to him stretching out his finger for her to fold. he suddenly retracted his hand. using the pain in his arm as an excuse, he lowered his outstretched fingers and covered his forearm. ¡°how dare you! aren¡¯t you afraid of being expelled by the school?¡± ¡°sure, 1 couldn¡¯t ask for more.¡± shi man raised her eyes, the anticipation on her face no less than before. feng kai suddenly realized that this woman really didn¡¯t like this school. his expression suddenly darkened. ¡°i heard that your family came to the capital with you. aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll cause trouble for them?¡± shi man narrowed her eyes and said with a smile, ¡°go ahead and try. after all, even you should have a family.¡± feng kai frowned and only came back to his senses after a while. realizing that shi man was actually scolding him just now, he immediately snorted and walked back to the instructor. ¡°teacher, you have to punish her today. i want her to apologize to me in front of the entire school!¡± ¡°this¡­¡± the private instructor was very happy to see someone deal with feng kai, but at this point, as an instructor, he had to deal with the students who caused trouble, which made him a little troubled. just as he was conflicted, a honk came from the periphery of the training ground. the few of them hurriedly turned their heads to look and saw a person stepping out of the black limousine.. Chapter 567 - Chapter 567: Help Out chapter 567: help out translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios right on the heels of that, feng kai¡¯s eyes lit up. like a clingy puppy, he hurriedly ran towards that person and kept shouting, ¡°brother! brother, you came at the right time!¡± lu li glanced at his brother¡¯s tightly covered arm expressionlessly. seeing that there seemed to be some bruises on it, he immediately understood. he actually walked around feng kai and slowly walked in front of shi man. ¡°did my brother hurt you just now?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and did not speak. instead, she admired feng kai¡¯s pale face for a while before saying in a good mood, ¡°he can¡¯t hurt me.¡± lu li chuckled and nodded. ¡°that¡¯s good. as expected of a talent valued by my grandfather. but it¡¯s class time now. why are you still standing here?¡± shi man glanced sideways at tong su, who was trembling at the side. ¡°the class monitor said that she wanted to take us to get a meal card and student id, so we followed.¡± lu li smiled knowingly and did not say anything. he just took the initiative to take their registration forms from tong su¡¯s hand and said, ¡°i happen to have something to tell teacher. i¡¯ll bring you there on the way.¡± ¡°brother lu.¡± tong su bit her lip unwillingly. lu li patted her shoulder comfortingly and said, ¡°be good. go back to class quickly. leave this to me.¡± tong su pouted and nodded, as if she had suffered a lot just now. however, when she walked around lu li and turned to look at shi man¡¯s back, she almost gritted her teeth. this woman clearly already had a fiance, but she actually hooked up with brother lu li! lu li¡¯s appearance successfully resolved the instructor¡¯s crisis. the instructor shook lu li¡¯s hand gently and thanked him. then, he brought feng kai and the others to the infirmary. only the four of them were left on the training ground. lu li walked up to shi man guiltily and looked down at her slightly heroic eyebrows. he apologized to her respectfully, ¡°miss shi, i¡¯m really sorry. my brother has been spoiled by his family since he was young. if he offended you just now, please don¡¯t lower yourself to his level.¡± shi man glanced at him and took the registration form from his hand. ¡°got it. can we leave now?¡± lu li couldn¡¯t help but laugh and nod. ¡°of course. i¡¯ll bring you there now.¡± the procedures for applying for a meal card and student id were not complicated. lu li had been waiting quietly at the side. only when all the procedures were completed did he send her to the school building with a smile and separate from them. it was not until she was far away that su tang heaved a sigh of relief. she quickly took two steps to shi man¡¯s side and reminded her with a serious expression, ¡°manman, i keep feeling that this lu li is not as simple as he seems. let¡¯s not trust him too much.¡± shi man looked at her in surprise and patted her head approvingly. ¡°not bad. not only have you improved, but your taste has also improved.¡± su tang smoothed the top of her hair that was messed up by her unhappily. she wanted to say that her taste had always been good, but when she looked at shi man¡¯s smiling eyes, she couldn¡¯t retort. forget it. it was just a compliment anyway. she would just have to listen. bai xue followed behind the two of them hesitantly. seeing that they were about to enter the classroom, she hurriedly stopped them and lowered her head awkwardly. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i was a burden just now. if not for me, you guys would have¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t say that.¡± shi man didn¡¯t want to hear her say such things and interrupted her directly. ¡°i¡¯ve never felt that you¡¯re a burden to anyone. you naturally have good attributes. you don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry to deny yourself, nor do you have to apologize to us.¡± ¡°but i¡­¡± bai xue blamed herself until her eyes turned red. thinking of the scene of the fight just now, she still felt a little afraid. if not for shi man holding her hand and protecting her, she would have fallen into the hands of those men. su tang looked at the current bai xue as if she had seen herself, who had always needed shi man¡¯s protection. she pursed her lips and smiled. she patted her shoulder comfortingly. ¡°manman said that everyone has their own areas of expertise. there¡¯s no need to force yourself to know everything. however, if you want to train with me, i¡¯ll definitely be very willing. just treat it as strengthening your body!¡± bai xue blinked happily. ¡°are you serious? can 1 really do it? but i¡¯m born with poor stamina and very little strength. i¡¯m afraid that i¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t be afraid.¡± su tang rolled up the thin sleeve on her arm and stretched her fair arm in front of her. ¡°look, i¡¯ve only developed a little muscle now. i can still beat them up! manman¡¯s training method is very powerful!¡± a hint of hope appeared in bai xue¡¯s eyes. she nodded heavily and clenched the student in her hand. ¡°alright! i¡¯ll practice! i want to beat these bullying fellows up!¡± only then did su tang smile in relief. after the three of them walked into the classroom, they immediately saw tong su sitting in the front row staring at them. the corners of their lips immediately lowered.. Chapter 568 - Chapter 568: Counterattack chapter 568: counterattack translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the three of them had seen tong su¡¯s performance clearly just now. shi man had guessed from the beginning that this person had ill intentions, so she was not too surprised just now. however, su tang and bai xue were clearly very dissatisfied with her. especially su tang. she used to be the class monitor and had always thought for her classmates first. sometimes, she even did not hesitate to put herself at a disadvantage. su tang looked down on tong su¡¯s act of sending three female classmates to the wolf¡¯s den. she was low-key and docile and rarely got angry, but even so, tong su still made her angry. the three of them received the teacher¡¯s permission to return to their seats for class. when su tang passed by tong su¡¯s desk, she looked at the foot that suddenly stretched out in front of her. she made up her mind and stepped on it without hesitation. the scream shocked everyone in the classroom. the teacher looked at tong su in disbelief. then, she saw the gentle and innocent su tang slowly retract her foot. her tone was cold. ¡°aiyo, i really didn¡¯t expect there to be a foot sticking out from the aisle. 1 accidentally stepped on you. i¡¯m really sorry.¡± tong su hurriedly retracted her leg and glared at her while enduring the pain. a fierce glint flashed across her eyes. su tang smiled and did not take it to heart. she turned around and left with a smile. this scene made everyone in the class look at su tang in a different light. they thought that this was shi man¡¯s gentle and obedient sidekick who was in charge of running errands. she did not expect her to have a treacherous smiley side. she even dared to fight tong su in front of so many people. either she was really capable or she thought too highly of herself. however, they had not heard of such a person in the capital¡¯s su family. did she really think that shi man could protect her and let her do whatever she wanted under tong su¡¯s nose? ignoring what others said about su tang¡¯s actions just now, shi man was even more satisfied with su tang. this was a little lamb that she had personally trained. now, it had actually learned to bite. bai xue was envious and secretly encouraged herself not to be timid. she had to return the favor to those who bullied her! half of this class had passed, and su tang could no longer keep up with the teacher¡¯s progress. she could only hurriedly memorize the notes for the remaining half of the class. she directly memorized everything the teacher said because she could not tell what was the main point. seeing that she was sweating profusely, shi man couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. she reached out and pulled her notes over. after reading them carefully for a while, she took out a red pen and drew a few straight horizontal lines on them before stuffing them back into her hand. ¡°done.¡± su tang widened her eyes in shock. she looked at the specially marked focus on the notes and raised her voice in disbelief. ¡°manman, you¡¯re too amazing! you can actually keep up with the teacher¡¯s progress the first time you listen to this class!¡± shi man smiled without saying anything. she had the memories and abilities from before she transmigrated, so there was nothing to be proud of when facing a beginner like su tang. however, su tang¡¯s praise was not soft, immediately attracting the attention of the others in the class. tong su rolled her eyes in disdain and muttered something. shi man and the others did not hear it clearly, but the girl beside tong su did. she was still thinking about how su tang had deliberately stepped on tong su¡¯s feet just now. now that she saw that su tang was still so ostentatious, she was instantly furious. she walked over with a straight face and glared at su tang. ¡°hey, bumpkin from the countryside. do you know that you have to maintain order between classes? do you think this is a market when you speak so loudly? what rules can a country bumpkin from a remote village know? are you worthy of going to school with us?¡± these words were a little hurtful. shi man frowned and was about to speak up for her when su tang took the initiative to stand up and retort, ¡°you know that this isn¡¯t the market, so you shouldn¡¯t bite people like a shrew quarreling.¡± ¡°who are you calling a shrew?¡± the girl was the eldest daughter of a high-ranking government official. no one had ever dared to say that about her. she immediately grabbed someone else¡¯s textbook and threw it at her. the textbooks of the military school were different from other schools. they had a lot to learn. the textbooks were as thick as a brick. if su tang was really hit, her head would probably swell up. shi man¡¯s eyes turned cold. she raised her hand and easily took the textbook before throwing it back. the girl¡¯s eyes had been following the textbook. seeing that it had been thrown back by shi man, she hurriedly screamed and covered her head in a sorry state. the heavy textbook hit her arm hard, causing her to immediately cry. the classmate beside her hurriedly picked up the textbook that had fallen to the ground and hugged it in her arms. she avoided them from afar, afraid that she would be implicated. tong su walked over with a worried expression to check the injury on the girl¡¯s arm. she turned around and glared at shi man coldly. ¡°on your first day of school today, you had conflicts with your classmates one after another and beat them up. aren¡¯t you afraid that i¡¯ll get the principal to expel you?¡± shi man sneered, not taking her threat seriously at all.. ¡°who attacked first? are you selectively blind?¡± Chapter 569 - Chapter 569: Teasing chapter 569: teasing translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tong su¡¯s face turned red from her words, but she had been in school for so many years and was not easy to control. she let go of her companion and walked up to shi man with her head raised. she lowered her voice and said, ¡°do you think i really can¡¯t do anything to you after you¡¯ve offended me like this?¡± shi man smiled indifferently. ¡°if 1 don¡¯t offend you, will you let me go?¡± tong su was stunned and could not refute it. she had promised chu yue that she would help her deal with shi man, so no matter if shi man lay flat and let herself be tortured or chose to fight back, tong su would not let her off easily. it seemed that shi man had long seen through her goal, so she had never thought of the option of submitting. she sneered and turned around to walk back to her seat with a cold expression. the girl who had been hit just now looked at tong su in confusion, as if she wanted her to avenge her. however, seeing her ashen expression, the girl could only glare at shi man aggrievedly and swallow this anger reluctantly for the time being. the farce between classes ended just like that. for the next day, tong su and her sidekick did not cause trouble for them. su tang was happy and at ease. she had been fighting against the knowledge in the book all day. she was dizzy from studying and could not stand steadily on the way home from school. bai xue hurriedly supported her and tested her forehead worriedly. ¡°tangtang, do you want to get a doctor to take a look? your condition is so bad.¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± su tang understood that she had read too many books and felt a little dizzy after an entire day. she shook her head in embarrassment and said, ¡°i¡¯m indeed inferior to manman. manman has probably remembered what teacher said today, right?¡± shi man glanced at her sideways and took the heavy bag from her hand. she weighed it in her hand and said helplessly, ¡°don¡¯t bring so many books back and forth in the future. if you don¡¯t know, 1 can explain it to you when we get home.¡± su tang¡¯s eyes lit up. she grabbed bai xue¡¯s arm excitedly and said, ¡°manman¡¯s lecture is easier to understand than teacher¡¯s! with her around, we don¡¯t have to worry about the exam!¡± bai xue had seen shi man¡¯s learning ability and nodded in agreement. ¡°manman is indeed amazing in this aspect. i didn¡¯t understand much today. it¡¯s different from the knowledge i came into contact with in the past. if not for manman, i¡¯m really worried that i would fail the exam.¡± actually, bai xue was very smart and learned things quickly. it was just that she had been away from class for too long. some things would appear difficult when one had to start from scratch. however, as long as she was given time, she would definitely be able to get a good result. a few people not far away surrounded tong su and heard their conversation just now. their faces were filled with disdain. in terms of studies, tong su, who had been influenced by her father since she was young, was clearly the better one. not only was she first in the cohort in every exam, but her training results were also top-notch. she was already one of the best among the girls. du yan, the girl who had been hit by shi man¡¯s book in the morning, pursed her lips in disdain and said, ¡°she¡¯s really a bumpkin from the countryside. she doesn¡¯t know anything. a frog at the bottom of the well really thinks that she can be a king! 1¡¯11 let sister tong torture them in the next exam!¡± tong su snorted and secretly remembered what they had just said. thinking of the special class tomorrow, her eyes were filled with calculation. the next afternoon, shi man and the others found out that there was a training class today. all the students of class s had to go to the field to participate in training. moreover, they had to wear the training clothes set by the school according to the rules. shi man and the others were transfer students and had not been given special clothes by the school. they could only wear their own clothes to participate in training. shi man discovered this yesterday when she was watching the boys¡¯ training. however, the class schedule in her hand clearly said that the training class was tomorrow, so she did not remind bai xue and su tang not to wear dresses today. shi man was fine. she usually liked to wear pants and not dresses, but their closet was almost filled with dresses. their clothes looked out of place on the training ground, immediately attracting the ridicule of the surrounding students. many male students from the training ground next door had already taken the time to whistle at them. they were teasing them, making the two of them blush. the instructor also looked at the two of them strangely and frowned unhappily. ¡°don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re participating in training today? why are you wearing such clothes?¡± su tang tightened her skirt aggrievedly and lowered her head. the tips of her ears were completely red. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, instructor. our class schedule might be wrong. it doesn¡¯t say that there are classes that require us to go to the field to participate in training today.¡± the instructor looked away impatiently and said, ¡°alright, let¡¯s not talk about these useless things. this is a military academy. the number of points taken up by training is far higher than the proportion of cultural classes. if you miss one training session, your usual points will be deducted.¡± ¡°don¡¯t!¡± su tang hurriedly raised her head and bit her lower lip aggrievedly. ¡°instructor, we won¡¯t be absent. we can insist on participating in training..¡± Chapter 570 - Chapter 570: Substitution chapter 570: substitution translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the instructor sized them up and nodded. ¡°alright, decide for yourselves. if you can¡¯t hold on later, stand at the side in a military posture until our training ends.¡± ¡°yes.¡± su tang lowered her head weakly. she really couldn¡¯t stand the malicious gazes of the boys around her. even a fool knew what they wanted to see the most. the corners of her eyes suddenly turned sour. su tang¡¯s eyes quickly turned red, but before she could cry aggrievedly, a warm hand suddenly grabbed su tang¡¯s arm. a cold and familiar voice suddenly sounded beside her. ¡°reporting, instructor!¡± the instructor stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at the girl who suddenly called out to him in confusion. ¡°speak.¡± shi man looked at everyone on the training ground and the dazzling sun above her head. she said expressionlessly, ¡°let the two of them rest. 1 can do triple the training.¡± this time, not only the instructor, but everyone present was stunned and looked at shi man in confusion. she really didn¡¯t know how strict the training they usually had to undergo was, right? even boys with outstanding stamina would feel their bones fall apart after a class of training. their bodies would definitely hurt for a while the next day to recover. however, shi man actually shamelessly said that she could complete the training for the other two alone. this was simply a fantasy! the instructor clearly felt that this suggestion was very unreliable. besides, training was to train one¡¯s own quality. how could he allow for substitutes? just as he was about to reject her, tong su suddenly spoke up for shi man. ¡°instructor, it¡¯s understandable that the new students don¡¯t know that we have to change into specific clothes for training. since someone is willing to complete the training for them, why don¡¯t you agree? just treat it as giving the new students a chance.¡± the people around them understood what tong su was up to. du yan hurriedly echoed, ¡°that¡¯s right, instructor. why don¡¯t we give her this chance? let¡¯s quickly train. we¡¯ve already delayed a lot of training time because of them.¡± the instructor frowned and glared at her. he muttered to himself, ¡°why don¡¯t i see you pampered young ladies know how to cherish your training time so much in the past?¡± however, he did not show it on his face. he said calmly, ¡°alright, 1¡¯11 give you this chance. however, if you can¡¯t complete the training later, the three of you will have your credits deducted.¡± as soon as these words were spoken, the gloating whispers of the people beside him became even louder. su tang hurriedly stopped shi man and lowered her voice. ¡°there¡¯s no need. the two of us can finish the training ourselves.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry.¡± shi man held her hand and instantly let go. she pushed her to a shady place to rest and returned to the training ground without hesitation. the instructor looked at shi man deeply, then turned around and walked to the front of the square formation to give the order. although the military academy was not stricter than the army when it came to the training requirements, it was far more demanding than the physical education classes in ordinary schools. tong su looked smug. shi man was willing to be in the limelight, but she was in a hurry to find fun for them. before the training began, it was just a simple warm-up, but this warm-up was no longer easy to complete. each of them had to report their own number and do twenty push-ups. this alone made many girls complain. fortunately, their family had already done preliminary training for them before sending them to the military academy. their bodies had some foundation. although it was difficult to do, they could at least complete it and not embarrass themselves. tong su gritted her teeth and insisted on finishing the routine she hated the most. then, she took out a fragrant tissue and wiped the sweat off her face. she looked like a noble young lady again and turned to look at shi man provocatively. the instructor realized that the students seemed to be especially cooperative with him today. even the completion speed of the training was much faster than usual. he followed the gazes of these students and saw the girl who was still sitting with a tense expression. he suddenly understood the reason for today¡¯s abnormality. these people were all waiting to see their new classmates make a fool of themselves. unfortunately, they were destined to be disappointed. others did not have the time to notice, but he had been observing this new student¡¯s training. as soon as the other girls finished their warm-up training, shi man had already quickly completed two sets of training. when tong su got up from the ground and dusted off her hands, she was halfway done. even the instructor could not help but exclaim at her physical fitness. with this physical fitness, it would probably not be a problem even if she entered the army to undergo training now. tong su wanted to see shi man make a fool of herself, but when she patted the dust off her body and looked at shi man, she was completely stunned by the speed at which she did push-ups. in a short period of time, shi man had already completed more than half of it. her elbows seemed to have endless strength. she straightened and bent without any hesitation.. she had already completed more than 50 push-ups without stopping at all! Chapter 571 - Chapter 571: Cheat Girl chapter 571: cheat girl translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios before anyone could react, shi man had already done 60 push-ups. even the instructor, who thought that he would be delayed because of shi man, could not help but be shocked. du yan blinked in disbelief, her sharp voice filled with disbelief. ¡°you must have done too little! how can you do it so quickly!¡± it had only been a minute after they had only completed twenty, but she had actually completed all sixty? however, her question was destined to sink into the sea and no one would care. just now, everyone in class s saw shi man¡¯s speed and was instantly shocked and speechless. the instructor coughed lightly, and a trace of admiration flashed in his eyes. ¡°alright, since you realize that others are stronger than you, you should intensify your training. let¡¯s proceed to the next segment, three kilometers of endurance training.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly, not paying much attention to the people around her looking at her like she was a monster. instead, she had some objections to this three-kilometer long-distance running project. wasn¡¯t this military academy a little too good to the students? what could be trained from just three kilometers? now that even su tang could easily run a three-kilometer run, did these people still think that this was a difficult mission? tong su lowered her head with a dark expression, but in the next moment, her lips curled into a meaningful smile. so what if she was good at push-ups? although the next long run was not difficult, shi man had to finish three people¡¯s training, which was a nine-kilometer long run. this was not an easy task. she wanted to see if shi man could still do it so easily later! as the instructor blew the whistle, everyone set off together. tong su smiled slightly, waiting to see shi man make a fool of herself. however, in the next second, she could not smile at all. who would have thought that a thin girl who had just finished a strenuous exercise would actually have the stamina to run at the front right on the heels of that? the moment the whistle sounded, shi man flew out like an arrow leaving the bow. in the blink of an eye, she landed more than half a circle around them. what was going on? didn¡¯t she know how to be tired? tong su bit her lower lip and stared fixedly at the figure in the distance. she gritted her teeth and endured her anger as she chased half a circle with her classmates. usually, they were used to conserving their strength for the three-kilometer endurance training. this was also the wisest way. however, now that manman, who was not human, was in the lead, they immediately felt embarrassed and could not be too lazy. they could only try their best to catch up. the afternoon sun was bright, and the scorching sunlight mercilessly evaporated the sweat in each of their bodies. sweat dripped down their bodies as if it was free. even tong su, who had always paid attention to her appearance, could not care less about wiping her sweat at this moment and could only run forward. it was not easy for them to chase after half a circle when a cold wind suddenly whistled past them. tong su had just felt that this cold wind had come at the right time and could dispel the heat in her body. she looked up slightly and suddenly realized that the instigator of the cold wind was shi man! when did she leave them behind? was she even human? tong su¡¯s unbelievable gaze landed on her back. only then did she realize that not only was shi man¡¯s running speed ridiculously fast, but she did not even sweat after running for two rounds. on the other hand, all of them were steaming. the smell of sweat gradually spread in the crowd; it was unpleasant and pungent. some of the students in class s had already realized shi man¡¯s true strength. they couldn¡¯t help but squeeze into tong su¡¯s side worriedly and lower their voices. ¡°sister tong, i¡¯m afraid man won¡¯t be easy to deal with. are we still going to go against her?¡± these words had the meaning of surrender, but there was never the word ¡°admit defeat¡± in tong su¡¯s dictionary! she gritted her teeth and glared back. ¡°why are you panicking? she has to run a total of nine kilometers! she hasn¡¯t even finished her share yet!¡± nine kilometers of training was not easy for ordinary people. with shi man¡¯s speed, it was obvious that she did not reserve enough stamina at all. so what if she ran fast now? if she couldn¡¯t run the entire journey, the three of them would still have their credits deducted! she had already thought of this when she secretly changed the class schedule the teacher had given shi man! she had to teach these three a lesson! time passed quickly, and the heat in the crowd made it even harder to breathe. tong su held her throbbing abdomen. occasionally, she would look up at shi man and realize that she was far ahead. her face was not red, and she was not panting. she did not give up halfway as she had imagined, but tong su could not hold on anymore. just now, she and the entire class had exhausted their stamina too early to catch up to shi man, causing them to not have the strength to run the entire three kilometers. du yan was also so tired that she was panting heavily. she had completely lost her usual dignity, and her arm was sore. she actually couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and sat on the ground first, unwilling to continue running.. Chapter 572 - Chapter 572: Punishment chapter 572: punishment translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the instructor¡¯s expression darkened. what he hated the most in his life was soldiers who gave up halfway. they were no different from deserters! ¡°get up.¡± he stood at du yan¡¯s feet, his voice unbelievably cold. du yan couldn¡¯t help but shiver. she struggled to get up from the ground and complained, ¡°instructor, i really can¡¯t run anymore! it¡¯s all because of shi man that our running rhythm was disrupted. otherwise, i could have run three kilometers!¡± the instructor looked at her coldly and said with a serious expression, ¡°you can¡¯t finish running yourself. if you want to stay on the ground and not leave, what has it got to do with others?¡± du yan pouted aggrievedly, but she didn¡¯t care. she turned to look at the loose and messy square formation and started to scold shi man unhappily. ¡°instructor, it¡¯s all because of her that we performed abnormally today. why don¡¯t you just deduct their credits? they didn¡¯t dress according to the rules and shouldn¡¯t have participated in training!¡± the instructor¡¯s face was ashen, but considering the relationship between the du family and the tong family, he took a deep breath and barely held back his anger. they finally finished running this round. when they passed by the instructor again, indeed, most of them were about to collapse. du yan took the opportunity to wheedle at the instructor. ¡°good instructor, let us rest for a while before running. you know that we won¡¯t enter the army after graduation and will only be the corresponding civil servants. that¡¯s why the school will reduce the burden of our training appropriately. why must you let us run all three kilometers in one go?¡± what she said was actually reasonable. some instructors in the school did the same. they would not be too strict with these students, but they could not condone everything! ¡°no way!¡± the instructor¡¯s expression was already very ugly, but with du yan taking the lead, the remaining students actually slacked off. the bolder ones directly surrounded them, and the timid ones or those who wanted to watch stopped not far away. in the end, shi man was the only one who insisted on running on the track. du yan saw that there were so many students around her and immediately became more confident. ¡°instructor, why don¡¯t we forget about this warm-up exercise? aren¡¯t there other activities next? if the students can¡¯t hold on, won¡¯t it delay the training afterwards?¡± they still had to go back to the professional course. they did not train all day. the time they could participate in training every week was really limited, but the time for the physical fitness test was fixed. if they did not finish learning the other subjects before the exam, the instructor would not be able to explain himself in front of the principal. moreover, there was also the principal¡¯s beloved youngest daughter here. the instructor sighed deeply and saw the burning gaze and sweat of the principal¡¯s daughter. in the end, he chose to compromise. his expression relaxed. just as he was about to say a few soft words, a strong wind suddenly whistled past behind him. the cold wind suddenly attacked the back of his sweating head, instantly waking him up. he was the instructor of the capital sports school and also the instructor of the soldiers in the army. how could he really do such a thing? although these students did not have to undergo regular training like the army, the current training standards had already been lowered. if it was lowered again, they would still not be able to pass the exam at the end of the semester! the instructor quickly put on his military cap and glanced coldly at all the students of class s. ¡°everyone, form a phalanx immediately and continue running forward! whoever speaks will be punished to run an additional kilometer! increase in number!¡± the wailing continued on the training ground. the instructor did not hesitate. after a few people were punished, the students hurriedly shut their mouths in fear. after they slowly ran three kilometers at the speed of a turtle, shi man had already run nine kilometers. she stood in the shade and looked expressionlessly at this group of students who were so tired that they could not even sit down. she only felt amused. if the future soldiers of the country were all like this, their country would have long been razed to the ground by a powerful country! when du yan, tong su, and the others saw that shi man was still calm and composed, they immediately gritted their teeth. du yan was the one who led the strike just now, so the instructor punished her to run two kilometers more. what could she do? she could only grit her teeth and persevere. if she couldn¡¯t run anymore, she would walk. in the beginning, she couldn¡¯t stop complaining, but later on, she actually developed some fighting spirit. seeing that the other students had already begun the next training, she suddenly hardened her heart and increased her speed again. even though she spent a lot of effort and almost fell, she still completed the mission. ¡°not bad.¡± shi man stood in front of her with a smile. her lowered eyes landed on the top of her head, and there was actually some admiration in them. du yan was so tired that she bent down and panted so hard that she couldn¡¯t straighten her upper body. when she finally caught her breath and wanted to mock her, the pair of long legs standing in front of her actually changed directions and left. du yan was furious! this damn shi man actually insisted on riding on her head to show off! Chapter 573 - Chapter 573: Legend chapter 573: legend translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the long-distance running training took up a lot of time. the instructor looked at his students with a headache and helplessly moved on to the next task. next was serious training. the stamina they needed for this segment was far greater than the previous two. tong su could still hold on, but du yan did not have the perseverance. shi man had completely shown her face in front of the instructor. she was brought to the front row by the instructor and stood in front of all the students of class s as a model benchmark. no matter how unwilling they were, as long as they participated in training, they could see shi man¡¯s back at all times. it was really annoying. however, what they did not know was that shi man would not feel smug just because she was stronger than them. her ambition was far more than that. in the past, she could inherit a ready-made company in g city, but now that she was in the capital, she wanted to prepare another one herself. as for what project the company was going to do, she still needed to carefully inspect the capital for the time being. the news that the newly transferred girl had singlehandedly completed training for three spread like wildfire. for a moment, the entire military school knew about shi man¡¯s extraordinary physical fitness. those who had seen the entire process with their own eyes did not feel that the rumors that described shi man¡¯s heroic posture during training was too exaggerated. thinking about it, it was obvious. how could an ordinary girl from a business family complete the training as soon as she entered school? although only one person had not seen shi man¡¯s training with his own eyes, he believed this rumor very much. this person was feng kai, who was sitting by the bed and thinking hard. when he went back yesterday, he was reprimanded by his cousin and told not to cause trouble for his family. however, feng kai could not stand shi man¡¯s arrogant appearance. she was just a woman. how difficult could it be to deal with her? the last time they did not beat shi man, it must be because he underestimated his enemy! he had been ambushed by that wretched girl called su tang, causing his arm to still hurt badly. otherwise, as long as he was around, how could shi man be arrogant? thinking of shi man¡¯s ruthless words before she left, feng kai was so angry that he snorted. the lackey beside him had also been taught a lesson by shi man yesterday and was now unhappy with her. however, the legend of shi man on the training ground was circulating everywhere in the class. it was difficult for him not to listen even if he wanted to. he could only look for feng kai with an aggrieved expression. ¡°brother feng, we still have to think of a way to deal with that woman. otherwise, who in the school will bow to us?¡± feng kai glanced at him angrily and said irritably, ¡°do you think 1 don¡¯t want to teach her a lesson? but how can it be so easy? just because of that woman, my brother even scolded me yesterday.¡± ¡°all? brother lu?¡± that person was stunned for a moment before lowering his voice and leaning towards him in disbelief. ¡°don¡¯t tell me brother lu has fallen in love with shi man? if that¡¯s the case, we won¡¯t be able to touch her! she¡¯ll become your sister-in-law!¡± ¡°pfft!¡± feng kai cursed loudly, causing the surrounding people to look over curiously. ¡°what are you looking at? if you look again, 1¡¯11 dig out your eyeballs!¡± feng kai waved at them in disgust. the students in the class immediately turned their heads away and carefully got busy. only then did feng kai retract his gaze in satisfaction and say in a low voice, ¡°that¡¯s absolutely impossible. why would my brother like that woman? sister yu¡¯er is the only sister-in-law in my heart! do you understand?¡± ¡°i understand!¡± the lackey nodded repeatedly. his eyes darted around as a sinister idea surfaced in his mind. ¡°brother feng, i have a way to deal with that woman!¡± feng kai was interested. he raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°tell me about it!¡± every time the two of them discussed how to bully someone, they would put their heads together. their originally handsome faces were covered in a wretched expression. the surrounding students knew that someone was about to suffer when they saw the two of them. however, since the matter did not fall on them, they did not have to care about this matter. however, everyone more or less understood that their days in school would probably not be peaceful. shi man suffered from tong su this time and was even more guarded against her. she simply hacked into the school¡¯s system and pulled out all the information related to the three of them and the school¡¯s floor plan. only then did she have an idea. the clothes for their training this time would have been distributed yesterday, but for some reason, there was suddenly a problem halfway through. it had actually been delayed until now. shi man checked the process of distributing clothes and other appliances and hacked into the computer system of the teacher in charge of this work. soon, the teacher received a notice from the higher-ups and started to arrange for the three of them to distribute things. tong su thought that this matter would be delayed so that the three of them could have a taste of being alone and helpless. unexpectedly, before the last class, shi man actually walked back to the classroom with the other two with her things.. Chapter 574 - Chapter 574: Search chapter 574: search translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°wait!¡± tong su blocked their way in disbelief. after seeing that the things in their hands were not bad, her expression darkened. ¡°who asked you to take these things? the notice 1 received was clearly that the school had yet to prepare your share. why did you steal them from the teacher¡¯s office!¡± su tang felt that this girl was really annoying. she kept finding trouble for them. could it be that she had nothing to do? if she had the time, shouldn¡¯t she study more? she took a step forward with the things in her arms. she did not intend to retreat when she faced tong su, who did not avoid her. she knocked tong su¡¯s shoulder and walked back to her seat, putting away the things with a clear conscience. du yan had been dealt a blow by shi man during training in the afternoon. at this moment, she still could not take this lying down. seeing tong su take the initiative to attack, she thought that tong su must have caught shi man and the others with something this time. she hurriedly echoed, ¡°you¡¯re actually so arrogant when you went to the teacher¡¯s office to steal things?¡± no matter how good bai xue¡¯s temper was, she could not tolerate their repeated slander. anger immediately appeared on her face. ¡°what right do you have to say that we stole it? it was teacher who informed us to go over and collect the things just now! if you don¡¯t believe me, ask teacher yourself!¡± ¡°impossible!¡± tong su¡¯s body was tilted by su tang. at this moment, she covered her shoulder, and her long bangs covered most of her face. ¡°if the students of class s want to collect something, the teacher will always inform me first! if i didn¡¯t receive the notice, then there isn¡¯t a notice!¡± bai xue pursed her lips speechlessly and argued, ¡°i told you, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask teacher yourself. don¡¯t find trouble in front of us. we have no obligation to waste time with you!¡± shi man looked at bai xue approvingly. perhaps this girl could be trained well and achieve great things in the future. she didn¡¯t like to argue with others, so she simply stood at the side and didn¡¯t speak, letting them argue. however, her eyes were fixed on the actions of the others in the class, not letting them really hurt bai xue and su tang. she would let them cause trouble. tong su was not taken seriously by shi man. she could still tolerate it. after all, her family was the richest where she came from. now that chief lu had taken a fancy to her, she had the right to be proud. however, who were the two lackeys beside shi man? how dare they shout at her? she had never suffered such grievances in her life! tong su gritted her teeth and used her identity as the class monitor to block their way again. she said fiercely, ¡°as the class monitor, 1 can¡¯t turn a blind eye to this matter. i didn¡¯t receive the procedures given by the teacher, so i have to check everything in your hands. if i check that it¡¯s something you should receive, i¡¯ll let you off, but if there¡¯s something that shouldn¡¯t belong to you¡­¡± she glanced sideways at du yan and gave her a look. she sneered and said, ¡°then don¡¯t blame me for really reporting to teacher to punish you!¡± bai xue frowned. tong su probably meant to search the things in their hands. it was obvious that the thing that she had searched could not be intact. bai xue was a hundred times unwilling. she hugged her things tightly and frowned in resistance. ¡°impossible! no one has the right. even if you¡¯re the class monitor, you can¡¯t do whatever you want!¡± tong su gave a look to the male students beside her. the two of them immediately understood and walked towards bai xue with sinister smiles. she could tell that bai xue was nervous and knew that only bai xue was the real soft persimmon among the three of them. she was even more confident. ¡°i¡¯m not doing whatever 1 want. it¡¯s just that the three of you took it without asking. that¡¯s the behavior of a thief. you can only blame yourself for not following the rules, which resulted in such consequences.¡± seeing that the two boys¡¯ fat hands were about to touch bai xue¡¯s body, she couldn¡¯t help but take a step back, her eyes filled with fear. however, in the next second, she fell into a warm embrace. that person¡¯s shoulders were not broad, but they were enough to give her the strength to support her body. shi man casually stuffed her things into bai xue¡¯s arms. her arms reached out from both sides of her and grabbed the two boys¡¯ wrists tightly. she said with an unfriendly expression, ¡°if you want to be a dog for others, you have to see if your master has the ability to protect you.¡± tong su¡¯s expression darkened and her eyes were fierce. ¡°attack! we have to strictly search the things in their hands!¡± with tong su backing them, the two boys looked down on shi man even more. however, the force holding their wrists made them unable to move. the two of them looked at each other and pulled back their hands with difficulty. this time, they grabbed the thing in bai xue¡¯s arms. bai xue¡¯s eyes turned cold. suddenly, she had an idea and squatted on the ground. this made a lot of space for shi man. shi man curled her lips in satisfaction. when she attacked again, it was no longer as simple as just holding their wrists. she bent her elbow and hit one of them on the arm.. wanna gift the story? try one. Chapter 575 - Chapter 575: Diverting the Trouble chapter 575: diverting the trouble translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios seeing tong su¡¯s shocked expression, shi man raised her hands and avoided the other person¡¯s attack. she stared at her with a smile and said, ¡°i didn¡¯t fight back. you have to take a good look, class monitor.¡± ¡°you!¡± tong su did want to lure shi man out, so she caused today¡¯s scene. seeing that it was almost time for class, shi man and the others did not know, but tong su knew very well that the teacher for the next class was famous for being strict in the grade. she usually hated students who fought and caused trouble. that was why she deliberately tempted shi man to attack. she wanted her to deal with these two boys like last time. when that teacher bumped into her, she would definitely be punished. unexpectedly, shi man refused to attack this time! she only passively dodged the siege of the two people. it seemed that she was retreating step by step, but in fact, she had not even let the two of them touch her. every time the two boys swung their fists, they could only hit the air. they immediately felt aggrieved. they ignored tong su¡¯s orders to attack bai xue. instead, they chased after shi man aggressively. shi man smiled and fled around the classroom. everywhere she passed, things were messed up by the two boys. either the table was kicked askew or the books on the table were knocked to the ground, causing the entire teacher to be in chaos. the school bell rang as scheduled amidst the commotion in the teachers. tong suxin felt that something was wrong and hurriedly shouted for the two of them to stop. however, they had clearly been played by shi man until their eyes turned red. they were actually hot-headed and refused to listen to tong su¡¯s orders. instead, they were delighted to see shi man stunned and quickly raised their fists to smash her. shi man had been waiting for this moment. her ears were sharp and she could already hear the loud sound of high heels in the corridor. it seemed that the teacher should arrive soon. she seized the opportunity and suddenly tilted her head before the fist hit her, only opening up a little distance. that person clearly did not expect shi man to react at this moment, but he could not retract his hand in time due to inertia. in the next second, his fist actually hit something soft. he focused his gaze and immediately broke out in cold sweat. everyone stared at the scene in front of them in shock. they looked at the student in disbelief and then at the teacher who had suddenly been hit in the face and turned his head away. they immediately scattered and hurriedly ran back to their seats to prevent the teacher from injuring the innocent later. there was a teacher at the capital military academy, xie jie, who was famous for her strictness. she taught military theory and was used to wearing a uniform, a skirt, and a pair of ten-centimeter high heels to teach students. this information was not difficult to find. shi man knew it well, so when tong su suddenly stood up to cause trouble, she quickly thought of this. therefore, she did not retaliate after being chased; she was waiting for this moment. the boy¡¯s fist was still on the teacher¡¯s face. everything seemed to have been frozen in an instant. xie jie felt a burning pain on her face, and right on the heels of that, the bones in her face seemed to have broken and become numb. she hurriedly covered her face and cried from the pain. however, her stern and fierce eyes stared fixedly at the culprit who had injured her. ¡°liu ming! how dare you hit teacher! 1 have to get the principal to expel you today!¡± at this moment, liu ming no longer had the fierce look from before. in front of xie jie, he completely turned into a little sheep on the brink of tears. he bowed and apologized to her repeatedly. ¡°teacher, i¡¯m sorry. i really didn¡¯t do it on purpose just now. it was her! she harmed me!¡± he tried his best to point at shi man, but when he saw the smile on her face, his heart skipped a beat and he suddenly had a bad feeling. xie jie covered her face and looked in the direction of his finger. she saw shi man, who had long dodged to the side and was leaning against the wall. she endured the pain on her face and said coldly, ¡°what exactly is going on? class monitor! you tell me!¡± tong su was suddenly called out by her. she walked over trembling and glanced at shi man, who was gloating. she made up her mind and said, ¡°teacher, this student stole something just now. i wanted liu ming to help me check her. 1 didn¡¯t expect her to hide in the direction of the door when she heard the bell. liu ming was also anxious to help me, so he accidentally hurt teacher.¡± tong su wanted to push all the responsibility for the problem onto shi man with a few simple words. unfortunately, although shi man did not like to fight with others, she was definitely not someone who would swallow her anger. seeing that xie jie had indeed been led astray by her and was staring fiercely into her eyes, shi man sneered and said, ¡°teacher, i was going to be beaten up by a burly man. is there anything wrong with trying to escape in the direction of the door in a hurry?¡± xie jie was clearly stunned for a moment before she frowned and said, ¡°didn¡¯t you hear the bell for class?¡± if she had not led liu ming to the door, she would not have been slapped by a student for no reason! Chapter 576 - Chapter 576: Slander chapter 576: slander translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man spread her hands innocently and said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, teacher. the situation just now was too dangerous. the two men wanted to bully me. 1 really couldn¡¯t hear anything. my mind was blank. i only knew that 1 had to run out of the classroom quickly and not be caught by them.¡± she said it innocently and pitifully. xie jie¡¯s expression changed and she really believed her. after all, the two boys were brawny and heavy. shi man was thin and small, so she was clearly not their match. moreover, he had used all his strength in that punch just now. xie jie quickly reacted. this matter was probably not as simple as the class monitor had said. she lowered her hand. the pain in her face seemed to have been diluted by curiosity. she looked coldly at tong su and said, ¡°you said she stole something. what did she steal?¡± tong su did not expect shi man to be so good at quibbling. she stomped her feet in anger and pointed at the pile of things bai xue was carrying. ¡°when the new students want to collect things, the dean will inform me first and let me bring the students to collect them. however, they just brought back so many things from the teacher¡¯s office. i actually didn¡¯t know anything. they must have taken them without permission!¡± xie jie frowned and sized shi man up suspiciously. in the military academy, stealing was a huge sin. it was far worse than fighting. however, she still inexplicably wanted to believe this innocent transfer student and hear shi man explain. xie jie coughed lightly and turned to shi man calmly. ¡°do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man nodded slightly and said in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°i didn¡¯t steal it. teacher, you can verify this with the dean. we did receive the dean¡¯s notice before going to the office to collect the supplies distributed to every student.¡± xie jie followed shi man¡¯s gaze and glanced in the direction of tong su. she had been teaching in the school for many years and knew what the school would give the new students. with just a casual look, she knew that they did not take much. her expression instantly turned cold. ¡°you actually attacked your new classmates for such a small matter! i think you don¡¯t care about the school rules at all!¡± tong su hurriedly lowered her head and admitted her mistake. she insisted that it was because she did not know that such a thing happened. bai xue glared at tong su¡¯s back angrily. for a moment, she did not notice that someone was quietly approaching. however, su tang¡¯s eyes were fixed on the thing in bai xue¡¯s hand, afraid that someone would take the opportunity to tamper with it and make their excuse of stealing true. at this moment, she naturally did not let go of du yan¡¯s little cheap shot. she quickly rushed over from the last row. before du yan could stuff the thing in her hand into the pile of bai xue¡¯s, she grabbed du yan¡¯s hand and gritted her teeth. ¡°what are you holding in your hand? you actually want to put it in our things?¡± tong su¡¯s face turned pale. she turned around stiffly and saw du yan¡¯s arm held tightly by su tang. perhaps because su tang¡¯s grip was too strong, du yan could not clench her fists for a moment and completely exposed what she was hiding in her hand. xie jie saw what it was and exclaimed in disbelief. she hurriedly pushed away the classmates in front of her and walked over. she snatched the bracelet from du yan¡¯s hand and questioned coldly, ¡°where did you get this?¡± wasn¡¯t this the bracelet that she couldn¡¯t find yesterday?! why was it in the hands of the students of class s?! du yan felt that something was wrong when she saw xie jie¡¯s reaction. tong su had secretly stuffed the bracelet to her last night. at that time, tong su did not tell her the origin of the bracelet. she only told her that she had to wait for her signal and keep this to teach shi man and the others a lesson. looking at the situation in front of her, what else did du yan not understand? that bracelet was clearly a treasure that xie jie cherished! tong su actually stole xie jie¡¯s bracelet! didn¡¯t that mean she had a death wish? she tried her best to signal tong su with her eyes, wanting to ask the latter to save her. but now that tong su could not even take care of herself, she felt uneasy. how could she have the mood to save her? seeing that tong su had her head lowered and did not dare to look at her, du yan instantly understood something. a fierce glint flashed across her eyes, and she simply said, ¡°teacher xie, i just found this thing from bai xue¡¯s pile. i took it out from the middle compartment when bai xue was not paying attention just now. i didn¡¯t expect student su tang to take the opportunity to frame me!¡± ¡°nonsense! you clearly didn¡¯t have time to touch our things just now!¡± at this moment, bai xue realized that her negligence just now had almost let someone take advantage of her. now that she was wronged, her eyes immediately turned red. but this was the only way du yan could protect herself! she insisted that she had obtained this bracelet from bai xue just now. no matter how xie jie interrogated her, she did not reveal anything. xie jie tightened her grip on the bracelet in her hand. that was the engagement token her husband had given her when she got married.. it was very important to her, but she did not expect it to become a tool for others to use her! Chapter 577 - Chapter 577: Confrontation chapter 577: confrontation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios xie jie closed her eyes in silence and instructed, ¡°the other students shall self-study in this class. anyone related to this matter, follow me to the dean¡¯s office. i have to investigate this matter clearly!¡± tong su lowered her head and glanced at du yan, who gave her a reassuring look. tong su turned around and said firmly, ¡°alright, teacher. i¡¯ll go with you. i also want to prove my innocence.¡± su tang curled her lips in disdain and followed xie jie to the dean¡¯s office. it was class time, but a group of people passed by in the corridor. leading them was teacher xie, whose face was ashen. they immediately craned their necks curiously to look out, but they were glared back by xie jie. in the office, the dean was looking through the window at the students on the training ground outside. hearing the earth-shattering slogan outside, she felt relieved. unexpectedly, before she could take a sip of the hot tea in her hand, the office door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. the dean was so frightened that her mouth was almost scalded by the discounted hot tea. she hurriedly put down the cup and frowned at xie jie, who was taking the lead. ¡°teacher xie, if i remember correctly, you should be in class s¡¯s military theory class now, right? why are you bringing your students to me?¡± xie jie frowned and took out her bracelet, placing it on the dean¡¯s desk. the dean immediately reacted and pointed at it in disbelief. ¡°where did you find it? how did it end up in your hands?¡± yesterday, xie jie left in a hurry because of something, so she temporarily left the bracelet with her. who would have thought that she would lose the bracelet when she returned? she was about to turn the entire office over, but she could not find it. for this matter, xie jie had ignored her today. she was just worried that she could not explain herself, but who knew that this thing would surface again! xie jie turned around and made way. ¡°there¡¯s someone among these students who stole my bracelet. they each have their own opinions now. 1 have no choice but to ask you to help me judge. you know how important that bracelet is to me.¡± the dean hurriedly nodded and sized up tong su and shi man with a complicated gaze. this bracelet was an engagement gift from xie jie¡¯s late husband. the two of them were very close after their marriage until her husband died on a mission two years ago, leaving xie jie alone and some items that carried their memories. therefore, xie jie had always cherished this bracelet. she usually could not bear to wear it. she only placed it in the drawer of her office and often took it out to reminisce. all the teachers in the office knew that the bracelet was xie jie¡¯s lifeline. touching it would anger xie jie, so no one dared to approach xie jie¡¯s desk easily, let alone her drawer. this thing had also been safely stored in the office until it mysteriously disappeared yesterday. now, it actually involved tong su and the new student. the dean couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue. she sat back behind her desk and suddenly felt a headache. ¡°what exactly is going on? who wants to tell me first?¡± tong su tilted her head slightly and gave the girl behind her a look. du yan immediately understood and took the initiative to stand up. she said eloquently, ¡°teacher, let me say it first. it was bai xue, shi man, and su tang who stole teacher xie jie¡¯s things.¡± she told him how she had seen the bracelet in the pile of things bai xue had, how she had obtained it, and how she had been framed by su tang. the dean frowned when she heard this because she really could not figure out what use shi man and the others had for xie jie¡¯s bracelet. after du yan finished speaking, tong su stood up to supplement her question. when the dean heard this, she waved her hand with a splitting headache and said, ¡°1 was indeed the one who asked the three of them to come and get things. you can¡¯t say that they stole them.¡± tong su raised her eyebrows in surprise and immediately retreated to the side. she lowered her eyes and said coldly, ¡°then it seems that i misunderstood them. 1¡¯11 apologize to them.¡± ¡°we¡¯ll talk about this later. let¡¯s talk about this bracelet first.¡± only then did the dean turn to shi man. thinking that this person was someone chief lu valued, her attitude subconsciously softened. ¡°tell me, what exactly is going on with this bracelet?¡± ¡°we didn¡¯t take it.¡± shi man stood rooted to the ground with a nonchalant expression as if she was talking about someone else. ¡°1 don¡¯t know where this teacher¡¯s office is at all. how would i steal it?¡± that was a problem. shi man was new here, so she might not know where xie jie¡¯s office was. even if she knew, she might not know which desk was xie jie¡¯s, let alone find the bracelet that xie jie had hidden. anyone who could locate the bracelet must be very familiar with the layout of the office. the dean¡¯s eyes turned cold. she felt that this matter was a little tricky. she frowned and said awkwardly, ¡°didn¡¯t you go to the form teacher to apply for a student id yesterday? teacher xie jie¡¯s office is also that one..¡± Chapter 578 - Chapter 578: Punishment Decision chapter 578: punishment decision translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man shrugged innocently. ¡°1 really don¡¯t know. when i went to the office to look for the form teacher yesterday, i didn¡¯t see teacher xie.¡± xie jie nodded in agreement and said, ¡°i should have been in another class at that time yesterday. i really haven¡¯t seen these new students.¡± things were already clear here. shi man and the others were clearly innocent, but it was worth asking carefully how the bracelet ended up in du yan¡¯s hands. ¡°du yan.¡± the dean¡¯s cold voice suddenly sounded above her head. du yan shivered in panic. her eyes couldn¡¯t help but drift to tong su. ¡°teacher, i didn¡¯t steal¡­¡± tong su frowned and her fingers trembled imperceptibly. for a long time, du yan did not hear anyone speak again. she looked up in a daze and met the dean¡¯s cold eyes. her heart suddenly trembled and she realized belatedly that she had no way out once she was caught by su tang on the spot. she pursed her lips tightly and clenched her fists by her sides. she said in a low voice, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, teacher xie, dean. 1 took this¡­¡± du yan¡¯s tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and her head drooped. she resigned herself to fate and took all the blame. otherwise, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this office today. she had thought it through very clearly. instead of dragging tong su down with her, it was better for her to take the initiative to confess and would protect tong su. that way, she would have done tong su a huge favor. when the school punished her in the end, tong su would plead for her and not be too miserable. after hearing du yan¡¯s words, the people in the office had different reactions. tong su heaved a sigh of relief. bai xue and su tang glared at du yan. they did not feel happy that she had admitted it just like that. instead, they were filled with anger. it was obvious that du yan could not be the mastermind behind the entire matter. the only person who could make du yan do this was¡­ ¡°why did you steal my bracelet?¡± before they could turn their gazes to tong su, xie jie walked up to du yan excitedly and stared at her with tears in her eyes. du yan panicked and found an excuse. ¡°i didn¡¯t know this bracelet was so important to teacher. 1 just thought it looked good and wanted to put it back after taking a photo with it. 1 really didn¡¯t mean any harm!¡± the only answer she got was a crisp slap. xie jie took a deep breath and couldn¡¯t hold back her anger. the shattered light in her round eyes gathered into a sharp sword, as if it could pierce through the girl in front of her at any time. ¡°you stole from teacher and don¡¯t know how to repent. the military school can¡¯t have a student like you!¡± ¡°no!¡± du yan raised her head with a strange cry. her panicked eyes quickly glanced at tong su behind xie jie. her face turned red as she pleaded for her. ¡°teacher, i¡¯ve only made this mistake once. please forgive me! please!¡± xie jie was indifferent. when she turned to look at the dean, the tears in her eyes had already been quickly suppressed and she returned to her usual calm. ¡°it¡¯s up to you to decide how to deal with this matter in the end.¡± how could the dean decide on such a big matter? she rubbed her aching eyebrows with a troubled expression and said helplessly, ¡°why don¡¯t we leave this matter to the principal? whether it¡¯s expulsion or any other punishments will be decided by the principal himself.¡± xie jie glared at her. she was very dissatisfied with her prudent way of protecting herself, but she could not make things difficult for her to offend the leader for her sake. she forced out a cold snort from her nose in agreement. when she turned to the students of class s, her expression was already extremely cold. ¡°go back first. there will be a broadcast to inform the final outcome of this matter later.¡± shi man had long expected that this matter would not be concluded by the dean. anyone with a discerning eye could tell how much tong su had participated in this. if the dean dealt with them selflessly, her seat would probably be given to someone else soon. if tong su apologized to shi man like she said, even if the dean was given a hundred guts, she would not dare to give such a command personally. su tang tugged at shi man¡¯s clothes indignantly, wanting her to think of another way. she immediately asked the dean to deal with these people. otherwise, once this matter reached the principal, tong su would not be punished at all. shi man glanced at her from the corner of her eye and patted the back of su tang¡¯s hand comfortingly. her expression became even calmer. ¡°alright, i respect teacher¡¯s decision.¡± su tang frowned in confusion, but she could only follow shi man back to the classroom angrily. soon, the announcement spread throughout the entire school. liu ming and another boy who had beaten up the teacher were punished by the school and asked to apologize to xie jie in front of the entire school at the flag-raising ceremony. du yan was supposed to be expelled from school for stealing, but because she admitted her mistake with a good attitude, the school decided to give her a chance to turn over a new leaf and only sentenced her to probation. if no other mistakes were made within a year, this punishment would automatically be abolished.. Chapter 579 - Chapter 579: Transaction chapter 579: transaction translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when su tang heard this, she slammed the table and said in a muffled voice, ¡°there¡¯s no punishment at all! manman, why don¡¯t we look for chief lu to give us justice? this matter was clearly planned by them!¡± shi man looked at her red fingers in amusement and raised her eyebrows. ¡°doesn¡¯t it hurt? isn¡¯t this outcome expected?¡± su tang pouted her red lips indignantly and drooped her head in frustration. ¡°but how can tong su not be punished when she wronged us?¡± shi man smiled indifferently. she had never expected the school to stand up for them. it was already the best outcome that today¡¯s matter had come to this. as for the rest, she had to do it herself. they thought that this matter would end there, but unexpectedly, after school, shi man was stopped by tong su. her face was a little pale, and she was no longer as energetic as before. she looked at shi man with a heavy gaze. ¡°my father wants to see you. come with me.¡± she glanced at su tang and bai xue disdainfully and said expressionlessly, ¡°you can only do it yourself.¡± of course, su tang and the others were worried that shi man would deal with the principal, who only knew how to protect his daughter and had no regard for fairness. however, they were insignificant and could not interrupt at all. shi man rarely had any worries. she looked relaxed and was not worried about what would happen if she went. instead, she let the two of them go back first with a relaxed expression. su tang glanced at tong su hatefully. she carried her things and arrogantly bumped into tong su¡¯s shoulder again. then, she deliberately snorted and walked out with her head held high. tong su looked a little angry, but she seemed to be afraid of something and was not in the mood to fuss about su tang. or perhaps she already had other ideas to deal with su tang. shi man sized her up for a moment and closed her thin lips. ¡°lead the way.¡± tong su turned around calmly with a fierce glint in her eyes. in the principal¡¯s office, tong bin looked coldly at the surveillance video outside the training ground. in the video, the girl was agile and flipped the man who was pouncing on her to the ground in a few moves. every move hit the other party¡¯s sore spot, but it would not cause any substantial harm to those people. such good skills could not be mastered overnight. he finally knew why chief lu had taken a fancy to this girl alone. just as he was thinking, there was suddenly a knock on the office door. tong bin turned off the surveillance video on the screen and leaned back in his chair. a pair of gloomy eyes were hidden under the reflective cold lenses. ¡°come in.¡± tong su lowered her eyes and walked to the desk respectfully. ¡°principal, i¡¯ve brought her here.¡± shi man was surprised by the way the father and daughter addressed each other. she raised her eyebrows and looked at the serious man behind the desk in surprise. ¡°principal.¡± tong bin hummed faintly and raised his chin slightly to signal tong su. ¡°go out and close the door. don¡¯t let anyone in.¡± ¡°yes.¡± tong su lowered her eyes and walked out. before closing the door, she took a deep look at shi man. then, under her father¡¯s cold gaze, her hands trembled and she quickly closed the office door. tong bin leaned forward slightly and placed his arms on the desk. his fingers intertwined as he said confidently, ¡°i didn¡¯t call you here this time for the few fights you had with your classmates, let alone to denounce you.¡± shi man looked at him calmly, waiting for him to continue. when he did not receive a response from her, a smile appeared in tong bin¡¯s eyes. ¡°chief lu means to take you in as his student. after graduation, you will enter the army and officially become a soldier under him. in the future, you can also inherit his position. however, you have to know that you are nothing now.¡± shi man frowned slightly, as if she could guess why he had specially called her over alone. as expected, in the next second, tong bin revealed his goal. ¡°you saw it today. in this school, no one can influence the decisions 1 make. my daughter is destined to have a say in school, but you¡­¡± tong bin narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°1 know you¡¯re anxious to achieve some results in school so that chief lu will think more highly of you, but it¡¯s a pity that you used the wrong method. how about we make a deal?¡± shi man frowned deeply when she heard the first half of his sentence. in tong bin¡¯s opinion, he had already hit the nail on the head, which was why this expressionless girl had changed slightly. however, what he did not know was that shi man only wanted to turn around and leave. seeing that shi man still did not speak, he was not angry. he continued to guide her. ¡°i¡¯ll make a deal with you. during school, you can¡¯t openly go against my daughter and you would even have to listen to her. but at the same time, i can guarantee that any mistakes you make in school will not be punished. this way, you can fight with others to prove your strength as you please.. how about that?¡± Chapter 580 - Chapter 580: Rejection chapter 580: rejection translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tong bin¡¯s idea was not bad. after recruiting shi man, his daughter would be able to show off even more in school in the future. at that time, the outside world would only say that she was so capable that she could successfully subdue the new shi man. at the same time, he gave shi man a lot of convenience. unfortunately, he had miscalculated in guessing shi man¡¯s thoughts. it was not that she dared to do whatever she wanted because she was valued by lu jun. instead, she was a person who did whatever she wanted. she didn¡¯t deliberately cause trouble in school to prove her strength to lu jun. she just didn¡¯t like those people and they came knocking on her door. after tong bin finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair and patiently waited for shi man¡¯s answer. he was absolutely confident that the benefits he offered could tempt her. the two completely different punishments for that matter today should be a wake-up call for shi man. he did not choose to let du ya go because of his daughter¡¯s plea. instead, he wanted to warn shi man through this matter. no matter how much she was valued by lu jun, the only person who could decide if she stayed or left was him. however, it was obvious that shi man had no intention of buying it. she sneered and looked into tong bin¡¯s eyes fearlessly. ¡°i don¡¯t need it.¡± tong bin¡¯s expression changed, and his eyes instantly became as deep as the sea. ¡°what did you say?¡± shi man repeated what she had just said expressionlessly, as if she was afraid that he didn¡¯t hear her clearly. she kindly added, ¡°i don¡¯t need your tacit approval. if you want to expel me, go ahead. but since you can propose this deal, you should know my strength. no one can stop me from doing what 1 want to do.¡± tong bin had been in the capital for so many years, but he had never seen such an arrogant youth. he thought that it was her first time in the capital and that she did not know the immensity of heaven and earth. he smiled coldly and said, ¡°have you thought it through? if you walk out of this office today, our negotiation will collapse.¡± shi man turned around and left without hesitation. however, the moment she reached out to open the door, her arm paused. she turned to look at the man behind the desk and said, ¡°by the way, if you can really cover the sky with one hand, get lu jun to give up on me so that i can return to g city and not get in your way.¡± after saying that, she didn¡¯t look at tong bin¡¯s livid expression and opened the office door. tong su, who was leaning against the door eavesdropping on the commotion inside, was caught off guard. her body tilted and she fell towards shi man. seeing that her head was about to hit shi man¡¯s chest, shi man turned around slightly and dodged expressionlessly. she had no intention of helping at all. she watched as she fell to the ground, and her knees immediately turned purple. tong su was in so much pain that tears welled up in her eyes. she sat on the ground, hugged her knees, and pointed at her angrily. ¡°why didn¡¯t you help me just now? you did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°why must i help you?¡± shi man sneered. she squatted down and looked into her eyes. ¡°missy, i¡¯m not your slave. i have no obligation to protect you at all times. if you have the time, go cry in your father¡¯s arms.¡± ¡°shi man!¡± tong su could not stand her ridicule. she endured the pain and wanted to pounce on her to fight. shi man sneered and turned to leave, leaving her with a receding back. ¡°shi man, stop right there!¡± tong su couldn¡¯t take it anymore and got up from the ground. she limped to chase after her. tong bin glanced over coldly. he stood up and walked around the desk. ¡°stop shouting. she won¡¯t talk to you.¡± tong su¡¯s eyes turned red as she turned around to look at her father. tears streamed down her face. tong bin sighed and looked down at the wound on his daughter¡¯s knee. he bent down and carried her to the sofa to sit down. ¡°i¡¯ll call the doctor at home and ask him to come and take a look at you.¡± ¡°father, are we going to let shi man off just like that? she doesn¡¯t take us seriously at all!¡± tong su was not worried about her injuries at all. what she wanted the most was to chase shi man away immediately! tong bin pondered for a moment and sat beside her. he narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°of course not. since she dares to declare war on us, she shouldn¡¯t blame me for being rude to her. i want to see if she really means what she said today or if she really thinks that lu jun won¡¯t give up on her!¡± ¡°father, you mean¡­¡± tong su closed her mouth thoughtfully. seeing her father frowning in thought, she did not dare to disturb him again. the way tong bin thought of to deal with shi man was clearly not like tong su¡¯s child¡¯s play. what he wanted to do was to hit the vital points of lu jun and make shi man completely lose her backing and never have a chance to turn things around! shi man walked out of the school gate. shi mu was pacing around the door with a worried expression. now that he was no longer the president of the school and the military academy had strict requirements, he could not go in to look for shi man as a student. he could only walk around the door worriedly. seeing shi man come out, shi mu heaved a sigh of relief.. ¡°manman, did principal tong make things difficult for you?¡± Chapter 581 - Chapter 581: Unforeseen Event chapter 581: unforeseen event translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man shook her head gently. when she saw the two girls getting out of the car, she immediately felt helpless. ¡°didn¡¯t 1 tell you to go back first? why are you waiting here stupidly? can that principal eat me?¡± ¡°that might not be the case!¡± su tang said seriously. ¡°but the people in the capital seem to be very against us. perhaps he really went crazy and attacked you. how can we leave you alone?¡± ¡°what nonsense are you talking about?¡± shi man raised her hand and gently flicked her forehead. then, she smiled and put her hand in her pocket. ¡°let¡¯s go. there¡¯s nothing else. let¡¯s go home for dinner.¡± bai xue looked in the direction of the school building worriedly and followed closely behind shi man. ¡°are you really fine? 1 keep feeling that it won¡¯t be peaceful in the future.¡± shi man¡¯s hand that was opening the car door paused. she turned her head and looked at the two of them seriously. ¡°a woman¡¯s intuition is indeed quite accurate, so you have to be especially careful in the future. if you don¡¯t mind, try not to leave my sight in school in the future.¡± the few of them returned home together. shen xian was busy in the kitchen, explaining their family¡¯s tastes to the new chef in detail. the previous chef had been left in g city to take care of shi ke and the others. the current one had been hired by shen xian in the capital. she had spent a lot of money just so that her children and husband could eat delicious food when they returned home after a busy day. shi man smiled and washed her hands. she walked into the kitchen and helped shen xian with some simple chores. shen xian pushed her out dotingly. ¡°sit on the sofa for a while. the food will be ready soon. by the way, yi zheng hasn¡¯t been back for two days. is he very busy now?¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man nodded slightly. thinking of yi zheng, who had been eating and sleeping in the office recently, she called him worriedly. the yi family¡¯s company in the capital was actually not smaller than in g city. in the past, the business here was handed over to a manager, but now that yi zheng wanted to take over completely, he would probably be as busy as how he would be when establishing a new company. after the call was picked up, yi zheng¡¯s tired voice revealed a hint of joy. he leaned back in the leather chair and rubbed his eyebrows repeatedly. ¡°my fiancee finally remembered to care about me?¡± shi man paused for a moment and coughed lightly. ¡°are you coming back for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°no, i still have something to do, but i¡¯ll go back to sleep later.¡± yi zheng could hear the unnaturalness in her words and chuckled. ¡°we¡¯re already engaged. isn¡¯t it normal for you to care about me? why don¡¯t you seem to be able to say it?¡± shi man¡¯s thoughts were suddenly exposed by him. a blush flashed across her face, and her gaze shifted unnaturally. ¡°there¡¯s nothing i can¡¯t say. since you¡¯re back later, i¡¯ll get the kitchen to make you some supper.¡± ¡°okay.¡± yi zheng agreed with a smile. in the next moment, his voice was a little heavy. ¡°have you been well in school these past two days? did anyone bully you?¡± shi man smiled nonchalantly. ¡°who can bully me?¡± in that case, someone was still targeting her. yi zheng could imagine how she would be treated in school. he sighed with heartache and said, ¡°if you encounter anything tricky, you have to tell me at any time. we¡¯re family now. you¡¯re not allowed to be polite to me anymore, understand?¡± shi man couldn¡¯t help but feel her face heat up. she replied casually and hurriedly hung up on the pretext that she wanted to eat. su tang had just come down from upstairs. it was rare to see shi man so flustered. her heart skipped a beat and she ran down the stairs anxiously. thinking that something had happened at the school again, she hurriedly asked, ¡°what happened? can¡¯t tong su even wait for tomorrow?¡± shi man was stunned for a moment. she knew that she had misunderstood and patted her head helplessly. ¡°it¡¯s fine. don¡¯t worry. it¡¯s time to eat.¡± ¡°oh.¡± su tang innocently touched her hair that shi man had messed up and quickly jogged after her. late at night, the shi family¡¯s manor in g city was brightly lit. doctors in white coats came and went, busy with their work. it took a lot of effort to finally complete it. the guest room on the first floor had been modified overnight. it was no different from the ward in the intensive care unit. there were all kinds of medical equipment. even the number of family doctors had increased from one to five, waiting to be deployed at any time. on the hospital bed, shi he¡¯s face was as pale as paper. he was so fragile that it seemed like he would shatter into pieces with a light touch. shi ke and shi yu carefully checked every detail of the new ward. after confirming that there were no mistakes, they were finally relieved. shi ke walked up to shi he and frowned as he reached out to test the temperature of his forehead. ¡°don¡¯t worry, 1¡¯11 get the doctor to start treating you now.¡± panting, shi he¡¯s eyelids trembled. he could barely open his eyes a crack, but he used all his strength to hold shi ke¡¯s hand. ¡°don¡¯t, don¡¯t let mom, dad, and manman know.¡± shi ke nodded with a solemn expression. ¡°don¡¯t worry, this matter won¡¯t spread to the capital. as long as you get better quickly, you don¡¯t have to think too much about anything else..¡± Chapter 582 - Chapter 582: Poisoned chapter 582: poisoned translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios a few hours ago, something happened to shi he in the hospital ward again. if not for shi he¡¯s tenacious willpower and the fact that he had pressed the bell above his head and called the doctor on duty, he would have been killed. shi ke immediately joined forces with chief zheng to order the various exits of the hospital to be blocked. he also checked the hospital¡¯s surveillance cameras, but he had yet to find any valuable clues. shi ke and shi yu could not let anything happen to shi he in the hospital again, so they simply spent a high price to buy a batch of medical equipment overnight. they hired a few doctors who knew how to operate and install the equipment and modified a ward at home to ensure shi he¡¯s personal safety. ¡°it¡¯s a type of poison.¡± after the doctor did a comprehensive physical examination of shi he, he quickly came to a conclusion. ¡°what poison?¡± shi ke asked anxiously. the doctor shook his head. he had never seen this poison before, but he knew that patients who were poisoned with this poison would often have an attack. when the illness acted up, the patient¡¯s entire body would feel like it was roasted and it would be terrifyingly hot. the pain and torture were far from what ordinary people could tolerate. shi ke saw that he did not know the way to cure this poison at all, and his expression was instantly covered in a layer of frost. ¡°find! you have to find someone who can detoxify him! if you can¡¯t save my brother, i¡¯ll make things difficult for you!¡± ¡°ceo shi, don¡¯t be anxious!¡± the doctor was so frightened by him that he was sweating profusely. he frowned and thought carefully for a while. suddenly, he thought of something that he had forgotten for a long time, and his eyes lit up. ¡°i remember now! someone had been afflicted with this poison in the past. he was still young at that time and was sent to the hospital by his family. it was my teacher who treated him. i wonder if he has found a way to recover now.¡± a trace of hope suddenly rose in shi yu¡¯s heart. he hurriedly rushed to the doctor and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°who is that person? can you still remember?¡± ¡°well¡­¡± the doctor looked troubled. he met shi ke¡¯s eyes that looked like they were about to eat him up at any time. he quickly explained himself,¡±it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t want to say it, ceo shi. it¡¯s just that that person didn¡¯t reveal his name to the hospital when he came. i don¡¯t think he was dressed like an ordinary person. he should be either rich or noble.¡± shi ke was so angry that he punched the wall. shi he¡¯s face gradually turned from white to a shocking red. his chest rose and fell violently, as if he could not breathe at any moment. shi ke immediately closed his eyes in heartache. ¡°where¡¯s your teacher now? i want to see him immediately!¡± late at night, a black car sped into the pitch-black night like a ghost running in the dark. with a murderous aura that could force gods and buddhas back, it finally stopped in front of an old villa. ¡°knock on the door.¡± shi ke gave the secretary a look with a cold expression. the secretary hurriedly opened the car door for him. then, not daring to delay, he jogged to the door and knocked. the person who opened the door was a 70-year-old man. his eyes were bright and his expression was serious. even in the middle of the night, he did not look tired. instead, he stood at the door with a straight posture, as if he had expected someone to come tonight. shi ke got out of the car and adjusted his outer tire. he reached out to shake the old man¡¯s hand and said politely, ¡°elder zhong, i¡¯m really sorry to disturb you. it¡¯s just that my brother¡­¡± ¡°got it.¡± the old man¡¯s voice was hoarse, but it was especially clear and loud. it seemed that even though he was already 70 years old this year, his body had always been well maintained. shi ke couldn¡¯t help but speed up excitedly. ¡°then do you have a way to treat it?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t have that ability.¡± elder zhong turned around expressionlessly and turned around to leave. shi ke hurriedly stopped him anxiously. even if he could not obtain the exact antidote from elder zhong, he might have another clue if he could find out the identity of the poisoned child back then. seeing that shi ke¡¯s hand was about to touch the old man¡¯s arm, elder zhong¡¯s back seemed to have eyes. his body nimbly dodged to the side, and his light-colored pupils glared at him unhappily. ¡°young people are so rash. although i don¡¯t know how to cure that poison, i know that it won¡¯t kill your brother. it just makes him suffer a little more.¡± shi ke suddenly frowned and said coldly in disagreement, ¡°how can i watch my brother be harmed and suffer so much for no reason? elder zhong, please tell me the identity of that child back then!¡± elder zhong snorted and rolled his eyes at him in disdain. ¡°it¡¯s useless even if you find him. he¡¯s not as delicate as your brother. even if he can¡¯t detoxify the poison, he can still do well.¡± shi ke was about to ask in confusion when elder zhong suddenly turned around and gave way to the screen of the television that had been blocked. he pointed at a familiar figure on it and smiled. ¡°look, doesn¡¯t he look quite energetic now? who would have thought that when he was sent to the hospital back then, the heat poison was acting up and he was about to die?¡± shi ke stared at the expressionless man on the television and suddenly understood what elder zhong meant. his eyes widened in disbelief. it turned out that the child back then was¡­ yi zheng! Chapter 583 - Chapter 583: Plan chapter 583: plan translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the screen was playing a public meeting that yi zheng had participated in in the past. he was dressed in a suit and sat at the head of the table. his expression was cold, and he looked especially unreachable. however, such a person had to silently endure the pain that he could not reveal to outsiders. even shi yu, who had always been closest to yi zheng, did not know that he had been poisoned with such a difficult poison when he was young. when shi ke found out, he immediately called yi zheng to ask for a way to detoxify. at night, shi man felt that it was difficult to calm down. she sat at the table and could not calm down to prepare for the new company. her mind seemed to be a ball of threads that could not be sorted out, and she could not find the source. outside, the click of the car door closing temporarily woke her up. she stood up and looked out of the window. in the hazy night, she could recognize that familiar figure at a glance. yi zheng looked up as if he sensed something. coincidentally, his eyes met hers. he smiled and walked into the villa. shi man closed the window and went downstairs to take a look. initially, she just wanted to know that he had returned safely, but she still wanted to meet him personally to be at ease. in the living room, yi zheng was handing his things to the butler to put away. he looked up and saw the person standing foolishly at the staircase. he couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly. ¡°why aren¡¯t you asleep yet? didn¡¯t we agree that you need not wait for me?¡± ¡°who¡¯s waiting for you? 1 just can¡¯t sleep.¡± shi man looked away uncomfortably. after walking down the stairs, she casually sat down on the sofa and rolled her eyes at him. ¡°you¡¯ve been busy with the company. aren¡¯t you afraid of sudden death?¡± yi zheng inexplicably saw the coquettish look in her eyes. he was delighted and sat down beside her. ¡°aren¡¯t 1 back now? i¡¯ve been too busy recently, but i¡¯ll take care of my body. you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± ¡°who¡¯s worried about you?¡± shi man pouted in the direction of the kitchen. ¡°the chef made supper before bed. it should still be warm. eat it yourself. i¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°don¡¯t go.¡± yi zheng suddenly reached out reluctantly, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into his arms. he held her chin and stared at her carefully. ¡°let me take a good look to relieve the pain of longing in my heart.¡± ¡°nonsense.¡± shi man hammered his chest, but she obediently stopped moving and let him look. ¡°ahem.¡± upstairs, a slightly awkward cough suddenly sounded. yi zheng let go of shi man and held her at her waist. he looked upstairs with a smile. ¡°fourth brother, aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± shi mu was going down the stairs when suddenly braked. his legs were so weak that he almost fell downstairs. this man was so shameless. he was clearly older than him, but he had to follow shi man and greet him as fourth brother! who was he trying to annoy! shi mu rolled his eyes and said angrily, ¡°who¡¯s your fourth brother? i heard some movement in the living room and came out to take a look. why are you only back now?¡± yi zheng¡¯s expression darkened. he thought of the call he had received before entering the house and said firmly, ¡°fourth brother, 1 still have something to talk to manman about alone, so 1¡¯11 bring her back to her room first.¡± ¡°what¡¯s the matter that you have to talk about in the middle of the night?¡± shi mu glared at him unhappily. he saw that the person was really going to kidnap his sister back to her room in front of him. he immediately stood up and blocked the two of them. ¡°no, you can¡¯t go back to your room. you can talk here.¡± yi zheng looked up and stared at him, having no intention of sitting back on the sofa. shi mu immediately understood and snorted coldly. ¡°alright, alright, alright. i¡¯ll leave, okay? but keep it short! my sister still has school tomorrow!¡± ¡°definitely.¡± yi zheng nodded at him gently, but he still had no intention of moving. shi mu pursed his lips speechlessly and turned around to walk back to the room angrily. only then did yi zheng pull shi man back to sit down. he said seriously, ¡°manman, something happened in g city.¡± shi man frowned and suddenly thought of something. she couldn¡¯t control her voice. ¡°is it shi he?¡± yi zheng gently raised his hand and made a quiet gesture with his lips. he lowered his voice and said, ¡°your brother called me just now and said that shi he was poisoned in the hospital. the doctor was helpless about it.¡± ¡°what poison? since the doctor had no choice, why did he call you alone to tell you? why didn¡¯t he contact me and father?¡± just as shi man finished speaking, before yi zheng could explain, she reacted first. ¡°heat poison? do they know that you were also poisoned?¡± yi zheng narrowed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°1 don¡¯t know how your brother found out about this, but you¡¯re the only one who can save your third brother now. do you want to return to g city with me?¡± ¡°of course!¡± shi man wanted to return to her room to change without thinking. however, yi zheng suddenly grabbed her arm and frowned. ¡°it¡¯s not that simple. i¡¯m worried that someone is inviting you into a trap..¡± Chapter 584 - Chapter 584: Misdirection chapter 584: misdirection translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man calmed down and remembered the last place she had come into contact with the poison. she took a deep breath and said, ¡°i know what to do. i¡¯ll go back myself. don¡¯t follow me.¡± ¡°no.¡± yi zheng immediately denied without thinking, ¡°i¡¯m afraid it will be dangerous when you go back this time. i can¡¯t let you take the risk alone. listen to me. 1 have my own arrangements.¡± that night, the names of shi man and yi zheng appeared on the passenger list of the recent flight from the capital to g city. the dark night was as quiet as the forest. the loud bang from the plane woke up the birds who were always vigilant in their sleep. the birds spread their wings and flew away from the tree branches. a black shadow on the ground suddenly stirred up a gust of dust. in the silence, only the loud engine of the car was echoing. in the morning, shen xian washed up early and woke up to call shi man and the others downstairs for breakfast. su tang stretched tiredly and went to wash up with bai xue, who had slept here last night. she tidied her messy hair. shen xian looked at them and suddenly thought of her former daughter. when she was in school, she would also wheedle and want to stay in bed, unwilling to get up for class. but now, shi man always woke up earlier than her. usually, when she woke up, shi man had already gone out for a run and returned. she always looked energetic and full of vitality. ¡°why hasn¡¯t manman run back today?¡± shen xian looked at the butler out of habit as she checked the dishes for breakfast. the old butler stammered for a long time. under shen xian¡¯s increasingly puzzled gaze, he lowered his head guiltily and said, ¡°madam, i¡­ i haven¡¯t seen missy today. perhaps she went out earlier than usual today?¡± shen xian immediately felt that something was wrong. she put down the spoon in her hand and walked to shi man¡¯s room with doubts. she raised her hand and knocked on the door. ¡°manman, are you up? it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± there was only boundless silence in response. shen xian panicked. she took a deep breath and turned the doorknob before walking in. shi man¡¯s room here was decorated by shen xian according to her current style. the overall grayish-white color matched the simple but designed furniture. it reflected the unique and indifferent temperament of the room owner and was very suitable for the current shi man. past the entrance, there was a neat bookshelf inside. it was filled with all kinds of books that shen xian could not understand. there was an experiment table opposite the bookshelf. shen xian had never seen shi man use it, but the experimental equipment seemed to have been wiped clean by shi man every day. she only thought that her daughter liked to fiddle with these things and did not think too much about it. at the far end of the room was a large bed that could accommodate two or three people. the bed was also grayish-white, and the blanket was smooth and clean. it looked like no one had slept here at all. when this thought appeared in her mind, shen xian was shocked. she hurriedly took out her phone and called shi man, but no one picked up. on the small road in the suburbs, a car sped past and finally turned into a familiar alley. at this moment, the sunlight had just spread from the horizon. the first ray of sunlight that seeped in through the car window woke up the girl in the car. shi man gently opened her eyes and looked at the man who had woken up beside her. she stretched lazily and relaxed her tired body. ¡°are we almost there?¡± ¡°we¡¯ll be there soon.¡± yi zheng raised his hand and pulled her into his arms. he massaged her shoulders to prevent her from aching after sleeping in the car for the night. shi man enjoyed his massage comfortably. she looked at the time on her phone and a missed call. she suddenly sat up and frowned. ¡°oh no, i didn¡¯t tell mom. she¡¯ll probably be anxious now.¡± last night, they had left in a hurry and had arranged many things to prevent trouble at the last minute. however, they had forgotten to tell their family about such a big matter. yi zheng smiled and flicked her forehead. ¡°don¡¯t be nervous. i¡¯ve told dad. he¡¯ll help us talk to mom.¡± only then did shi man feel relieved. she narrowed her eyes and looked at the familiar street outside. indeed, the car had already arrived near the shi family¡¯s manor. just as she was thinking of taking the opportunity to lie down and rest for a while, a news report suddenly came from tang zhe¡¯s phone in front of her. ¡°at three in the morning last night, an extremely bad robbery happened near the city¡¯s airport. the suspect has been successfully captured by the police.¡± shi man¡¯s eyes turned cold as she quickly reached forward. ¡°let me see.¡± tang zhe hurriedly handed the phone to shi man. the scene was at the event location of the robbery last night. shi man looked at the suspects whose faces were covered and could not see anyone similar to lin si from their figures. she could only return the phone to tang zhe expressionlessly. yi zheng patted her head in amusement. ¡°he won¡¯t show up personally, but just as we expected, someone knows our flight information and set up an ambush on the way to the shi family at the airport in advance..¡± Chapter 585 - Chapter 585: Miracle Doctor chapter 585: miracle doctor translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios however, the mastermind did not expect that he and shi man did not board that plane at all. after they entered the boarding platform and confirmed that the surveillance video had captured them, yi zheng brought shi man down from the plane and got into a small car that had been arranged nearby. they left through another exit and drove back to g city. at this moment, after a night of activity in bright light, the shi family¡¯s manor finally returned to silence after the sun rose. shi he was tortured for the entire night and barely fell asleep at dawn. shi yu¡¯s heart ached when he saw this. he couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists in anger. ¡°who is it that wants to harm my brother repeatedly? could it be the lin family again?¡± shi ke was silent for a moment. he patted shi yu¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°go and sleep for a while. yi zheng should be here soon. we still need to get busy later.¡± shi yu looked at the pale shi he on the bed reluctantly. after sighing deeply, he lay down on the sofa obediently and closed his eyes for a while. in his daze, he seemed to hear someone exclaim happily about someone else who had returned. he suddenly woke up from his sleep. seeing shi man and yi zheng appear at the entrance, he was immediately overjoyed. he threw off the blanket and stood up to welcome them. ¡°did anything happen on the way?¡± shi man shook her head expressionlessly. ¡°we¡¯re fine. let¡¯s go see third brother first.¡± shi yu hurriedly brought the two of them to the newly modified ward at home. when he pushed open the door, a strong medicinal smell immediately wafted in. although these doctors could not detoxify shi he last night, they tried their best to lower his temperature. the few doctors worked together for the entire night before they finally helped shi he survive his first relapse after being poisoned. the moment shi man saw shi he, her heart constricted. she subconsciously looked at the man beside her. before she left, shi he was in good spirits despite being injured. he did not look as dejected as she had imagined. he still looked like the celebrity shi he who shone under the spotlight. but now, the man had lost weight visibly after a night of torture. the depression on his cheek destroyed his handsome and extraordinary face, making him look like an old man on the verge of death. it turned out that when the heat poison first acted up, it could actually torture a perfectly fine person to this state. however, yi zheng was still a young child at that time. if shi he could not tolerate it, how did yi zheng grit his teeth and persevere for so many years? how could he reach his current position step by step and stabilize the family business that belonged to the yi family? ¡°yi zheng.¡± shi ke did not beat around the bush with him and went straight to the point. ¡°if you can treat xiao he¡¯s illness, you will be our shi family¡¯s benefactor. our shi family owes you a huge favor. in the future, 1 will do my best to help you.¡± yi zheng shook his head helplessly and smiled. ¡°brother, manman and i are already engaged. shi he is also my family. i don¡¯t need you to return the favor. besides, i¡¯m not the one who can treat this illness.¡± shi ke asked in surprise, ¡°who exactly is it? how can i invite that person? 1 can pay any price!¡± yi zheng turned his head and looked at the frowning girl beside him. ¡°the divine doctor 1 know doesn¡¯t need money, but she keeps a low profile and her whereabouts are secret. i¡¯ve already mentioned shi he to her. she agreed to help, but on one condition.¡± ¡°what condition? as long as i can save xiao he, i¡¯ll do anything.¡± now, he would not hesitate to climb mountains of blades and seas of flames. the brothers of the shi family had always been united and harmonious. in order to save his brother, shi ke would never harbor any selfishness. looking at shi ke¡¯s generous expression, yi zheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shake his head. ¡°it¡¯s not as serious as you think. she just doesn¡¯t want to expose her identity, so when she comes to treat shi he¡¯s illness, all of you have to leave the shi family¡¯s manor and can¡¯t set up spies in the dark. otherwise, if you anger her, i won¡¯t be able to find another person who can save she he.¡± shi ke was stunned for a moment, as if he was still in disbelief. ¡°that¡¯s all?¡± yi zheng nodded solemnly. ¡°that¡¯s all. if you can do it, i¡¯ll invite her over to treat shi he immediately.¡± shi ke and shi yu looked at each other and were overjoyed. they promised repeatedly, ¡°we¡¯ll definitely do it. don¡¯t worry, as long as you can invite her over, we won¡¯t hesitate to do anything!¡± ¡°that¡¯s good.¡± after yi zheng finished negotiating with them, he lowered his head and whispered into shi man¡¯s ear, ¡°let¡¯s go out first and let them make arrangements here.¡± shi man took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to her just now to take shi he¡¯s pulse. after confirming the poison in shi he¡¯s body, she straightened her back and said, ¡°brother, we¡¯ll go out first. you have to do as yi zheng said just now.¡± with that, the two of them left the ward. after walking out, shi man suddenly looked at yi zheng ambiguously.. after hesitating for a while, she asked tentatively, ¡°how did you get poisoned when you were young?¡± Chapter 586 - Chapter 586: Detoxification chapter 586: detoxification translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios yi zheng raised his eyes slightly and stared at her steadily. ¡°do you know something?¡± shi man was slightly stunned, as if she was trying to determine if he wanted her to know the truth or not. but his eyes were too dark, and she suddenly couldn¡¯t understand him. she simply skipped the question and asked, ¡°do you want to know who poisoned you?¡± yi zheng smiled bitterly and shook his head. ¡°you don¡¯t have to be so careful in front of me.¡± he opened the car door and sat back in the car with shi man. only then did he look at the suddenly dark sky outside and a trace of melancholy flashed across his face. ¡°actually, 1 know who did it.¡± shi man put her hand on the back of his hand in understanding and sighed. ¡°you didn¡¯t fuss about it because you think your family has always owed them because of your grandfather¡¯s instructions before he died, right?¡± yi zheng lowered his eyes slightly, his long eyelashes hiding the light in them. ¡°they¡¯re not too ruthless. at least this poison will only torture me and make me unable to inherit such a large family business. it won¡¯t take my life.¡± ¡°so, president yi, who almost holds the economic lifeline of the entire city, is soft-hearted because your opponent didn¡¯t take your life?¡± shi man¡¯s words were filled with obvious mockery. she did not agree with this approach. since the culprit had already done something shady, there was no need to endure it. at most, he would tell everything and see who would be embarrassed for what he had done first. feeling the girl beside him complaining about his injustice, yi zheng smiled from the bottom of his heart and patted her head dotingly. ¡°let¡¯s go back to the yi family first. you have to change your clothes before you can treat your brother. make a list of what medicine you need. there should be something you need in the storeroom.¡± shi man lay flat in the backseat and let him arrange it for her. the two of them tacitly didn¡¯t mention the topic again, but they had an unspoken mutual understanding. before they left this time, thet knew a fig leaf that had been covering up this matter for more than ten years would probably be lifted in the end. when yi zheng brought shi man home, lu xiang and yi long were waiting at home. seeing shi man return, the two of them happily supported her and sat on the sofa, insisting on showing her the box of jewelry lu xiang had bought for her. yi zheng, who was left alone, watched with a smile as shi man got along well with her parents. the anger in his heart that had been stirred up by the past gradually subsided. after the few of them had a happy lunch, shi man changed into a hoodie that could cover her face. she also wore the mask she often used before and returned to the shi family with yi zheng. the shi family manor in front of them was clearly very different from when they came in the morning. the scattered doctors in the courtyard had already evacuated. the entire manor was abnormally quiet, and even the birds could not be heard. the surroundings were quiet and empty. shi man walked on the familiar stone path, but she felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity. a few months ago, this manor was filled with laughter. the shi family sat around eating barbecue and tasting good wine. it was a happy scene. now, there was only shi he left in this manor who had been tortured to the point of being bedridden. thinking of this, the temperature around shi man instantly dropped to the freezing point. yi zheng looked over as if he had sensed something. he quietly tugged at her pinky, indicating that she should not reveal her emotions easily for the time being. the two of them walked into the ward together. at this moment, there was only an unconscious shi he inside. only the sound of equipment could be heard. shi he¡¯s face was pale, and his lips were dry and cracked. he had already been tortured to the point of losing his vitality. shi man¡¯s heart ached and she quickly took out the silver needles she carried with her. yi zheng immediately cooperated and took out the medicine that was prepared in advance to help her apply it to the tip of the silver needles. then, he stood quietly at the side and watched her administer the needles to shi he. shi man was already extremely skilled at treating heat poison. before she could pull out the silver needles, shi he slowly woke up under the effect of the antidote. he opened his eyes slightly and saw the unfamiliar ceiling above his head. then, right on the heels of that, he looked down and saw a girl wearing a strange mask sitting in front of his bed. a terrifying memory suddenly surged into his mind again. shi he struggled to sit up in fear, but the fractures on his body had yet to recover. he could not move his entire body. he could only widen his eyes and look around the room helplessly. in the end, his gaze landed on the man standing against the wall. ¡°yi zheng?¡± when he spoke, his voice was hoarse and unpleasant, and there was a sharp pain in his throat. yi zheng took his hand out of his pocket and walked over slowly. he patted his shoulder comfortingly and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s here to detoxify you. your eldest brother and second brother will come and see you later.¡± ¡°where is this?¡± shi he looked around in shock, feeling that the walls of the house looked familiar. as expected, yi zheng¡¯s answer confirmed his guess in the next second. ¡°this is your house, so you don¡¯t have to be afraid..¡± Chapter 587 - Chapter 587: Fighting chapter 587: fighting translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the process of detoxifying shi he was very smooth. moreover, shi he had not been poisoned for long and the poison did not invade his entire body like what happened with yi zheng, so there was no need for a few consecutive treatments like yi zheng. shi man roughly estimated that she only needed to give shi he acupuncture regularly for the next two months to completely clean up the remaining poison. after dealing with shi he, shi man put away her things and turned to leave. unexpectedly, shi he, who had just woken up on the hospital bed, called out to her anxiously. ¡°wait!¡± shi he¡¯s gaze never left shi man. he felt that this girl¡¯s figure was very familiar, especially after shi man turned around. her back was exactly the same as his sister¡¯s. but he didn¡¯t dare to recognize her. shi man had never learned medicine. it was impossible for her to suddenly cure the poison in his body. but she was brought here by yi zheng¡­ after thinking about it, shi he could not help but ask hesitantly, ¡°do you know my sister? she¡¯s about your age.¡± shi man¡¯s body trembled imperceptibly. right on the heels of that, she deliberately lowered her voice so that it sounded completely different from before. ¡°1 don¡¯t know her.¡± ¡°alright.¡± shi he lowered his eyes silently and did not speak again. it was not until the two of them walked to the door that shi he said softly, ¡°thank you.¡± then, he closed his eyes and did not look at them again. shi man paused for a moment before opening the door and walking out. there was the click of the door closing. shi he slowly opened his closed eyes, and there was only calmness in them. it was shi man. she had underestimated how well he, her brother, knew her. even though she deliberately lowered her voice, he could still hear her voice. no matter how unbelievable he was, he was sure that the familiar figure must be shi man. but for some reason, his sister didn¡¯t seem to want him to know that she knew how to treat this strange poison. but looking at yi zheng¡¯s expression, he clearly knew everything¡­ forget it¡­ shi he closed his eyes tiredly again. since his sister did not want to tell him, he would continue to pretend that he did not know anything. after leaving the shi family¡¯s manor, shi man took off her mask and threw it on the car seat. she lay back in the comfortable car seat and took a deep breath. yi zheng instructed tang zhe to drive and turned to look at her in amusement. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? are you tired? i¡¯ve seen you so tired when 1 saw you detoxify me in the past. didn¡¯t you still have the strength to bargain with me for more benefits?¡± of course, he was referring to the batch of military supplies that shi man had asked for when she first detoxified yi zheng. shi man glanced at him and snorted. ¡°that¡¯s what i deserve. otherwise, you would have suffered more.¡± ¡°yes, yes, yes.¡± yi zheng smiled and curved his eyebrows. ¡°then where else do you want to go now? i¡¯ll get tang zhe to drive you there.¡± ¡°you know where i¡¯m going.¡± shi man turned her head and looked at him steadily. ¡°yi zheng, even if you¡¯re kind and won¡¯t bicker with them for the sake of your parents and so-called family, 1 can¡¯t let them live freely. i must avenge my brother.¡± ¡°i know.¡± yi zheng gently turned around and smiled coldly. ¡°when you see them later, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. you can do whatever you want.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows in surprise and reached out to him. she patted the back of his hand gently to comfort him. the car quickly stopped at its destination. shi man got out of the car alone and was about to barge into the villa. the bodyguard at the door reached out to stop her with an unfriendly expression and asked coldly, ¡°miss, do you have an appointment? if not, you can¡¯t go in.¡± ¡°move.¡± shi man¡¯s face was covered in a layer of frost. seeing that shi man did not come with good intentions, the bodyguards¡¯ tone became even worse. ¡°miss, if you barge in, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± shi man couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her breath on them. seeing that their hands were already grabbing at her, she turned around and dodged their attack. she bent her elbow and jabbed the person behind her in the stomach. that person immediately couldn¡¯t straighten his back from the pain. the others looked at each other and shouted as they rushed over again. shi man sneered and did not take them seriously at all. she knocked them to the ground in a few moves and their wails immediately spread throughout the villa area. in the room, yi ming had long heard the commotion outside. he, who had always put on airs, actually felt a little guilty. he looked at his grandson, who also had a stern expression, and asked hesitantly, ¡°why don¡¯t we let that girl in? if this continues, i¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to clean up.¡± yi che held his forehead with a headache. in the end, he finally agreed to let the butler go out and invite her in. when only he and yi ming were left in the room, yi che completely said, ¡°yi zheng is also downstairs. are you sure you have a way to deal with yi zheng?¡± yi ming looked like he was about to cry. he covered his heart with one hand and pretended to be out of breath as he leaned against the sofa. it seemed like he was planning to fool her.. Chapter 588 - Chapter 588: Stolen chapter 588: stolen translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios unfortunately, shi man would not give him a chance to fool her. in the silent villa, only the old man¡¯s panting breathing and slow footsteps could be heard. shi man stood alone in the living room and looked up the stairs with her cold eyes. she saw yi che supporting the old yi ming as he staggered downstairs. ¡°there¡¯s no need to pretend.¡± shi man glanced at his footsteps and looked away impatiently. ¡°you¡¯ve long recovered and your body is very strong. you won¡¯t die for a while.¡± yi ming held his breath. he had never been spoken to like this by a junior in his life. his face immediately flushed red. he took a few quick steps down the stairs and came to her. ¡°what do you want? do you think my life is too long?¡± only then did shi man turn around to face him and sneer. ¡°you know what i want to do. that heat poison was taken away from you, right?¡± ¡°nonsense!¡± yi ming glared and retorted without thinking, ¡°i don¡¯t know what heat poison is. you caused a scene at my house this time and insisted on breaking into the house. yet, you are trying to lay a crime on me?¡± shi man had long expected him to not admit it. she deliberately put on an unfathomable expression, narrowed her eyes, and smiled. ¡°don¡¯t you want to know how yi zheng wants to deal with you now?¡± yi ming¡¯s eyelids twitched, and yi che lowered the corners of his eyes. he stood in front of his grandfather pitifully. ¡°sister-in-law, no matter what, we¡¯re family now. isn¡¯t it a little rude for you to barge in and question grandpa like this?¡± ¡°politeness is reserved for people worthy of respect,¡± shi man said sarcastically. ¡°i¡¯ve never been good to those who have done evil.¡± ¡°girl, i¡¯m yi zheng¡¯s eldest grandfather after all!¡± yi ming pushed yi che away angrily and walked over to confront shi man personally. however, when he thought of yi zheng outside the door, his aura suddenly weakened. ¡°what do you want to know? if i know, i¡¯ll tell you.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°is the medicine you hid in the hospital all gone?¡± yi che suddenly looked up at his grandfather. seeing the other party nod in resignation, his heart sank. he hurriedly walked forward and looked at shi man pleadingly. ¡°sister-in-law, grandpa didn¡¯t mean to harm anyone. that thing was stolen. we really don¡¯t know what happened.¡± shi man glanced at yi ming and said coldly, ¡°i know, so i want to ask how that thing was stolen. didn¡¯t you notice anything?¡± yi ming and yi che looked at each other. neither of them spoke first. looking at the current situation, since shi man already knew so much, yi zheng must have already known yi ming¡¯s deed. he pondered for a moment and said, ¡°i didn¡¯t use that thing after finding it. instead, i put it in the safe in the study. but a few days ago, my study was suddenly broken into, and everything in the safe was stolen.¡± shi man clearly didn¡¯t believe him. yi ming simply brought her to his most secret study and pointed at the empty safe under the desk. ¡°look, there¡¯s nothing in here! even our yi family¡¯s heirloom was stolen! i still haven¡¯t found out who did this wicked thing!¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you think of asking for help?¡± shi man narrowed her eyes and squatted down to look at the obvious mark on the safe. she immediately made a call. yi ming defended himself awkwardly. ¡°you know that with that thing inside, how can we find others to help? wouldn¡¯t that attract trouble? now that such a thing has happened, we don¡¯t dare to make a fuss at all. we just want that poison not to appear and harm others.¡± shi man glanced at him and said with disdain, ¡°what¡¯s the family heirloom? is it very valuable?¡± yi ming paused for a moment, clearly not expecting her to be concerned about this. he nodded in shock and said, ¡°yes, that¡¯s something left behind by our ancestors. it has to be at least tens of millions. if you meet a buyer you really like, it¡¯s possible to sell it for a higher price.¡± shi man raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°give me a copy of the blueprint of your family heirloom. i might be able to help you find it.¡± yi ming did not expect shi man to have such thoughts and was overjoyed. he hurriedly asked yi che to bring the document for shi man to appraise the treasure. he pointed at the colorful map drawn by the expert and said, ¡°these two wine glasses. they don¡¯t look like much, but they¡¯re actually priceless.¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man was not interested in this thing. the reason why she wanted this blueprint was not to help yi ming find something. she had another purpose. since lin si could get that woman called chi ling to help him join forces with lin yue to attack shi he last time, it was hard to guarantee that lin si did not have other helpers! Chapter 589 - Chapter 589: Something Happened chapter 589: something happened translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after putting away the blueprint, shi man didn¡¯t say anything else to them and turned to leave the villa. yi zheng didn¡¯t expect her to leave so quickly. when he saw the identification report in her hand, he raised his eyebrows at her in surprise. ¡°you didn¡¯t settle scores with them. why did you take this out?¡± ¡°i want to find someone.¡± shi man got into the car and handed the blueprint to tang zhe. ¡°inform the brothers in the black market to strictly investigate the people circulating this thing. not only in g city, but also in the capital and m city.¡± ¡°yes.¡± tang zhe immediately arranged for people to closely monitor the recent movements of the black market. ¡°there¡¯s one more thing.¡± shi man said, ¡°get someone to keep an eye on yi ming and yi che. i suspect that they know how to contact lin si.¡± this matter was actually not difficult to figure out. heat poison was not easy to obtain. yi ming had done something wrong in the past, so how could he have such a thing again? therefore, there was only one possibility for the other party to know that yi ming had such a thing. yi ming did not obtain this poison with his own strength back then. in the past, yi che had joined forces with lin si, so shi man suspected that lin si had known from the beginning that yi ming had such a thing. he could even be responsible for helping yi ming obtain such a thing. if they monitored the movements and communication equipment around yi ming and yi che, they might be able to find some clues. this was also the main reason why shi man changed her mind at the last minute today and did not attack the two of them. instead of alerting the enemy now, she might as well choose to suppress it for the time being. she would pretend to believe whatever yi ming said so that he would reveal more flaws. after settling the matters in g city, the two of them quickly returned to the capital. after all, there were many things to do there. in the class, bai xue, who was sitting in the last row, was looking at the time on the wall uneasily. it had been nearly ten minutes since su tang left the class, but she had not returned to continue class. tong su¡¯s seat in the first row was already empty. not long after su tang took leave and left, tong su also applied for leave to go to the washroom and had yet to return. shi man was not around today. if anything really happened to su tang in school, only bai xue could help her. she gritted her teeth and suppressed the uneasiness in her heart. she raised her hand and interrupted the teacher¡¯s lecture with a guilty expression. ¡°i want to go to the toilet too.¡± on the podium, the teacher glared at bai xue unhappily and knocked on the other two empty seats. her expression turned cold. ¡°none of you like to listen to my class, right? all of you have to take leave during class. why didn¡¯t you go to the washroom after class just now?¡± the teacher threw the textbook in her hand angrily and pointed at bai xue. ¡°stand up. do you understand what i just said? repeat it to me. if you can answer it, i¡¯ll let you out!¡± the classroom was immediately filled with gloating whispers. bai xue braced herself and stared at the classmates who were watching her make a fool of herself. she stood up from her seat in fear and said weakly, ¡°teacher, i¡¯m sorry. i¡¯m new here and don¡¯t understand your class.¡± ¡°newcomer, why aren¡¯t you working hard?¡± the teacher pointed at bai xue and scolded, ¡°newcomers can¡¯t keep up with the class to begin with. your exam score will only lower the average score of the class. don¡¯t you know shame?¡± bai xue had been a good student doted on by her teacher since she started school. this was the first time she had been scolded like this in front of the entire class. her face immediately turned red with grievance, and there was a tear in the corner of her eye. however, su tang might have already encountered danger. even if she was dissuaded by her teacher, she could not sit back and do nothing. thinking of this, bai xue clenched her fists and mustered her courage to shout, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, teacher. i really want to go to the washroom! when i come back, i¡¯ll definitely work harder! i¡¯ll help you see why those two students haven¡¯t returned!¡± the teacher did not expect bai xue to be able to persist after being reprimanded to this extent in public. a trace of surprise flashed across her eyes. however, on second thought, the other two had indeed left for a long time. only then did she soften her tone. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll only give you five minutes. bring them back for me!¡± ¡°okay!¡± finally getting the teacher¡¯s approval, bai xue rushed out of the classroom, not daring to waste a second. du yan frowned as she watched her run out. she held her cell phone with both hands and quickly sent a message to tong su, informing her to immediately stop what she was doing. in the washroom, there was a pair of thin and long legs on the water-stained ground. the dirty water had wet the person¡¯s dress, and a corner of her shirt was still stepped on the ground by a pair of big feet. a sinister smile bloomed in her ears. su tang looked up in a daze and saw tong su and a few girls surrounding her and talking mockingly. a slippery liquid slowly flowed down from the top of her head. su tang raised her hand to touch it, but she could only smell the smell of rust. her vision was blurry.. Chapter 590 - Chapter 590: Violence chapter 590: violence translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°i knew it. how can she be a match for our sister tong su?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. shi man isn¡¯t around. her sidekick really thinks she¡¯s someone! she¡¯s just a paper tiger. otherwise, why would she fall after being pushed and still can¡¯t get up?¡± ¡°i think we should pour a bucket of cold water on her to wake her up. i haven¡¯t had enough fun yet! time is tight!¡± tong su glanced at her companion indifferently and squatted down to look at the dirty water on the girl¡¯s dress in disgust. she sneered and said, ¡°let¡¯s see if you still dare to help shi man go against me in the future! if you listen to me obediently and help me spy on shi man in the future, i¡¯ll let you go this time. how about that?¡± su tang blinked blankly. it took her a while to see the person in front of her clearly. she was stunned for a moment before her consciousness returned. she finally realized what she had just said and curled her lips weakly. ¡°dream on.¡± the smile on tong su¡¯s face disappeared in an instant. she stood up and stared down at the top of su tang¡¯s head. she said expressionlessly, ¡°beat her until she learns to give in!¡± the other girls immediately rubbed their fists and surrounded su tang. someone took out a pair of socks that they had prepared in advance and pinched su tang¡¯s mouth to stuff it into her mouth to prevent her from screaming. su tang used all her strength and bumped into that person with all her might. she grabbed that person¡¯s clothes and pushed him to the ground. at this moment, she was extremely dizzy. just now, when she came out of the washroom, before she could turn into the corridor, she was forcefully pulled against the wall by the person who had ambushed her here in advance. now, her head was still dizzy. she must have had a slight concussion. these people were very ruthless. su tang knew that she was not their match, but she would definitely not be willing to admit defeat! even if she died, she had to drag someone down with her. she could not die in vain! she slammed into her with all her might. not only did she knock her down, but she also fell onto her dizzily. she simply didn¡¯t get up and rode on that person¡¯s waist. she pinched her collar and raised her hand to slap her. a crisp and loud voice suddenly resounded through the entire washroom. the change happened too quickly for the others to react. the girl who had suddenly been slapped glared fiercely at su tang and shouted anxiously at her companions, ¡°why are you just watching? come over and help! get this b*tch off me. 1 must beat her to death today!¡± no one expected su tang to erupt with so much strength after waking up from her coma. tong su came back to her senses and immediately got the people around her to drag su tang away from that person. su tang¡¯s consciousness was not particularly clear, but her only thought was that she could not let go of that person just now. she had to pull back one person to have a chance to escape. with this thought in mind, she gritted her teeth and struggled with all her might. when others grabbed her hand, she would use her mouth to grab that person¡¯s clothes. when others loosened their grip on her hair, she would let go and grab that person¡¯s collar. su tang¡¯s strong desire to live made her erupt with extraordinary strength. the few of them could not restrain her for a moment. tong su looked at the time and narrowed her eyes. she simply pushed away a girl who was blocking her and chose to attack herself. seeing that su tang was about to grab that person¡¯s hair again, tong su did not show any mercy. she raised her fist and punched su tang¡¯s stomach. the girl who was still struggling violently just now was instantly petrified on the spot. a moment later, a drop of blood slowly flowed out of the corner of her mouth. right on the heels of that, she suddenly covered her stomach and knelt on the ground in pain, unable to move anymore. the few of them heaved a sigh of relief. the girl who had been slapped just now walked up to su tang with a livid expression. her eyes were filled with intense hatred. she raised her hand and slapped her without hesitation. ¡°stop!¡± when bai xue reached the bathroom door, she heard a muffled groan from inside. she hurriedly lifted the curtain with cold hands and walked in, but she did not expect to see such a scene. in the crowd, su tang was bent over and kneeling in front of them. her face was unbelievably pale and she was covered in water. it was obvious that she had experienced quite a bit of torture. bai xue hated herself for coming too late. shi man was not around today, but she let su tang experience such a thing alone. she immediately regretted it and hurriedly interrupted the slap that was about to land on su tang¡¯s face. that person paused for a moment. after seeing that the person who came was actually bai xue, a crazy joy flashed across her eyes. ¡°sister tong, she came to us herself. let¡¯s deal with her together.¡± when she said this, her hair had already been torn into a mess by su tang, and her collar had been torn. she did not look much more dignified than su tang. tong su retracted her gaze and sized up her.. she smiled cruelly and said, ¡°alright, as long as you don¡¯t play to death!¡± Chapter 591 - Chapter 591: Late chapter 591: late translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai xue¡¯s eyes widened. for a moment, she seemed to have returned to the afternoon when she was often bullied in school. she looked at su tang, who was kneeling on the ground and could not get up. it was as if she was looking at her fragile self. she was so afraid that she could not stop trembling. ¡°how dare you!¡± bai xue gritted her teeth and growled. seeing the obvious mocking gazes of those people, her heart beat so fast that it was about to jump out of her chest. tong su temporarily ignored su tang, who was unable to move on the ground. she walked around her and slowly walked towards bai xue, forcing her into the corner step by step. bai xue retreated repeatedly. suppressing the panic in her heart, she shouted anxiously, ¡°teacher only gave me five minutes. she asked me to bring you and su tang back. if i haven¡¯t returned to the classroom in five minutes, she will definitely find me personally!¡± a moment of hesitation flashed across tong su¡¯s eyes. she stopped in her tracks and frowned. ¡°how dare you use a teacher to suppress me? have you forgotten that my father is the principal of this school?¡± bai xue pretended to be calm and swallowed her saliva. ¡°of course 1 remember. but even if your father is the principal, aren¡¯t you afraid that the teacher will see through what happened today and affect your and your father¡¯s reputation in school?¡± she was betting that tong su would not dare to really be domineering in school. once this matter was spread, it would definitely damage tong su¡¯s reputation. in the future, it might invite criticism criticized. moreover, as the class monitor, tong su had always been both hard and soft to outsiders. even when dealing with students who were not convinced of her, she would use these methods secretly. if she moved to the open, her father might not protect her. this was exactly what bai xue was betting on. last time in the director¡¯s office, du yan had risked her fate of being punished by the school to protect tong su. this was enough to prove that tong su did not care about anything. sure enough, after hearing bai xue¡¯s words, a trace of hesitation flashed across tong su¡¯s ruthless eyes. when the girl who had been slapped by su tang saw her stop, she immediately stomped her feet indignantly and said, ¡°sister tong, don¡¯t listen to her. why would teacher leave so many students and come to the washroom to catch you?¡± she was still waiting to take revenge for the beating she had just received. if tong su really listened to this wretched girl, she would have been beaten up for nothing today! however, bai xue¡¯s words had indeed hit tong su¡¯s weak spot. she frowned and glanced at the time on her watch. she said coldly, ¡°that¡¯s all for today. if there¡¯s anything, we¡¯ll settle it next time.¡± ¡°sister tong!¡± the person shouted angrily again. tong su glared at her irritably before leaving the washroom with the others behind her. without tong su¡¯s protection, she did not dare to cause such a huge commotion here on her own. even if that person could not take this lying down, she could only leave with her hatefully. these people had finally left. bai xue leaned against the wall with weak hands and feet, but she could not care less about her trembling at this moment. she hurriedly ran to su tang¡¯s side and did not mind the dirty water all over her body. she tried her best to help her up. ¡°su tang, hold on.¡± bai xue gritted her teeth and half carried the unconscious su tang out of the washroom. when she turned around, she suddenly saw shi man walking over from the staircase. her tears immediately flowed uncontrollably. in the afternoon, shi man and yi zheng took a plane back to the capital. she was worried that tong su would do something if she was not around for a day, so she did not return to the shi family first. instead, she went straight to school. unexpectedly, she was still a step too late. she quickly walked to the two of them and reached out to hug the unconscious su tang. her eyes were red as she asked, ¡°is it tong su?¡± tears streamed down bai xue¡¯s face as she nodded. ¡°manman, she was the one who bullied tangtang in the washroom. what should we do now? tangtang is still unconscious.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll bring her to the hospital first. take leave from the teacher.¡± shi man picked her up and walked downstairs. bai xue looked at her back and prayed in her heart that su tang would be safe. she ran back to the classroom with tears in her eyes. ¡°teacher, i¡¯m sorry. i¡¯m applying for leave on behalf of su tang. she fainted in the washroom just now and has been sent to the hospital.¡± she did not tell them that shi man had returned because she knew that the reason why tong su suddenly dared to be so ruthless to su tang today was because she knew that shi man would not come to school today. therefore, even if she was lucky enough to become their next target today, she would never reveal shi man¡¯s whereabouts to them. she could not give them a chance to react and let them escape! tong su looked at bai xue, who was trembling like a frightened chick. she turned her head proudly and smiled at du yan. this person still didn¡¯t dare to mention her name to her teacher. it seemed that she was afraid. since su tang was stubborn, she might as well target bai xue.. Chapter 592 - Chapter 592: Threat chapter 592: threat translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the teacher¡¯s class had been interrupted several times. in the beginning, it was because of the principal¡¯s childlike personality. even if she was angry, she could only hold back her temper. however, this new student actually did not take her seriously. she immediately walked over angrily with the ruler. ¡°you learned to lie at such a young age! did su tang skip class and ask you to apply for sick leave?¡± she had seen many students who did not do their job! did they think that they were in their old peasant school? she would never allow such students to exist! ¡°where¡¯s su tang? get her to come and see me immediately! otherwise, the two of you will get zero marks for my class this semester!¡± she glared at bai xue angrily and her face already filled with anger. bai xue¡¯s face was pale as she looked at tong su, who was sitting steadily in her seat and gloating at her. she swallowed her saliva in fear and said, ¡°teacher, su tang really went to the hospital. if you don¡¯t believe me, 1 can ask her to hand the medical record to you later.¡± the teacher sized her up skeptically and realized that her entire body was stained with water. from time to time, a few unpleasant smells would drift over as she stood on the wind. bai xue noticed her teacher¡¯s disgusted expression and retreated with a red face. she coughed lightly and said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, teacher. 1 accidentally fell in the washroom just now.¡± the teacher turned around and returned to the podium in disdain, as if she was afraid that she would be tainted by her scent if she stood with her for too long. ¡°go back to your seat first. don¡¯t continue to delay the class.¡± ¡°yes.¡± bai xue lowered her head and walked back to her seat. even her ears were red. along the way, she could smell the unpleasant and pungent smell on her. the students on both sides of the aisle covered their noses in disdain and avoided her. everyone knew that something must have happened in the washroom just now, but the teacher pretended not to know and ignored her. bai xue felt so aggrieved that she wanted to cry, but now that su tang was being sent to the hospital by shi man, she would definitely be fine. moreover, since shi man was already back, they were not in a desperate situation. thinking of this, bai xue held back her tears and forced herself to calm down. she seriously memorized the notes for this class. in the front row, tong su quietly threw du yan a look. the two of them communicated silently for a moment and understood each other¡¯s meaning. after school, just as bai xue packed her things and was about to leave, the light in front of her was suddenly blocked by someone. she paused as she picked up her bag. she slowly raised her head and met tong su¡¯s smiling eyes. ¡°bai xue, we have something to tell you. can you come out with us?¡± bai xue lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in the depths of her eyes. she mocked without retreating, ¡°where are you going? or are you going to the washroom? is that your stronghold?¡± tong su narrowed her eyes. anger suddenly rose in her heart, but she could barely suppress it in front of others. however, du yan was clearly a little anxious. when she heard someone mock tong su like this, she immediately pointed at her angrily and screamed, ¡°who are you mocking here? i¡¯m giving you face, alright? if you continue to nag and not come out, 1¡¯11 beat you up in front of the entire class. do you believe me?¡± she spoke arrogantly, thinking that bai xue was scolded so badly that she would not be able to raise her head. unexpectedly, bai xue looked straight at her without avoiding her. the corners of her mouth curled up into a faint smile. her smile was gentle and moving. ¡°1 believe you.¡± ¡°huh?¡± du yan clearly did not expect this person to admit defeat so quickly. other than revealing the disdain she should have, there was also a hint of unhappiness on her face. tong su stared at her and said with a fake smile, ¡°that¡¯s good. come with us.¡± bai xue obediently followed behind the aggressive few people. how could the students passing by in the corridor not know tong su¡¯s character? usually, they were just angry but did not dare to say anything. now that they saw bai xue, they felt a little regretful. it seemed that the newly transferred classmates would still be taught a lesson by tong su before being taken under her power. this time, they did not go to a place like the washroom. instead, they brought bai xue to the rooftop of the school. there was no one here. the bright red clouds on the horizon sprinkled warm afterglow, but the cold wind on the rooftop blew directly at people. bai xue¡¯s heart turned cold from the cold wind. she cowered against the wall and tried her best to calm down and confront them. tong su got someone to lock the door to the rooftop. after confirming that no one would come up to disturb her, she slowly walked up to her. ¡°1 invited you here today to discuss something with you. if you agree, we¡¯ll let you go back in one piece. but if you don¡¯t listen, you will end up like su tang.¡± after tong su finished speaking, du yan immediately hugged her shoulders and sneered. ¡°our sister tong is a woman of her word. if you listen obediently, you will naturally benefit.¡± bai xue frowned and endured her palpitations.. she asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°what exactly do you want me to do?¡± Chapter 593 - Chapter 593: Turn of Events chapter 593: turn of events translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios hearing her tone, tong su thought that there was a chance. she hurriedly hid the joy in her eyes and said with a straight face, ¡°it¡¯s actually very simple. you just have to report shi man¡¯s schedule to me when 1 need it or tell me what she does every day and who she meets.¡± ¡°oh.¡± bai xue understood what she meant and mocked mercilessly, ¡°you want me to be a spy by shi man¡¯s side so that you can take the opportunity to attack her, right?¡± tong su frowned and reprimanded unhappily, ¡°you don¡¯t have to care so much. as long as you do what you have to do, i can definitely guarantee that you can graduate from the military academy successfully.¡± ¡°that¡¯s all?¡± a look of disdain slowly appeared on bai xue¡¯s face. then, she induced, ¡°i can still graduate smoothly when i return to the school arranged for me by the shi family in g city. miss tong, it¡¯s not easy to complete the matter you requested. without sincerity, why should i abandon the shi family?¡± tong su did not expect this girl, who looked so weak, to have such a big appetite. however, it was still a good thing to have a breakthrough. it was not difficult for her to gain some benefits. she narrowed her eyes and thought for a while before nodding. ¡°alright, i can guarantee that you can get a stable and good job after graduation. after i deal with shi man and chase her out of the capital, you can still get a check for ten million. this way, you won¡¯t have to rely on the shi family for the rest of your life.¡± bai xue lowered her eyes and did not speak for a long time. du yan asked anxiously, ¡°what are you hesitating for? can the shi family give you so much money? they¡¯re funding you now because you¡¯re still useful. they want you to continue working for shi man after graduation, but with this ten million, what can¡¯t you do?¡± tong su also looked determined to win. to her, ten million was just pocket money. it was nothing, but it was probably a huge temptation to a person like bai xue. if bai xue still didn¡¯t agree, it would seem like she wanted to do this the hard way! a hint of ruthlessness flashed across tong su¡¯s eyes, and her expression became even more impatient. ¡°have you considered it? i don¡¯t have the time to waste with you here. if you agree, leave a token. it can be considered that we¡¯ve reached an agreement. if you don¡¯t agree¡­¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but anyone could understand what she meant. when the surrounding women heard this, they immediately surrounded bai xue. all of them rubbed their fists and sneered at her, wishing that she would immediately reject tong su so that they could teach her a lesson. under everyone¡¯s expectant or gloating gazes, bai xue slowly raised her eyes and nodded slightly. ¡°it¡¯s indeed a considerable benefit. you¡¯re right. with this ten million, i can run away with the money.¡± tong su immediately smiled in surprise. ¡°so, you agree?¡± bai xue raised the corners of her lips slightly and revealed a mocking smile. ¡°but there are some things that money can¡¯t buy. tong su, you underestimate shi man.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± tong su suddenly had a bad feeling. it was as if the wind on the rooftop had inexplicably turned colder, causing her back to turn cold and she couldn¡¯t help but shiver. in an instant, she suddenly understood something and turned around. caught off guard, she saw shi man, who had been standing behind them for an unknown period of time. ¡°why are you here? didn¡¯t you not come to school today?¡± ¡°so you injured my people and even brought bai xue to the rooftop to bully her?¡± shi man slowly walked up to her and gently lifted her chin. she sneered. ¡°tong su, do you really think that 1 won¡¯t dare to touch you just because of your family background?¡± ¡°you!¡± tong su¡¯s eyes widened in fear, but she quickly regained her composure. she suddenly pushed away from shi man and instructed the people around her angrily, ¡°what are you waiting for! attack! how dare you scheme against me? i¡¯ll let you both lie here today!¡± after saying that, tong su reached out to grab bai xue behind her, but the seemingly weak girl was actually like a slippery loach at this moment. she reached out to catch her, but bai xue had already slipped to the side. tong su stomped her feet in exasperation. ¡°come here! you¡¯re not allowed to run!¡± ¡°i¡¯d be a fool not to run!¡± bai xue hurriedly replied before pushing away the person in front of her. shi man reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her behind her. only then did she look up at tong su. ¡°if you want to know what i do every day, i¡¯m standing in front of you now. why don¡¯t you ask me yourself?¡± tong su subconsciously took a step back, but she still scolded sternly, ¡°all of you, take her down! she¡¯s alone. what are you afraid of?¡± only then did du yan and the others react to the sudden change in front of them. they hurriedly rushed up to fight shi man. these women had never learned any combat techniques. usually, they were domineering because they had the advantage of the majority. however, when they really fought, they were just like shrews tearing each other¡¯s heads apart. there was no beauty to speak of.. Chapter 594 - Chapter 594: Betrayal chapter 594: betrayal translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios shi man weaved between them freely and even took the time to flick bai xue¡¯s forehead. she smiled and called her back. ¡°why are you in a daze? watch carefully. you have to fight like this in the future.¡± she raised her hand and grabbed an outstretched arm. she turned her body slightly and heard a miserable scream. bai xue was stunned, but she was not afraid at all. she only felt excited. the strong desire to become stronger immediately surged in her chest. she forced herself to swallow and maintain her composure, but her eyes were fixed on shi man¡¯s actions. she watched as she stood elegantly at the side after dealing with the people in front of her and smiled back at her. bai xue suddenly felt her heart palpitate. when she reacted, she hurriedly lowered her head with a red face. the girl with a warm smile slowly walked in front of her and stopped. she could even smell the faint fragrance unique to the other party. that smell seemed to instantly pull her into the fresh bamboo forest after june rain, making her forget where she was. shi man stood in front of bai xue. on the rooftop of the entire school, other than shi man and bai xue, only tong su could stand unscathed. the wind whistled past her ears, and the crimson clouds had already dimmed. night quietly crept up from the horizon. tong su shivered in panic and looked at shi man as if she was looking at a monster. ¡°what do you want? if you hit me today, you will definitely be chased out of the military school. at that time, you will be the one who will lose face!¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and teased, ¡°are you afraid of being beaten?¡± tong su panicked for no reason. shi man immediately understood. ¡°even if a pampered young lady like you has practiced some skills, you¡¯ve probably never been beaten. but how can she improve without being beaten?¡± as soon as she finished speaking, shi man, who was standing a meter away from tong su, suddenly disappeared. in the next second, she was behind tong su and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. tong su felt as if a cold venomous snake had climbed up behind her. her breathing was like an ice-cold snake¡¯s tongue, flicking the side of her ear from time to time, making her tremble. shi man felt the fear of the girl in her arms. she smiled and pinched her chin, forcing her to turn her head awkwardly and look at her. ¡°tell me, is the person who injured su tang on this rooftop?¡± tong su took a deep breath and secretly glanced at her companions who were wailing on the ground. she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°don¡¯t even think about making me tell the truth!¡± ¡°oh? so uncooperative?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows playfully. ¡°what did you say just now? how are you going to be punished for disobedience?¡± tong su composed herself and warned coldly, ¡°even if you don¡¯t want to stay in the capital, leaving on your own is still different from being chased out. shi man, don¡¯t you think about your family¡¯s future?¡± shi man looked at her in surprise, as if she was surprised that she suddenly had a brain. she smiled and said, ¡°but i forgot to tell you that there¡¯s nothing 1 can¡¯t deal with. do you want to try?¡± tong su did not doubt the authenticity of her words at all, because shi man had already picked up a short knife with her other hand. at this moment, the sharp blade was already in front of her neck. she finally succumbed to the fear in her heart and said with a trembling voice, ¡°will you not hurt me as long as i tell you who that person is?¡± ¡°of course.¡± shi man lied in her ear without hesitation, then narrowed her eyes and waited for her to say that person¡¯s name. tong su heaved a sigh of relief and lowered her voice. ¡°yes, it¡¯s a girl from the next class. her name is an ning.¡± ¡°there¡¯s more than one, right?¡± shi man glanced at the people on the ground and smiled. ¡°these are all our classmates. it was class time at that time. i¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t bring so many people out of one class. are they all from the other classes? 1 want to know their names.¡± tong su took a deep breath. there were many rich ladies with deep backgrounds among those people. if she really said everything, she would definitely offend many families. but if she didn¡¯t say it now, this lunatic might really bite her and not let go. she bit her lower lip tightly and let go in the blink of an eye. ¡°alright, i can tell you, but you can¡¯t say that i said it.¡± ¡°okay.¡± shi man nodded magnanimously. only then did tong su say a few names in a row. shi man listened quietly and memorized these names. tong su had betrayed so many people in a row and was panicking. seeing that shi man still had no intention of taking the knife away, she immediately frowned and urged unhappily, ¡°i¡¯ve already said what i needed to say. can you let go of me?¡± shi man let go of her hand obediently. however, before tong su could rejoice that she had dodged the bullet, she heard her cold voice from behind. ¡°i can let you go this time, but you won¡¯t be so lucky next time..¡± Chapter 595 - Chapter 595: Scheme chapter 595: scheme translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tong su glared at shi man hatefully. if looks could kill, she would have bored holes into shi man . unfortunately, she could not do anything to shi man now. she did not even dare to stare at shi man for long. the people on the rooftop left one after another. just now, they had locked the door of the rooftop aggressively. now, they were opening and escaping in a panic. it was ironic just thinking about it. bai xue anxiously went to her side and suppressed the throbbing in her heart. she asked in a low voice, ¡°how¡¯s tangtang now?¡± ¡°she¡¯s fine. she¡¯ll be fine after resting in the hospital for two days.¡± shi man sized her up carefully for a moment. seeing that her face was getting redder and redder, she frowned in confusion. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? did you freeze from the wind just now?¡± bai xue lowered her head and shook her head, leaving only the tips of her red ears. ¡°i¡¯m fine. let¡¯s go see tangtang first. she can¡¯t have no one to take care of her!¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ve already hired a nurse. my brother is also there.¡± shi man patted her shoulder comfortingly and grabbed her wrist. under bai xue¡¯s stunned gaze, she turned around and pulled her down the rooftop. bai xue stared blankly at her back. her gaze slowly slid from her wrist to her cold eyes and her tense side profile. bai xue suddenly realized that shi man should be angry now. after she returned and suddenly saw that su tang was so seriously injured, how could she not be angry? now that she knew the names of the people who hurt su tang, she should want to take revenge for su tang immediately, right? thinking of this, bai xue suddenly broke free from shi man¡¯s wrist. under her surprised gaze, she smiled understandingly and said, ¡°i can go back alone. manman, you must have something you want to do now. you don¡¯t have to care about me. after they leave this time, they probably won¡¯t find trouble with me again. do whatever you want. 1¡¯11 help you inform auntie.¡± shi man looked at her deeply and nodded. ¡°alright, send me a message when you get home safely and let me know that you¡¯re safe, okay?¡± bai xue suddenly felt her face burning. she quickly turned her head away and choked unnaturally. ¡°alright, i¡­ i¡¯ll leave first!¡± her last bit of rationality could only support her as she fled after saying this. right on the heels of that, her manic heartbeat was about to jump out of her throat. shi man retracted her gaze from her back. she took out her phone and found the information of those people without much effort, preparing to settle them one by one tonight. the pink room was like a princess room that would only appear in fairy tales. unfortunately, the girl sitting on the pink bed did not have the beauty of a princess. instead, her face was swollen, and the red palm mark on her face was shocking. mother an¡¯s heart ached as she applied medicine on her daughter. she kept nagging the man behind her. ¡°look at how our baby has been beaten up. as her father, can¡¯t you avenge your daughter? who does the shi family think they are? how dare they bully my baby like this? 1 have to fight shen xian to the death!¡± of course, father an¡¯s heart ached for his daughter, but what happened outside was not as simple as she said. he sighed and asked the question in his heart in confusion, ¡°why did shi man hit you?¡± ¡°what else could it be?¡± an ning wiped the tears on her face aggrievedly and cried. ¡°she just doesn¡¯t like tong su and despises me. dad, you don¡¯t know, she¡¯s only been in our school for a few days and she¡¯s already fighting with a few people. she¡¯s just restless. relying on chief lu¡¯s favoritism, she insists that we all listen to hepr!¡± when mother an heard this, her heart ached. she hurriedly pushed her husband away angrily and snorted unhappily. ¡°she¡¯s suffered so much. hurry up and think of a way to help wreak vengeance. don¡¯t get in the way here!¡± father an didn¡¯t dare to make a sound after being reprimanded by his wife. he looked at his daughter reluctantly one last time before bowing and leaving the room. an ning looked at her father¡¯s departing figure and a smug smile appeared on her lips. after she returned, she deliberately let her parents see the injury on her face and deliberately used an excuse to point all the blame at shi man. this way, her father would use his power to help her deal with shi man. at that time, she could naturally take credit for it in front of tong su! what was a mere su tang? when she no longer had shi man as her backer, wouldn¡¯t she be able to do whatever she wanted? however, if she said that the injury on her face was caused by su tang today, her father would definitely not believe her. if he really investigated, he would discover that she had joined forces with others to bully su tang today. at that time, her father would only teach her a lesson. she had to get rid of shi man first. otherwise, if she could not become tong su¡¯s good friend, she would not be the first to reap benefits from tong su in the future.. Chapter 596 - Chapter 596: Vicious Scheme chapter 596: vicious scheme translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the cool breeze in the autumn night brushed past the faces of the pedestrians like feathers. occasionally, a strong wind blew past them. many people stopped in their tracks curiously and looked around, but they did not find anything unusual. only then did they turn their attention to the things in their hands. shi man quickly passed through the crowd and arrived at a remote villa area. while the security officer at the door was drinking water, she slipped through the door in the blink of an eye. according to the location shown in the information, shi man quickly found the innermost house in the villa area. the house was decorated in a european style, but there were many pink flowers planted in the courtyard. the two styles collided, but it did not feel strange. unfortunately, no one was destined to appreciate such beautiful flowers tonight. shi man walked around the flowers and pressed herself against the wall to touch the room with the sound of people coming from the innermost side. she breathed lightly and pressed herself against the window. in the room, an ning chatted on the phone with her sisters as if no one was around. just now, she had successfully made her mother hate shi man and her family. when her mother saw shen xian tomorrow, she would definitely ridicule the shi family. an ning felt relieved just thinking about it. however, this was far from enough to achieve her ultimate goal. she lay on the bed and hugged the pillow, carefully avoiding the wound on her face. she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°it really hurts today. that damn su tang, i¡¯ll make her pay sooner or later!¡± the girl on the other end of the phone was applying pink nail polish on herself at the table. when she heard her indignant words, she slowly echoed, ¡°that¡¯s right. we were in the washroom today. we almost couldn¡¯t control her with so many of us. she and shi man are both monsters! such people are not worthy of transferring to our school!¡± with a friend who shared a common enemy with her, an ning became even more furious when she criticized su tang. ¡°that¡¯s right. 1 really don¡¯t know what chief lu is thinking. how can he like such a person? isn¡¯t sister tong su much better than her?!¡± speaking of this, an ning felt indignant. tong su had always wanted to be a student under chief lu in the past, and she had always worked hard because of this. almost everyone in the circle was guessing what kind of bright future tong su would have after graduating and following lu jun. tong su had been looking forward to having the same future as chu yue. in order to become chief lu¡¯s student and not have chu yue would not hold a grudge against her, tong su mediated in the middle and tried to please both sides. however, she could not obtain the approval of lu jun. unexpectedly, lu jun went to g city angrily and returned with such a woman. while tong su was angry that lu jun did not choose her, she hated and envied shi man even more. tong su didn¡¯t say these things, but an ning could tell. that was why she felt even more indignant for tong su. the girl on the other end of the phone clearly thought the same. after the two of them casually scolded shi man, they changed the topic back to how to deal with shi man. an ning¡¯s eyes darted around as she came up with a brilliant idea. every student of chief lu had to be upright and be a person that no one could find fault with in private. however, if shi man¡¯s private life was indecent, chief lu would definitely be the first to give up on her. without chief lu¡¯s protection, even if the shi family had endless money in this capital filled with rich and high-ranking officials, it was probably not so easy to withstand the tong family¡¯s revenge. thinking of this, an ning couldn¡¯t help but sit up excitedly and hammer the soft blanket excitedly. ¡°i understand. it¡¯s the school anniversary next month. at that time, every class will definitely hold a gathering in private. shi man will definitely drink. we can tamper with the wine. then, we can get feng kai and the others over to vent our anger. wouldn¡¯t that be the best of both worlds?¡± not only did the girl on the phone not feel ashamed for being so vicious, but she even echoed excitedly, ¡°you¡¯re right, an ning. you¡¯re really too smart. when that happens, how can she still have the cheek to face people? she¡¯ll definitely leave the military school herself!¡± the two of them quickly agreed on some details. an ning shook her legs that were hanging by the bed proudly, as if she could already see shi man¡¯s deathly appearance after being humiliated. she could not help but laugh out loud, not noticing that a figure had flashed past the window behind her. shi man heard everything clearly from outside. she suddenly changed her mind and did not want to deal with an ning so quickly. instead of subduing her out of boredom now, it was better to wait until she was at her proudest before dragging her into the mud so that she could never turn around. however, when an ning, the person who came up with the vicious plan, suffered a backlash on herself, she should not accuse others of being vicious. after making up her mind, shi man left the villa as quietly as she came. when she returned to the shi family, bai xue was pacing back and forth helplessly, waiting for her to return. seeing her steady figure, her worried heart finally calmed down. shi mu looked at bai xue strangely and couldn¡¯t help but frown.. ¡°why do you seem to be worried about my sister more than you care about me?¡± Chapter 597 - Chapter 597: Horrifying Discovery chapter 597: horrifying discovery translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai xue was stunned by his question and looked away unnaturally. ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense. i didn¡¯t.¡± shi mu was puzzled. why did he suddenly feel that bai xue¡¯s attitude towards shi man was a little strange? shi man changed her shoes and walked into the living room. she saw shi mu¡¯s puzzled expression and asked expressionlessly, ¡°where¡¯s su tang?¡± shi mu was about to answer when bai xue suddenly explained before him, ¡°tangtang just woke up. she¡¯s unwilling to stay in the hospital. in addition, the doctor said that there¡¯s no big problem and that she just needs to rest well, so your brother and i brought her back from the hospital. she¡¯s lying in her room now. do you want to see her?¡± ¡°yes.¡± shi man nodded gently and walked upstairs. bai xue hurriedly jogged behind her, and the tips of her ears turned pink again. shi mu stood rooted to the ground and watched the two of them leave in a daze. he shook his head hesitantly and turned to leave the living room to do his own things. he had already graduated from school and was no longer a leisurely student. as the son of the shi family, he had to start busying himself with his career, even if he still had many things to learn. shi zhong¡¯s requirements for him were clearly not as strict as shi ke¡¯s. he only asked shi mu not to idle around and find something serious to do. therefore, he decided to bring him along recently and let him enter his company to familiarize himself with the business. shi mu had no objections. he actually did not know what he really wanted to do. since someone had paved the way for him, he was happy to follow shi zhong¡¯s plan. recently, the company was in contact with the business in the capital. shi mu was so busy every day that he was dizzy. otherwise, he would have personally picked up shi man. in the room, su tang was lying on the bed, breathing steadily as she slept. shi man took a quick look and confirmed that she was really fine before leaving quietly with bai xue. shen xian heard the commotion and came out of the room. seeing that shi man was fine, she heaved a sigh of relief. her eyes couldn¡¯t help but turn red. she quickly walked over and hugged shi man tightly. ¡°my good daughter, mom was so worried about you. don¡¯t leave without saying goodbye next time, okay?¡± shi man never needed to inform anyone when she went on missions in the past. even if she slept in the wilderness, no one would waste their energy worrying about her safety. therefore, she was not used to informing anyone before she went out. however, seeing the deep worry in shen xian¡¯s eyes, shi man¡¯s heart softened and she sighed. ¡°mom, i¡¯m sorry. 1 left in a hurry this time and didn¡¯t have the time to tell you. it won¡¯t happen again. don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± shen xian choked and nodded. then, she let go of shi man and patted her face. ¡°then can you tell mom if something happened at home when you returned to g city in such a hurry?¡± shi man pursed her thin lips and her dark eyes suddenly darkened. ¡°mom, 1 don¡¯t want to lie to you. something happened to third brother, but don¡¯t worry. the matter has been resolved. third brother has also been brought home by eldest brother and the others. he will definitely be safe at home.¡± seeing that shen xian was visibly worried about her children, shi man bluntly chose to report the good news instead of the bad news. she did not say that the heat poison in shi he was inflicted with had not been completely eliminated. she only said that he was in a safe situation now and could stay at home to recuperate in the future. only then did shen xian feel relieved. however, she turned to look at su tang, who was still sleeping in the room behind her. she immediately hesitated and asked uneasily, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with tangtang today? why did she suddenly have a concussion? why is her body is dirty? did someone bully her in school?¡± shi man narrowed her eyes and thought of something. she led shen xian to a place a little away from the room so as not to wake su tang up. then, she said slowly, ¡°mom, you have to be careful of the an family recently. they might do something to you.¡± hearing her words, shen xian immediately understood everything. it was always easy for the young ladies of aristocratic families to have conflicts. su tang¡¯s accident today was definitely not an accident. now, it seemed that the an family was indeed going to harm her two daughters. her heart tightened, and she subconsciously grabbed shi man¡¯s hand. ¡°mom knows how to protect herself, but if you¡¯re bullied in school, you must remember to tell your father and me. we¡¯ll stand up for you.¡± ¡°okay.¡± even though shi man did not need to ask anyone for help, a warm current still flowed through her heart. this was the feeling of being cared for by her family¡­ not bad. the haze in shi man¡¯s heart seemed to have been swept away in an instant. she smiled gently and brightly, and bai xue could not take her eyes off her. when shi mu personally came up to call them to the cafeteria downstairs for dinner, he was caught off guard and saw bai xue¡¯s infatuated expression. what shocked him even more was that bai xue was infatuated with his biological sister. shi mu was stunned on the spot. he did not even notice that shi man had walked in front of him.. Chapter 598 - Chapter 598: Jealous chapter 598: jealous translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± shi man looked at the stunned shi mu in surprise. she subconsciously thought that he had been too busy and tired recently. she sighed deeply and said, ¡°go back to your room and rest after dinner. if you need any help, feel free to look for me.¡± shi mu shook his head quickly and denied decisively, ¡°it¡¯s not because of this, sister. 1 have something to ask you.¡± ¡°what?¡± shi man stood still, curious about his surprised and hopeless expression. then, shi mu¡¯s adam¡¯s apple bobbed nervously. he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°yi zheng, ah, it¡¯s brother-in-law! isn¡¯t he coming home for dinner tonight? it¡¯s not good for him to be busy in the company and not pay attention to his health.¡± shi man frowned curiously. since when did shi mu care about yi zheng? shouldn¡¯t he be wishing that yi zheng would move away as soon as possible? ¡°he¡¯ll be back later today. he has to deal with the documents accumulated at the company,¡± shi man replied calmly. seeing her brother¡¯s hesitant look, she couldn¡¯t help but ask him, ¡°do you have something to ask him recently?¡± ¡°no.¡± shi mu blinked at her innocently. then, he realized that his words were a little strange. he coughed awkwardly and explained, ¡°i was thinking that if brother-in-law doesn¡¯t pay attention to his body, how can he take care of you for us for the rest of your life? don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°brother-in-law?¡± shi man sized him up suspiciously. shi mu felt even more uneasy under her obvious distrust. he did not even know where to place his hands. he quickly stole a glance at bai xue, who was looking over with her head tilted. his face instantly turned red as he stammered, ¡°there¡¯s nothing else! i¡¯m going down to eat!¡± shi man stared at his back thoughtfully, preparing to find time to investigate what her brother had been doing recently. she was worried that her brother had encountered something in the company and was too embarrassed to take the initiative to tell her. that was why he changed the topic and dragged yi zheng into it. however, soon, shi man realized that not only did her brother¡¯s abnormality not show any signs of stopping, but it also intensified. during the meal, shi mu was abnormal. he insisted on sitting between her and bai xue and forcefully separated the two of them. he even looked around fawningly. it was obvious that he did not want to offend either party and wanted to please them. shi man was not uncomfortable with this. in her heart, everyone who was sitting and eating together was a family member. she could sit next to anyone, but she didn¡¯t know if bai xue would be used to it. she subconsciously looked to her side and saw that bai xue was indeed rejecting shi mu¡¯s action of scooping soup for her with a troubled expression. shi mu was so anxious that a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. he was so attentive that he seemed to have become a different person. although he was usually quite good to bai xue, anyone could tell that he was abnormal tonight. shi man frowned and took the soup bowl from shi mu¡¯s hand. she picked up the onions inside expressionlessly and threw them into the trash can. ¡°brother, xue doesn¡¯t eat these. don¡¯t forget that next time.¡± with that, she placed the soup bowl in front of bai xue. bai xue, who had been rejecting shi mu just now, suddenly smiled sweetly at shi man. ¡°thank you for remembering.¡± ¡°you¡¯re welcome.¡± shi man smiled and turned to continue eating. shi mu was caught in the middle and could not calm down. he looked at shi man, who had a calm expression, and then at bai xue, whose face was red. his heart suddenly felt like it had been punched. the delicious food in front of him suddenly didn¡¯t taste good. he put down his chopsticks and looked a little pained. ¡°i¡¯m full. i¡¯ll go back and sleep first.¡± ¡°xiao mu, is this all you can eat?¡± shen xian was about to stop her son when shi man suddenly grabbed her mother¡¯s arm and shook her head at her. there was no light in the dim room. even the moonlight was blocked by the curtains, preventing it from poking its head in. shi mu lay on the bed in a daze and looked at the darkness above his head. he could not see anything clearly, but he was in a daze. just now, bai xue¡¯s different reaction to shi man made him feel very suffocated. he knew that bai xue did not like him. if she had not been left in the shi family by shi man, she might not have wanted to see him again. she had aborted a child for him. that was their child. it was something he didn¡¯t want. but now, shi mu only felt regret. even though he did not do it willingly that night, his heart seemed to have been left behind on that charming night. if he lost his heart, it would not be so easy to take it back. even if she might not want him at all. shi mu turned around in frustration and looked at the closed door expressionlessly. his heart was still filled with frustration. he was unwilling to confirm what kind of feelings bai xue had for shi man, but he was sure of one thing. bai xue¡¯s heart was indeed not with him. thinking of this, shi mu closed his eyes in pain. the next second, he heard someone knocking on the door from outside.. Chapter 599 - Chapter 599: Concern chapter 599: concern translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bai xue knocked on the door worriedly. just now, even she could tell that something was wrong with shi mu. she wanted to ask shi man to come over with her to take a look, but shi man actually said that she was tired and wanted to go back to her room to rest. bai xue thought about it and was really worried, so she mustered her courage and knocked on the door alone. she thought that if shi mu was really asleep, she might as well leave and not disturb his rest. therefore, after knocking on the door three times politely, she stood at the door motionlessly and pricked up her ears to listen to the commotion inside. in the room, shi mu had clearly heard the knock. he felt it was obvious who the person knocking on the door was. his precious sister must have seen that he was in a bad mood and came over to ask. moreover, his mother was worried that he was not full from dinner, so she must have specially asked the kitchen to make a new meal that suited his taste and brought it over for him to eat. anyway, it was impossible for the person outside the door to be bai xue. he sighed deeply and endured the grievance and bitterness in his heart. he forced himself to perk up and slowly walked towards the door in his slippers. outside, bai xue did not hear any sound from inside for a long time. she thought that shi mu was really asleep and was worried that she would disturb his rest. she turned around uneasily and was about to leave. in the next second, there was a soft sound from the door behind her. bai xue turned around in surprise. when their eyes met, she clearly saw the ecstasy and surprise in shi mu¡¯s eyes. ¡°you¡­¡± ¡°you¡­¡± the two of them spoke at the same time. bai xue pursed her lips and lowered her head guiltily. ¡°you go first.¡± shi mu was stunned for a moment before joy spread across his face again. ¡°are you looking for me?¡± ¡°yes.¡± bai xue nodded gently. ¡°you didn¡¯t eat much for dinner. i thought that you might have been too busy recently and didn¡¯t have a good appetite, so i made some light vegetable porridge. if you want to eat, you can go down and eat.¡± ¡°you made it for me personally?¡± shi mu did not expect such a surprise tonight. his sadness from before was swept away, and the corners of his mouth were about to reach his ears in excitement. his gaze was too hot. being stared at by him like this, bai xue¡¯s expression changed unnaturally as if she had climbed up a cloud, and her head drooped lower and lower. ¡°if you want to eat, come downstairs with me. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll get cold later.¡± ¡°okay!¡± shi mu walked to her side proudly and wrapped her delicate hand in his large palm without thinking. seeing bai xue raise her head to look at him in shock, not only did he not feel shy, but he held her hand even tighter. ¡°you were busy cooking for me just now. you probably didn¡¯t eat, right? why don¡¯t we go down and eat together?¡± ¡°i won¡¯t¡­¡± bai xue subconsciously wanted to break free from his hand. shi mu would not give her this chance at all. instead, he used her own words to shut her up. ¡°let¡¯s go quickly. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be cold later.¡± his joy was overflowing. even through his back, one could tell how happy this person was. bai xue was inexplicably surprised. she had only made a bowl of porridge. did he have to be so agitated? when they arrived at the dining area, shi man and shen xian had already finished eating and returned to their rooms. even the butler was gone. the entire villa was empty, as if only the two of them were left. shi mu brought her to the dining table and sat down while he went to scoop the porridge. bai xue got up to help, but he pressed her shoulder again. ¡°just wait here obediently. don¡¯t 1 even know how to scoop porridge?¡± shi mu looked at her stunned expression and couldn¡¯t help but reach out to pinch her face. bai xue had been raised well in the shi family during this period of time. her originally thin face had gained a few pounds, and it felt good to pinch. shi mu suddenly couldn¡¯t bear to take his hand away from her face. seeing that the flesh under his fingers had turned red from his pinch, he let go reluctantly. he walked out for a long time, still thinking about the soft touch on his hand just now. bai xue sat at the table with her head lowered. she felt her heart palpitate for some reason, but when she thought that the person just now was shi mu, she forced herself to forget that palpitation. when shi mu returned quickly, her expression had already returned to normal. shi mu placed two bowls of steaming white porridge on the table. the green vegetable leaves and the white porridge complemented each other, whetting one¡¯s appetite. shi mu finished the porridge excitedly and leaned back in his chair with a satisfied expression. he turned his head slightly and saw that the porridge in front of bai xue had not been touched. ¡°why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± shi mu observed his expression carefully and asked tentatively, ¡°do you not want to eat porridge? what do you want to eat? i¡¯ll get the chef to make it for you.¡± ¡°or 1 can learn it myself.¡± shi mu looked away unnaturally. this sentence seemed to have used up all his strength, so much so that he was panting as soon as he finished speaking. his heart raced as he stole a glance to the side, only to see bai xue sigh faintly. ¡°i¡¯ve eaten. i¡¯m not hungry anymore.¡± bai xue put down the spoon, but she had already touched the porridge in front of her. it would be a waste not to finish it, so she was depressed and conflicted.. Chapter 600 - Chapter 600: His Love Rival Was His Sister chapter 600: his love rival was his sister translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios without thinking, shi mu brought her bowl to him. under bai xue¡¯s shocked gaze, he picked up the spoon and took a bite. bai xue hurriedly raised her hand to stop him. her heart suddenly skipped a beat. ¡°i¡¯ve eaten this before. if you¡¯re not full, i¡¯ll scoop you a new bowl.¡± ¡°no need. this bowl is very good and sweet.¡± shi mu gently removed her hand and finished the porridge in the bowl in a few bites. in the end, he licked the corner of his mouth reluctantly. ¡°it¡¯s delicious. can i eat the food you made yourself next time?¡± bai xue nodded in a daze and said, ¡°sure. if brother shi mu wants to eat it, i can make it for you anytime.¡± shi mu felt his face heat up. perhaps it was because the porridge was too hot just now, but the hot porridge burned his heart. ¡°1 can make it for you¡­ if you don¡¯t mind.¡± bai xue blinked in shock and shook her head. ¡°no, it¡¯s only right for me to cook for brother shi mu. the shi family has helped me too much. 1 have nothing to repay you with. i can only do my best to repay you a little.¡± she said it sincerely, but shi mu¡¯s heart sank. he forced a smile and shifted his eyes unnaturally to the porridge bowl that was still warm. ¡°you cooked for me to repay me¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. brother shi mu has helped me a lot and usually takes care of me, so it¡¯s only right for me to do what i can for brother shi mu.¡± bai xue smiled and said what she was thinking, but she did not receive a response from the person opposite her for a long time. she looked over in surprise and saw shi mu standing up in a panic. his clenched fists were pale. ¡°oh, thank you. i¡¯m tired. i¡¯ll go back and sleep first. you should rest early too.¡± shi mu felt that his heart was blocked again. if he stayed with bai xue again, he would probably have difficulty breathing. after saying that, he did not wait for bai xue¡¯s answer and walked straight up the stairs. his footsteps were so fast, as if he was escaping from some ferocious beast. bai xue only felt that it was strange, but this time, she had no intention of chasing after him to find out. after cleaning up the dishes, she returned to her room to rest. she came to the capital to study with the shi family, but her mother insisted on staying in g city. it was obvious that the shi family had already been kind enough to give them a house to shelter them from the wind and rain in the past. how could her mother be willing to follow them to the capital to cause trouble for them? moreover, children had to leave their parents when they grew up. since bai xue was with the shi family, mrs. bai was not worried at all, so she stayed in g city with ease and worked part-time for others to earn some money to support herself. bai xue thought that after she stabilized in the capital, she would find another part-time job. this way, she could help her mother so that she would not be too tired at home alone. however, the situation beside shi man was not optimistic. she secretly decided to become stronger as soon as possible so that she would not cause trouble for shi man and su tang. the next morning, shi mu waited in the car early to send shi man and bai xue to school. shi man was happy that someone was driving, so she closed her eyes in the backseat. after what happened last night, bai xue felt a little awkward facing shi mu. she thought for a long time last night, but she could not figure out why shi mu¡¯s expression suddenly changed. she hesitated and wanted to speak, but when she saw shi mu driving seriously, she didn¡¯t know where to start. she was in a dilemma the entire way. neither of them spoke to the other for the entire morning. after shi man got out of the car, she said goodbye to her brother softly. she turned around and saw that bai xue still had a conflicted expression. she couldn¡¯t help but flick her forehead in amusement. ¡°what do you want to say?¡± bai xue was shocked by her and subconsciously raised her hand to cover her forehead. then, she reacted and put down her hand awkwardly. ¡°i think i said something wrong last night and offended brother shi mu. manman, can you help me ask him what¡¯s wrong? if it¡¯s really my problem, i¡¯ll apologize to him.¡± shi man looked at her strangely and raised her eyebrows. ¡°you really don¡¯t know what happened to him?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know¡­¡± should she know? bai xue was stunned and did not understand what shi man meant. a chuckle suddenly came from her ear, and right on the heels of that, shi man slowly bent down and whispered in her ear, ¡°of course he¡¯s angry because you don¡¯t understand his feelings, little fool.¡± ¡°feelings?¡± bai xue looked up in shock and met shi man¡¯s bright eyes. she suddenly understood what she was talking about and her face flushed red. ¡°no, what¡¯s so good about me that he likes me?¡± ¡°don¡¯t be so self-deprecating. you¡¯re not inferior to others.¡± shi man smiled and hugged her shoulder, bringing her to school. in the car in the distance, shi mu watched as his sister hugged bai xue¡¯s shoulder. he was too far away and did not know what his sister had said to bai xue, but he could see the shyness in bai xue¡¯s eyes. his breathing subconsciously became heavy.. Chapter 601 - Chapter 601: School Anniversary chapter 601: school anniversary translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios for some reason, shi mu had been coming to school to pick them up on time every day. when he returned home, he was even more attentive to bai xue. shen xian clicked her tongue in wonder. the power of love was indeed great. her usually carefree youngest son had actually become a delicate good man. it could be seen how much shi mu had changed recently. shi man also felt that something was amiss. in the past, shi mu was the boy who loved to laugh and fool around in the shi family. however, now, the boy who seemed to be always sunny seemed to have become calm and composed overnight. he rarely smiled brightly anymore. instead, he often busied himself with a wooden face. su tang had been recuperating well recently and could already walk freely. she had just packed up the things she needed for class tomorrow. she turned to look at shi mu and leaned towards shi man to whisper, ¡°manman, i think fourth brother is becoming more and more like you.¡± like her? what a strange illusion. she followed su tang¡¯s gaze and saw that he was making tea for them with a straight face. the cold and solemn aura around him made even the nanny at home not dare to approach and help. ¡°am i usually like this?¡± shi man pursed her lips disapprovingly. she thought she was only serious and cold when she was still outside. she thought that when she was at home with her family, her expression was still very gentle. su tang looked at the girl, who was used to putting on a stoic face but did not know it. she could not help but laugh. shi man immediately glanced at her unhappily. ¡°are you really going to class tomorrow? isn¡¯t it the same if i teach you after 1 go home?¡± su tang restrained her smile and shook her head gently. ¡°i have to catch up with teacher¡¯s progress as soon as possible. i can¡¯t always be left behind by you.¡± shi man picked up her phone again without comment and looked at the trending news topics in boredom. recently, tong su and the others had not come to cause trouble for shi man and bai xue in school. even if su tang went to school, there should not be much of a problem. after all, tong su and that person called an ning were planning behind her back and preparing to chase her away! soon, it was the day of the military school¡¯s anniversary. this was a rare day for the students to have fun. the teachers had a collective holiday on this day, and the students were playing around like wild horses. in the afternoon, after the students of class s participated in the school¡¯s routine celebration, they went to wales, the most magnificent bar in the capital, as usual. shi man was not unfamiliar with such a place. she agreed to come because she wanted to give tong su and an ning a chance to attack. however, su tang clearly did not have a good impression of such a place. after sitting down for a while, she wanted to pull shi man away. shi man gave her a calm look and poured a glass of fruit wine for herself and bai xue. ¡°remember, everything you consume tonight has to be given to you by me. you¡¯re not allowed to take anything else, understand?¡± su tang and bai xue naturally listened to her and nodded solemnly in agreement. shi man looked at their silly expressions and added worriedly, ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to eat no matter what other people say!¡± ¡°yes, yes, yes!¡± the two of them nodded vigorously. shi man couldn¡¯t help but smile and drink the fruit wine in front of her. just now, she had secretly added some antidote to their wine when no one was paying attention. when the time came, even if tong su and the others succeeded, that medicine would not have any effect on them. however, shi man did not intend to tell them this. there was no other reason. it was mainly because these two little fools could not hide their thoughts. if she said it directly, tong su might see that something was wrong. at that time, it would be meaningless if she was vigilant and did not dare to attack. this was originally a solo gathering of class s, but the relationship between the various classes in the military academy was not bad, so as expected, the classes of an ning and feng kai joined them. anyone with a discerning eye knew the relationship between an ning and tong su, so naturally, no one dared to object. shi man slowly took a sip of wine and used the wine glass to hide the smile on her lips. the night bar lit up with dizzying lights. the vigorous music on the dance floor successfully mobilized everyone¡¯s emotions, and the event location was lively. under the red and blue lights, tong su leaned against the booth and looked meaningfully at shi man. an ning, who was sitting beside her, immediately understood. she carried a bottle of wine and walked over with her wine glass. she leaned against the table in front of shi man in front of all the students and smiled. ¡°you might not know me yet, right? but this little kid beside you knows me.¡± the moment su tang and bai xue saw her appear, their bodies had already tensed up. now that they saw her coming over openly, su tang immediately couldn¡¯t take it anymore and stood up. ¡°you¡¯re not welcome here. leave.¡± at the thought of what had happened last time, su tang trembled in fear. she didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for shi man, but that fear was real.. Chapter 602 - Chapter 602: Drugged chapter 602: drugged translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios an ning glanced at her disdainfully, then squeezed out a sinister smile. ¡°don¡¯t resist me so much. i specially came to apologize to you!¡± ¡°i don¡¯t need it!¡± su tang refused firmly. an ning¡¯s expression instantly darkened, but when she thought of her next goal, she forced a cold smile. ¡°i¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have the final say in this matter. you still don¡¯t know, right? my father and the shi family are working on the same project now. if you offend me now, aren¡¯t you deliberately making things difficult for the shi family?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows imperceptibly. su tang was instantly rendered speechless by her. she could only clench her fists tightly. an ning smirked smugly and handed the wine glass in her hand to su tang. ¡°drink this and consider it as you accepting my apology. our past grudges will be written off.¡± as the person apologizing, she only moved her lips casually, but su tang, who had been bullied, had to drink a full glass of wine. anyone could tell that an ning was up to no good. however, su tang had already been forced to a dead end by her words. she had no choice but to suppress the anger in her heart and reach out to take the glass of wine with trembling hands. ¡°ahem.¡± a threatening cough suddenly came from the side. su tang came back to her senses and subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice. she saw shi man staring at her unhappily. only then did she remember shi man¡¯s instructions just now. she hurriedly put down her hand and rejected confidently, ¡°there¡¯s no need for wine. i hit you last time. since we¡¯re even, as long as you don¡¯t find trouble with me again, i won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± ¡°was an ning was beaten up?¡± the surrounding students heard su tang¡¯s words clearly and immediately sized up an ning. an ning was most afraid that this matter would be spread. it was very embarrassing to be beaten up. she stomped her feet in exasperation and said angrily, ¡°what nonsense are you talking about! if you continue to spout nonsense, i¡¯ll tear your mouth apart!¡± she was so flustered that she didn¡¯t even care that the wine in her glass had spilled. seeing that an ning was about to panic because of a sentence, tong su hurriedly came over to help her out. ¡°i¡¯m afraid student su tang doesn¡¯t know our rules yet. aren¡¯t most business negotiations at the wine table now? as long as you drink this glass of wine, we¡¯ll shake hands and make peace. i won¡¯t find trouble with you in the future.¡± su tang subconsciously looked at shi man, wanting to ask for her opinion. however, she saw her leaning lazily against the booth and drinking without even looking over. she understood what she meant and sneered. ¡°i¡¯ve said it before. we¡¯re even so i won¡¯t drink this glass of wine.¡± an ning had long hated her, but to achieve her objective, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, ¡°then i¡¯ll have a drink. you can drink with me, right? if you don¡¯t even give me this bit of face, you¡¯ll be deliberately going against me.¡± an ning was very difficult to deal with today. su tang didn¡¯t want to argue with her in public and make a fool of herself. she simply nodded and said, ¡°i can drink, but my alcohol tolerance is poor. i only drink fruit wine. if you can accept that, i¡¯ll drink. if not, i¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°you!¡± an ning had never seen such an unmoved girl. she took a deep breath and barely held back her anger. she said with an unfriendly expression, ¡°alright, drink.¡± only then did su tang slowly pick up the fruit wine that shi man had poured for her. she raised her glass to an ning with a fake smile. ¡°this is the only cup. don¡¯t do it again.¡± she had turned around and set the rules! an ning glared at her angrily and watched as her throat moved and she swallowed an entire glass of wine. a smug smile flashed across her eyes. an ning knew that they would definitely guard against her tonight, so she had long bribed the bartender. shi man and the other two¡¯s drinks had been tampered with from the beginning. previously, she had forced su tang to drink just for show to lower their vigilance. no matter how guarded they were, they would never have thought that the drugged wine was drunk by them willingly. after su tang finished this glass, she flipped it over and smiled sarcastically at an ning. ¡°is that enough? then it¡¯s your turn.¡± an ning did not comment. she picked up her wine glass and drank it in one gulp. this bit of wine could not make her drunk. after dealing with su tang, she made bai xue drink a glass of wine in the same way, half threatening and half coaxing. looking at shi man, who had already drunk three glasses of wine, an ning almost couldn¡¯t hide the smile on her face. drink, drink. she would let her enjoy later! since the matter had been settled, an ning and tong su did not want to stay with shi man for another second. they moved to the side as if they were avoiding suspicion and played happily. after they left, su tang heaved a sigh of relief. she went to shi man¡¯s side and asked carefully, ¡°manman, was my performance okay just now?¡± shi man glanced at her lazily, her eyes filled with drunkenness. ¡°it¡¯s alright. you can be more stubborn next time..¡± Chapter 603 - Chapter 603: Wheedling chapter 603: wheedling translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios su tang smiled sweetly. then, she suddenly felt a fire burning in her chest that made her feel uncomfortable. however, in the next moment, the heat poison quickly retreated, as if everything just now was just an illusion. bai xue felt the same, but the burning sensation was fleeting. neither of them took it to heart. on the other hand, tong su and an ning had been quietly observing their condition. it was already late at night. shi mu knew that they were going to the bar to celebrate until late today, but if it was too late, he would be a little worried. he asked shi man for the address of the bar and drove over to pick them up. when shi mu arrived, he saw a few men surrounding his sister and bai xue. he was so anxious that his heart skipped a beat. he hurriedly rushed over and pushed the boys away. feng kai was smiling as he forced shi man to drink. he was caught off guard and was pushed down. he immediately glared over angrily. unexpectedly, he saw shi mu. during the time the shi family was in the capital, they had attended many cocktail parties. feng kai had met shi mu a few times with his father and had always been unconvinced by him. shi mu was the same age as him, but because feng kai had made a mistake in the past, he was punished to stay at home for two years and his studies were delayed. otherwise, he would have inherited the company like shi mu. when he went out, others would address him as president feng. but now, he could only watch from below the stage as shi mu took charge. he felt that he was far inferior to shi mu. seeing that shi mu was here, feng kai retreated to the side and poured another glass of wine. he smiled and said, ¡°president shi, give me the honor of drinking with you?¡± shi mu waved his hand away with a cold expression and said impatiently, ¡°move aside. i want to bring my sister home!¡± ¡°shi mu, how dare you not give me face? you¡¯re really shameless!¡± feng kai couldn¡¯t stand him shouting at him in front of so many people. he immediately glared and blocked his way. shi mu opened his eyes expressionlessly and looked straight into his eyes. ¡°who are you?¡± feng kai blushed and his anger intensified. ¡°you¡¯re deliberately making things difficult for me, right? f*ck, 1 won¡¯t let you go today. let¡¯s see who dares to let you out!¡± the commotion here was not small. shi mu¡¯s face darkened. he wanted to reach out to help his drunk sister up, but shi man pushed his hand onto bai xue. ¡°brother, bring the two of them back first. come and pick me up later.¡± shi man was still sitting in her original position, calmly tasting the wine in front of her with a blush on her face. of course, shi mu would not agree to leave his sister alone in this pile of jackals. he reached out angrily to scoop her up. shi man frowned and opened her eyes. just a cold gaze was enough to make his arm stop in midair. she advised coldly again, ¡°brother, bai xue is very afraid now. you should bring her and su tang back first.¡± shi mu¡¯s eyes were red as he glared at feng kai and threatened coldly, ¡°did you do something to my sister? otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t she listen to me?¡± shi man had never been greedy for alcohol. today¡¯s refusal to go home with him was too abnormal. the reason shi mu could think of was that feng kai and the others must have done something behind his back to make his sister like this! su tang and bai xue had been holding hands with each other and were shielded behind shi mu. now, she quietly poked her head out and realized something. she secretly tugged at the sleeve of the girl beside her. bai xue immediately understood. she slowly reached out and hesitated for a moment before carefully pulling shi mu¡¯s sleeve. ¡°brother mu, let¡¯s go back first.¡± her voice was already soft and moving. now, she deliberately lowered her voice, making shi mu¡¯s furious heart soften. he composed himself and held back his anger. he gently held her hand that was holding his sleeve and said, ¡°be good, don¡¯t be afraid. i¡¯ll definitely bring you back safely.¡± bai xue shook her head timidly and tried to break free from his hand, but she couldn¡¯t. she could only shake his arm helplessly and persuade him while wheedling, ¡°you should listen to manman. let¡¯s go back first. manman will be fine.¡± shi mu looked at her in confusion and then at su tang, who was equally confident. only then did he have no choice but to compromise. ¡°sister, i¡¯ll pick you up later. call me directly if anything happens.¡± shi man hummed softly and continued drinking. shi mu glanced at the people around him coldly before leaving with su tang and bai xue. ¡°take care, president shi. i won¡¯t send you off!¡± feng kai waved at shi mu¡¯s back proudly, and cheers and whistles sounded around him. shi man lowered her eyes and waited for the man to come over. then, she put down her wine glass and raised her eyebrows. ¡°our game just now isn¡¯t over. you lost and should punish yourself with three glasses.¡± an hour ago, feng kai saw that shi man had been drinking alone, so he mustered his courage and came over to play dice with her. he wanted to take the opportunity to get her drunk, but after a few rounds, he was drunk first.. Chapter 604 - Chapter 604: Accident chapter 604: accident translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios feng kai looked over inquisitively. seeing that shi man was already drunk, he couldn¡¯t bear to give up like this. he endured the strong feeling of fullness in his stomach and forced a bitter smile. ¡°alright, but after i finish these three glasses, let¡¯s not play this anymore. how about i take you to the dance floor?¡± shi man raised her eyebrows slightly and took the initiative to pick up the wine glass on the table and hand it to feng kai. ¡°drink first. if i¡¯m satisfied, 1¡¯11 dance with you.¡± feng kai was delighted. without thinking, he picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp. after three glasses of wine, he felt the world spin in front of him, and his abdomen seemed to be burning violently. no one noticed that when shi man went to hold the wine glass just now, a small pill quietly rolled into the glass. at the side, tong su and an ning saw that the situation was about right. the two of them walked over together and smiled as they held shi man, whose face was red. ¡°aiyo, manman, are you drunk? do you want the two of us to send you to the room upstairs to rest?¡± with that, tong su secretly gave feng kai a look, indicating that he should be prepared later. at the thought of what was going to happen next, the heat in feng kai¡¯s abdomen seemed to become even more alluring. he suddenly could not hold back. however, there were many people here and it was not a place to do things. he could only suppress the urge in his heart and wait for his prey to take the bait. shi man only needed a quick look at feng kai to know that the effect of the drug had already taken effect. she lowered her head slightly and pretended to be dizzy. then, she secretly sandwiched the two pills between her fingers and slowly poured two glasses of wine for tong su and an ning. ¡°i have a grudge against the two of you, but if you drink the wine, we¡¯ll reconcile. how about that?¡± this was the excuse an ning had used to force su tang to drink. at this moment, shi man used it on her. an ning¡¯s expression darkened and she glanced at shi man sinisterly. feng kai couldn¡¯t stand the heat in his abdomen. seeing that he was about to succeed, he hurriedly took the wine glasses for the two of them and stuffed them into their hands. ¡°drink quickly. it¡¯s getting late. don¡¯t waste time.¡± he did not know if it was because of the alcohol or because he had not touched a woman for too long. tonight, he suddenly wanted shi man especially. he wanted to push the only woman in school who was unconvinced of him onto the bed and teach her a lesson. an ning and tong su hurriedly exchanged glances. they knew that the matter was about to be settled. they barely endured this anger and drank the wine in one gulp. then, they hurriedly helped shi man upstairs. the two of them had drugged a lot, and shi man had been drinking tonight so she must have been drugged. seeing that the matter was about to be completed, they did not want shi mu to ruin their plan later, so they took the elevator to send shi man to the room upstairs. feng kai rubbed his fists excitedly. as he followed behind, he kept looking at shi man brazenly. only then did he realize that this arrogant and domineering woman who did not take him seriously in the day actually had such a good figure. looking at her fair and smooth face, she no longer had her usual disdain and coldness. her appearance was not inferior to any woman he had seen in his life. shi man was indeed a top-notch person, and this top-notch person would become his tonight. the more feng kai thought about it, the more excited he became. the flames rising from his abdomen almost ignited his entire body. when tong su and aiming threw shi man onto the bed, he could not wait to take off his pants. the two of them smiled at each other smugly. when they saw feng kai¡¯s impatient look, the pleasure of revenge arose in their hearts. but before the two of them could be satisfied, a strange feeling suddenly ran from their lower abdomens to their chests. tong su and an ning suddenly felt a little dizzy and sat on the ground unsteadily. if they had not held onto the bed in time, they would probably be lying on the ground and unable to get up. feng kai also felt dizzy now. there was a double image of everything he saw, but this did not affect the desire he had suppressed in his heart for a long time. the burning sensation in his body was clamoring to find a breakthrough, and the two hot bodies in front of him were a fatal attraction to him. on the bed, the unconscious girl suddenly opened her eyes. shi man sat by the bed and watched coldly as the three of them tore each other¡¯s clothes crazily. the sound of fabric shattering and heavy breathing completely ignited the hot poison in the room. feng kai couldn¡¯t wait to take off his pants and hug a soft and hot body. a flame flickered in his eyes, completely burning his rationality. shi man was not interested in enjoying their intense exercise. she slowly left the room, but she deliberately left a gap in the door so that the moans inside spread throughout the entire hotel corridor. a few of the students who were still drinking downstairs had long received tong su¡¯s instructions. seeing that it was about time, they began to urge everyone to leave and go upstairs to rest.. Chapter 605 - Chapter 605: The Audience Is Here chapter 605: the audience is here translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios however, they did not expect that just as they were about to go upstairs in unison, chu yue would actually bring chief lu over personally! even the parents of students like them had to bow and scrape in front of lu jun, let alone children like them. this time, they could not care less about tong su¡¯s instructions. they lined up in two teams and stood neatly on both sides of the aisle. the other customers in the bar were shocked by them, but those who could afford to come to this bar were either rich or noble. they immediately recognized chief lu, who was welcomed, and hurriedly put down the wine glasses in their hands as they respectfully welcomed him. even the deafening music in the bar stopped abruptly. the noisy entertainment venue instantly fell silent. lu jun scanned the crowd with a cold expression, but he did not see shi man. chu yue saw the confusion on his face and casually called a classmate over to ask, ¡°where is shi man? chief lu wants to see her now.¡± the classmate who was dragged out was the one who had been instructed by tong su in advance. looking at the situation in front of him, he immediately understood and said, ¡°i saw that shi man drank too much just now and went upstairs to rest. why don¡¯t we go upstairs and take a look?¡± chu yue turned around and silently consulted her teacher. lu jun narrowed his eyes and said concisely, ¡°lead the way.¡± the bar was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. the people who had raised their glasses just now subconsciously lowered their breathing, not daring to disturb the leader who had just arrived. the classmate who was appointed to lead the way was flattered and walked in front. after helping lu jun and chu yue press the elevator button, he carefully followed behind them. the other students naturally did not dare to leave just like that. since they could not take the elevator, they might as well climb the stairs. the guest rooms above this bar were divided into fifteen floors. according to the staff¡¯s eyewitnesses, shi man, tong su, and the others went to the top suite. the elevator was hot and stuffy. lu jun loosened his tie and continued to hold the walking stick in his hand as he stood in the middle with a cold expression. just now, he had received an anonymous report that shi man¡¯s private life was messy and she was fooling around with another man behind her fiance¡¯s back in the bar tonight. he knew at a glance that this was a trap deliberately set by someone. however, although he could see through it through a simple line of words, he didn¡¯t know if shi man could easily break this trap that had been carefully planned. yi zheng had just come out of the company when he received the news. when lu jun entered the elevator, he had just arrived at the bar. at this moment, the hall was actually empty. he didn¡¯t need to think carefully to know that shi man was definitely in danger. he hurriedly grabbed a waiter who was cleaning up the venue. after asking about the specific floor, he climbed the stairs to the top. the elevator door opened on both sides with a ring. lu jun stood still. the student in charge of leading the way immediately understood. he turned his head and carefully avoided touching lu jun. he walked out of the elevator first to look for the waiter in charge of this floor and ask which room shi man was in. however, before he could speak, an intense shout suddenly came from the corridor. the voice was delicate and charming, and one could tell what was going on in the room. a layer of joy appeared in chu yue¡¯s eyes. she secretly looked up at lu jun¡¯s expression and pretended to be shy. she lowered her voice and said, ¡°teacher, could this voice have come from shi man? could it be that she and yi zheng¡­¡± before she could finish speaking, messy footsteps came from the emergency passageway beside her. everyone in the bar smelled something unusual tonight, so they followed him, curious to know what had happened tonight to alarm the chief. the man in the lead stood tall. compared to the panting crowd behind him, his breathing was stable and his expression was cold. it was as if he had only taken a few steps and did not reach the fifteenth floor on foot. chu yue looked at his extraordinarily handsome face and her heart suddenly trembled. she lowered her head shyly. yi zheng came at the right time. the unbearable shouts in the corridor continued. anyone could hear how intense the battle was inside. however, the male lead of the couple was standing in front of everyone neatly. at that time, it was a little intriguing who shi man was with. lu jun glared at yi zheng sternly and was secretly angry with this kid. did he come here to catch the adulterer after hearing the news in the anonymous letter? if shi man was really hurt tonight, this kid would not even be able to protect his fiancee. it would definitely be difficult for him to be of great use in the future. however, if he still did not think that this was shi man¡¯s betrayal, he would be stupid! chu yue pursed her thin lips and blinked her beautiful big eyes. her gaze darted back and forth between the two of them. in the end, she looked at yi zheng greedily before fixing her gaze on her teacher. ¡°shall we go take a look inside first?¡± as she listened to the voices, she gradually become anxious; chu yue was afraid that if they were a little later, yi zheng would not be able to see how shi man was fooling around with another man inside! Chapter 606 - Chapter 606: Catching Adulterers In the Act chapter 606: catching adulterers in the act translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios lu jun snorted and looked away. he slowly walked out of the elevator. this time, they didn¡¯t need anyone to lead the way. following the sound, they quickly arrived at the door of the room that kept emitting ambiguous sounds. people rushed over one after another. many of them were panting and sweating, but they still refused to miss such a huge piece of scandalous news. on the way up, they had already asked around about the situation tonight. now, everyone knew that chief lu had personally arrived to catch them in the act. in addition, yi zheng was also present, so the scene could be said to be explosive. the crowd hiding at the back was a little further away from lu jun. they could not wait to take out their phones and start recording. however, what puzzled all of them was that the female voice that kept coming from the room seemed to be coming from more than one person. when they got closer, they could tell that there was only one man¡¯s voice. could it be that shi man had fetishes? many people stared at the slightly open door with shining eyes, waiting for someone to reach out and push it open first so that they could see what erotic scene was inside! just the sound of the woman¡¯s moans inside was enough to make their bodies burn. they couldn¡¯t wait to find a woman to vent in the nearest room. however, they would not miss this show. someone even deliberately took a photo of yi zheng¡¯s expression to see what kind of expression this legendary president yi would have when facing his fiancee who had cheated in public. lu jun frowned and was impatient to when he heard dirty words coming from the inside. he gave chu yue a look and asked her to open the door immediately. chu yue could not wait any longer. now that she had her teacher¡¯s approval, she immediately kicked the door open impatiently, revealing the three people inside. she despised the scene inside for being too dirty, so she couldn¡¯t help but suggest to lu jun excitedly, ¡°teacher, i really didn¡¯t expect shi man to be such a person. how can a person like her be your student? she¡¯s really too shameless!¡± with that, she waited for the people around her to agree with her. she could strike while the iron was hot. tonight, she would make teacher angry with shi man and make shi man lose her backing. however, she waited and waited, but no one around made a sound. instead, they stared intently inside, especially the drunk men. their eyes were fixed on the big bed, wishing their eyeballs would fall to the bed. she was disdainful and looked down on these men¡¯s lust, so she secretly stole a glance at yi zheng. this man did not disappoint her. he only looked away decisively after taking a quick look at the beginning. his coldness and abstinence made her heart flutter. except¡­ chu yue suddenly felt a little strange. yi zheng had personally caught his fiancee in bed, and in front of so many people. shouldn¡¯t he fly into a rage out of humiliation and rush in to curse? why was he still standing at the door so calmly? could it be that yi zheng didn¡¯t care who shi man slept with? was the marriage between two of them just a common business arrangement? thinking that yi zheng might not really like shi man from the beginning to the end, chu yue suddenly felt a sense of hope. she couldn¡¯t help but move closer to yi zheng and mutter beside him with a worried expression, ¡°president yi, don¡¯t be sad over such a woman. she¡¯s not worth it. aren¡¯t there many women better than her?¡± ¡°why should i be sad?¡± yi zheng turned to her expressionlessly. the sound of waves in the room was not over. the people inside did not seem to hear the commotion at the door at all. they were still exercising fiercely. no one outside spoke for a moment. they were all holding their breaths and watching the show inside. when chu yue heard him say this, the joy in her heart deepened. she quickly looked up and said, ¡°president yi, i knew that you don¡¯t really care about shi man. since she has already done so much to let you down and embarrassed you so much, why don¡¯t you cancel the engagement with her?¡± yi zheng smiled mockingly. ¡°when did manman let me down? why didn¡¯t i see it?¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it¡­¡± chu yue frowned in confusion. she subconsciously turned her head to look at the lively scene inside. after seeing the two women¡¯s satisfied faces, she was immediately petrified on the spot and could not say a word. how did it become like this? on the big bed, the woman lying flat on the white bed looked over with coquettish eyes. only then did she notice that there were so many people standing at the door. she hurriedly sat up and covered her face as she screamed in mortification. this sound completely woke up the other two people who were still immersed in the sultry atmosphere. an ning looked at herself, who was covered in ambiguous marks, and then at the man beside her, who was sweating profusely. she could not help but grab the blanket and curl up in it as she screamed. feng kai was frightened by the two of them. he turned his head in a daze and saw lu jun standing at the door with a cold expression. his scalp went numb.. Chapter 607 - Chapter 607: Embarrassment chapter 607: embarrassment translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios chu yue took a step forward in disbelief, but because feng kai was still naked, she could only stand awkwardly at the door and scold coldly, ¡°what are you doing? hurry up and put on your clothes.¡± lu jun looked deeply at the student blocking in front of him and a smile flashed across his eyes, but his words were still a little cold. ¡°it seems that shi man isn¡¯t here. let¡¯s go to the other rooms to look.¡± only then did chu yue come back to her senses. she hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°yes, yes! we¡¯re not here to see them. this is just an accident! we have to find shi man!¡± however, at this moment, she knew very well. shi man did not appear on feng kai¡¯s bed. instead, tong su and an ning, who were supposed to be standing with her, became the female leads of this scene. it was obvious who did this. hatred surged in her heart. however, the most important thing now was to get tong su and an ning to put on their clothes and come out to testify against shi man. otherwise, they would have worked for nothing tonight and lost so much face! however, before this group of people could recover, they suddenly heard the crisp sound of the door opening from the room beside them. right on the heels of that, a yawning and stretching girl walked out with a sleepy expression. ¡°the soundproofing in your room is too poor. i didn¡¯t sleep well.¡± the moment yi zheng saw shi man, his tense shoulders finally relaxed. he strode to her side, took off his jacket, and draped it over her shoulders. ¡°you¡¯re sweating from sleeping. how can you come out like this? what if you catch a cold?¡± shi man leaned lazily in his arms and wantonly absorbed his warm body temperature. she couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°you¡¯re finally here to pick me up. it was too noisy here just now. what happened?¡± ¡°shi man!¡± seeing the two of them become intimate as if no one was around, chu yue could not stand it anymore. she was so jealous that her eyes turned red. ¡°why are you here?¡± shi man seemed to have just seen her. she turned her head slightly and blinked innocently. ¡°what does my being here have to do with you?¡± after saying that, she pointed at the students who were following behind chu yue in the crowd and said matter-of-factly, ¡°why don¡¯t you ask them why they¡¯re here? we came to the gathering together.¡± chu yue turned her head away unexpectedly and glared fiercely at the students who had become burdens. those people lowered their heads innocently. they did not know how to face chu yue. they were the audience who had been instructed by tong su to watch shi man¡¯s scandal. however, shi man was standing in front of them, while tong su had been looked at from head to toe. they only hated themselves for not controlling their legs just now. now that they had seen the body of the principal¡¯s daughter, they might not be able to survive in school in the future! just as the people outside were in a stalemate, the three people in the room finally put on their clothes, but only feng kai walked out. it was obvious that no girl would be willing to come out and meet someone immediately after being seen in such a scandalous act in public. however, shi man insisted on forcing them out. she stared curiously at the closed door behind feng kai and could not help but ask worriedly, ¡°you and tong su just¡­¡± seeing feng kai¡¯s instantly glaring eyes, shi man deliberately pretended to be shocked. she gasped and patted her chest. ¡°i was just worried that you were too tired just now and would hurt your bodies. your voices were really too loud. i didn¡¯t sleep well next door!¡± yi zheng cooperatively hugged her and patted her head dotingly. ¡°be good. let¡¯s go home and rest well later. say goodbye to chief lu.¡± his gentle tone seemed to be able to drown people. those who didn¡¯t know better would think that he was coaxing a child. shi man glared at him, but she still waved at lu jun obediently. ¡°teacher, i¡¯ll leave first. it¡¯s so late. i¡¯ll head back and rest.¡± ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to leave!¡± after chu yue shouted, she was instantly stunned on the spot. she turned around in panic and looked at lu jun. in the end, she gritted her teeth and pushed feng kai away, opening the door behind him. ¡°tong su, an ning, come out!¡± the two girls inside clearly already knew what had happened to them. at this moment, they wished they could find a hole to hide in. how could they dare to show their faces in front of others? tong su shook her head desperately and covered her body tightly with the thick blanket. ¡°sister chu, we don¡¯t want to go out now. why don¡¯t we talk about it in the future?¡± now, asking her to go out and face others was even worse than killing her. chu yue¡¯s expression darkened. for the last time, she tried to persuade them patiently. ¡°i know that this was not your intention. if you have any grievances, come out and explain yourself now.. otherwise, do you want to be labeled as a slut for the rest of your lives?¡± Chapter 608 - Chapter 608: Slander Chapter 608: Slander Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tong Su still kept shaking her head at her. An Ning also looked like she would rather die than go out. Chu Yue was extremely anxious. Seeing that Shi Man was about to leave with Yi Zheng, she barged into the room in a hurry and forcefully dragged the two of them out. The door that was ajar suddenly opened wide, and an obscene smell suddenly floated out with a cold wind. The people outside were caught off guard by this smell and immediately blushed. Feng Kai could not raise his head, but other than feeling uneasy, he was also excited. The battle just now had really made him feel good. If there was a chance in the future, he would still want to try it with two women again. Moreover, with his combat strength, he might be able to control three or four women at once! No matter what he was thinking, when Tong Su and An Ning were forcefully dragged out by Chu Yue, he still panicked and did not know how to resolve the predicament in front of him. They had clearly discussed before that they would drug Shi Man and send her to his bed personally so that the students could see this scene. But now, things were completely different from what they had expected. Tong Su was forcefully pulled in front of them. She immediately squatted on the ground and covered her face as she cried. She refused to stand up and talk properly. An Ning¡¯s reaction was not as intense as hers, but her face was also red. Chu Yue panted heavily and looked at Shi Man casually. ¡°Why did the two of you do such a ridiculous thing tonight? Did someone harm you? Don¡¯t be afraid. My teacher is here. He will definitely stand up for you!¡± An Ning immediately understood what Chu Yue meant. When she heard this, she hurriedly raised her head and looked around for something. In the end, her flustered gaze froze on Shi Man. She pointed at her with a trembling finger and said, ¡°It¡¯s her! She drugged us and harmed us!¡± For a moment, everyone looked at Shi Man. However, as the person being accused, Shi Man shrugged unhurriedly. ¡°Do you have evidence? You have to pay a heavy price for lying. You¡¯re done enjoying yourselves, but when the matter is exposed, you want to blame it on me?¡± An Ning¡¯s face turned red from Shi Man¡¯s retort. She couldn¡¯t help but scream, ¡°You b*tch, how dare you quibble! You must have drugged us!¡± ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Lu Jun scolded coldly, interrupting An Ning¡¯s sharp and ear-piercing voice. Chief Lu was furious, so the others naturally kept quiet out of fear. They didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly as they stared straight at An Ning, hoping that she could say something to end this farce in the middle of the night. However, An Ning¡¯s mind was blank after being frightened by Lu Jun. She stammered for a long time and could not figure out her thoughts. Not only was she sweating profusely from anxiety, but her entire body was also trembling uncontrollably. Shi Man leaned comfortably in Yi Zheng¡¯s arms and yawned tiredly. ¡°Two girls were discovered sleeping with the same man. Shouldn¡¯t you ask if that man did something to the two of them?¡± Feng Kai did not expect Shi Man to dare to make a sound at this moment. She even threw the problem at him. He immediately pointed at her angrily and said, ¡°I was drugged by you too. Why should you blame me? There must be something wrong with the glass of wine you brought me!¡± ¡°What wine?¡± Chu Yue asked impatiently. This was the key evidence that could prove that Shi Man had drugged them. She would never let it go. At this moment, An Ning came back to her senses. She pointed at Shi Man and said with a trembling voice, ¡°She was the one who poured the wine for the three of us. Then, when we arrived in this room, we suddenly felt dizzy and couldn¡¯t remember the rest.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remember?¡± Although she was pointing the spear at Shi Man now, the latter did not feel guilty at all. Instead, she asked boldly, ¡°Then do you remember why you appeared in the same room as Tong Su and Feng Kai?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± An Ning suddenly stopped what she was about to say. She wanted to scheme against Shi Man with Tong Su and deliberately helped her into Feng Kai¡¯s room. However, no one could know about this. Otherwise, they would not be able to clear their name. Therefore, An Ning simply gritted her teeth and splashed all the dirty water on Shi Man. ¡°1 don¡¯t remember! Didn¡¯t you deliberately lure us over and drug us so that Feng Kai would insult us?!¡± Shi Man smiled in amusement. She crossed her arms and looked at her calmly. ¡°Then tell me, how did I lure the three of you into a room at the same time?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember!¡± An Ning choked and insisted that it was Shi Man who had harmed the three of them. Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t stand his fiancee being slandered in front of him. He couldn¡¯t help but shield her behind him and glare at An Ning with a cold expression. ¡°Since you insist that Manman did it to you, we might as well investigate the surveillance video on this floor..¡± Chapter 609 - Chapter 609: Punishment Chapter 609: Punishment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hearing this, Tong Su, who had been squatting on the ground and covering her face in pain, immediately trembled. She hurriedly stood up and rushed to Yi Zheng crazily. The makeup on her face was ruined from crying, as if she was an evil ghost that had crawled out of hell to take his life. She glared at Yi Zheng and turned to look at Shi Man. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Shi Man, I¡¯m not done with you. Our Tong family will definitely not be done with your Shi family!¡± After saying this, Tong Su knocked Shi Man¡¯s shoulder away and turned to leave. An Ning hurriedly chased after her, leaving Feng Kai standing awkwardly on the spot, not knowing what excuse to find to escape. Actually, what happened just now was not difficult to investigate. Many students saw Tong Su and An Ning carrying Shi Man upstairs with their own eyes. Behind them was Feng Kai, who behaved like a wolf. Even a fool knew what they wanted to do upstairs. However, if they really investigated everything clearly, Tong Su and An Ning would not have to be able to show their faces anymore. However, even if they wanted to leave now, no one might be willing to let them go before the matter was settled. Outside the bar, Shi Mu was waiting in the car with a dark expression. Just now, Yi Zheng had called him before he entered and asked him to be in charge of receiving him outside the door. He even roughly explained what would happen tonight. At the thought that his sister had almost been violated, Shi Mu gritted his teeth in hatred. He wished he could skin those two women alive himself. He waited outside until late at night before he finally saw the two figures coming out of the bar in a hurry. His expression darkened. He got out of the car and walked straight towards the two of them, blocking their way. Tong Su was so embarrassed just now that she wanted to go home and have a good sleep. She wanted to treat everything that happened tonight as a nightmare. However, someone refused to let her have her way and insisted on blocking her way at this time. She did not even see that person¡¯s appearance clearly before she immediately roared at that person in embarrassment, ¡°Do you understand the principle of a good dog not blocking the way? Get lost!¡± An Ning tugged at her sleeve timidly from behind. Looking at the man¡¯s cold expression, she couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Sister Tong, it¡¯s Shi Mu.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tong Su suddenly raised her head and met Shi Mu¡¯s cold eyes. She was shocked and took a few steps back. If not for An Ning supporting her from behind, she might have fallen to the ground in embarrassment. She did not expect Shi Mu, who had left long ago, to still be waiting for her at the door! ¡°You discussed it with Shi Man! The two of you joined forces to scheme against me and caused me to lose my innocence! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Tong Su threw herself at Shi Mu. Then, there was a disparity in strength between men and women. Tong Su was no match for Shi Mu. She was subdued by Shi Mu in a few moves and dragged into the car by him. He threw her and An Ning into the backseat. In the corridor of the suite, the farce was finally about to end. Everyone¡¯s expressions did not look too good. Chu Yue widened her eyes in anger, and her eyes turned red from anger. However, someone was in a good mood and looked at Shi Man with joy. Lu Jun¡¯s action of taking a step forward successfully woke up everyone who was deep in thought. He slowly walked in front of Shi Man and smiled as he reached out to put his hand on her shoulder to encourage his student as a teacher. However, in the next second, his wrist was grabbed tightly. Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes and held his hand tightly to prevent him from touching Shi Man. ¡°Chief Lu, it¡¯s getting late. Why don¡¯t 1 get my assistant to drive you back?¡± Lu Jun sneered at Yi Zheng and retracted his arm in disdain. He adjusted the creases on his suit to ease the awkwardness. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. If such a thing happens again, I¡¯ll be the first to make things difficult for you.¡± Yi Zheng took a step back and respectfully made way for him. Lu Jun took the opportunity to leave the hotel with a cold expression. Chu Yue quickly followed behind. When she passed by Shi Man, she glared at her and quickly chased after Lu Jun. The heavyweight audience had already left. There was no point in the others staying. Only then did the cold Feng Kai come back to his senses. He walked steadily to Shi Man and said coldly, ¡°1 won¡¯t let you off. Just wait and see!¡± Another person who only knew how to say harsh words. Shi Man looked away slightly and looked at someone in the crowd. Then, she smiled and pulled Yi Zheng away. To others, tonight¡¯s matter was over, but to Shi Man, it was far from enough. She wanted to take back the pain they had inflicted on Su Tang bit by bit! The next day, Tong Su, who had been missing for the entire night, finally dragged her tired body home. Mrs. Tong was overwrought and almost went to call the police. Principal Tong was also worried that his daughter did not go to school to work today. Now that his daughter was finally back, the couple immediately hugged their daughter in agitation and cried. When they calmed down, they realized that their daughter was very different from usual today. Not only was there no expression on her face, but she even looked sickly pale.. Chapter 610 - Chapter 610: Retribution Chapter 610: Retribution Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mrs. Tong held Tong Su¡¯s face and said in a trembling voice, ¡°My good daughter, what¡¯s wrong with you? You can tell me what you¡¯ve suffered.¡± The first wisp of the morning was still wrapped in a breeze. When it blew on people, they felt a chill. Tong Su stared at her mother with lifeless eyes. Tears suddenly fell like a broken line. Mr. Tong¡¯s heart trembled. Thinking that his daughter had been missing for the entire night, he immediately thought of something terrifying. He sized up his daughter¡¯s clothes. ¡°Did a baddie bully you?¡± Tong Su blinked as another tear fell from the corner of her eye. ¡°Dad, 1,1¡­¡± Mr. Tong stared at her expectantly, hoping that she would have the courage to tell them where she had gone last night and what she had done. However, she stammered for a long time and couldn¡¯t say anything. She just cried. Mrs. Tong was so anxious that her hands trembled. Her heart ached as she hugged her daughter again. ¡°My good daughter, what¡¯s wrong with you? Can you explain it to Daddy and Mommy?¡± Tong Su thought of everything she had experienced last night and couldn¡¯t help but tremble. The piercing pain in her body seemed to attack her again. She felt her vision suddenly turn black, and right on the heels of that, she completely lost consciousness. When An Ning returned home, she was in a similar state to Tong Su. Overnight, the two originally arrogant and domineering daughters of wealthy families had completely changed. They were haggard and dejected, and their former glory had dimmed. The An family and the Tong family were anxious. They were busy inviting all kinds of famous doctors to their house to diagnose their illnesses, but no one could see anything wrong with the two of them. In the Shi family¡¯s villa, Shi Man had a good sleep. When she woke up early the next day, she looked at the clear sky outside and her mood improved. She stretched and was about to go out to exercise out of habit when she heard neat and powerful footsteps suddenly coming from downstairs, and the girls deliberately lowered their voices. Shi Man opened the window and looked down. Unexpectedly, she saw two figures who should still be sleeping soundly on the bed. When Su Tang heard the sound of the window upstairs, she looked up as if she had sensed something and met Shi Man¡¯s extremely indifferent eyes. She looked even more energetic. ¡°Manman! We woke up earlier than you today!¡± Bai Xue also smiled and waved at her. Then, the two of them looked at each other and walked into the villa¡¯s living room together. After Shi Man tidied herself up, she slowly walked downstairs. When the two of them saw Shi Man, they immediately surrounded her excitedly, their eyes shining. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re so energetic early in the morning?¡± Shi Man looked at them curiously and naturally poured the two of them a glass of hot water to warm them up. Bai Xue looked at Shi Man¡¯s blank expression and knew that she still didn¡¯t know about that matter. She immediately took out her cell phone from her pocket and found the latest entertainment news. She smiled and handed the screen to Shi Man. ¡°What happened in the bar after we left last night was recorded by someone and posted online. Now, almost the entire Internet knows about Tong Su, An Ning and Feng Kai!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Man nodded indifferently. So they were happy about this. Then wouldn¡¯t they be so excited when they found out about something else when they went to school later? She had indeed gotten someone to upload that video online, but she had gotten someone to edit the erotic video of the three of them when she first opened the door. Without her permission, they were not allowed to casually announce it to the outside world. She wanted Tong Su and An Ning to pay the price for bullying Su Tang, but there were many ways to punish them. She did not need to be so despicable. In the end, Shi Man still did not want to use those despicable methods on girls. If it weren¡¯t for the two of them plotting against her last night, she wouldn¡¯t have thought of using the same despicable method to retaliate and let them suffer in that aspect. However, what Shi Man could guarantee was that the pain the two of them were suffering was definitely no less than last night. Shi Man calculated it very clearly. Letting them sleep with Feng Kai in a state of confusion was only to punish them for daring to drug her. However, as for Su Tang¡¯s matter, she used another method. However, there was no need to let Su Tang and the others know about this. Seeing Shi Man¡¯s cold reaction, Bai Xue hurriedly put away her cell phone and restrained the joy on her face. She said carefully, ¡°Manman, we didn¡¯t mean to leave you behind last night. We just didn¡¯t want to delay you from doing what you wanted.¡± ¡°Oh? You can tell?¡± Shi Man admitted that she had indeed done something last night. Su Tang and Bai Xue looked at each other. Their happy mood and Tong Su¡¯s outcome suddenly became a little heavy. These two people really deserved it. From the way they deliberately made them drink last night, they definitely had ill intentions.. Now that the retribution was on them, they deserved it! Chapter 611 - Chapter 611: Collective Leave Chapter 611: Collective Leave Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When the three of them arrived at school, they realized that there were many people taking leave out of the blue today. Many students from Class S did not attend school. Bai Xue looked at the empty seats. After carefully checking, she realized that those people were actually the people who had made things difficult for her with Tong Su on the rooftop that day! Realizing this, she suddenly turned her head and looked at Shi Man¡¯s calm side profile in disbelief. Last night, she and Su Tang were sent home by Shi Mu first. Although they knew that Shi Man must have other plans, it was impossible for them not to be worried. Therefore, none of them slept and just sat in the living room waiting for them to go home together. Unexpectedly, Shi Man and the others only returned in the latter half of the night. Su Tang and Bai Xue asked worriedly, but neither of them told them the reason for coming home so late. However, Bai Xue secretly noticed the joy in Shi Mu¡¯s eyes and roughly guessed what they had gone to do. It was not until she saw the video that had been reposted on the Internet this morning that she was even more certain. They must have gone to take revenge on Tong Su and An Ning, but she did not expect so many students to be affected. The teacher who came to class complained about the number of leave applications from each class in annoyance. Bai Xue could not help but think of the name list that Tong Su had been coerced and tempted by Shi Man on the rooftop that day. She thought that Shi Man had not done anything for so long because she had not found a suitable time to attack. It turned out that she was waiting for the day Tong Su courted death to defeat them all. However, she did not know what method Shi Man had used to make so many girls take leave at the same time. However, in less than a day, Bai Xue¡¯s doubts were answered. The military academy¡¯s requirements were strict and did not allow students to take leave easily for no reason. Moreover, there were so many girls in the entire grade who were applying for sick leave together. It could not help but make the teachers in the school suspicious. They all issued an ultimatum to the students who were taking leave, asking them to hand over their medical records today. Otherwise, they had to come to the school for normal classes. In the afternoon, students returned to school one after another. Bai Xue quickly realized that after these people returned, they had all changed their hairstyles. Some of them even switched from short hair to waist-length hair overnight! However, without exception, these students had ugly expressions, as if they were really seriously ill. Du Yan¡¯s face was extremely pale. She sat like a statue, and her neck was extremely stiff. Su Tang did not know that Tong Su had once betrayed her companions who had bullied her. When she saw that the girls who had rushed back to class had changed their hairstyles, she immediately leaned close to Shi Man¡¯s ear in surprise. ¡°Manman, did they take leave in the morning to do their hair together?!¡± Shi Man curled her lips in amusement and said in a relaxed and calm tone, ¡°Who knows? Maybe there was a discount from a stylist¡¯s shop?¡± Su Tang glanced at her skeptically and continued to take notes with her head lowered. However, she was extremely curious about the real reason why they were taking leave. After this class was the weekly training class. It was also the fundamental reason why these students had to rush back to school. The training curriculum did not allow students to take leave easily. Other than serious injuries, small matters like colds and fevers were not within the range of the instructor¡¯s tolerance. Therefore, just as the class began, An Ning and Tong Su dragged their exhausted bodies back to the training ground. After last night, the students did not dare to look into Tong Su¡¯s eyes. The video had gone viral on the Internet. Everyone knew the ugly things the three of them had done last night. Moreover, their classmates had seen the scene inside through the door with their own eyes. Now that they thought about it, they felt so aroused that they were about to have a nosebleed. Tong Su lowered her head and did not dare to speak. She did not even look into Shi Man¡¯s eyes. She looked like a mouse that had seen a cat. In the class, Du Yan and Tong Su had the best relationship. Seeing Tong Su¡¯s depressed expression, she secretly sized up Tong Su¡¯s head during the training period and persuaded her in a low voice, ¡°Sister Tong, even if that thing is gone, you can use a fake one! Look at me, I¡¯m fine!¡± Her forced smile naturally attracted Tong Su¡¯s angry glare. Did this Du Yan know what she was talking about?! Du Yan was innocently glared at by her and immediately did not dare to speak nonsense again. She focused on training, but her hands subconsciously pushed the hair on the top of her head. Shi Man watched coldly from the side and suddenly had a bad idea. While doing push-ups, she quietly picked up a stone and flicked it at the top of Du Yan¡¯s head. A scream instantly sounded in the square formation. The instructor hurriedly looked over in the direction of the voice, only to see Du Yan lying on the ground pathetically. Her hands were rubbing the place where she had been hit. Her hair was messy and askew, and he could vaguely see her bald head from the gap between her arms.. Chapter 612 - Chapter 612: Bald Chapter 612: Bald Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This time, not only the instructor, but everyone¡¯s gazes landed on Du Yan. Tong Su took a step closer in disbelief. She squatted down and picked up the wig on her head. Looking at the bald head without any extra long hair, her eyes trembled violently. ¡°Where¡¯s your hair?¡± Su Tang and Bai Xue subconsciously looked at Shi Man. Seeing the calmness in her eyes, they suddenly became unsure. What if all of Du Yan¡¯s hair was just a personal hobby? This really couldn¡¯t mean that it was done by Shi Man. But right on the heels of that, their hearts that had just wavered fell back into place. Du Yan¡¯s bald head was exposed to the entire class. She immediately wailed and intermittently told them about the terrifying experience this morning. After waking up in the morning, she felt that she had slept quite well. She thought that she would be worried about Tong Su, but she did not expect to wake up feeling so energetic in the morning. She woke up a full hour earlier than usual. However, what puzzled her was that she felt that something was missing from her head the moment she woke up. Occasionally, the wind in the bedroom would bring a chill. She subconsciously wanted to rub her cold hair, but she accidentally touched something bare and smooth. She was so frightened that her entire body went numb. She hurriedly ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror. At that moment, Du Yan was so frightened by her reflection in the mirror that she screamed repeatedly. Everyone in the Du family woke up from their sleep and ran to the door of her room to ask what had happened inside. Du Yan didn¡¯t dare to let everyone see her ugly appearance. She hurriedly ran to the front of the closet with cold hands and feet, took out a huge hat, and put it on her head before opening the door for her mother. When she went home last night, her hair was still on her head. After waking up, it disappeared without a trace. Not even a strand of hair was left for her. Her first reaction was that she might not have woken up yet. Everything in front of her was a nightmare. However, as time passed, she was finally certain that she was not in a dream. The fact that she had become bald had become reality. Mrs. Du¡¯s heart ached for her daughter¡¯s beautiful hair. She hurriedly sent the butler to check the surveillance video of last night, but she didn¡¯t see anyone suspicious enter or leave the courtyard. Du Yan¡¯s hair had actually disappeared without a trace! In the morning, she applied for leave from the teacher without thinking. With such a head, she was too ashamed to go to school and become a spectacle for her classmates. Especially when she thought that Shi Man and the others might be waiting to laugh at her in school, she was even angrier. After the instructor heard her strange disappearance, he fell into deep thought. To be fair, he had lived for so many years and had seen many strange events, but he had never seen such a strange and bad taste. He was immediately interested and promised to help her investigate the truth. The other female students in the class, who were also wearing wigs to school, immediately felt a sense of hope. They grabbed the instructor¡¯s hand without caring about their image and insisted that he give them a reasonable and satisfactory answer. The entire Class S was in an uproar. It turned out that so many girls in the class had been shaved bald overnight! For a moment, the legend of the head-shaving demon spread in the school. Su Tang wanted to laugh, but she could only try her best to hold back her laughter. It was not until the three of them left the teaching building after school that she dared to laugh fearlessly. Unfortunately, before she could laugh enough, a girl in a wig blocked their way with a fierce expression. ¡°Shi Man! Did you do it to our hair?!¡± Faced with their accusations, Shi Man raised her eyebrows calmly and said, ¡°I did it. How about it? It took me a lot of time to shave your heads. Do you like it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so vicious!¡± Du Yan pushed away the person in front of her and pointed at Shi Man¡¯s nose. ¡°A woman like you should die a horrible death! See if I don¡¯t cut your hair!¡± With that, she raised the scissors and rushed towards Shi Man. Su Tang subconsciously wanted to stand in front of Shi Man, but her arm was pulled back by someone. A powerful force that she could not resist instantly pulled her to the side. Shi Man stood rooted to the ground. When the scissors approached, she let go of Su Tang¡¯s hand and nimbly blocked Du Yan¡¯s arm. ¡°You?¡± Her tone was light, making Du Yan¡¯s eyes turn red. She waved the scissors in her hand at Shi Man crazily. ¡°Stop!¡± The instructor had just come out of the principal¡¯s office and reported the incident of the students being shaved today. He did not expect to see Du Yan holding a knife in an attack. He immediately roared and rushed over, pushing Du Yan away fiercely. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Du Yan gritted her teeth and glared at Shi Man. Her expression was no different from a mad dog. ¡°Teacher, don¡¯t stop me! It¡¯s this woman who caused us to lose our hair.. I¡¯ll cut her hair today! Let her have a taste of what we¡¯re like now!¡± Chapter 613 - Chapter 613: Applying Poison Chapter 613: Applying Poison Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man stood in front of her fearlessly. Seeing that she had used all her strength to pounce on her but was stopped by the instructor again, her eyes immediately curved into thin slits. ¡°Du Yan, please don¡¯t frame me casually. I low can it be my fault that your hair is gone?¡± This woman had clearly admitted it just now! Du Yan gritted her teeth and broke free from the instructor¡¯s restraint. Half of the wig on her head had been torn off, and her bald head was exposed to everyone again. She looked comical. As if sensing the mocking gazes of the surrounding people, Du Yan¡¯s face suddenly turned red. She hurriedly straightened her hair and couldn¡¯t help but roar, ¡°That¡¯s not what you said just now! You clearly admitted that you shaved our hair!¡± The instructor looked at her in disbelief, wanting to see something from Shi Man¡¯s face. Unfortunately, Shi Man would not reveal any flaws in front of him. She pursed her lips and smiled. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, she spread her hands innocently and said, ¡°Use your brain before you speak, okay? So many of you had your heads shaved. If 1 really did it, how did I sneak into your rooms overnight without you noticing?¡± Du Yan lowered her eyes hesitantly, but in an instant, she bit her lower lip firmly again. ¡°Cut the crap. You must have done it! You must have had accomplices! Did you do it with the two of them?¡± Su Tang and Bai Xue were suddenly accused of being the real culprits. They were shocked and nervously clenched each other¡¯s hands. They shook their heads innocently. ¡°Teacher, the two of us can¡¯t do such a thing. Don¡¯t believe Du Yan¡¯s crazy words!¡± After these few trainings, the instructor knew the strength of these two people. Of course, they could not do such a difficult thing, so he did not take it to heart. ¡°Student Du, calm down. You could hurt someone with a pair of scissors in public. Put down the scissors quickly!¡± the instructor scolded Du Yan coldly. He stood completely on Shi Man¡¯s side and protected them behind him. As an instructor and teacher, he could not tolerate his students being injured in front of him. At this moment, it was time for all the grades to go home from school. Many students quickly gathered in front of the school building. The crowd surrounded them, but most of them were pointing at Du Yan. Shi Man still stood behind the instructor as if she was watching a good show. She watched this farce like a victor. Du Yan gradually came back to her senses. In the past, when she was by Tong Su¡¯s side, all the students in the school had to be respectful to her. No one had ever dared to laugh at her in public. But now, the situation had reversed. Everyone seemed to be on Shi Man¡¯s side, mocking and disdaining her and the rest of the girls who had lost their hair. It was as if her unbearable and embarrassing situation was completely exposed at this moment. Even her companions, who were standing with her and wanted to denounce Shi Man, could not stand the scene of being scorned. This humiliation was even more unbearable than losing their long hair. These young girls from wealthy families were used to living a pampered life. They had to spend a lot of money to maintain themselves. However, the money spent on maintaining their appearance over the years was enough for ordinary families to squander for a few years. They took their hair very seriously, as if it was a symbol of their nobility. In the past, Du Yan had long hair that made people envious. Every time she attended an important event, she would always arrange with her friends to go to a professional stylist to style her hair so that her appearance would be more dazzling. However, after last night, the long hair that they had taken care of for many years had been shaven clean. If that was all, they would not be so angry. Early in the morning, their families had called for a family doctor. The doctor had said that their scalps were smeared with a very poisonous medicine. If they did not find the antidote before their hair grew out, they would probably be bald for the rest of their lives. This was simply a great humiliation to these beautiful girls. Du Yan glared at Shi Man hatefully, her tears gradually blurring her eyes. ¡°Why are you all protecting her and believing her? She¡¯s clearly a new piece of trash! She¡¯s not worthy of attending class in our school!¡± ¡°Student Du, please watch your words.¡± The instructor was clearly not good at arguing with others, nor did he know how to reason. Seeing that Du Yan was inexplicably agitated again, he frowned and took a step forward to grab her wrist. He forcefully snatched the scissors from her hand and threw them on the ground. Without her weapon, Du Yan¡¯s strength seemed to have been snatched away in an instant. She sat down dejectedly. If not for the instructor holding her, she would have sat on the ground and cried in embarrassment. Shi Man admired the tears on her face for a while in satisfaction before smiling slowly. ¡°Du Yan, if you have the time to cry, you might as well choose a few more wigs for yourself..¡± Chapter 614 - Chapter 614: Inspection Chapter 614: Inspection Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This matter was posted on the Internet by the surrounding students, immediately causing a heated discussion on the Internet. Many people had just finished watching the video of Tong Su and An Ning. Now, they saw a student committing murder in public on campus, which instantly angered the netizens. Many people began to suspect that the poor quality of education of the students of the capital military academy had an extremely negative impact on the military academy. In the end, not only did this matter attract widespread attention in society, but even the higher-ups in the capital attached great importance to the school¡¯s culture and sent the city leaders to the school for an inspection. In the classroom, the teacher finished speaking about this matter with a serious expression. Then, she repeatedly asked the students to restrain themselves and not embarrass themselves in front of their leaders. ¡°Class monitor, 1 need you to supervise this matter. If you encounter anyone who violates the rules, report it to me immediately.¡± After the form teacher emphasized what she thought was important, she arranged the responsibilities of the class cadre. Tong Su¡¯s face was pale and she looked listless. After the form teacher finished instructing her, she saw that Tong Su did not react. She frowned in confusion and looked over. She saw Tong Su staring at her blank table in a daze. She did not know what she was thinking. ¡°Tong Su, what¡¯s wrong with you recently?¡± The form teacher could tell that she had been haggard recently. She could not help but walk to her from the podium with concern and reach out to test the temperature of her forehead. It was cold and didn¡¯t look like she was sick. But she had indeed not been in a good state recently. Thinking of how busy she would be facing the leader¡¯s review, the teacher frowned fiercely and sighed. ¡°Forget it. You haven¡¯t been feeling well for the past two days. 1¡¯11 arrange for the other students to do the school¡¯s work.¡± She looked around and finally fixed her gaze on the last row. She smiled and said, ¡°Shi Man, why don¡¯t you temporarily take over the position of class monitor? When the time comes, you can cooperate with me. How about that?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the entire class could not help but gasp. Looking at Tong Su¡¯s pale face, they could not help but sigh. The students all knew about the entanglement between Shi Man and Tong Su now. If Shi Man replaced Tong Su now, wouldn¡¯t it be a slap to Tong Su¡¯s face? However, the form teacher clearly did not think so much. The reason why she entrusted such a difficult mission to Shi Man was because she recognized Shi Man¡¯s performance. Whether it was the training class being held up as an example by the instructor or the serious listening in the professional class, it was enough for her to agree that Shi Man could be a very good student representative. Moreover, the main reason was that Shi Man was the future student of Chief Lu and would definitely be placed in an important position in the future. The only chance she could express how much she valued Shi Man was in school. She seemed to be afraid that Shi Man would not agree and explained sincerely again, ¡°1 believe that you can definitely shoulder the responsibility of supervising your classmates. I¡¯m very relieved to leave this to you.¡± Since she had already said this, Shi Man would not know what was good for her if she refused again. Moreover, Shi Man had no intention of rejecting her. Facing everyone¡¯s jealous and indignant gazes, she nodded generously. ¡°Alright, Teacher. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely be serious and responsible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The form teacher heaved a sigh of relief. Coincidentally, the bell rang, so she returned to the podium and started the lecture. However, everyone had yet to recover from the change just now. How could they still be in the mood to listen to any more classes? In the class group chat, Du Yan sent an ¡°angry¡± emoji and typed quickly. ¡°How can a newcomer like Shi Man control us? Is she worthy?¡± Her deskmate pursed her lips and stole a glance in the teacher¡¯s direction. She also secretly typed on the table. ¡°Indeed, Teacher¡¯s decision is obviously to please Chief Lu. I don¡¯t know which leader is going to be assigned this time, but she¡¯s actually so anxious to curry favor. It¡¯s looking bad on her. No wonder she can only be a teacher for the rest of her life!¡± Another well-informed boy wished he could stuff his head into the stomach of the table. He typed excitedly, ¡°I know you¡¯re in a hurry, but don¡¯t be anxious! I know which leader came this time. Shi Man will definitely not have an easy time this time!¡± ¡°What? Which one? Tell me quickly!¡± her deskmate asked impatiently. The form teacher turned around after writing on the board and saw that most of the students in the class were staring at her table with shining eyes. Her expression immediately turned cold. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to listen to class, go out and participate in training. Run three kilometers around the field with weights first!¡± The students below immediately looked up and fiddled with the ballpoint pen in their hands awkwardly. After the teacher turned around again, the boy quickly typed again, ¡°It¡¯s Secretary Liu!¡± Du Yan was stunned for a moment before she reacted. Her pupils dilated in excitement. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Sister Tong¡¯s cousin?¡± She had never expected that it would be Tong Su¡¯s family who came this time.. At that time, wouldn¡¯t Man be walking into the gun herself? Chapter 615 - Chapter 615: Leader Review Chapter 615: Leader Review Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Yes!¡± The boy could not hide his joy and continued to type a series of praises for Liu Xin on the screen. Suddenly, he felt that the sunlight on his left was blocked. He looked up in surprise and saw the form teacher staring at him coldly. He shivered and hurriedly stuffed his phone under his textbook, opening the notes on the table. But it was obvious that he was too late. The form teacher extended her palm to him expressionlessly. ¡°Give it to me.¡± The boy swallowed nervously and begged with a bitter expression, ¡°Teacher, please give me this chance. I had an emergency at home just now. 1 really didn¡¯t mean to fiddle with my phone!¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± The teacher narrowed his eyes and repeated with a serious expression. The boy did not dare to disobey the teacher and could only take out his phone with a plaintive expression and place it in the teacher¡¯s hand. The form teacher looked down at the few lines of words on the screen and couldn¡¯t help but frown. So the leader of this inspection was actually Liu Xin? Then wouldn¡¯t she have made an enemy of Shi Man by asking Shi Man to replace Tong Su? She frowned and could not relax for a long time. After class, she specially called Shi Man to the office to tell her about this. Her original intention was to persuade Shi Man not to take over Tong Su¡¯s job. However, Shi Man did not reject this job. Knowing that Liu Xin was coming, not only did she not look nervous and depressed, but she also looked a little interested. ¡°There¡¯s no need for a change. Just do it according to the current arrangement. When will she arrive?¡± The teacher was stunned for a moment. Clearly, she did not expect her to react so easily. Then, she looked at the clock on the wall and said, ¡°The car will drive into the school at noon. Since you still insist, come with me to the school gate to welcome the leader.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man nodded and agreed without hesitation. So what if she was Tong Su¡¯s cousin? She did not believe that Liu Xin¡¯s arrival this time was really just to complete the instructions of her superior. She would not believe that Liu Xin and Tong Su did not have any selfish motives. Since someone couldn¡¯t help but want to get reinforcements to teach her a lesson, it was useless for her to hide. Years of working on the edge of a knife had taught her a bone-deep truth. Only when your opponent fell first could you obtain true safety. During the lunch break, Shi Man did not even eat before she followed the form teacher and some other leaders of the school to the school gate to welcome them. Principal Tong Bin was naturally among them. When he saw Shi Man, he immediately frowned and looked at the form teacher of Class S coldly. However, there were many people now, so he really couldn¡¯t directly express his dissatisfaction. He only snorted coldly and deliberately isolated the two of them at the back of the crowd, making them seem dispensable. Shi Man did not mind standing at the back. After all, she was not interested in welcoming Liu Xin. However, even if she stood in an inconspicuous place, Liu Xin would still go through a lot of trouble to find her and find fault with her. A small car slowly drove into the school gate. The crowd, which had been whispering just now, instantly quietened down and looked at the car parked in front of them. The principal personally brought people over to welcome them. Looking at the joy on these people¡¯s faces, those who didn¡¯t know better would think that they weren¡¯t the targets of censorship, but that the city leaders had brought people to give them an award. After the car stopped, the secretary got out of the car and opened the door behind. Shi Man looked over and first saw a long fair leg stretching out of the car door. Right on the heels of that, a woman in a tight uniform dress slowly got out of the car. When she saw the principal, a smile appeared on her stiff face. ¡°Uncle, why are you waiting for me at the door? I was thinking of going straight to your office to visit you.¡± There was a hint of joy on Tong Bin¡¯s face. He smiled and patted her shoulder. ¡°This is school, and you¡¯re also carrying out official duties. You still have to go through the procedures.¡± Liu Xin laughed and looked around the crowd. Finally, her gaze landed on the girl at the back of the crowd. ¡°Is this also the new teacher of the military school? Why haven¡¯t I seen her before?¡± ¡°How is she a teacher?¡± The monitors of the other classes seemed to be very familiar with Liu Xin. When they heard her question, they simply thought that she really didn¡¯t know who Shi Man was. They quickly went up to explain fawningly, ¡°She¡¯s a new transfer student. She replaced the monitor of Class S, Tong Su, and came with the teacher to welcome you!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Of course, Liu Xin knew Shi Man. At this moment, she was just asking to switch the topic to Shi Man. Hearing that student¡¯s explanation, she strode forward and stood in front of Shi Man with a faint smile. Her tall and exquisite eyes were filled with disdain. ¡°Are your results outstanding? You¡¯re actually placed in an important position after transferring here. It seems that you¡¯re quite capable..¡± Chapter 616 - Chapter 616: Making Things Difficult Chapter 616: Making Things Difficult Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios From a distance, the others could clearly smell the strong smell of gunpowder. Shi Man looked at her expressionlessly, unaffected by her provocation. ¡°The leader is mainly here to inspect the school discipline of the military academy. I¡¯ve never violated the school rules. Of course, I can replace the class monitor who¡¯s not in good health.¡± Liu Xin¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly. She sneered and said, ¡°I won¡¯t know until 1 investigate.¡± Shi Man nodded neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°That¡¯s true. Then 1 hope you can review it impartially and clean up the school atmosphere.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to teach me.¡± Liu Xin glared at her fiercely, then turned around and led the way into the school¡¯s office building with a cold expression. It was lunchtime, but because the school knew in advance that a leader was coming, they set up a temporary cafeteria in an empty office in advance. At this moment, the round table was already filled with all kinds of exquisitely designed dishes. There were also flowers and plants in full bloom around the private room. Tong Bin sat in the middle with Liu Xin before calling the others to follow suit. There were only more than ten chairs around the round table in advance. The teachers¡¯ table happened to be full, so the student cadres who came with them could only stand at the side like waiters and await the leader¡¯s instructions. Liu Xin looked at Shi Man, who was also standing at the side, and a trace of smugness flashed across her eyes. She turned to Tong Bin and teased, ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s sit and eat. It¡¯s not good to let the students watch from the side. Why don¡¯t we let them go out first?¡± Tong Bin looked up in Shi Man¡¯s direction and chuckled. ¡°They know that you¡¯re coming today and want to express their feelings. You don¡¯t have to be so polite. The students of the military academy should be strictly disciplined. Obeying orders is the principle they need to abide by the most. Just tell me if you have any instructions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Liu Xin narrowed his eyes and sat up straight to look at Shi Man. ¡°New transfer student, can you pour me a cup of tea? It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a little particular. If I can¡¯t stand the tea set, 1 won¡¯t drink a sip.¡± The private room fell silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone¡¯s eyes landed on Shi Man at the same time, waiting to see her next reaction. Ever since Shi Man transferred schools, she had been aloof and difficult to get along with. Now that she was suddenly ordered around like a waitress and had her work cut out for her public, she might just leave angrily. If that was the case, Liu Xin would have a reason to punish her. The atmosphere in the private room became even more solemn. Only a few seconds had passed, but they felt that it was a little difficult to breathe. Just as they thought that Shi Man would not agree, she smiled and nodded slightly. ¡°Alright, Leader. I¡¯ll get someone to prepare tea now.¡± With that, she walked out of the room without waiting for Liu Xin¡¯s reaction and slowly walked towards the canteen. Liu Xin and Tong Bin looked at each other and saw smugness in each other¡¯s eyes. At this moment, ever since Shi Man came to the military academy, she had been very unruly and went against Tong Su all the time. However, no matter how noble she was now, wouldn¡¯t she have to obediently lower her head in front of power? With this thought in mind, the atmosphere in the private room immediately relaxed. Many people also heaved a sigh of relief. Liu Xin deliberately did not touch her chopsticks because she wanted to wait for Shi Man to come back with tea before personally finding another reason to dampen her spirit. However, what she did not expect was that more than half an hour had passed. The originally warm private room became suffocating again as Liu Xin¡¯s expression turned colder. Shi Man¡¯s form teacher, Chen Cheng, couldn¡¯t sit still under Tong Bin¡¯s glare. She hurriedly stood up helplessly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go see if something happened to Shi Man.¡± Tong Bin snorted and turned around, not giving her a good look. Chen Cheng was so nervous that her entire body was covered in sweat. She did not dare to waste any time and hurriedly opened the door to go out to look for her. Unexpectedly, in the next second, she saw Shi Man walking slowly towards the private room with the aunt from the school canteen. Chen Cheng heaved a sigh of relief and her tone subconsciously turned cold. ¡°Where did you go? Why are you only back now?¡± Even if Liu Xin had the intention to target her, she couldn¡¯t just leave her waiting here stupidly! That was the city leader! If something really happened, she didn¡¯t have the ability to protect Shi Man! Unexpectedly, Shi Man, who was about to become the target of public criticism, did not panic at all. Instead, she unhurriedly let her aunt enter with the neatly arranged tea set in her hand. ¡°Of course we have to use a good tea set to receive the leader. 1 went to find a set, so I was delayed.¡± This explanation made sense. Chen Cheng¡¯s expression improved a little, but when she looked at the tea set on the tray in her aunt¡¯s hand, her eyes almost popped out.. ¡°How did you find this tea set? Did you go to the principal¡¯s office?¡± Chapter 617 - Chapter 617: An Eye for an Eye Chapter 617: An Eye for an Eye Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the private room, Principal Tong Bin heard this exclamation and looked up in confusion. He immediately saw the tea set that he had treasured in the cabinet and stood up angrily. ¡°Shi Man! Who allowed you to enter and leave the principal¡¯s office casually and touch my things!¡± The principal¡¯s thunderous might frightened the other students in the private room into silence. Liu Xin looked at the door gloatingly, waiting to see how Shi Man would explain her mistake. However, the panicked expression Liu Xin imagined did not appear on Shi Man¡¯s face. Shi Man stood calmly at the door and pushed the canteen aunt forward. ¡°Principal, obeying orders is a principle every military school student has to abide by. The leader instructed me to ask for an eye-catching tea set, so I could only look for it in your office.¡± Tong Bin widened his eyes and stared at her angrily. He had spent a lot of money to bid for that tea set for his collection! Even he could not bear to use it once. Shi Man actually took it out to make tea. It was simply a waste! Just as he was about to scold her, Shi Man would not give him the chance. She spread her hands innocently and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a tea set that can catch the leader¡¯s eye. 1 thought that since you and the leader are relatives, you shouldn¡¯t be reluctant. That¡¯s why I took it and used it. Principal, you¡¯re glaring at me like this because you don¡¯t want to use your precious tea set for the leader, right?¡± Shi Man¡¯s light words stopped Tong Bin. He couldn¡¯t say that he was willing, nor could he say that he was unwilling. He could only endure his anger. Otherwise, people would think that he was petty towards his niece! But he was really angry! Tong Bin sat back on the chair and stared at her sinisterly. ¡°Alright, I bought this tea set for Xinxin. Bring the tea over personally.¡± He emphasized the word ¡°personally¡±. Clearly, he did not want Shi Man to take advantage of any loopholes and wanted to take the opportunity to embarrass her. Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly and reached out to pour a cup of tea on the tray in the aunt¡¯s hand. She placed one hand behind her back and held the teacup in the other as she walked towards Liu Xin with a smile. Most of the leaders¡¯ seats were in the innermost corner of the round table. This meant that if Shi Man wanted to pass tea to Liu Xin, she had to pass by Tong Bin. She knew in her heart that Tong Bin would probably cause her some trouble, so she walked slowly, but no one could find fault with her. Liu Xin took a deep breath. For some reason, she felt that Shi Man¡¯s deliberately slow footsteps were a little torturous. She could only sit in her seat and hold her breath as she waited for Shi Man to approach. She had clearly ordered Shi Man to pour tea for her, but now, she had become the nervous one, as if Shi Man was the leader who had condescended and she was the flattered subordinate. This realization had just surfaced in her heart for a moment when she ruthlessly extinguished it. She had lost countless things to regain her current status. How could she admit that she had actually lost to a student who had yet to graduate? Shi Man was just an inexperienced girl. How was she worthy of her fear? With this thought in mind, the pressure around Liu Xin suddenly decreased. Even the teacher sitting beside her felt a little uncomfortable. She quietly moved her stool to prevent herself from being implicated later. Although Tong Bin narrowed his eyes and kept looking ahead, he was still paying attention to Shi Man¡¯s actions from the corner of his eye. Seeing that she had already walked close, he suddenly moved his right leg and took a step forward to cross his feet when she was unprepared. Shi Man was guarding against him using this trick to embarrass her. She chuckled indifferently and suddenly flicked a silver needle between her fingers. In the next second, the principal¡¯s face suddenly turned ashen. He gritted his teeth to not roar in embarrassment. Shi Man raised her eyebrows and held back her smile. She quickly reached out and placed the teacup in front of Liu Xin. Then, she looked at Tong Bin with concern. ¡°Principal, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Tong Bin looked up at her fiercely, then lowered his head to look at his thigh, which would hurt even when he moved a little. He said angrily, ¡°What did you do?¡± Shi Man blinked at him innocently. ¡°Principal, I was pouring tea for the leader. Didn¡¯t you see it?¡± Tong Bin¡¯s expression turned cold. He could not help but growl, ¡°1 said, what did you do to my leg!¡± The people who heard this subconsciously lowered their heads and looked at Tong Bin¡¯s legs. However, when they were glared at by Tong Bin, they immediately sat back down and did not dare to look around. Others were afraid of the power in Tong Bin¡¯s hands, but Shi Man was fearless. She continued to spread her hands innocently in an infuriating tone. ¡°Principal, I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. My hand didn¡¯t touch your leg just now!¡± The more Shi Man said this, the more he felt that the pain in his leg was Shi Man¡¯s doing.. However, how could Shi Man attack silently in front of him and look as though she did nothing? Chapter 618 - Chapter 618: Poison Chapter 618: Poison Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Xin felt that something was wrong, but Tong Bin said that he was injured in his thigh, so she couldn¡¯t bend down to take a look. She could only turn to look at Shi Man in surprise. ¡°What did you do?¡± Shi Man put on a speechless expression and rolled her eyes. ¡°Do you all have persecutory delusions? His leg might be hurting because of his arthritis. What has it got to do with me?¡± ¡°You!¡± Ever since Liu Xin became a leader, it had been a long time since anyone dared to speak to her like this. She was so angry that she almost threw the hot tea that had just been poured. Tong Bin pressed her wrist and let go in an instant. He gave her a calm look. ¡°Shi Man, in the army, the higher-ups have absolute leadership over the lower-ups. You¡¯ve already violated military discipline by talking to the teachers and leaders like this today. Since you¡¯re still a student, I¡¯ll punish you with a small punishment. You¡¯ll be punished to run three kilometers on the training ground with weights. You¡¯re not allowed to eat until you finish running!¡± A trace of smugness flashed across Liu Xin¡¯s eyes. She thought to herself that her uncle had many ways to restrain Shi Man in one go. She raised the corners of her eyes, wanting to see Shi Man make a fool of herself. Unexpectedly, Shi Man was still calm and did not say much to Tong Bin. Tong Bin¡¯s expression was extremely cold. It was not good for him to touch the sore spot in front of Shi Man. That would make him look very embarrassed. He could not let Shi Man stand there and look at him, so he could only send her away. After Shi Man turned around and left expressionlessly, he quietly reached under the table and touched his stinging knee. It didn¡¯t matter if he touched it. He didn¡¯t expect to touch a silver needle. On closer look, the tip of the needle was even slightly green. This wretched girl actually dared to poison him! Tong Bin¡¯s expression darkened. He stood up and looked at the training ground outside the window with a cold expression. Indeed, he did not see Shi Man. He wanted to get someone to get Shi Man to run, but ever since the silver needle was pulled out, his knee felt swollen and uncomfortable. Shi Man had poisoned him somehow, and he did not want to offend her rashly. Otherwise, if this crazy girl really fell out with him, his leg would probably not be cured. He had to find the doctor to see if he could detoxify the poison before considering if he should deal with Shi Man. The group had been sitting in the private room for an hour, but Liu Xin did not touch her chopsticks. No one dared to reach out to pick up food first. Seeing that the food on the table had already turned cold, another teacher¡¯s stomach could not help but rumble. Hearing this awkward sound, Liu Xin¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. She walked to the window and stood side by side with Tong Bin. She looked up worriedly and asked, ¡°Uncle, is your leg really fine? Shi Man didn¡¯t listen to you and accept her punishment. Do you want someone to capture her to the training ground?¡± Tong Bin raised his hand to stop her from speaking. He returned to his seat with a solemn expression. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± This time, those who wanted to flatter Liu Xin did not dare to make a sound. The group ate exceptionally quietly. It was not easy for them to last until the afternoon. They could finally return to their classes to teach the students. To them, teaching the students for a day was probably not as tiring as those two hours in the afternoon. After school in the afternoon, Tong Bin indeed found the door of the class personally and called Shi Man into the office to talk. Naturally, Tong Su, who had a pale face, came with her. Behind the door of the office, Tong Bin grabbed Shi Man¡¯s collar with a ferocious expression. The man was very strong, but if not for the fact that Shi Man did not want to dodge, she would not have been easily restrained by him. Now that he had touched her collar, she was just teasing him. Tong Bin did not know this. He lowered his voice and questioned Shi Man fiercely, ¡°What poison did you poison me with?¡± Tong Su looked up in disbelief, her pale face turning even uglier. ¡°You poisoned my father?¡± Shi Man glanced at her and smiled indifferently. ¡°What poison? Principal Tong, are you joking with me?¡± Tong Su immediately clenched her fists and frowned at her father. ¡°Dad, are you really poisoned? Could there be a misunderstanding?¡± That night, she was taken away by Shi Mu with An Ning. She thought that she would be treated cruelly, but what awaited her was a pill the size of a fingernail. Shi Man had personally handed the medicine to the two of them. It was a very rare poison. Even the skilled private doctor at home could not diagnose it. However, only the person who was poisoned knew the pain when the poison acted up. At that time, Tong Su would rather die than eat that pill, so Shi Man pried open their mouths and poured it in. After that, she even promised them sympathetically that as long as they did not tell anyone about this, she would get someone to send the antidote to them regularly. It would take three years for the poison to be truly dissipated in their bodies. Shi Man had considered the time for graduation and did not want the two of them to cause trouble for her again. If not for the fact that they could not remove the poison in private, she would not have to suffer so much! Shi Man had also promised that she would not implicate their families that night.. Was she going to go back on her word in the blink of an eye? Just because Cousin had joined forces with her father to target her in the afternoon? Chapter 619 - Chapter 619: Sowing Discord Chapter 619: Sowing Discord Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tong Bin continued to interrogate Shi Man about what poison she had poisoned his leg with a cold expression, but Shi Man insisted that she did not do anything. Tong Bin could not do anything to her. In the afternoon, he went to see the doctor alone, but the four or five famous doctors who diagnosed him all said that he was not poisoned. However, the bone-piercing pain in his knee was real. He knew better than anyone that Shi Man must have done something to his leg. He was not a patient and good-tempered principal. If Shi Man was so stubborn and unruly, there was really no need for him to tolerate her on account of Chief Lu. If he continued to endure it, Shi Man would one day poison him to death! With this thought in mind, Tong Bin gritted his teeth and let go. He reached out to tug at the tie on his chest and pointed in the direction of the door. ¡°Tong Su, go out first.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Tong Su exclaimed worriedly. She looked at her father and then at Shi Man. She did not know if she was worried about Tong Bin or if she was worried that Shi Man would refuse to give her the antidote the next time the poison acted up. The pain of the body could indeed make people submit temporarily. Although Tong Su wished she could tear Shi Man apart now, no matter how much she hated her, she could not make things difficult for her body. She had to live in peace with Shi Man for the next three years. This way, when her poison was cured three years later, she would be able to deal with Shi Man at ease. A piercing pain appeared on Tong Bin¡¯s leg again. He pointed fiercely in the direction of the door and urged again, ¡°Get out! No one can come in without my permission!¡± Tong Su had always been afraid of her father. At this moment, she did not dare to say anything. She only timidly threw Shi Man an aggrieved expression and turned to leave the principal¡¯s office. However, driven by curiosity, she leaned against the door, wanting to know if Shi Man had broken her promise and attacked her father. Shi Man glanced at the door from the corner of her eye and knew that Tong Su was eavesdropping and had not gone far. She raised her eyebrows calmly and smiled. ¡°Principal Tong, you really don¡¯t have to be so agitated. I really didn¡¯t poison you.¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t poison me, why is my knee hurting from noon until now?¡± Tong Bin roared at her. In the end, he remembered that it was not honorable for him, as the principal, to be poisoned by the new transfer student. He lowered his voice and threatened, ¡°I advise you to give me the antidote as soon as possible. Otherwise, my forces in the capital are complicated. It will be easy to deal with you.¡± Shi Man casually walked to the sofa and sat down. She crossed her legs and looked back at him casually. ¡°Then go ahead and try. Let¡¯s see if you can find the antidote from me before I die.¡± Tong Bin frowned inexplicably, as if he had never seen such a fearless female student. The anger in his heart instantly swelled to the extreme. ¡°I¡¯m warning you for the last time. Give me the antidote. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡± Shi Man shook her head helplessly. Under Tong Bin¡¯s increasingly sinister gaze, she said calmly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe me after saying it so many times? 1 really didn¡¯t poison you. The pain in your knee has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Then who does it have to do with?¡± Tong Bin wanted to tear Shi Man apart immediately. He would see if she could still be arrogant. Unfortunately, what he did not know was that she had obtained the silver needle from Chu Yue. Even if she had smeared some poison on it, it was Chu Yue who had poisoned it. It had nothing to do with her. Shi Man pursed her lips and pondered for a moment. In the blink of an eye, a smile returned to her face. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to cure this poison, because 1 got this silver needle from Chu Yue. If you have any questions, you can ask her directly.¡± ¡°Chu Yue?¡± The principal frowned and stared at her suspiciously. ¡°Why is Instructor Chu¡¯s silver needle in your hand?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to ask her.¡± Shi Man shrugged casually. She stood up and casually tidied the creases at the bottom of her clothes, leaving him with one last smile. ¡°She personally gave me this needle when I was in G City. If she doesn¡¯t admit it, it means that she doesn¡¯t want to help you detoxify it. It has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°You!¡± Tong Bin stared at her back as she was about to turn around and leave. He said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re still studying under me. If you dare to lie to me, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Shi Man sneered and did not look at him again. She put away the smile on her face and left the office. In the corridor, Tong Su heard the commotion inside and hurriedly stood up straight. She took a big step back and stood against the wall. A pair of deeply puzzled eyes still betrayed her. Shi Man stood in front of her kindly. A hint of scheming flashed across her beautiful eyes. In the next second, her smile became amiable again. ¡°Chu Yue instructed you to target me, right? But she was the one who gave me the silver needle that injured your father today.. How should we reconcile this?¡± Chapter 620 - Chapter 620: Hiding Chapter 620: Hiding Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tong Su widened her eyes in disbelief. Ever since Chu Yue returned to the capital and saw her for the first time, Tong Su knew that Chu Yue and Shi Man were destined to be incompatible. In order to become Chief Lu¡¯s student in the future, Tong Su stood on the same side as Chu Yue without thinking. She did whatever Chu Yue asked her to do. She had never thought too deeply about it. Thinking about it carefully, Tong Su really did not know what had happened between Chu Yue and Shi Man. Apart from the shock, there was only suspicion left in her heart. Right now, she was being controlled by someone, but Chu Yue did not show up. She did not believe that Chu Yue would not hear anything after the matter had blown up, but the other party had not come to comfort her¡­ Thinking of this, Tong Su suddenly broke out in cold sweat. When she came back to her senses, Shi Man had already walked far away. She could only see a straight and slender back. After this day, it happened to be the weekend. Tong Bin used the excuse of a banquet to invite Chu Yue and her brother to the event location. Faced with the principal¡¯s invitation, even if Chu Yue did not want to go, she could not refuse. There were all kinds of women dressed exquisitely in the huge hall, but Chu Yue was tall and had the aura of a soldier when she walked. She could easily attract people¡¯s gazes. Tong Su was too embarrassed to face anyone, but she hid in the room above the banquet and carefully observed the situation below. Tong Bin greeted his acquaintances as usual. In the end, his gaze landed on Chu Yue, who was not far away. He walked over and said with a kind expression, ¡°Instructor Chu, thank you for taking the time to attend the banquet. 1 toast you.¡± Chu Yue was flattered. She bent down and lifted Tong Bin¡¯s wine glass. ¡°I¡¯m humbled. Let me toast you.¡± Tong Bin put away his wine glass in satisfaction. Seeing that Chu Yue had drunk a glass of wine, he got to the point. ¡°1 know that Instructor Chu is extraordinary, but I haven¡¯t been able to see it with my own eyes. I heard some news, so I want to verify it with Instructor Chu.¡± ¡°Please speak.¡± Chu Yue nodded respectfully. Tong Bin¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°I heard that there were people who were good at using silver needles in ancient times. I originally thought that it was just a fabrication in martial arts novels, but recently, I heard someone say that Instructor Chu is also good at using silver needles as weapons. 1 wonder if 1 have the honor to see it with my own eyes?¡± It was not a secret that no one could know that Chu Yue knew how to do this. Therefore, she did not think too much about it. She took out a silver needle from her sleeve and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not an impressive ability. It¡¯s just some tricks.¡± Tong Bin looked over and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Can I take a closer look?¡± Chu Yue did not expect him to be really interested in this. She was stunned for a moment before she generously handed over the silver needle in her hand. ¡°Principal Tong, of course you can take a look, but you have to be careful. This needle tip is poisonous. I specially made it myself. Only I can cure it.¡± When she said this, she looked extremely proud and did not notice Tong Bin¡¯s sudden change in expression. He looked at the green mark on the needle tip with trembling eyes and asked with a frown, ¡°Have you given this needle to anyone?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Chu Yue curled her lips smugly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many people died under the tip of my needle. No one has ever been able to snatch them away from me.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she felt as if she had forgotten something. She thought about it carefully, but she had no clue. She simply shook off the confusion that lingered in her heart. Tong Bin already had an idea in his mind. He returned the needle to Chu Yue with a serious expression that he had never shown her before. ¡°Instructor Chu, 1 want to ask you for a favor.¡± The silent room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. On the sofa, the man lifted his pants to reveal his bruised knees. A shocked and terrified woman sat by his feet. She looked at the bruise in a daze and opened her mouth for a long time before saying, ¡°How, how is this possible? Principal Tong, how did you get poisoned?¡± Tong Su had been sitting at the side and carefully observing Chu Yue¡¯s expression. When she saw that her expression did not seem fake, she frowned in confusion. ¡°Sister Yue, have you really not given your needles to anyone else?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ not.¡± She wanted to deny it decisively like before, but the words she said suddenly lost their momentum. This was because she suddenly remembered that when she fought with Shi Man in G City, many silver needles fell out of her hand. That was a very humiliating battle for her. She did not want anyone to know that she had lost to Shi Man that time, let alone others. It was precisely because Shi Man was far stronger than her that Lu Jun could not wait to take her in as their student. No one in the capital should know about this! However, at this point, it was useless for her to hide it. Who was Tong Bin? How could he not see the clues? Chu Yue had said it so confidently previously because she was sure of her strength. No one could take the silver needles from her, but Shi Man did it and deliberately used this needle to lure Chu Yue out.. Chapter 621 - Chapter 621: Direct Question Chapter 621: Direct Question Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tong Bin believed that Shi Man must have her motives for doing this! But he could not offend Chu Yue yet. He pondered for a moment and raised his hand to let her sit on the sofa first. Then, he continued, ¡°Instructor Chu, 1¡¯11 have to trouble you to help me detoxify the poison. As for who poisoned me, I¡¯ll definitely investigate this matter carefully.¡± Chu Yue was stunned for a moment, but she quickly reacted and secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡®Til definitely help investigate. Perhaps some despicable person stole my silver needles when 1 wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± Tong Bin sized her up, and a fleeting mocking expression flashed across his face, but he quickly concealed it. ¡°Instructor Chu, tell me what medicinal herbs are needed to detoxify the poison. I¡¯ll get someone to prepare them now.¡± ¡°No need. I brought it with me.¡± She took out a small porcelain bottle from her bag, unscrewed the cap, and poured out a tiny pill for him. ¡°Take this and your leg injury will be fine.¡± When she created this poison back then, she didn¡¯t think of taking someone¡¯s life with it. It was just meant to make it difficult for them to move for a short period of time. Moreover, poison that could kill in an instant was not so easy to concoct. She had only roughly learned a little about medicine. She was already very satisfied with her current results and had no intention of studying it painstakingly. After Tong Bin took the medicine, the pain in the wound on his leg immediately eased a lot. After a while, the bruises on the wound also subsided visibly. It could be seen that the poison was not very powerful. He knew that Shi Man had no intention of killing him, so ever since he knew her goal, Tong Bin was not too worried about his wound. Instead, he was more interested in the story behind the silver needles. After the banquet ended, Tong Bin and Tong Su returned to their villa. Mrs. Tong had been waiting in the living room worriedly. Seeing that the two of them were safe, tears rolled down her face again. In just a few days, her mother had cried countless times for this family. Tong Su¡¯s heart ached when she saw this. She personally helped her mother sit on the sofa and told her what had happened in detail so that she could be at ease. Mrs. Tong was a little confused when she heard this. She couldn¡¯t help but look at her husband in confusion. ¡°Hubby, so what¡¯s Shi Man¡¯s motive for poisoning you?¡± Tong Bin paused and patted his leg habitually. ¡°I guess she wants to hint at something very important to me, but 1 can¡¯t be sure yet. I¡¯ll have to ask her personally after school starts.¡± Tong Su knew Shi Man far better than Tong Bin. She clenched her fingers hesitantly and interrupted with a conflicted expression, ¡°Father, I don¡¯t think Shi Man really wants to harm you. With her ability, if she really wanted to poison you, she would have done it long ago. Moreover, she clearly said that Chu Yue can cure this poison.¡± Tong Bin thought so too. He nodded and then realized something. He glanced at her in surprise. ¡°You seem to be very sure of her strength now?¡± Tong Su blushed and lowered her head in her unwillingness to let her father notice the strange expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve fought with her so many times, but 1 can¡¯t do anything to her. She¡¯s indeed very different from the other girls in the military school.¡± Tong Bin did not suspect anything. He heaved a long sigh of relief and returned to his room to rest with Mother Tong¡¯s help. Seeing her parents leave the living room, Tong Su carefully took out her phone and searched for Shi Man¡¯s contact number. After hesitating for a while, she typed a message. ¡°My father¡¯s poison has been cured. What¡¯s your goal?¡± Shi Man¡¯s thoughts were too difficult to guess. Tong Su decided not to guess and asked Shi Man directly. She had a feeling that this might suit Shi Man better. As expected, not long after she sent the message, she received a reply. Tong Su quickly came back to her senses and looked at the phone screen impatiently. There was only a short line of words on it. ¡°Did Chu Yue tell you how 1 got that needle?¡± Tong Su pursed her lips and replied, ¡°She didn¡¯t say. Can you tell me?¡± This time, she held her cell phone and waited in panic for a long time before finally receiving Shi Man¡¯s reply. ¡°She fought with me and lost to me. Chief Lu was also there.¡± The moment she saw the words, Tong Su¡¯s pupils dilated. The series of questions in her heart seemed to have been explained in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s because you beat Chu Yue that Chief Lu insisted on letting you be his student, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shi Man replied simply before throwing away her cell phone and continuing to eat with Shen Xian, leaving Tong Su feeling uneasy. It turned out that even Chu Yue was not Shi Man¡¯s match, but the other party refused to tell her about this for the sake of her face and even used her to let her deal with Shi Man. Chu Yue clearly knew about her tricks, but she still asked her to do it. In Chu Yue¡¯s heart, she was probably just a chess piece. Her disappointment was greater than shock. Tong Su slowly gripped her cell phone tightly, her eyes filled with determination. Since Shi Man would definitely become a student of Lu jun, couldn¡¯t she change sides and use this opportunity to make Lu Jun take her in as a student? She did not need to rely on a selfish and vain woman like Chu Yue anymore! Chapter 622 - Chapter 622: Pleasing Chapter 622: Pleasing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next morning, Tong Su told Tong Bin about her conversation with Shi Man. Shi Man had the strength to defeat Chu Yue. It was no wonder that she was fearless from the beginning. Moreover, based on the current information, Shi Man was probably not showing off when she said that she did not want to stay in the capital. Lu Jun really could not bear to let her leave. If that was the case, then the Tong family must not become enemies with her again. After thinking through this matter, the father and daughter quickly reached a consensus. Therefore, when they arrived at school the next day, the students of Class S were shocked speechless on seeing Tong Su bring water and snacks to Shi Man with their own eyes. Who was Tong Su? That was the daughter of the principal¡¯s family, and she was the person who had deliberately gone against Shi Man previously. But now, she actually took the initiative to please Shi Man! Apart from being shocked, everyone in the class naturally had a plan. However, not everyone could accept this change in Tong Su, especially Du Yan, who thought that Shi Man had caused her to lose her precious hair. She had already fallen to the point of not being able to leave her wig. How could she accept the inexplicable relationship between the two of them? ¡°Sister Tong, what¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t we have to help Sister Yue deal with Shi Man? Did you tamper with the water and food today?¡± Du Yan could only think of this answer now. The moment she said that, she felt lucky. She hoped that Tong Su had really done something to take the initiative to curry favor with Shi Man. She did not really say that Tong Su had already submitted to Shi Man. However, in the next second, Tong Su¡¯s answer cut off her hope. ¡°I won¡¯t go against Shi Man in the future. All the losses you suffered can be blamed on me. 1¡¯11 try my best to compensate you.¡± ¡°Sister Tong, you¡¯re not serious, are you?¡± Du Yan widened her eyes in disbelief. Seeing Tong Su turn around, she couldn¡¯t wait to chase after her and ask her clearly. ¡°Sister Tong, what¡¯s going on? Are you really going to reconcile with Shi Man?¡± Tong Su knew that it was difficult for her to accept such an outcome, but she could only nod helplessly. ¡°Du Yan, don¡¯t continue to go against Shi Man. 1 know one thing very well now. Shi Man is destined to become Chief Lu¡¯s student. There won¡¯t be a good ending for us if we go against her.¡± Previously, they only thought that Shi Man wanted to climb up the social ladder, so she curried favor with Chief Lu and was still arrogantly showing off. However, now that Tong Su thought about it, Chief Lu clearly knew every time they attacked Shi Man. He had just been watching and did not attack. Thinking of the unbearable scene that Lu Jun had personally seen last time, Tong Su felt a lingering fear. With such an unwashable stain on her life, if she wanted to be a student of Lu JunPOO, she definitely could not go against his wishes and deal with Shi Man! However, Chu Yue clearly knew all of this, but she still chose to use her as a tool. How detestable! Chu Yue did not even consider what price she would have to pay! The Du family did not have such a powerful force to go against the Shi family alone. The reason why she dared to be so brazen previously was because she had the Tong family backing her. Now that Tong Su had changed sides, she could not bear the responsibility alone and could only let her be. The tense atmosphere in Class S suddenly relaxed. The students who were not involved in the incident felt that the girls in the class seemed to have a better attitude towards Shi Man and the other two. It was the end of class. As soon as the teacher walked out of the classroom, a few girls scrambled out of their chairs and lined up beside Shi Man, holding all kinds of snacks and gifts. ¡°Sister Man, I saw that you accepted Xiao Tang¡¯s this morning. You can¡¯t not accept what 1 gave you!¡± The girl behind her saw that Shi Man¡¯s table was filled with things, so she quickly placed her gift on Bai Xue¡¯s table. ¡°Sister Xiao Xue, 1 don¡¯t know what you like to eat, so I picked some for you. If you like it, we can go for a walk next time. At that time, 1¡¯11 bring more snacks made by famous chefs!¡± Bai Xue had never been treated like this before. She immediately looked at Shi Man helplessly. Seeing that Shi Man had accepted it expressionlessly, she nodded and said, ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s go together next time.¡± ¡°Aiya, that¡¯s great!¡± The girl smiled and continued to occupy the aisle in front of her table to chat with her. There were even more people surrounding Su Tang. The dense crowd immediately made the classroom congested. When Liu Xin passed by the entrance of Class S, she saw the chaotic scene inside. Thinking of how the acting class monitor of Class S was Shi Man, anger flashed across her eyes. ¡°Why are you so noisy? Don¡¯t you know that you have to abide by the military school¡¯s rules after class? Shi Man, is this how you manage the class as a monitor?¡± The girls who were chattering just now suddenly lowered their heads in fear after being reprimanded by Liu Xin. Liu Xin smiled proudly and said with a straight face, ¡°Shi Man, you are not doing her job well. 1 will punish you to go to the field for a hundred push-ups.. 1 will supervise you personally!¡± Chapter 623 - Chapter 623: Torture Chapter 623: Torture Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What happened yesterday was very important to the Tong family, but the father and daughter forgot to inform Liu Xin. As a result, she was still painstakingly looking for trouble with Shi Man. At this moment, the school leaders were holding a regular meeting. Tong Su was not in class, so no one dared to stop Liu Xin. They had long believed that Liu Xin was in cahoots with Tong Su. They did not expect Liu Xin to not know what Tong Su had done today. Now, everyone¡¯s gazes turned to her. While she was surprised, she also felt a little angry. No one listened to her orders! Could it be that Susu¡¯s status in the class had been replaced by Shi Man? Thinking of this, Liu Xin made up her mind to teach Shi Man a lesson. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying? Hurry up and go out to receive your punishment, lest you delay class later!¡± Shi Man stood up expressionlessly and was about to walk towards the door. Du Yan hurriedly grabbed her arm. ¡°Sister Man, is there a misunderstanding?¡± Shi Man glanced at her indifferently and retracted her arm. ¡°There¡¯s no misunderstanding. Since the leader wants to punish me, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Du Yan was still a little worried. Tong Su clearly didn¡¯t inform Liu Xin! While everyone¡¯s attention was on Shi Man, she quietly took out her phone to contact Tong Su. However, an arm stretched out beside her and pressed her down. She looked up and saw another girl who had also lost her hair permanently because of Shi Man. She lowered her voice and approached her. ¡°Do you really want to be good friends with Shi Man? Don¡¯t forget that our scalps have suffered irreversible damage!¡± Du Yan¡¯s heart wavered, but she still looked very troubled. ¡°But Sister Tong said that she can¡¯t attack Shi Man again.¡± That person glared at her in anticipation from someone. ¡°Yanyan, are we attacking Shi Man? This is Tong Su¡¯s cousin who is taking the initiative to make things difficult for Shi Man. You¡¯ve already persuaded her just now. If anything irreversible happens later, it has nothing to do with us!¡± Du Yan¡¯s heart jerked, and then she understood. There was some excitement in her eyes that she was about to take revenge. It would be a lie to say that she didn¡¯t hate Shi Man! With Tong Su in the military school, she could not attack Shi Man no matter what. However, this was a good opportunity to vent her anger! Why wouldn¡¯t she watch the show from the side while Shi Man was embarrassed? It had to be known that there were not many such opportunities. Thinking of this, the few of them quickly reached a consensus. They deliberately pretended to be timid and did not dare to go forward to watch the show. Seeing that these girls who were on good terms with Tong Su did not stop her, the other students did not dare to interfere. They could only watch helplessly as Shi Man was taken away by Liu Xin. The warm breeze on the field blew on the students¡¯ cheeks, bringing with it some heat that could not be dispersed. Many people bumped into Liu Xin leading Shi Man to the training ground aggressively. Although the bell was about to ring, no one planned to return to their seats and wait for class. They squeezed to the window to watch the show. Su Tang and Bai Xue looked at each other. One went to the office to ask the form teacher to come over and intercede, while the other continued to stay in the class to observe the situation outside to prevent other unexpected situations from happening. Just now, Su Tang wanted to speak up for Shi Man, but before Shi Man got up, she gave Su Tang a look to calm down, so she did not dare to move. The two of them did not know what had happened between Shi Man and Tong Su, so they could not interrupt rashly. However, there should be nothing wrong with inviting the teacher over, right? At this moment, the windowsill of the teaching building was already filled with students. The students and instructors on the training ground also stopped their training and looked at Liu Xin. The instructor did not dare to delay when this leader from the city suddenly appeared here. He hurriedly ran over and said, ¡°Leader, what instructions do you have?¡± Liu Xin crossed his arms and raised his chin to point at Shi Man. ¡°This student needs to be punished for her mistakes. I want to supervise here. I won¡¯t delay your matters, right?¡± It turned out that she had broken the rules after being caught by the leader. She even dared to bump into the muzzle at this time. She deserved punishment! The instructor immediately heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°No delays. Just get busy.¡± Liu Xin nodded and tapped the sand in front of him with his toes. ¡°Let¡¯s do it here. Let¡¯s begin.¡± Her punishment was push-ups, but now, she was letting Shi Man do them on the sand. After completing a hundred, her palms would be blistered. Shi Man knew that this was her way of establishing her might, so she was not angry. Instead, she looked at her calmly. ¡°Leader, which military academy has a precedent of letting students do push-ups on the sand?¡± The instructor was stunned for a moment when he heard this. Then, he looked at Liu Xin in surprise. ¡°Leader, are you punishing with push-ups? Then you should go to the empty space there to do it.¡± Liu Xin¡¯s sharp gaze suddenly shot over coldly. That person hurriedly kept quiet and did not dare to say anything. He only guessed in his heart how big a mistake this student had made to be tortured by the leader.. Chapter 624 - Chapter 624: Dissuasion Chapter 624: Dissuasion Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°She¡¯ll do it wherever I say!¡± Liu Xin pointed at Shi Man fiercely. ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me, you¡¯re disobeying orders. I have the right to expel you!¡± It was another person who used the word ¡°expulsion¡± to scare her. Shi Man shrugged her shoulders indifferently. ¡°What you said doesn¡¯t conform to the rules. Even the leader has to follow the relevant rules and discipline, so I can¡¯t listen to you.¡± Under the scorching sun, Liu Xin did not want to waste time with her under the sun. Her expression turned cold as she said, ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to stall for time here. No one will save you. Don¡¯t think that you can do whatever you want just because Chief Lu likes you!¡± Chief Lu? The instructor looked at Shi Man in surprise and immediately understood her identity. They had long heard that Chief Lu had brought a girl back from G City to take her in as a student. Now that she had transferred to their school, she had to complete her basic studies first. Was this actually her? Then this matter would be difficult to handle. The instructor thought for a moment and decided to ask clearly first. ¡°Leader, what did this student do wrong? Why don¡¯t we punish her to run with weights? Our school often controls students who don¡¯t obey orders like this.¡± Running was better than doing push-ups in the sand, right? Although she would be little tired, at least she could still keep her hands. ¡°No! Just push-ups!¡± Liu Xin was a leader who was sent over and had absolute authority. She would not allow her dignity to be challenged. She immediately objected to the instructor¡¯s suggestion. The instructor had no choice but to persuade Shi Man. ¡°Student, why don¡¯t you apologize to the leader? Beg her to let you do less. It¡¯s fine if you only do twenty.¡± Shi Man curled her lips gently and smiled at him calmly. ¡°Instructor, the leader punished me to do it a hundred times. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t agree if I only do twenty.¡± A hundred? The instructor looked at Liu Xin in fear, deeply suspecting that she had a grudge against Chief Lu! Liu Xin smiled smugly when she heard this. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know. Hurry up and do it.¡± She could not wait to see Shi Man in pain in front of her. This way, she could avenge her sister a little. ¡°Okay.¡± The corners of Shi Man¡¯s lips curled up as her mocking gaze landed on Liu Xin¡¯s face. She rolled up her sleeves and bent down, but she kept looking up at Liu Xin. Just as Liu Xin was so excited that she thought she was about to succeed and finally step on Shi Man, a crisp female voice suddenly sounded from behind. ¡°Stop!¡± Tong Su had just gone to a meeting with her father. She did not expect to see such a scene when she returned. Fortunately, Shi Man was not getting down. Otherwise, if she was angry, she would probably not be able to get the next antidote! Liu Xin was shocked to see his sister running over with sweat all over her forehead. She hurriedly pulled her aside. ¡°Why are you here? It¡¯s not suitable for you to appear now. Go back to class quickly. You don¡¯t have to care about this place.¡± Just as she was about to punish Shi Man, Tong Su would be mistaken by other students for bullying her. But the key to the problem now was that they could not touch Shi Man at all! Tong Su hurriedly grabbed her sister¡¯s arm. ¡°Sister, come back with me. I have something especially important to tell you!¡± However, to Liu Xin, there was nothing more important than punishing Shi Man. Impatience flashed across her brows, and her voice turned cold. ¡°Go back to class. We¡¯ll talk later!¡± ¡°Sister! What I want to say is about Shi Man!¡± Tong Su glanced at Shi Man guiltily. Seeing that she was looking over with interest, she could only bite the bullet and lower her voice. ¡°Sister, Shi Man can¡¯t be harmed now. This is the result of my father and I¡¯ve discussed it together. I¡¯ll look for you after school and explain the exact reason to you personally.¡± Liu Xin looked at Shi Man suspiciously and lowered her voice. ¡°Did she find some amazing backer again?¡± Tong Su was on the brink of tears. She now believed that with Shi Man¡¯s own ability, she could easily deal with them without any backing. The current Liu Xin was like her back then! Tong Su wanted to quickly pull Liu Xin¡¯s dangerous thoughts back before Shi Man targeted her. ¡°Sister, listen to me first. I¡¯ll definitely explain it to you!¡± Since Tong Su was so persistent, Liu Xin naturally could not attack again. She had been looking forward to Shi Man¡¯s punishment just now, but she was so disappointed now. She glared at Shi Man hatefully, then snorted and turned to leave. Tong Su heaved a sigh of relief this time. She personally walked up to Shi Man, took out a tissue, and handed it to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My cousin doesn¡¯t know about us yet. I¡¯ll find a chance to tell her.¡± Shi Man rarely sweated, and her body was cold. She pushed Tong Su¡¯s hand away and Liu Xin turned around worriedly. Shi Man reached out and pulled Tong Su into her arms. Her mouth was close to her ear, but her eyes were smiling as she stared in Liu Xin¡¯s direction. ¡°You did well. Don¡¯t worry, when 1 graduate, I will definitely cure you completely..¡± Chapter 625 - Chapter 625: Mistress Chapter 625: Mistress Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the distance, Liu Xin widened her eyes in disbelief. She could not believe the scene in front of her. Why did she feel that there was some unspeakable secret between her sister and Shi Man? At this moment, when Bai Xue, who had been nervously staring at the commotion in front of the windowsill, saw Shi Man¡¯s actions, the worry in her eyes disappeared. She only quietly clenched her clothes by her side. When Su Tang rushed back with the form teacher, the tense atmosphere downstairs had already died down. The form teacher heaved a long sigh of relief. Just now, when Su Tang hurriedly told her that Shi Man had been punished by Liu Xin in public, she was so anxious that she wished she could grow another pair of wings and immediately fly to the event location to stop this matter. Now that things were not developing in a worse direction, she simply walked to the podium and prepared the content of the next class. When the bell rang, Shi Man walked back to the classroom with Tong Su. Tong Su sat in the first row. After greeting the teacher, she sat down. However, this time, Shi Man deliberately passed by Du Yan and the girls who wanted to take the opportunity to laugh at her. Her hearing was not bad, and she happened to hear their whispers word for word just now. She immediately calculated how to deal with them. This weekend was the Lu Jun¡¯s birthday. There was going to be a grand birthday banquet at the hotel. He called Shi Man, but she did not answer at all. He simply sent her grandson, Lu Li, over to personally invite her. After school, many students from the military academy were attracted by the gentle and friendly Lu Li at the school gate. There was no student here who didn¡¯t know him. Naturally, many people rushed up to talk to him. He replied politely one by one. If he didn¡¯t want to say anything, he smiled and watched them chat. It was not until a beautiful figure appeared at the school gate that Lu Li interrupted them guiltily and waved at the girl who was getting closer and closer. ¡°Shi Man, it¡¯s me!¡± Lu Li¡¯s especially familiar look stunned Shi Man. After all, she didn¡¯t seem to be that familiar with him. Just as she was thinking, Lu Li had already walked up to her quickly. He smiled and pointed at his car behind him. ¡°Let me send you home. 1 have something to say on the way.¡± In public, Shi Man was not afraid that he would play any tricks. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Under everyone¡¯s shocked gazes at the school gate, Lu Li gently and considerately opened the car door for her. When Shi Man bent down and got into the car, Lu Li even carefully raised his hand to cushion the top of her head, as if he was afraid that she would accidentally hurt herself. After the car drove away, they were still in a daze. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Doesn¡¯t Young Master Lu already have a fiancee? What¡¯s she called?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sister Ruan Yu. Because she¡¯s cheerful, lively, and active, people who are familiar with her gave her a nickname. They all call her Sister Yu¡¯er.¡± ¡°Then why did Young Master Lu pick up another girl personally? Could it be that there¡¯s a mistress in our school?¡± ¡°Heavens, Sister Yu¡¯er is a very good person. How could she encounter such a thing? I have to tell Sister Yu¡¯er!¡± ¡°Why does the girl who got into the car look so familiar? Is that Shi Man? I didn¡¯t expect her to be so shameless!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Seducing Sister Yu¡¯er¡¯s boyfriend! 1 curse her to have a rotten face so that she won¡¯t be able to face anyone in the future!¡± In the car, Shi Man stared at her phone expressionlessly. Only then did she realize that Lu Jun had called her crazily in the afternoon. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Lu Li turned around from the front passenger seat and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s birthday this weekend. I specially came over to give you an invitation.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Man¡¯s face was expressionless, but she still nodded and agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll go-¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lu Li heaved a sigh of relief. He realized that he had subconsciously tensed up when he was talking to Shi Man. He immediately shook his head in amusement. ¡°Then 1¡¯11 send you the address and time. I¡¯ll drive over and pick you up then.¡± ¡°No need. Yi Zheng will go with me,¡± Shi Man replied calmly. Lu Li¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened and his mood inexplicably worsened. He turned around and thought for a while before smiling again. ¡°Are you used to life in the military academy? If you¡¯re impatient, 1 can get your grandfather to recruit you into the army in advance. It¡¯s just a matter of procedure.¡± After entering the army, he could see her every day. Lu Li was inexplicably looking forward to this. Shi Man glared at him and rejected him. ¡°No need. I have my own arrangements. Don¡¯t interfere too much.¡± Lu Li could not hide his disappointment and lowered his eyes. This time, he turned around and did not say anything. The car turned into the path in front of the Shi family¡¯s house. From afar, Lu Li saw the man leaning against the car at the door and narrowed his eyes subconsciously. Before the car could stop at the door, the person had already walked to the side and waited. After Shi Man got out of the car, she was pulled into his arms. ¡°Did someone make things difficult for you in the afternoon?¡± ¡°President Yi.¡± Lu Li put a hand in his pocket after getting out of the car. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits.. Chapter 626 - Chapter 626: Birthday Chapter 626: Birthday Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yi Zheng replied coldly, his eyes still fixed on Shi Man. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first.¡± Shi Man changed her thorny appearance and followed Yi Zheng into the courtyard obediently. None of them invited Lu Li into the house. Lu Li felt awkward standing at the door and could only take the initiative to say, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in for a cup of tea?¡± Only then did Yi Zheng stop and turn around coldly. ¡°If Young Master Lu wants to come, our family naturally won¡¯t dare to neglect you.¡± However, although he said that, Lu Li did not see any welcome in his expression. If it was in the past, Lu Li would have long turned around and left angrily. However, tonight, he wanted to make things difficult for Yi Zheng. He simply nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll oblige.¡± Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes and pulled Shi Man¡¯s hand into the villa with a cold expression. Su Tang and Bai Xue followed behind and carefully looked at each other. Why did this master think that CEO Yi wanted to invite him in? Shen Xian was waiting for her three precious daughters to come back for dinner when she looked up and saw Lu Li standing at the door greeting her. She was stunned for a moment before warmly inviting him into the living room. ¡°Young Master Lu, why are you here? Dinner has just been prepared at home. Why don¡¯t you stay for dinner before leaving? I wonder if it suits your taste.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very suitable.¡± Lu Li nodded obediently and did not forget to steal a glance at Yi Zheng¡¯s dark expression. Shen Xian paused for a moment. She was just being polite. She did not expect Lu Li to really stay for dinner. However, since she had already said it, there was no reason to chase him away. She could only ask the butler to tell the kitchen to prepare another set of cutlery later. With Lu Li¡¯s sudden visit, the originally lively family dinner suddenly became a little awkward. After all, Shi Zhong often socialized outside and was good at being polite to Lu Li. However, in the face of Lu Li¡¯s inquiries about Shi Man from time to time, he changed the topic and kept chatting with Lu Li. Yi Zheng cut Shi Man¡¯s steak methodically, then smiled and swapped the steak in her hand with his. Lu Li happened to see this scene and teased with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect CEO Yi to have such a virtuous side. Previously, I heard that CEO Yi didn¡¯t have his own house after coming to the capital and could only live in the Shi family. Only when I saw it with my own eyes today did I know that Miss Shi must be reluctant to let you live elsewhere. After all, CEO Yi cares a lot. It¡¯s indeed much more useful than ordinary servants.¡± These words were ear-piercing. Not only did Shi Man¡¯s expression darken, but even Shi Zhong and Shen Xian could not help but be angry. However, Yi Zheng continued to serve Shi Man at the table calmly and scooped a bowl of soup for her. Only then did he take the time to look at the mocking Lu Li. ¡°If you can be called virtuous just by lifting a finger, it can only mean that you¡¯ve never sincerely loved your fiancee. Of course, 1 have to take good care of Manman.¡± Almost everyone knew that Lu Li had a fiancee. Yi Zheng chose to say this at this moment and stepped on him again, undoubtedly wanting to cut off Lu Li¡¯s thoughts. From the moment Lu Li sat in the cafeteria, his eyes never left Shi Man although he had been talking to Shi Zhong. Yi Zheng did not chase him out directly because he had tried his best to maintain his self-restraint on account of Shi Zhong and Shen Xian. Lu Li was publicly rebuked by him, and his smiling eyes suddenly turned cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect President Yi to be so eloquent. I really want to see the day President Yi and Miss Shi get married with my own eyes. It would be a pity if I don¡¯t get to see it.¡± Yi Zheng raised his glass in an imposing manner. ¡°When the time comes, Manman and I will wait for Young Master Lu to come to the event location to congratulate us personally.¡± After the meal, Shi Man and Yi Zheng returned upstairs. Lu Li sat for a while before leaving. In the room, Yi Zheng pressed her against the wall, his eyes red. ¡°Why did you take his car back?¡± Shi Man raised her hand and pushed him, but she didn¡¯t push him away. She simply let him lean against her. ¡°He said that he has something to tell me. Moreover, Su Tang and Bai Xue were both there.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s expression softened, but he had no intention of moving away. ¡°What is it?¡± Shi Man told him about the Lu Jun¡¯s weekend birthday. Yi Zheng softened his tone, and even his breathing subconsciously became hot. ¡°Manman, it¡¯s my birthday soon. You¡¯ve never celebrated my birthday for me.¡± Actually, Shi Man had given him birthday gifts. However, at that time, Yi Zheng had been ignoring Shi Man and returned all the gifts she had given him. It was not until he fell in love with Shi Man that he had not received any gifts from her. Yi Zheng didn¡¯t want anything valuable. He didn¡¯t lack those valuable things. He just wanted Shi Man to spend more effort on him. He wanted to treasure everything Shi Man gave him and take them out to admire slowly when the two of them were old.. Chapter 627 - Chapter 627: Interrogation Chapter 627: Interrogation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She couldn¡¯t help but hold his face and ask, ¡°Which day?¡± Yi Zheng lowered his eyes, his voice tinged with grievance. ¡°Go and investigate yourself.¡± Shi Man nodded in amusement. ¡°Alright, 1¡¯11 find out myself and remember it.¡± Yi Zheng pulled her into his arms and met Shi Man¡¯s affectionate eyes. He felt his heart thump. He pulled her into his arms. Just as he was about to lower his head and move closer to her lips to relieve his longing, someone suddenly knocked on the door outside. Yi Zheng subconsciously hid her behind him and raised his hand to open the door. The anger in his eyes was only a little stunned when he saw Shi Mu. Shi Mu stuck his head in and looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Manman?¡± The wretched Yi Zheng had been in his sister¡¯s room for so long and still hadn¡¯t come out. He must be up to no good! ¡°Brother, I¡¯m here.¡± Shi Man walked out from behind Yi Zheng helplessly. Shi Mu heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that his sister was fully dressed and there were no suspicious creases. However, his face was still cold. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s late. It¡¯s time to rest after a busy day. Don¡¯t you think so, Brother-in-law?¡± Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows and planted a light kiss on Shi Man¡¯s forehead in front of Shi Mu. ¡°Manman, I¡¯ll leave first. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Shi Man cooperated with him with a smile. Shi Mu¡¯s eyes were burning with anger. He grabbed Yi Zheng¡¯s hand and pulled him out of the room. Then, he closed the door with a bang. ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± Looking at Shi Mu¡¯s exasperated back, Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t help but purse his lips and laugh. At the corner on the other side, Bai Xue looked at the scene just now in a daze. She subconsciously clenched her fists in front of her chest, and a complicated look in her eyes could be seen. After that day, the Tong family seemed to have told Liu Xin everything they needed to say, so Shi Man¡¯s school life was relatively peaceful. In the afternoon, Shi Man went to the rooftop alone to rest under the sun as usual, but the sun above her head was suddenly covered by a shadow. The moment someone approached, Shi Man had already opened her eyes and looked at the expressionless girl above her. ¡°Are you Shi Man?¡± That person was wearing a light green dress that accentuated her fair skin and beautiful face. She had the beauty of a daughter of a humble family. Shi Man looked into her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer her obvious nonsense. Seeing that Shi Man was ignoring her, anger appeared on that person¡¯s pretty face. ¡°I know you¡¯re Shi Man. It¡¯s useless if you don¡¯t answer me!¡± Seeing that if she didn¡¯t speak, this person would nag some nonsense to delay her lunch break, Shi Man could only send her away as soon as possible. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± The girl restrained her expression and suddenly sat down beside her. ¡°Hello, my name is Ruan Yu.¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t like unfamiliar people getting too close to her. She almost immediately sat up from the side. ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡± Seeing her vigilant expression, Ruan Yu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m Lu Li¡¯s fiancee. You should know who I am, right?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Man lowered her eyes and moved to sit in front of the shady wall beside her. ¡°So?¡± Ruan Yu was surprised by her calmness and went straight to the point. ¡°I heard that you got into my fiance¡¯s car a few days ago. Did he say anything to you?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows teasingly. ¡°He¡¯s your fiance. Why didn¡¯t you ask him what he said and did? Why did you come and ask me?¡± Ruan Yu choked on her words, but she knew that Shi Man was right. Her lips pursed even more tightly. ¡°I came to look for you today to tell you that Lu Li and 1 will be engaged soon. Our engagement was arranged by the elders of the two families since we were young. The two of us are childhood sweethearts and our families are long-time friends. Lu Li will definitely marry me.¡± Shi Man glanced at her indifferently. ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Was this woman really innocent or was she just arrogant because Lu Li favored her in public that day? Ruan Yu thought for a moment and decided to make things clearer. ¡°I came to tell you this just to remind you not to get too close to Lu Li. He won¡¯t marry any other woman except me. If you don¡¯t want your reputation to be affected, please don¡¯t approach him on purpose in the future.¡± Shi Man pursed her lips speechlessly. ¡°Is it true that all the women who have spoken to Lu Li are deliberately approaching him?¡± Ruan Yu¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Of course not.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows. ¡°Then how did you know 1 was?¡± Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Ruan Yu immediately felt angry that a mistress had emerged. She had completely forgotten that she had taken the initiative to come forward today. ¡°Because 1 know Lu Li. He would never let anyone of the right age get into his car except me.¡± Shi Man turned her head and sneered at the blue sky above her. ¡°I got into his car because he was instructed by Chief Lu to invite me to Chief Lu¡¯s birthday banquet. That¡¯s all.¡± Ruan Yu looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Really?¡± However, her best friend, who had seen that scene at the school gate that day, had clearly said that Lu Li had even personally opened the door for this woman with a series of meticulous actions.. Chapter 628 - Chapter 628: Thoughts Chapter 628: Thoughts Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios And Lu Li had never done these things for her! Thinking of this, Ruan Yu could not help but feel sour. Shi Man completely lost her patience. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes to rest. She only hummed casually and couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak anymore. Seeing her like this, Ruan Yu did not have the mood to continue. Coupled with the fact that it was hot, she could not help but feel exposed to the sun. She glared at Shi Man hatefully and left silently. After this day, Shi Man never saw Ruan Yu again, nor did she cause trouble for Shi Man. Soon, it was the weekend. In the afternoon, the Shi family packed up and was about to go to the Lu Jun¡¯s birthday banquet in the car that they had prepared in advance. Shi Man was naturally in the same car as Yi Zheng. Shen Xian and Shi Zhong were in the same car, and Su Tang and Bai Xue¡¯s car was at the back. At that moment, there were all kinds of luxury cars parked in front of the hotel. The Shi family¡¯s car was lined up at the back. After waiting for a long time, the front did not move. Seeing that the banquet was about to begin, it was very rude to be late. Shen Xian decided to bring her entire family through the cars and walk to the entrance of the hotel. Anyway, they were only less than a hundred meters away from the hotel. Unexpectedly, just as Shi Man got out of the car, the door of the car next to theirs opened. Lu Li¡¯s smiling eyes were fixed on Shi Man. ¡°Miss Shi, what a coincidence. 1 didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡± Shi Man said sarcastically, ¡°It¡¯s quite a coincidence. It¡¯s Chief Lu¡¯s birthday today. I didn¡¯t expect Young Master Lu to attend.¡± Lu Li couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shake his head. ¡°Miss Shi, I¡¯ve made a fool of myself. 1 actually arrived long ago, but there was something on in the army at the last minute, so I went back to settle it first. 1 only rushed over after I was done.¡± Shi Man retracted her gaze and ignored him. She took the initiative to hold Yi Zheng¡¯s hand and walked side by side with him to the hotel. Behind her, Lu Li kept staring at Shi Man¡¯s back. She was wearing a simple and elegant long black gown today. This was the first time he had seen her wear such a mature dress. Coupled with the murderous aura on her body, she actually had a dangerous and seductive beauty, making him want to pluck this thorny rose in his hand. Ruan Yu did not get out of the car just now. Instead, she chose to stay in the car to observe the expressions of Shi Man and Lu Li. She believed that Shi Man really did not like Lu Li, but when she saw Lu Li¡¯s infatuated gaze, her heart could not help but ache. She couldn¡¯t stand her fiance staring at another woman in public anymore. She raised her hand and knocked on the car door, calling him back to his senses. ¡°Brother Li, are we going over too?¡± Lu Li looked down at her and took a step back to give the car door enough space. ¡°Come down. It¡¯s too congested in front. We¡¯ll walk over ourselves.¡± Ruan Yu lowered her eyes in disappointment and let the chauffeur walk around to open the car door for her. Only then did she suppress the sadness in her heart and get out of the car to stand side by side with him. No matter if Lu Li¡¯s heart was with Shi Man or not, she could not fall out with him on such an occasion in front of so many people and on the Lu family¡¯s home ground. She knew that Lu Li liked obedient women, so she would continue to be obedient. As for what methods she should use to win his heart, it was not something she could do in front of him. Chief Lu¡¯s birthday banquet was naturally full. Lu Jun sat on the high platform. When he saw Shi Man enter from downstairs, he immediately smiled. ¡°Chu Yue, go and invite Yi Zheng and Shi Man up.¡± No matter how unwilling Chu Yue was, she did not dare to disobey him at this moment. She could only leave awkwardly. There were so many people who came to congratulate Lu Jun today, and he had yet to receive any of them. However, after seeing Shi Man, he took the initiative to invite her up and did not conceal how important Shi Man was. Chu Yue was angry at her teacher¡¯s bias, but she still maintained a proper smile on her face as she walked up to Shi Man. ¡°Miss Shi, President Yi, my teacher invites you up for a seat.¡± As soon as she said this, the few people who were trying to butter up to Lu Jun were stunned for a moment. These people had already tried their best to show their faces in front of Chief Lu just now, but they were tactfully rejected by the butler. He only said that Chief Lu was free to arrange it and would meet upstairs later. Unexpectedly, as soon as the two of them walked into the hall, Chief Lu actually sent Chu Yue over to invite her personally. It could be seen how much Lu Jun valued Shi Man. Everyone looked at Shi Man with burning envy. Chu Yue watched from the side and was so angry that she almost gritted her teeth. Yi Zheng stayed by Shi Man¡¯s side from the beginning to the end. Coupled with Chief Lu¡¯s high regard, they instantly became the focus of the entire venue. When Lu Li entered, he saw everyone¡¯s gaze on Shi Man. He narrowed his eyes and walked over. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Grandpa too. Miss Shi, President Yi, let¡¯s go up together.¡± Hearing how he associated with them, Yi Zheng glanced at him expressionlessly and walked up the stairs with Shi Man, not allowing her to look at Lu Li again.. Chapter 629 - Chapter 629: Acquaintance Chapter 629: Acquaintance Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the VIP lounge on the second floor, Lu Jun heard footsteps approaching from afar and deliberately arranged his clothes neatly. Only then did he lean on the chair with a serious expression and wait for Shi Man to enter. Unexpectedly, the clear footsteps suddenly stopped not far away. Lu Jun was anxious from waiting, so he got up and walked to the door to eavesdrop. He pressed his ear against the door and could vaguely hear Chu Yue¡¯s deliberately lowered voice outside. ¡°It¡¯s your honor that the teacher summoned you first. Later, you¡¯d better correct your attitude and not make him angry at the his birthday banquet!¡± Shi Man revealed a mocking expression and raised her eyebrows at her. ¡°What identity do you have to order me around? Instructor Chu, I¡¯m not a soldier under you, right?¡± Chu Yue glared at her angrily. Since Lu Li was also here, she could not say anything too unpleasant. She could only rush to the door and knock. When Lu Jun heard the hurried footsteps again, he hurriedly ran back to the chair and tidied his clothes again. After confirming that there were no creases on them, he replied in a low voice, ¡°Come in.¡± Chu Yue pushed the door open and entered. Her attitude was respectful and obedient. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ve brought her over.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Jun looked across at the empty couch. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Shi Man did not stand on ceremony with him. After letting her sit, she sat down generously and said respectfully, ¡°Congratulations on your longevity. Yi Zheng and I brought gifts today and handed them to your butler. I hope you¡¯ll like them.¡± Lu Jun nodded in satisfaction and waved at Chu Yue. ¡°Pour the tea.¡± Chu Yue was stunned for a moment. Then, she lowered her head in humiliation and fetched two clean cups for Shi Man and Yi Zheng. Hot mist filled the air between the few of them, blurring the emotions in everyone¡¯s eyes. Lu Li smiled and said, ¡°No wonder Grandpa thinks so highly of Miss Shi. I¡¯m afraid Grandpa doesn¡¯t know yet, right? Miss Shi hasn¡¯t been in the military school for long and has already established a good relationship with the Tong family.¡± He deliberately emphasized the words ¡°established a good relationship¡±. How could Lu Jun not understand what he meant? The smile on his face deepened. ¡°It¡¯s just subduing a school. The predicament Shi Man will have to face in the future is far more difficult to resolve than now.¡± Of course, there were also opportunities that corresponded to the predicament. Lu Jun must have high hopes for Shi Man and would be entrusted with heavy responsibilities in the future. Chu Yue bit her lower lip and clenched her fists indignantly. Ruan Yu, who was completely treated as a transparent board, sensed Chu Yue¡¯s emotions. She lowered her eyes slightly and thought of a plan. Lu Jun¡¯s private meeting did not last long. After all, he was the protagonist of this banquet. If he kept reclusing himself and did not show his face, outsiders would probably say that he was putting on airs. He stood up with Lu Li¡¯s help and walked out with a smile. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no point in chatting with an old man like me. Let¡¯s go down and meet everyone.¡± Shi Man naturally had no objections. The group followed Lu Jun down the stairs. The originally chaotic hall instantly fell silent. Everyone was staring fixedly at the group led by the army. At this moment, those who could stand beside Lu Jun were youths who would definitely have a bright future in the future. They were also people they had to rope in. A scorching gaze shot over from the crowd. Shi Man looked back in surprise and saw a familiar face. Yuan Yi. Had Shi Mu not come with them today because he went to the airport to pick him up? Yi Zheng followed Shi Man¡¯s gaze. When he saw Yuan Yi¡¯s face, his expression darkened and his grip on the person beside him tightened. Shi Man sensed Yi Zheng¡¯s change and glared back in confusion. ¡°You can only look at me.¡± Yi Zheng held her hand domineeringly and pulled her closer to him. Behind her, Lu Li had been staring at Shi Man¡¯s graceful back in fascination, so he naturally did not miss this scene. He narrowed his eyes and inexplicably reached out to pull the woman who had been following him carefully into his arms. Ruan Yu was calculating how to embarrass Shi Man later, but she did not expect to bump into Lu Li¡¯s arms. She immediately exclaimed in shock. In the silent hall, her voice was especially obvious. Everyone subconsciously looked over. Ruan Yu quickly blushed and stood up. Just as she was about to hold Lu Li¡¯s hand happily, the man had already let go of her. She could only pretend to tidy her gown and put her hand down awkwardly. Beside her, Lu Li frowned and suddenly regretted his rashness. The moment Ruan Yu bumped into his arms, he had the urge to push her away. When she cried out and embarrassed herself in front of everyone, this urge became stronger. He clearly knew that he did not like Ruan Yu. Even if she was a fiancee carefully selected by the family, he still did not like her. In the past, he could still pretend to care about her because of the engagement. However, ever since he met Shi Man, he realized that he could not even maintain this simple act.. Chapter 630 - Chapter 630: Crazy Chapter 630: Crazy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the Lu Jun entered the hall, he walked to the master seat and quickly sat down with the group of people standing below. After Shi Man and Lu Jun sat down side by side, she could not help but search for their mother and the others. She inevitably saw Yuan Yi again. He was still the same as before in G City. He was sunny and cheerful, as if he was a small sun that would always emit heat. Shi Man quite liked him as a friend, so she only had a good impression of him as an ordinary friend. Because there was a jealous lover sitting beside her, Shi Man retracted her gaze after a short while. After this meal, Shi Man¡¯s status in the capital became much more stable. Many people were already queuing up to toast Shi Man. After Yi Zheng blocked them one by one, he brought Shi Man to meet Shen Xian and the others. Unexpectedly, when she saw Shen Xian, she saw that she was inexplicably flustered. Shi Man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Mom, what happened?¡± Shen Xian hesitated for a moment before explaining, ¡°Su Tang said that she wanted to go to the washroom after dinner. 1 was worried that it was not safe for her to be alone, so 1 asked Bai Xue to accompany her. Unexpectedly, the two of them haven¡¯t returned after twenty minutes. I was talking to a few Madams 1 couldn¡¯t refuse just now and didn¡¯t have the time to look for her personally.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Shi Man sighed and helped her sit on a chair. ¡°Mom, 1¡¯11 just look for them. Don¡¯t worry. This hotel is so big. They might be lost.¡± ¡°Hey, you have to be careful too,¡± Shen Xian said worriedly. Shi Man nodded gently and went over with Yi Zheng to look for her. It was not convenient for Yi Zheng to enter the female washroom, so Shi Man asked him to wait for her at the staircase. She walked through the long and dark corridor alone and turned into the female washroom inside. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Shi Man narrowed her eyes and keenly smelled an unusual aura. She subconsciously slowed down, and the tips of her ears moved nimbly. Finally, she could tell where the weak breathing came from. She knew what she was doing. She gently untied her belt and held it in her hand. When she was almost at the level of the wall around the corner in front of her, she suddenly threw the belt in her hand. Right on the heels of that, a white powder was suddenly thrown at her. Shi Man was already prepared. She turned around and dodged to the side, covering her mouth and nose in time. Therefore, the powder did not land on her at all. However, the two people hiding on the other side of the wall were not so lucky. The powder they had scattered just now was fanned back by Shi Man¡¯s belt. The two of them did not expect her to do this at all. They were caught off guard and took a deep breath before they reacted and covered their noses. However, it was already too late. The medicinal powder quickly entered their body and took effect. When Shi Man heard a burst of ear-piercing laughter, she knew that the two of them had fallen into a trap. She walked around the wall in relief and looked over. As expected, she saw Chu Yue and Ruan Yu leaning against the wall and laughing so hard that they could not even stand steadily. Chu Yue could not care less about Shi Man now. She laughed until her stomach hurt. She could only reach toward her waist to take out the antidote. Unexpectedly, the small porcelain bottle was snatched away as soon as she took it out. Shi Man pinched the thing and raised her eyebrows with a smile. ¡°Tell me where Su Tang and Bai Xue are, and I¡¯ll return this to you.¡± Shi Man already knew what medicine they had just sprayed. This poison would not kill anyone, but it would make people laugh wildly and go crazy. It would only dissipate four hours later. It was also a method of extorting confessions through torture in the black market. The two of them laughed maniacally in the empty washroom. Chu Yue was already crying from laughing. Her face was filled with pain. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Shi Man raised her hand again. ¡°Where are Su Tang and Bai Xue?¡± Ruan Yu couldn¡¯t stand the throbbing pain in her abdomen. She wrapped her fingers around her and laughed wildly as she pointed at the innermost partition. ¡°Over there. Return the antidote to us!¡± Shi Man ignored her and turned around to pull open the partition door. Seeing the two of them sitting crookedly on the toilet bowl, she frowned and quickly reached out to feel their pulse. Behind him, Ruan Yu couldn¡¯t help but laugh wildly. ¡°They¡¯re fine. We just drugged them. Quickly return the antidote to us.¡± After Shi Man confirmed that the two of them were really fine, she held them down and woke them up. Su Tang was still a little confused when she woke up. When she saw Shi Man, she completely came back to her senses and hurriedly lowered her head to check her clothes. ¡°Manman, someone wants to kidnap us!¡± Bai Xue was still a little dizzy, but she roughly remembered what had just happened. Just now, she accompanied Su Tang into the washroom. Su Tang went to the cubicle inside first. She waited outside at the sink and lowered her head to play with her cell phone. Unexpectedly, a hand suddenly reached out from behind. The white handkerchief in that person¡¯s palm pressed tightly against her mouth and nose. Before she could make any sound, she had completely lost consciousness. When she woke up again, she saw Shi Man.. Chapter 631 - Chapter 631: An Eye for an Eye Chapter 631: An Eye for an Eye Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Manman, where are we now?¡± After saying this, Bai Xue immediately realized that she was sitting on the toilet bowl with an awkward red face. Shi Man smiled and pulled the two of them up. She sized them up and said, ¡°How are you? Can you still walk? Otherwise, I¡¯ll carry the two of you out.¡± Su Tang smiled and jumped twice to prove that her legs were very light. However, Bai Xue¡¯s face turned red suspiciously. She lowered her head shyly and did not dare to speak. The atmosphere in the cubicle instantly became subtle. The two of them had been drugged just now, so their fleeting five senses gradually returned. Su Tang didn¡¯t notice Bai Xue¡¯s abnormality, but she heard wild laughter coming from the toilet. She couldn¡¯t help but shrink her neck in fear. ¡°Manman, who¡¯s laughing outside? Why haven¡¯t they finished laughing after laughing for so long?¡± Shi Man turned around indifferently and brought the two of them to Ruan Yu and Chu Yue. ¡°They¡¯ll have to continue laughing for a few more hours.¡± ¡°Hurry up and return the antidote to us!¡± As Ruan Yu stretched out her hand, her body was already trembling. When Bai Xue saw the ring on her hand, her eyes widened. She vaguely remembered seeing an identical ring before she fainted and immediately understood. ¡°You harmed us! Why did you knock us out!¡± Su Tang widened her eyes in surprise, but seeing that the two of them were clearly abnormal, she realized that these two probably did not mean to laugh here. They had probably been taught a lesson by Manman! Thinking of this, Su Tang smiled evilly and leaned towards Shi Man. ¡°Manman, what antidote did she just talk about? Let me take a look?¡± Shi Man handed the porcelain bottle to her. The moment Chu Yue saw that thing, her eyes lit up. She mustered all her strength and pounced over. Su Tang quickly snatched the porcelain bottle and took a few steps back, putting a safe distance between them. Only then did she sized up the pill in the porcelain bottle with a smile. ¡°This is good stuff. Unfortunately, it¡¯s about to disappear!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± A bad feeling suddenly rose in Chu Yue¡¯s heart. The next second, she saw Su Tang, who had a harmless smile on her face, throw the porcelain bottle into the toilet bowl. She even considerately pressed the flush button, and the porcelain bottle was immediately flushed into the dirty sewer. Chu Yue widened her eyes in disbelief, and the corners of her mouth could not help but tremble. Under the effect of the medicine, she wanted to continue laughing, but her body no longer had the strength to laugh. ¡°You¡¯re so ruthless. 1 didn¡¯t want to harm you at all, but you still treated me like this!¡± Su Tang hugged her shoulders matter-of-factly and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t want to harm me, but you wanted to use me and Bai Xue to lure Manman over. You¡¯re reaping the consequences of your own actions, right? Pfft! You really deserve it!¡± Ruan Yu had already collapsed to the ground. She forced herself to look up at Su Tang in discomfort. ¡°You don¡¯t have a background. Aren¡¯t you afraid that we¡¯ll take revenge on you in the future?¡± Su Tang imitated Shi Man¡¯s cold smile. At this moment, the corners of her mouth were cold. ¡°Sister, do I know who you are? I don¡¯t care if you will take revenge on me. Moreover, if Manman was harmed by you guys so badly now, would you have let Manman go?¡± The answer was, of course, no. Ruan Yu couldn¡¯t wait for Shi Man to embarrass herself in front of Lu Li at this banquet. This way, Lu Li would never want a woman that embarrassed herself in public! She could still be his only wife in the future! However, the truth was that once outsiders saw her and Chu Yue¡¯s current appearance, Lu Li would probably ignore her from now on! Thinking of this, Ruan Yu endured the humiliation in her heart and wanted to crawl out of the washroom and find a guest room to rest. This way, once others asked, she could lie that she was not feeling well and go back to rest in advance. She could barely avoid a calamity. In the next second, a pair of slender feet in high heels blocked her way. She looked up and met Shi Man¡¯s cold gaze. Her heart subconsciously trembled. ¡°What do you want?¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes and took away the hairpin she used to tie her hair. Seeing her long hair fall down in an instant, she personally messed up her long hair, making her look more like a crazy woman. After doing this, Shi Man slowly lifted her chin and said coldly, ¡°What do I want? An eye for an eye, of course.¡± The crisp laughter in her ear made Ruan Yu¡¯s body tremble. Her arm suddenly went limp, and she lay on the water-stained floor of the washroom in embarrassment. Ruan Yu felt disgusted, but she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She looked even more disheveled and had already looked like a crazy woman. Shi Man was very satisfied with her current appearance. Su Tang did the same thing to Chu Yue. Then, she and Bai Xue looked at each other and instantly understood each other¡¯s thoughts. The smile in their eyes suddenly turned into fear the moment they stepped into the hall. ¡°Not good, not good.. A young lady and Instructor Chu have gone crazy in the washroom!¡± Chapter 632 - Chapter 632: Sympathy Chapter 632: Sympathy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The guests who were busy socializing outside were shocked when they heard the shouts. They had shouted for so long, but no one had dared to make a fuss in Lu Jun¡¯s territory. And what were they shouting just now? A young lady and Instructor Chu went crazy in the washroom? How was this possible? Lu Jun frowned and looked around. When he didn¡¯t see Shi Man, his expression darkened. He walked up to them. ¡°The two of you better make things clear. Who¡¯s crazy? Why?¡± Bai Xue was forced by the Lu Jun¡¯s aura and was so nervous that she could not speak. Su Tang reacted quickly and replied with a worried expression, ¡°Chief Lu, it¡¯s your student, Instructor Chu, and a young lady we don¡¯t know, but she appeared beside Young Master Lu Li just now.¡± Was it Chu Yue and Ruan Yu? The Ruan family quickly came back to their senses. Mother Ruan hurriedly ran to the washroom in fear. The others waited for Lu Jun to leave before suppressing their curiosity and following Lu Jun to see what was going on. The long corridor outside the washroom was filled with the impudent laughter of two women, making one¡¯s hair stand on end. Even Mrs. Ruan, who was worried about her daughter, could not help but stop in fear. After Lu Jun walked in front of her, she followed behind him trembling. It was not convenient for Lu Jun to enter the female washroom, so he gave Mrs. Ruan a look. As she got closer, Mrs. Ruan could already tell that one of the women¡¯s laughter was that of her daughter. She hurriedly ran into the washroom and saw her daughter lying on the ground, staring at the light on the ceiling and laughing loudly. She was so anxious that tears came out. ¡°My baby, how did you suddenly become like this?¡± As she cried, AAr. Ruan couldn¡¯t hold his ground anymore. He hurriedly rushed in and picked his daughter up from the ground. Outside, Lu Li also walked in to check on what had happened. When he saw Ruan Yu and Chu Yue, who looked like crazy women with disheveled hair, he could not help but frown. ¡°Send them into the room first. I¡¯ll contact the doctor to treat them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡± Ruan Yu struggled to hide in her father¡¯s arms. Her messy and dirty hair was sticky on her back. She wanted to say that Lu Li shouldn¡¯t look at her. She didn¡¯t want Lu Li to see her embarrassing side. However, the others had clearly misunderstood her. Mrs. Ruan cried as she hugged her daughter. Her voice was pitiful. ¡°My precious daughter, don¡¯t be afraid. 1¡¯11 get the best doctor to treat you. I¡¯ll definitely treat you.¡± More and more people came in to watch, and the surrounding discussion rose and fell. ¡°How did Instructor Chu end up like this? Is she really crazy?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s crazy. How pitiful. She worked so hard to get to this position. It seems like she¡¯s going to give it up soon.¡± ¡°Why did this person go crazy for no reason? 1 just saw her and Ruan Yu sneak into the washroom. Why did she go crazy in the blink of an eye?¡± Ruan Yu wished she could find a hole in the ground to hide in. She knew how ugly she was now. She wanted to try her best to suppress the effect of the medicine, but she still couldn¡¯t help but lose her composure repeatedly in front of others until she was pulled into the room and pressed firmly onto the bed like she was a mental patient. Chu Yue¡¯s situation was even worse. She did not have any relatives by her side, so Lu Jun had to send two assistants to carry her away. However, because of Chu Yue¡¯s status and because she was too strong when she moved around, the two of them could not do anything to her. They could only let Chu Yue bend down and laugh wildly for a long time in front of everyone. Everyone looked at her crazy appearance and shook their heads. The only female student under Chief Lu was now as humiliated as she had once been as glorious. Compared to being scolded, she couldn¡¯t stand the sympathy of others. Her pride made her unable to tolerate others looking at her with such a pitiful gaze. That was simply worse than killing her. In the end, this birthday banquet could not be held anymore. When Chu Yue went crazy, Chief Lu naturally felt embarrassed. He hurriedly got someone to carry Chu Yue into the room to control her. Before he left, he did not forget to take a deep look at Shi Man. He was a sensible person. What happened today must be closely related to Shi Man and the other two. However, as for why Chu Yue had become like this, Chief Lu could only think of the medicinal powder that Chu Yue often used during interrogation. It seemed that Chu Yue wanted to attack Shi Man again, but she was taught a lesson. Lu Jun sighed deeply. When would his student realize that there was an insurmountable gap between her and Shi Man? In the end, she could not compare to Shi Man. Lu Jun tiredly let the people around him disperse, leaving Lu Li alone to take care of things. He returned to his room to rest. If Chu Yue and Ruan Yu were really drugged, getting a doctor would be helpless. After all, it was impossible for ordinary doctors to have the antidote for that powder.. Chapter 633 - Chapter 633: Cold Chapter 633: Cold Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios And he had always disdained using these methods, so he could not locate the antidote for the time being. This storm lasted until midnight and only ended when the effects of the medicine wore off. When Ruan Yu came back to her senses and saw Lu Li standing in front of the bed with a cold expression, she was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t even care less about the soreness in her body. She hurriedly threw herself into Lu Li¡¯s arms and complained to him pitifully, ¡°Brother Lu Li, you have to avenge me. It¡¯s all that b*tch Shi Man¡¯s fault!¡± She cried pitifully, and the hearts of the Ruan family members ached. However, what she wanted the most at this moment was Lu Li¡¯s comfort. The others did not seem to be that important to her. Yet she did not receive a reply from the person in front of her after waiting. She could only let go of her arm weakly and look up, thinking that she would see a pair of gentle and heartbroken eyes. Unexpectedly, she met Lu Li¡¯s gloomy eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and she shrank her neck guiltily. ¡°Brother Lu Li, what¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Li took advantage of her relaxed arm and took a step back quietly. He moved his body away from her arm and said coldly, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Tears quickly gathered in Ruan Yu¡¯s eyes. Her red eyes were like those of a bullied rabbit, making her look pitiful. ¡°Brother Lu Li, I know that Shi Man is your grandfather¡¯s intended student, so if there¡¯s no conclusive evidence, I definitely won¡¯t slander her. She was really responsible for what happened today. I swear to God!¡± Ruan Yu raised her fingers to her ear, looking especially pious. Mother Ruan¡¯s heart ached terribly. She hurriedly hugged her daughter and asked carefully, ¡°Xiao Yu, what exactly happened? Tell me properly. I will definitely avenge you!¡± When she said this, she subconsciously glanced in Lu Li¡¯s direction, but a moment later, she became confident. She was his future mother-in-law. Would he dare to fall out with her for an outsider? Ruan Yu cried and burped, looking even more pitiful. ¡°Mom, Sister Chu Yue and I went to the washroom together. Unexpectedly, we smelled a strange smell as soon as we entered. Right on the heels of that, Shi Man and the other two walked out and even humiliated the two of us. Sister Chu Yue wanted to fight them, but at this moment, our medicine suddenly took effect!¡± As she spoke, she covered her face and cried again. She asked Mrs. Ruan to comfort her before saying intermittently, ¡°Then, the two of us became like that just now. Shi Man even took the opportunity to force me to kneel down to her. Mom, I¡¯ve never suffered such grievances in my life!¡± After Ruan Yu added fuel to the fire, Mr. and Mrs. Ruan were furious. Mr. Ruan turned around and pointed at his nose, ignoring the fact that Lu Li was Chief Lu¡¯s grandson. ¡°Xiao Li, you grew up with my daughter. She suffered so much today. Are you still going to protect that outsider?¡± Mrs. Ruan hugged Ruan Yu unhappily and turned to complain to him. ¡°Xiao Li, you and Xiao Yu are about to get engaged. If you don¡¯t stand up for her at this time, what will the people outside say about Xiao Yu?¡± If Lu Li did not stand on their side, their daughter would definitely be mocked by those batches outside! They had doted on Ruan Yu since she was young. They could not even bear to touch her, let alone allow her to be be forced to kneel by outsiders. Even if they had to fight to the death, they would definitely not let Shi Man have an easy time! Unexpectedly, Lu Li stood silently at the side. It was not until Ruan Yu¡¯s father urged him again that he replied in a lukewarm voice, ¡°Uncle, Auntie, this is just her side of the story. You can¡¯t come to a conclusion without understanding everything.¡± ¡°Are you determined to protect that woman?¡± Mrs. Ruan stood up angrily, her entire body trembling uncontrollably. ¡°Alright, very good. Lu Li, if you want to help others, then don¡¯t even think about your marriage with Ruan Yu! I definitely won¡¯t let Xiao Yu marry a man like you!¡± Mrs. Ruan was really thinking for her daughter. However, when Ruan Yu heard that her mother did not agree to her marriage with Lu Li, her eyes turned red. She hurriedly reached out to pull her mother. Unfortunately, her body, which had just recovered, was still sore. She did not sit properly for a moment and fell from the bed to the ground. Mrs. Ruan hurriedly carried her daughter up. She was weak, so it was a little difficult for her to help Ruan Yu up. Fortunately, Mr. Ruan was still around. The couple carried Ruan Yu back to the bed and carefully covered her with the blanket. Only then did they look at Lu Li angrily. Mr. Ruan couldn¡¯t help but reach out and criticize, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Xiao Yu fall off the bed just now? How could you just stand at the side and watch?¡± At this moment, Ruan Yu was already in tears. Her voice was as weak as a mosquito. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t blame Brother Lu Li. He¡¯s just doing this for Grandpa Lu. He doesn¡¯t really want to side with outsiders.¡± With that, she looked at Lu Li hopefully, trying to exchange her tears for his soft heart.. ¡°Brother Lu Li, you feel troubled because of Grandpa, not because of Shi Man, right?¡± Chapter 634 - Chapter 634: Appointment in Jeapardy Chapter 634: Appointment in Jeapardy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As soon as she finished speaking, the room suddenly fell silent. The long silence exhausted the light of hope in Ruan Yu¡¯s eyes until it was dim, like a pool of stagnant water. At this point, their son-in-law still did not express his stance. Instead, he insisted that he could not believe a one-side story. Lu Li¡¯s attitude completely angered Ruan Yu¡¯s parents. Mr. Ruan immediately turned cold and chased him out. ¡°Since your heart is no longer with Xiao Yu, please leave immediately. Your marriage with Xiao Yu will be annulled. Our families will never interact again.¡± Lu Li quietly raised his eyes and looked at Ruan Yu deeply. Then, he turned around and walked out without hesitation. Ruan Yu seemed to hear a sudden shattering sound in her chest, and right on the heels of that, a warm liquid suddenly flowed out of her eyes. The moment Lu Li closed the door, she suddenly ran out of bed like a lunatic and screamed in the direction he left. ¡°Lu Li! How many times have you met her? Do you not want me anymore because of her? Lu Li, stop right there!¡± However, the only response she received was the crisp sound of the door closing. As Ruan Yu fell weakly to the ground, she covered her face in pain and cried. Ever since she knew that Lu Li¡¯s feelings for Shi Man were completely different from his feelings for others, she had been worried that something like this would happen. However, she did not expect this to happen so quickly. It was so fast that she was caught off guard. She did not even have the chance to fight for herself. Lu Li left so decisively without any hesitation. It was as if he had long made up his mind to leave her, but he had been missing a good opportunity like today. Yes, her father was the one who chased him away today. But if he really loved her, he would not have left so silently. He really didn¡¯t like her. Ruan Yu felt a sharp pain in her heart. The coldness in her limbs and bones gradually seeped into her mind, numbing her nerves and making her forget how much physical pain her body was enduring. She did not know how her parents had helped her back to bed, nor did she know what her parents had said in her ear with concern. She could no longer hear anything. All she could see was Lu Li¡¯s determination when he left without any hesitation. Her tears seemed to have dried up. It turned out that the relationship she had been carefully protecting was so fragile. It turned out that as long as he let go first, the precarious relationship would instantly shatter and collapse. Mr. and Mrs. Ruan looked at their daughter staring at the ceiling in a daze. No matter what they said to her, she did not react. They immediately sighed. Her daughter was really no different from being crazy now. They had watched Lu Li grow up, but they did not know that people would change so quickly when they grew up. It was so fast that they found it unbelievable. The news that Ruan Yu and Chu Yue had gone crazy spread like wildfire, and Chu Yue¡¯s status in the army plummeted. The people below began to stir. After all, her position had been given up, so someone had to fill the vacancy. Lu Jun went to see Chu Yue early in the morning. Seeing that she was still sleeping soundly on the bed, he changed his route to the capital¡¯s military academy expressionlessly. Principal Tong did not expect Lu Jun to visit personally today. He immediately led a few school leaders out to welcome them. Lu Jun¡¯s face darkened as he waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need for these fake formalities. Call Shi Man over.¡± Tong Bin was slightly stunned, but when he met Lu Jun¡¯s deep eyes, he immediately nodded and said, ¡°Alright, 1¡¯11 get someone to call her over.¡± A moment later, Shi Man was brought to the principal¡¯s office by the Year Head. Lu Jun looked at the girl in front of him and suddenly narrowed his eyes. His tone was dignified and domineering. ¡°I already know what happened last night. Chu Yue has yet to recover.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°So?¡± Lu Jun pondered for a moment and finally revealed his goal. ¡°Chu Yue holds an important position in the army. Now that she needs to lie in bed and recuperate, no one can take over her work. You¡¯re a student I like. 1 want to leave these things to you for the time being.¡± Shi Man curled her lips and sneered. ¡°Chief Lu, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve already thought about this last night, right?¡± After being exposed, Lu Jun¡¯s expression did not even change. Instead, he said with a scheming expression, ¡°Of course you have to clean up the mess you caused in the end.¡± The other teachers in the office were already shocked speechless by the Lu Jun¡¯s words. As soon as something happened to Chu Yue, Lu Jun couldn¡¯t wait to come knocking on Shi Man¡¯s door and stuff power into her hands. It could be seen that he really valued Shi Man. Tong Bin looked at Shi Man meaningfully and said with a smile, ¡°It will indeed be a little difficult to deal with the army¡¯s matters. However, I believe that Chief Lu must think that you have the ability to do it well, so he handed everything to you at this juncture. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t know, you can come and ask me..¡± Chapter 635 - Chapter 635: Colleague Chapter 635: Colleague Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hearing the principal¡¯s words, the others immediately turned to look at Shi Man. This was the most popular youth in the entire capital. Shi Man also wanted to know what the army of this era was like, and she was not against entering the army in advance. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re in a hurry to deal with the matter, 1 can go over now.¡± When Lu Jun heard Shi Man¡¯s affirmative answer, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief. A relaxed smile appeared on his face. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to see you so enthusiastic. In that case, you can leave with me now. I¡¯ll send you straight to the army and guide you in your work.¡± Shi Man nodded in agreement. Principal Tong personally sent Lu Jun and Shi Man into the car. This scene happened to be seen by the students in the teaching building, and it immediately caused another wave of whispers. ¡°Hey, look, Chief Lu left with Shi Man alone. Where did they go?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that something happened to Chu Yue last night? I think if Chu Yue really went crazy, Chief Lu definitely came to get his replacement!¡± ¡°In that case, Shi Man is about to take over?¡± The people who had offended Shi Man in the past looked at each other. Du Yan was especially impressed by Tong Su¡¯s wisdom. If she hadn¡¯t reined in in time, she and the Tong family would have died without a burial place soon. For a moment, everyone in the class looked at Su Tang and Bai Xue differently. After class, not only were the students of Class S surrounding the two of them and chattering, but even the people from the other classes took the opportunity to get involved and curry favor with them. The capital army was in the center and had strict military discipline. As soon as they stepped into the iron fence of the army, they subconsciously became respectful. On the training ground, the neat and orderly troops were doing missions that were difficult for ordinary people to complete according to the instructions of their instructors. Lu Jun brought Shi Man straight to the office of the command building. Along the way, everyone who saw Lu Jun stopped and lowered their heads to express their highest respect for the chief. However, when they saw the girl following behind the army, a solemn expression flashed across their faces. As an instructor, Chu Yue was in the same office as the other three instructors. When they saw Lu Jun, they immediately stood up and saluted. ¡°Hello, Chief!¡± Lu Jun waved his hand solemnly, indicating for everyone to come over. Then, he walked to the sofa at the side and sat down. ¡°Let me introduce you. This is my new student, Shi Man. She will replace Chu Yue here for a period of time. You have to help me take care of her.¡± There was two men and a woman among the three instructors. The female instructor¡¯s name was Zhang Rui. She was beautiful. Although she was bare-faced, her face was still dazzling. Seeing Shi Man, Zhang Rui¡¯s eyes lit up, and she said right on the heels of that, ¡°Chief Lu, how¡¯s Instructor Chu¡¯s health? Can she really not come back?¡± Lu Jun said calmly, ¡°When she recovers, I have other missions for her.¡± Zhang Rui was slightly stunned. Did Lu Jun mean that he did not intend to let Chu Yue come back? She wanted to ask in detail, but when she saw Lu Jun¡¯s impatient expression, she could only barely suppress the worry in her heart. After listening to Chief Lu¡¯s instructions, she obediently went back to do her work. Lu Jun stayed with Shi Man until noon before getting up to leave. In the morning, Shi Man learned very quickly and could already handle many military matters independently. Indeed, she had more or less come into contact with these things in the past, but in the past, it was in the dark. Now, she could carry out her operations openly. During lunch, Shi Man felt hungry and wanted to go to the canteen to eat. However, she was new and could not find the location for a while, so she wanted to hack into the security system of the army and pull out the plan of the entire army. But before she could move, a figure suddenly appeared by her table. Shi Man looked up and realized that Zhang Rui was staring at her intently, her eyes filled with jealousy. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shi Man put down her hand and paused in her attempt to hack into the army¡¯s system. Instead, she looked back at her calmly. Zhang Rui raised her neck. After the other two male instructors left to eat, she said slowly, ¡°Did you do what happened to Chu Yue? You¡¯ve wanted to replace her for a long time, right?¡± Shi Man leaned lazily against the back of the chair with her hands behind her head. She leaned back slightly and looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Everything 1 have now was personally given to me by Chief Lu. How can you say that I want to replace her?¡± Zhang Rui gritted her teeth in hatred. She and Chu Yue had been colleagues for many years, so they had long become good friends. Now that her good friend was in trouble, the woman who came to replace was actually someone her friend had always hated. How could Zhang Rui let Shi Man live so smoothly? ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking just because you¡¯re pretending to be aloof. Let me tell you, no one can replace Chu Yue! Even if you¡¯ve already reached this position, it¡¯s only temporary! Chu Yue will return sooner or later!¡± Shi Man raised her eyelids lazily and glanced at her. ¡°It¡¯s useless to say this to me..¡± Chapter 636 - Chapter 636: Recruit Chapter 636: Recruit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhang Rui narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Chief Lu will know that you were the one who caused Chu Yue¡¯s accident?¡± Shi Man seemed to have heard a huge joke. She curled her lips into a mocking smile. ¡°Your name is Zhang Rui, right?¡± Her gaze shifted away from the tag on her chest and she sneered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have such an innocent side. Don¡¯t tell me you really think that Chief Lu doesn¡¯t know anything and asked me to replace Chu Yue?¡± Zhang Rui was shocked, and her heart was in turmoil. ¡°Are you saying that Chief Lu knows everything, but he still chose to let you replace Chu Yue?¡± Shi Man looked at her calmly and said, ¡°Otherwise, do you think Chief Lu is a fool? Why would Chu Yue suddenly go crazy for no reason? Coincidentally, 1 was at the scene.¡± She deliberately slowed down and emphasized the last few words. Zhang Rui¡¯s thoughts were involuntarily led by her, but she instantly understood and her eyes lit up again. ¡°No, 1 don¡¯t believe it. I¡¯ll personally verify if Chief Lu knows the truth of this matter. It¡¯s just that if Chief Lu gets angry at you and doesn¡¯t put you in an important position, you can¡¯t blame me.¡± Shi Man shrugged her shoulders indifferently and stood up to leave the office. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste time with her. The army occupied a large area. Although it was lunch break, there was no mess under the office building and on the training ground. Every phalanx was still lined up in an orderly manner, waiting to enter the canteen. Therefore, it didn¡¯t take long for Shi Man to find the canteen. The conditions here were harsh, and the diners could not see any meat or fish compared to the military school. In the army, they would only eat some meat dishes during festive seasons to train their minds. However, there would definitely be the necessary nutritional combination. Shi Man was very used to such a life. After queuing up to get a meal, she found a corner and sat down. During this period, from time to time, inquisitive gazes would glance at her from the canteen. She pretended not to see them and kept lowering her head to eat quietly until a man sat down opposite her with a plate. Shi Man had always been very vigilant. Even in the army, she always raised the spikes on her body. As soon as the man opposite her entered her safe range, she immediately narrowed her eyes and looked up. The man¡¯s face was thin and his bones were well-defined. His deep eyes seemed to have magic that could penetrate people. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His rolled-up sleeves revealed half of his thin and strong tanned arms. He seemed to have just noticed an unknown woman sitting opposite him. After frowning slightly, he looked away and continued to focus on eating. Shi Man lowered her guard slightly. After eating, she placed the plate in a fixed position according to the rules and turned to walk out. The most leisure time in the army was the free time after eating. At this moment, most of the instructors were resting. They did not control the soldiers under their hands, allowing them to do whatever they wanted. When Shi Man walked out of the canteen, she remembered that there was no dormitory here that belonged to her, so she walked towards the office building, wanting to return to the office to take an afternoon nap. Unexpectedly, she had only taken a few steps when she was surrounded by a few soldiers in camouflage uniforms. Shi Man stopped in her tracks and frowned. The smell of sweat from the men wafted through her nose. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The men smiled at each other and sent out an amiable-looking man to inquire. ¡°Sister, are you a new female soldier? Why aren¡¯t you wearing the military training clothes like us?¡± Shi Man denied expressionlessly, ¡°No.¡± Then, she refused to say another word. Her coldness made the men feel that they had bullied her. That person immediately touched his nose awkwardly and said, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t misunderstand. We¡¯ve been in the army for so long and have never seen such a beautiful female soldier like you, so we¡¯re just curious. Since you¡¯re not here to train, could it be that you¡¯re a new leader?¡± However, when they saw that she was about the same age as them and did not look like a leader, they immediately frowned hesitantly. Shi Man was not a warm-hearted person. She was especially impatient with men, and her expression became colder. ¡°I¡¯m the new instructor here. One of my work arrangements in the afternoon is to be in charge of training. You can meet me then.¡± Hearing this, the few of them were stunned. After being tortured by the inhuman training in the army for a long time, they subconsciously stood up in a military posture when they heard the word instructor. However, as soon as they straightened their backs, they smiled. ¡°Sister, stop joking. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re only old enough to join the army and become a recruit.¡± Shi Man could not be bothered to explain herself. She turned around and was about to leave. Unexpectedly, a cold voice suddenly came from behind.. ¡°Who allowed you to put your arms around each other¡¯s shoulders in the army and not follow the rules?¡± Chapter 637 - Chapter 637: First Lesson Chapter 637: First Lesson Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was the man who had been sitting opposite Shi Man wjem she 3as eating. Shi Man only looked back before turning back. The soldiers who were sized up Shi Man just now immediately restrained their smiles and hurriedly said seriously, ¡°Class Monitor, we really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. We¡¯re just used to this. We¡¯ll definitely change next time!¡± The man looked away coldly, his cold gaze finally fixed on Shi Man¡¯s back. ¡°I don¡¯t know who brought you in, but please be careful with your words and actions after you arrive at the army. Don¡¯t hook up with others. This is not a place for you to look for men. Anyone who comes here has to follow the rules!¡± Hearing this, the other soldiers¡¯ expressions changed. They hurriedly waved their hands to explain for Shi Man. They were the ones who took the initiative to stop her just now. She really did not deliberately attract attention in the army! However, before they could speak, Shi Man turned around speechlessly. ¡°Are you too confident in the men in your army, or are you a broad, arrogant, and self-centered person? Are you going to suspect that an unknown woman entered the army just to please your men?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± The man looked away disdainfully. ¡°I¡¯m just warning you not to do that. Otherwise, if you disturb discipline, I¡¯ll definitely tell the instructor and kick you out of the army.¡± Shi Man smiled. Seeing that more and more people were watching, she did not mind becoming the center of public opinion. She looked back at him happily and said, ¡°Then 1¡¯11 also warn you. Although you¡¯re the class monitor, you can¡¯t speculate about others, especially since the other party might become your leader.¡± ¡°You?¡± The man sneered. His deep eyes sized up her thin body, and his eyes became even more disdainful. ¡°Lying is also a big taboo in the army. Please watch your words and actions.¡± After saying that, he did not wait for Shi Man¡¯s reply and turned to walk towards the dormitory. Shi Man looked at his back and sneered ; she wasnot in a hurry to defend herself. This time, no one stopped her on the way back to the office. Many people had seen what had happened just now. Everyone seemed to be very afraid of that arrogant man. No one dared to go forward and talk to Shi Man anymore. Instead, they all avoided her as if they were avoiding the plague. In the afternoon, after Shi Man woke up from her nap in the office, she went to the training ground to take over Chu Yue¡¯s class. Shi Man went to get her training clothes first. After changing, it was time to start training. After Chu Yue¡¯s accident last night, the army had received instructions that a new instructor would take over the training today. However, none of them knew who this new instructor was. They could only stand in a military posture on the training ground and wait for the instructor to arrive. The class monitor, Yue Hui, led his subordinates through a simple warm-up exercise with a cold expression. When he turned around, he saw the woman wearing clothes that only instructors could wear at noon walking over. Shi Man took the map of the training ground that she had borrowed just now and stood in front of the man. ¡°S Class Monitor, Yue Hui?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man¡¯s expression darkened, and his deep eyes narrowed slightly. There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. ¡°Are you the new instructor?¡± Shi Man nodded slightly and said, ¡°Yes, everyone, stand in formation!¡± She quickly entered her role and began to give orders. Yue Hui looked at her deeply. Thinking of how he had secretly mocked her for being an unknown person and talking to a man, his tanned face suddenly turned red, but he suppressed it in an instant. For such a young woman to become an instructor, he did not believe that she was really capable. She must have used some shameful method to please her superiors! Instructor Chu was only leaving her position temporarily, not permanently. This woman ws probably here for fun. How could she know how to train soldiers? Thinking of this, the man interrupted Shi Man¡¯s next words with a dark gaze. ¡°Instructor, what training do you plan to let us undergo next?¡± Shi Man glanced at him and frowned. ¡°There¡¯s a complete system for military training. What do you mean by asking me this question?¡± The man took a deep breath and tried his best to calm down, not letting his disdain show in front of so many people. However, his tone could not be concealed no matter what. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to train, why don¡¯t you let me lead? I¡¯ve assisted Instructor Chu in training for a year and know how to lead troops.¡± Shi Man smiled and turned around. She said sarcastically, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m inferior to you?¡± The man did not say a word. His meaning was very obvious. Shi Man nodded and said, ¡°Alright, the lesson I¡¯m going to teach you today is to learn to accept your ordinaryness and not judge people by their appearance. You¡¯re arrogant.¡± Yue Hui looked clearly unhappy, but he tried his best to suppress the anger in his heart for the clothes Shi Man was wearing. ¡°How do you want to teach me?¡± Shi Man smiled casually and said, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. You train so many things every day.. There must be one that you¡¯re best at, right? Why don¡¯t we compete?¡± Chapter 638 - Chapter 638: Bet Chapter 638: Bet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man¡¯s words completely aroused Yue Hui¡¯s competitive spirit. He looked at Shi Man with a dark expression. He did not expect her to dare to declare war on him in front of so many people. His lips slowly curled into an extremely mocking smile. ¡°Alright, then choose what you¡¯re good at. You¡¯re a woman, so 1 should give in to you.¡± Shi Man sneered and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to treat women differently because women aren¡¯t inferior to you men. Choose what you¡¯re best at, lest others say that I bullied you.¡± His words made Yue Hui¡¯s face turn green. He snorted and turned his head. ¡°You asked for it.¡± Since she dared to boast, she would be the one to lose face anyway. It had nothing to do with him. On the contrary, he wouldn¡¯t mind if he could squeeze out a woman who had risen to power through improper relationships. Why not? The instructor of the phalanx beside her was one of the men Shi Man had seen in the office in the morning. Seeing that Shi Man did not start for a long time, he thought that she had encountered some problem, so he let the students in his class finish their warm-up training alone. Then, he jogged over to Shi Man. ¡°What happened?¡± Shi Man raised her chin slightly and pointed in the direction of Yue Hui. ¡°This student seems to be very unconvinced of me and wants to challenge me.¡± ¡°What are you doing!¡± The man immediately roared in a low voice. ¡°Yue Hui! As the class monitor, you¡¯ve always been steady. Today, you actually led the way to cause trouble. You can¡¯t set an example. I¡¯ll punish you to run ten kilometers with weights before coming back to continue training!¡± Yue Hui frowned, his eyes filled with determination. ¡°Instructor Fang, 1 have to compete today. As long as she can beat me, I¡¯m willing to admit defeat even if it¡¯s 20 kilometers!¡± Hearing this, Shi Man raised her eyebrows with interest. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± ¡°Noway!¡± The man¡¯s rejection was almost synchronized with Shi Man¡¯s. He explained to her with a headache, ¡°Instructor Shi, you¡¯ve just come to the army and might not know the rules of the army. There¡¯s definitely no precedent for students to challenge others privately and take up training time. You have to know that the training in the army is not like the military school. There are many training activities every day. If you waste time like this, I¡¯m afraid your class won¡¯t even be able to make it for dinner in the end.¡± Shi Man shrugged her shoulders indifferently. ¡°1 know your good intentions, but if we don¡¯t compete today, do you think my training can continue?¡± Fang Mo was stunned for a moment before turning to look at the surrounding students with high fighting spirit. Everyone¡¯s eyes flickered with anticipation, as if they were looking forward to the unprecedented competition. Fang Mo sighed. He did not expect Shi Man to not even be able to build a good relationship with her subordinates on her first day here. Was Chief Lu¡¯s decision really correct? He did not know what Shi Man was capable of, but if Chu Yue was here now, these students would definitely not dare to be so impudent. As an instructor in the army, other than having outstanding ability, the most important thing was to be able to suppress the soldiers under him. Otherwise, one would be like Shi Man now. Her subordinates were actually unwilling to listen to her and were all led away by Yue Hui. But in the years that Chu Yue had been teaching in the army, nothing like this had ever happened. Speaking of which, Shi Man was still inferior to Chu Yue. It seemed that this competition was inevitable. Fang Mo took a step back and compromised. ¡°Alright, but you can¡¯t take up too much time. What do you want to compete in? I¡¯ll be the judge.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man took a step forward and stood in front of Yue Hui without dodging. She only glanced at him lightly before turning her gaze to the students standing in a phalanx. She did not know how Chu Yue usually trained her subordinates, but standard military posture was the most basic skill a soldier had to master. It was also a habit that fused with their bones and blood. These people could not even stand properly in the military posture after training. It could be seen how free and undisciplined they were usually. It was indeed time to deal with it. Shi Man slowly curled her lips into a cold smile. ¡°You can all participate in this competition. If you want to win against me, you can be considered on the side of Yue Hui. If he loses later, you have to receive the same punishment as him. Moreover, after the punishment is over, you have to continue to complete the training you should have today. Otherwise, you can¡¯t eat. The rest of you can consider be considered as as supporting me.¡± Hearing Shi Man¡¯s words, the people below were completely dumbfounded. They did not expect this practice to affect them. Yue Hui didn¡¯t know what she was up to. He frowned and asked impatiently, ¡°Consider it as supporting you? What do you mean by that?¡± Shi Man smiled and said, ¡°If you lose, the people who support me naturally won¡¯t be punished. They just have to finish today¡¯s daily training.¡± Yue Hui narrowed his eyes and continued to ask, ¡°What if you lose?¡± Shi Man smiled confidently. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to lose.¡± Yue Hui was still staring at her. ¡°If you lose, let Instructor Chu come back. You can leave..¡± Chapter 639 - Chapter 639: Gunmanship Chapter 639: Gunmanship Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man said without changing her expression, ¡°Sure.¡± Fang Mo wanted to persuade her again, but seeing that Shi Man had already made up her mind, he could only look at her with a dark expression. Did this Miss Shi really think that she would win? Did she know that Yue Hui was the new candidate for the instructor that all the instructors thought highly of? His overall quality and various skills were the strongest among all the students. Even Chu Yue praised him endlessly and had the intention of taking him under her wing. Shi Man actually boasted that it was impossible for her to lose. She had indeed bragged, but if she really lost, she would not be the only one who would be embarrassed. Even Chief Lu would be implicated by her. He really did not understand why Chief Lu would recruit a useless vase to replace Chu Yue for no reason. Shi Man looked so delicate. What kind of hardship could she take? She would probably run home crying after staying in the army for a few days! If she had stayed obediently for a few days and waited for Chu Yue to return, it would have been fine. However, she had to take the initiative to cause trouble. She had just arrived at the training ground and wanted to compete with someone. She simply did not know the immensity of heaven and earth! However, Shi Man did not know what Fang Mo was thinking. She did not care what others thought of her. In the end, the competition was decided on gunmanship that Yue Hui was best at. The competition venue was on the shooting range. At the same time, the other five students in the phalanx were participating. The rest of the people were watching the show. However, Shi Man had said that she would not let them remain neutral, so the crowd naturally divided into two groups. A group of people occupied the majority and were actually betting that Yue Hui would win. Only a few chose to stand on Shi Man¡¯s side. Shi Man loaded the gun and glanced at it. Only then did she realize that the boys who had chosen to bet on her were the ones who had been reprimanded by Yue Hui at noon. They had probably been unhappy with Yue Hui for a long time and wanted to see her teach him a lesson, right? Shi Man smiled and raised her pistol to aim at the moving target in the distance. On the other side, Yue Hui also raised his pistol, but his posture was standard. He held the pistol in one hand and held the butt of the gun in the other. Just as he narrowed one eye and was about to aim, a disturbing whisper came from behind. Yue Hui relaxed in surprise and followed their gazes. Only then did he realize that Shi Man was only holding the pistol with one hand and was even aiming with her eyes. It looked very ridiculous. Yue Hui completely confirmed that Shi Man was an out-and-out idiot. She was quite arrogant, but unfortunately, she did not have the real talent. If it was a fixed target, she might be able to aim accurately. But now, the target opposite was moving at high speed. It was impossible for Shi Man to hit the target like this, let alone the bullseye with the highest score. Thinking of this, Yue Hui shook his head sarcastically. He posed again and fired first. With a loud gunshot, the bullet hit the center ring of the target. The group of people supporting Yue Hui immediately jumped up in joy. Training was indeed difficult, but if they could watch others suffer double the punishment while they rest early, these unbearable training would suddenly make people look forward to it. The boys standing beside Shi Man were still a little nervous. They looked at each other uncertainly. In the end, one of them changed camp at the last minute and quietly moved to Yue Hui¡¯s side. Although it was important to support the beauty, it would not be worth it to run 20 kilometers with weights. The remaining few people also thought of leaving, but when they saw Shi Man¡¯s determined side profile, they felt that they might be able to wait for Shi Man to shoot first? Unexpectedly, after Yue Hui shot three times, Shi Man did not move. She just stood quietly at the side and watched Yue Hui shoot. Was she declaring her surrender? In the end, the last few men who supported Shi Man chose to join Yue Hui. After all, Yue Hui had just fired five shots, and three of them had hit the bullseye. One of them had even hit the red ring. With such an outstanding result, it was already very difficult for Shi Man to surpass his score. At that time, if Shi Man really lost, she would naturally have a place to go when she left the army, but they had to run 20 kilometers! It was very likely that there was no food to eat! Soon, the ten shots were completed. Fang Mo calculated that the total score was 320 points, which had far exceeded the average score. This result could be easily surpassed by Fang Mo, but it was probably an astronomical figure for Shi Man. Fang Mo¡¯s expression turned cold. He couldn¡¯t help but walk to Shi Man¡¯s side and say, ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work out, you can forfeit. The army won¡¯t fire you casually because of a bet. At most, they will give you some punishment and change your position. You still have a chance to continue staying in the army.¡± This was a very sincere suggestion. Then, Shi Man just smiled and looked at him arrogantly. ¡°Who said 1 was going to surrender?¡± If she don¡¯t surrender, did she really think you can win? Fang Mo was furious and simply couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. He walked back to his seat and watched coldly how she would clean up later.. Chapter 640 - Chapter 640: God of Gunmanship Chapter 640: God of Gunmanship Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yue Hui had already achieved a satisfactory result. He put down the pistol and crossed his arms calmly. He turned to look at Shi Man. ¡°Miss Instructor, if you really can¡¯t do it, admit defeat. Don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time. We still have to go back for normal training.¡± Shi Man smiled casually; her mind was not affected by his deliberate provocation. ¡°Oh? Are you in such a hurry to make me admit defeat because you¡¯re afraid of losing to me in public?¡± She was still stubborn at this point! Yue Hui had never hated any woman so much. Ever since he entered the army, most of the people around him were of the same sex. Occasionally, one or two female instructors were also heroines, making him admire and look up to them. However, Shi Man clearly did not belong to this group. Yue Hui was almost certain that she was here to fool around. Otherwise, why would she still be unwilling to shoot until now? Shi Man saw that the students around her were also questioning. Even Fang Mo, who had always been keen to paper over something, became a little impatient. Only then did she slowly hold the pistol. She was still in the same casual posture as before. Then, under Yue Hui¡¯s disdainful gaze, she suddenly fired the first shot. As a gunshot rang out, the sneer on Yue Hui¡¯s lips grew wider. Here it comes. In the end, this woman couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and fired. Then, it would be time for him to humiliate her, chase her away, and invite Instructor Chu Yue back! The whispers around him instantly quietened down. Yue Hui didn¡¯t need to look to know that they must be shocked that Shi Man really didn¡¯t know anything. He was also sure that Shi Man¡¯s shot must have hit nothing. However, just as he was about to mock Shi Man, someone behind him suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Look! Am I seeing things?! The instructor¡­ she actually hit it? She hit it so casually?¡± Yue Hui was stunned for a moment before he smiled. He thought that something had happened, but it turned out that Shi Man had coincidentally hit a target. What was so great about this? Even though the target moved quickly, it was not impossible for it to hit by chance. It could only mean that Shi Man was lucky just now, but the next shot was not necessarily the case. With this thought in mind, he slowly turned his head to look at the target that had been hit. After seeing the bullet hole on it, his entire body stiffened. A bullet hole appeared in the center of the target that had stopped moving after being hit! Shi Man actually hit the bullseye! Was her luck really that good? ¡°Consider yourself lucky,¡± Yue Hui said through gritted teeth. However, in the next second, before he could recover, Shi Man actually emptied all the bullets. The loud gunshots in his ears almost made his ears ring, but he had no time to care so much because the bullets that flew in front of him actually hit the target without exception. As the shots were made, the targets that were moving at high speed actually stopped one after another. Without exception, every bullseye was perfectly hit by Shi Man without deviating at all! Full marks! This was not a battle achievement that ordinary people could achieve. The surroundings fell silent for a moment, and then deafening shouts erupted right on the heels of that. Even Fang Mo walked down the steps in disbelief and stared at the ten targets opposite him, his pupils trembling violently. How was that possible? Even he could not be so precise, let alone in the position Shi Man had used just now! Could it be that Shi Man was actually the hidden God of Gunmanship? Fang Mo turned his gaze to the girl in front of him in disbelief. For the first time, he seriously sized up her from head to toe. When he first saw her, she just followed behind Chief Lu expressionlessly. He didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. He only thought that she was a pretty girl. Later on, Chief Lu actually accompanied her for the entire morning and practically guided her work step by step, as if no one was around. At that time, he felt disdain. Fang Mo was used to the messy private lives of the dignitaries. He subconsciously imagined that Shi Man and Lu Jun had that kind of relationship. But how could he have forgotten that Lu Jun was not someone who would play with women at all? Moreover, this was the army. What reason did he have to lose his integrity? Shi Man was really capable, which was why Lu Jun valued her so much. As soon as this thought appeared in his mind, he realized how ridiculous his thoughts had been! The shock in Yue Hui¡¯s heart was not much less than his. He had once heard Chu Yue complain about the unfair treatment of Lu Jun, so he had never had a good impression of Shi Man. However, he finally knew today why Lu Jun chose Shi Man without hesitation. It was not because of what Chu Yue said, but because Shi Man was a rare talent! Her gunmanship had already reached perfection. It was definitely not something ordinary students like them could compare to.. Even Chu Yue might not be able to surpass her battle results! Chapter 641 - Chapter 641: Subduing Chapter 641: Subduing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Realizing that he had really kicked an iron plate this time, Yue Hui walked up to Shi Man with an extremely ugly expression and lowered his head to admit defeat. ¡°I¡¯m not as good as you. You¡¯re indeed very capable.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows. She was not very proud of obtaining his approval because in her opinion, the outcome of her winning was inevitable. It was not something that surprised her. However, since Yue Hui could openly admit that his skills were inferior, he could be considered to have some poise. Shi Man praised, ¡°Your gunmanship is already very good in the same batch. Continue practicing in the future. If you have any questions, you can come to me for guidance.¡± Yue Hui blushed at her words and stood rooted to the ground for a long time without saying anything. Shi Man ignored him and walked around him to Fang Mo. ¡°Judge, since I¡¯ve won, can these students immediately fulfill their promise?¡± Fang Mo was stunned for a moment. At this moment, he looked at Shi Man as if she was a monster. He immediately stammered, ¡°Of course they have to admit defeat.¡± Shi Man stopped smiling in satisfaction and glanced at everyone coldly. Wherever her gaze landed, everyone lowered their heads in shame and did not dare to speak. Right on the heels of that, they heard Shi Man¡¯s sonorous voice in front of them. ¡°You¡¯re all the future pillars of our country. If you¡¯re willing to bet, you must admit defeat and accept punishment. There¡¯s nothing to shirk. If you¡¯re not even willing to fulfill a bet, then you¡¯re really hopeless! It doesn¡¯t matter if you lose, but you have to lose fair and square! Everyone, listen up and gather at the field immediately. The class monitor will take the lead and run 20 kilometers with weights!¡± The students below who were originally awkward and trying their best to reduce their presence turned red from her words. Yue Hui narrowed his eyes and turned around without hesitation to run to the front of the team and shout the slogan. For a moment, the class that was originally to be in state of disunity became united again. Everyone used all their strength, not wanting to be looked down on by Shi Man. No matter how tired they were, no one was willing to give up midway. However, after they finished running, they saw Shi Man walking out of the canteen after eating and drinking. Their eyes immediately became resentful. This new instructor was really ruthless! She had clearly expected that she would win, so she took the initiative to let them accept the punishment. They could only blame themselves for trusting Yue Hui too much and thinking that he could really win. That was why they were implicated by him now! Otherwise, they would have long ended their training and could move around freely! At first, they chose Shi Man. Then, the few people who suddenly changed sides regretted it so much that their intestines turned green! If they could persist a little longer, they could eat with Shi Man now and find a comfortable place to sit and watch the commotion! Now, they could only continue training with the class monitor in the team. With Yue Hui around, Shi Man was not worried that they would be lazy. Therefore, after she finished her meal, she calculated the time and came out to lead them to continue training. At this moment, they were the only phalanx left on the training ground. The way this group of people ran with weights had long attracted the attention of the other groups. Now that everyone had finished eating, they naturally stood around curiously to watched them train. Only then did everyone know that the beautiful girl they had seen in the canteen was the new instructor who had replaced Chu Yue. They immediately felt deep veneration for her! Zhang Rui stared at Shi Man¡¯s back unwillingly, a trace of viciousness flashing across her eyes. Fang Mo seemed to have seen through her fluctuating emotions. He walked over and lowered his voice. ¡°This Shi Man is not easy to deal with. I don¡¯t think Chu Yue will be back for a while. Let¡¯s build a good relationship with her first.¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± Zhang Rui glared at him and immediately said unhappily, ¡°Don¡¯t forget who it was that allowed you to reach your current position. If not for Yueyue, you would still be a nobody!¡± Fang Mo was not someone who did not know how to be grateful, but people had to judge the situation before they could continue to survive. After today¡¯s competition, it was obvious that Shi Man had already gained a foothold in the class. With Yue Hui taking the lead, the others naturally could not find fault with Shi Man. Even if Chu Yue returned, she could not change this fact. Shi Man¡¯s future was definitely limitless! It was really not worth offending another student who clearly held more weight in the Lu Jun¡¯s heart just for Chu Yue! However, Zhang Rui was determined to make things difficult for Shi Man. In the afternoon, she took the time to tell Chu Yue about the army. Only then did she know that Chu Yue was still recuperating at home. Moreover, it was Shi Man who caused her to fall to this state! Zhang Rui and Chu Yue had a good relationship. Of course, she would not watch helplessly as her good friend was harmed to the point of being bedridden. Then, the culprit snatched away the job she was proud of. Naturally, she had to seek justice for her! With this thought in mind, she suddenly had an excellent idea. Fang Mo saw the cold smile on her lips and could guess what she was thinking. Since persuasion was useless, he could only smile bitterly and shake his head, letting Zhang Rui pray for herself.. Chapter 642 - Chapter 642: Lesson Chapter 642: Lesson Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next day, Shi Man came to the army to work as usual. In the morning, Chief Lu even called personally to ask if Shi Man was adapting to life in the army. It was not difficult for her to deal with these things. Chief Lu was very assured of her ability, so he did not say anything else. He only gave a few instructions before hanging up. Outside, the assistant had already come to report for the third time that Instructor Chu insisted on coming to see him. Lu Jun¡¯s face darkened as he sat back behind his desk. His eyes were as black as ink. ¡°Let her in.¡± Only then did the assistant dare to let her go upstairs. The Lu family¡¯s manor was divided into four villas. The center was where Lu Jun lived, and the rest was where the rest of the Lu family lived. Chu Yue used to be a regular here and was very familiar with many of the servants and butlers of the Lu family. However, this was the first time she was stopped in the front hall and was not even allowed to enter the Lu family¡¯s villa. Chu Yue endured the whispers of the people around her and went up to the fourth floor with a solemn expression. She raised her hand and slowly knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The simple voice complemented the style of the house, making it look even more solemn. Chu Yue subconsciously lowered her breathing, but her heart, which she had tried her best to suppress, became even more frantic. She slowly pushed open the door and saw Lu Jun sitting in the study at a glance. She subconsciously took a deep breath. ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Jun¡¯s eyes were fixed on her, as if he was silently exerting pressure on her. Chu Yue was very afraid of Lu Jun¡¯s strict look. The days of being reprimanded by Lu Jun flashed before her eyes again. When Chu Yue was still an ordinary female soldier in the army, she had been sent to work under Lu jun by chance. At that time, although her ability was outstanding, she was not considered the cream of the crop. However, she was considered to have good aptitude among young women. At that time, Lu Jun did not have any female students, so he had the idea of taking in a female soldier to train under him. That was why Chu Yue could hold her own now. But in reality, Lu Jun had not only given Chu Yue enviable opportunities, but also endless hard work and sweat. It was not easy to complete a mission to the satisfaction of the Lu Jun. Chu Yue had already lost count of how many times she had been injured and how much blood she had shed. She only knew that there were still countless wounds on her body that could not be removed. These were all her hard work in exchange for a compliment from Lu Jun. However, now, Shi Man actually didn¡¯t need to do anything and easily obtained the extraordinary favor of the army. How could Chu Yue not hate her? She had gathered her courage to come to the door today to ask for an explanation. She had spent a lot of effort to stabilize her position. She could not give it up to others! ¡°Teacher.¡± Chu Yue calmed down, and her racing heart gradually calmed down. ¡°My injuries have already healed. Can I return to the army to continue working?¡± Lu Jun¡¯s deep eyes were as calm as a pool of stagnant water. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. There are still many things you don¡¯t understand.¡± Chu Yue frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Teacher, what do you want me to understand?¡± However, Lu Jun refused to elaborate. He turned his chair around and turned his back to her. His gaze landed on the beautiful scenery of the morning outside the window. He said calmly, ¡°Go back. If you don¡¯t understand, 1 can¡¯t let you go back to work.¡± In a place where no one could see, Chu Yue clenched her fists tightly. Her red eyes flickered with something bright. ¡°Teacher, do you not plan to let me go back after you let Shi Man replace me? Are you¡­ abandoning me?¡± Lu Jun paused for a moment before turning around and saying, ¡°Chu Yue, you¡¯ve been by my side for many years. I remember that when I first saw you, you were a high-spirited girl who would never admit defeat. But look at you now! Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Chu Yue was slightly stunned. She lowered her head so that no one could see her emotions. One could only hear her muffled voice in the quiet study. ¡°Teacher, have 1 changed, or have you gone crazy after seeing Shi Man? Let me tell you the truth. Ruan Yu and I went crazy this time because of Shi Man! Do you still want to put such a person in an important position?!¡± ¡°You brought it on yourself.¡± Lu Jun narrowed his eyes and suddenly stood up from his chair. He walked slowly to Chu Yue. The warm sunlight was blocked by him, and his tall shadow completely enveloped the trembling girl. ¡°Chu Yue, I¡¯m your teacher. 1 know you far better than everyone else. You don¡¯t really think that I don¡¯t know what kind of powder you have, do you?¡± Chu Yue¡¯s body trembled. Then, she looked up in disbelief and met Lu Jun¡¯s disappointed eyes. ¡°Teacher¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Lu Jun sneered. ¡°Chu Yue, power has already blinded your mind. If you don¡¯t wake up soon, you will be consigned to eternal damnation. From the moment Shi Man arrived in the capital, I have been observing your actions. 1 didn¡¯t stop you because I wanted you to wake up on your own. However, I didn¡¯t expect you to be unwilling to let go and become even worse!¡± As Lu Jun glared at her sternly, his eyes were filled with anger. ¡°The soldiers under me should be open and aboveboard. They should know their limits and work hard to improve.. They shouldn¡¯t learn all those unpresentable methods and rack their brains to deal with an innocent person!¡± Chapter 643 - Chapter 643: Dangerous Mission Chapter 643: Dangerous Mission Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios These words completely stunned Chu Yue. She thought that if she used some methods to let Lu Jun see Shi Man¡¯s true colors, Lu Jun would give up on Shi Man. Unexpectedly, she was seen through by Lu Jun. Now that she could not even keep her job, was it also a decision made by Lu Jun from the beginning? From the moment Shi Man appeared, Lu Jun no longer needed her as a student. Chu Yue suppressed the hatred in her eyes and lowered her head as if she had realized her mistake. She said in a choked voice, ¡°Teacher, please give me another chance. I¡¯ve been in the army for so many years and have never made a mistake. I worked hard to earn this job. I don¡¯t want to give it to others.¡± Seeing that she seemed to be repenting, Lu Jun heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let Shi Man snatch your position. When you recover, go back to the army. I have another job to hand over to Shi Man.¡± Chu Yue looked up abruptly and could not help but ask curiously, ¡°Teacher, what mission is it?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Lu Jun sat back in the armchair and waved his hand tiredly. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Go back and rest first.¡± During this period of time, Lu Jun felt more and more powerless. He was getting older by the year and would soon face retirement. He did not have much time to wait for Chu Yue to wake up bit by bit, so he could only wake her up today and reminded her not to continue going astray. Soldiers should have the iron blood and principles of soldiers. If they only knew how to use sinister methods, it would be an insult to the word ¡°soldier.¡± When Chu Yue saw her teacher¡¯s tired expression, she felt a little anxious. If Lu Jun really decided to use Shi Man, she would probably not have much time left! She had to speed up! Otherwise, her teacher might really hand over most of his rights to Shi Man before he retired. At that time, she would become the joke of the entire capital! Shi Man still brought people to train as usual today. The plan stated that she was going to the headquarters for a meeting with the other instructors after lunch break. After being interrupted by Zhang Rui yesterday, she had not had the time to hack into the military system. She had to find a place to retrieve the road map later. Otherwise, her usual movements would be a little inconvenient. In the distance, Zhang Rui looked coldly at Shi Man training seriously. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and her eyes were filled with smugness. Shi Man must not know that last night, the headquarters asked Zhang Rui to forward an email to Shi Man about a dangerous mission notice. Every time an officer in the army went on a mission, the leader would inform him in advance of the danger of this mission. If it was very dangerous, he would issue a dangerous mission notice. It was considered a warning to the officer who accepted the mission in advance. Shi Man came suddenly. The headquarters could not find Shi Man¡¯s contact number, so they asked Zhang Rui to pass the message on and let Shi Man choose if she wanted to sign the document and take action on this difficult mission. This was a rare opportunity for Zhang Rui. If Shi Man was injured because of this mission, Chu Yue would be able to return as soon as possible. If Shi Man died at the event location, Chu Yue would be able to rest easy in the future! She did not think that Shi Man could complete this mission perfectly. After all, even Zhang Rui or Chu Yue had to consider carefully and make careful preparations in advance when they received such a super dangerous mission. In order to make Shi Man lower her guard, Zhang Rui detained the notice alone. In the morning, she deliberately stalled for time before finally sending the notice of mission to Shi Man, making her think that it was just an ordinary and simple mission. Noon. When Shi Man arrived at the headquarters, she felt that the surrounding people were looking at her with reverence. She didn¡¯t understand why these people were looking at her like this, so she simply didn¡¯t want to brood over it. She found her seat according to the name tag on the table. This meeting was just a weekly routine meeting, roughly summarizing the situation of the troops over the past week. Shi Man had just arrived at the army and most of the content of the meeting had nothing to do with her, so she listened very seriously on the surface, but she could not help but think about the mission she had received in the morning. This mission was to save the daughter of a kidnapped rich businessman. The child was only six years old, but she was brought to the abandoned suburbs by the kidnappers. According to the police at the event location, the kidnappers had buried bombs in many places. The other party even had a lot of illegal ordnance, so they asked for reinforcements. Shi Man was going to bring an excellent team to support the police and complete the rescue mission. Just by looking at the police¡¯s guess about the number of weapons in the kidnappers¡¯ hands, Shi Man knew that this mission was not so easy to complete. However, the harder the mission looked, the more challenging it was. When the army issued a mission, the soldiers had the right to give opinions, but they did not have the right to reject the mission. Otherwise, they would be reviewed and punished, and their military career would be tarnished. Shi Man didn¡¯t know why this mission had landed on her when she had just arrived in the army. However, she did not care about the challenges of carrying out this mission. On the contrary, she was looking forward to the adventure.. Chapter 644 - Chapter 644: Disdain Chapter 644: Disdain Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the meeting ended, the leader of the army specially asked Shi Man to stay. He even called in a team of people and handed them to Shi Man. ¡°These are all elites carefully selected by our troops. They are all under your leadership. You must complete this mission successfully. While ensuring the safety of the hostages, you must also eliminate all risks.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shi Man replied expressionlessly. In the leader¡¯s opinion, it was clearly Shi Man¡¯s first time on a mission, but she was so calm. It was enough to show that her mental fortitude was extremely strong. Actually, this mission would not have fallen on Shi Man no matter what, but since Chief Lu had personally requested it, he could only listen. The leader was a little flustered to let a new instructor who had never carried out a mission do such a dangerous and important mission. After thinking for a while, he still instructed worriedly, ¡°If you encounter any emergencies, you can contact me at any time. I¡¯ll send reinforcements at any time.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shi Man replied. The leader didn¡¯t know what else to say. He could only deploy the weapons to Shi Man and the others according to the rules. After confirming the location of the crime scene with them, he let them pack up and set off. The case was urgent, so there was no time to hesitate. When Shi Man and the others arrived at the suburbs in the off-road vehicle, it was already one in the afternoon. On the periphery, the police quietly established a temporary stronghold in front of the abandoned building where the kidnappers were. The location was in the small building opposite the building. The field of vision here was wide. If anything happened, they could order the sniper, who was already on standby, to fire. But they were helpless about the situation inside. This time, the kidnappers were abnormally fierce. They had countless weapons in their hands and had even set up landmines in advance in the open space in front of the building. If they were not careful, they would be hurt in an explosion. They had been in a stalemate with the kidnappers for a day and night. When they saw the reinforcements, everyone¡¯s eyes immediately lit up and they surrounded them as if they had grabbed a straw to clutch at. Unexpectedly, the first to get out of the car was a young lady who looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. The captain of the criminal police, Liu Wei, was stunned. He forced a smile and asked, ¡°Hello, why hasn¡¯t the commander-in-chief of your operation arrived yet?¡± Shi Man frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯m here. How¡¯s the situation at the event location? Let¡¯s do the handover.¡± Liu Wei¡¯s expression instantly turned very ugly. The child who had been kidnapped this time was only six years old. He could not deal with the murderer inside and could not buy them time. Last night, the kidnappers had already given an ultimatum for the rich businessman to immediately hand over 100 million or they would kill the hostage. If not for the police¡¯s efforts, they would not have waited until the reinforcements arrived. However, he did not expect that what he had spent so much effort to wait for was actually a weak little girl! He didn¡¯t seem to have offended anyone in the army! Were they trying to play him to death? The rich businessman this time had deep connections. If something really happened to his daughter, he could probably take off his police uniform and leave his job! The rich businessman was also very anxious to save his daughter. When he heard that reinforcements had arrived, he hurriedly walked over from the small house at the side and rushed to the uniform troops behind Shi Man. He was so excited that he almost cried. ¡°Leaders, you¡¯re finally here. I beg you, you must save my daughter!¡± The soldiers looked embarrassed and glanced at Shi Man calmly. They said awkwardly, ¡°Hello, we¡¯re not the leaders. We¡¯re here to cooperate with the commander.¡± ¡°Then who is the commander?¡± The rich businessman had tears on his face, but the corners of his mouth were wide open, making him look a little comical. When he heard the word ¡°commander¡±, endless hope immediately arose in his heart. However, the moment he followed these people¡¯s gazes and saw Shi Man, the light in his eyes completely extinguished and quickly ignited with anger again. ¡°You guys are simply messing around!¡± The rich businessman roared at Shi Man angrily, ¡°Do you have no one in your army that you have to let a little girl be the commander? We taxpayers have paid so much money. Is this how you protect our personal safety? 1 demand that the commander be replaced immediately. Otherwise, 1 will agree to the other party¡¯s request and give him a hundred million in exchange for my daughter¡¯s safety.¡± This was what he had thought from the beginning. Although 100 million was not a small sum, it was not a big deal to him. In order to save his daughter, not to mention 100 million, even a billion was not a problem for him. If not for the fact that the servants at home had called the police after receiving the kidnapper¡¯s call, he would not have wanted to put up with these useless police officers and delay his time to save his daughter. Seeing this, Liu Wei sighed deeply. He tried his best to calm the rich businessman down and walked up to Shi Man. ¡°Young lady, how long have you been in the army?¡± He believed that the leaders would not ignore human lives. For this young lady to be appointed, perhaps she really had something extraordinary? However, he had indeed never heard of such a young talent in the army. ¡°Two days,¡± Shi Man replied expressionlessly.. Chapter 645 - Chapter 645: Acting Alone Chapter 645: Acting Alone Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As soon as she said this, everyone present gasped. The rich businessman was so angry that he almost rushed up to fight Shi Man to the death. If not for Liu Wei holding his hand in time, his palm would have landed on Shi Man¡¯s face. ¡°Leave, all of you leave! 1 want to save my daughter myself!¡± After delaying for a day and night, such a young girl had come. If he placed his hopes on these police and soldiers, his daughter would be killed in the explosion later! Liu Wei thought so too. He sighed deeply and said to Shi Man in a negotiating tone, ¡°Young lady, why don¡¯t you all listen to my command and not act on your own? Let¡¯s save the hostage together?¡± Throughout the commotion, Shi Man stood at the side without changing her expression. Now that she heard Liu Wei¡¯s gentle tone, she finally spoke. However, it would have been fine if she hadn¡¯t said anything. The moment she opened her mouth, she almost angered the rich businessman. She placed her hands behind her back calmly and her black eyes were calm. ¡°No, my subordinates can listen to your orders, but I won¡¯t. Even if I¡¯m alone, I¡¯m confident that I can save the hostage.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone gasped. Even Liu Wei, who had always tried his best to remain calm, could not help but frown. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. A human life is at stake. This is not child¡¯s play. If the mission fails, the consequences will be unimaginable.¡± The rich businessman barely broke free from Liu Wei¡¯s shackles and rushed over to strangle Shi Man; he wanted to force Shi Man to retreat to the side and not cause trouble for them. However, just as his hand reached into the air, Shi Man easily blocked it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not joking. 1 said I would save your daughter, so 1 will definitely do it.¡± For some reason, when Shi Man said this, the determination in her eyes stunned them. The rich businessman¡¯s aura weakened. He sized Shi Man up and frowned, as if he was conflicted about whether he would really believe her. However, Shi Man did not have the time to stand here and wait for him to make a decision. Every second that was delayed meant more danger for the hostage. She let go of the rich businessman¡¯s hand and instructed the few officers beside her to listen to Liu Wei¡¯s orders. Then, she loaded her gun and was about to leave alone. Liu Wei hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Are you really going to act on your own? This mission is very dangerous. If you¡¯re not careful, not to mention a hostage, even your life will be lost. You should listen to my orders. I¡¯ll arrange a mission for you.¡± When he saw that Shi Man was a new commander, he guessed that she must be anxious to achieve military merits. However, he did not expect Shi Man to advance to this extent and actually want to rely on herself to complete the mission alone. This was simply a fantasy! With so many experienced police officers, it was already difficult for them to find a breakthrough. What could Shi Man do? Moreover, ever since Shi Man and the others arrived, they had already wasted a lot of time before they could do anything. Liu Wei was even more impatient with Shi Man. He sent two police officers to watch from the side and make sure that Shi Man was not allowed to run around. He hurriedly sat back in front of the screen and began to command the entire situation. In order not to expose the existence of the police, they could not send people to the empty space under the abandoned building to clear the area first. That would undoubtedly reveal their location and expose the police officers to the guns raised by the other party. That was why they had not taken a step forward and could not find a breakthrough. However, with these well-trained and experienced soldiers around, things would be much simpler. They had already found a location in advance. There was a place on the right rear side of the building that could sneak into the building. However, the way in was an alley so narrow that only one person could pass. This way, the risk of exposure would increase greatly. Liu Wei arranged the route and assigned everyone a mission before letting them set off immediately. Then, he remembered that there was still a problem that needed to be resolved. Liu Wei¡¯s face was filled with helplessness and exhaustion. Just as he was about to educate Shi Man, he turned around and saw that the two police officers he had sent to guard Shi Man were already lying on the ground. Shi Man, who should have been sitting obediently on the chair, had long disappeared. Oh no! Liu Wei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His intuition told him that Shi Man was about to do something bad. He hurriedly turned around to look at the surveillance video and did not let go of every corner of the screen. He carefully searched for Shi Man and shouted at the subordinates sent out through the walkie-talkie, ¡°When you see the new female commander, you have to keep a close eye on her immediately. Don¡¯t let her ruin the plan and cause trouble for our rescue operation!¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± Several voices came back through the walkie-talkie. Liu Wei had been the captain of the criminal police department for so many years. It had been a long time since he was as nervous as when he was on his first mission. However, at this moment, his hands and feet were cold, and the strength in his body seemed to have been sucked out. He fell back into his chair uneasily.. Chapter 646 - Chapter 646: Infiltration Chapter 646: Infiltration Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this moment, the vicinity of the abandoned building was silent. No sound could be heard. However, when the surrounding air drifted past Shi Man¡¯s ears, she could still clearly hear a few hurried breaths not far away. She narrowed her eyes and walked up the stairs. When she passed by the fourth floor, she suddenly heard footsteps coming from above. She immediately hid herself at the corner with her back facing the stairs. ¡°This little brat really knows how to cry. I¡¯ve coaxed her for so long, but she¡¯s still crying. Even my daughter isn¡¯t so good at crying!¡± A man with a scar on his head complained to his companion impatiently. The person beside him had a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks. His eyes darted around as he called the scar-faced man Brother Peng. Then, he rubbed his hands and smiled expectantly. ¡°After we finish this job, we can go and enjoy ourselves! At that time, let¡¯s see who still dares to look down on us!¡± Brother Peng glared at him and suddenly stopped. He said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°When we get the money this time, 1 want to treat Xiao Yuan first. During this period, none of you are allowed to run around. You can also lie low.¡± ¡°I know, Brother Peng. Xiao Yuan¡¯s illness is more important. We¡¯ve long lived clean lives and are waiting to donate blood to Xiao Yuan at any time!¡± He thought of something and suddenly lowered his voice to approach the scar-faced man. ¡°Brother Peng, that woman has already been knocked down by the anesthetic needle we concocted, but we haven¡¯t found a doctor from the black market. Why don¡¯t we take the money and go to the black market first to see if anyone dares to take on this job? Otherwise, even if we pay enough medical fees, Xiao Yuan won¡¯t be cured without a matching bone marrow.¡± What he said made sense. Brother Peng immediately nodded and said, ¡°Looks like we have to work faster. Xiao Yuan¡¯s illness doesn¡¯t have much time left. Call that brat¡¯s father again. If he doesn¡¯t send the money over, we¡¯ll prepare to kill her!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The monkey-faced man immediately walked to the side to make a call, not noticing the figure that flashed past behind him. Shi Man lightened her footsteps and retreated to the other side. After maintaining a safe distance from him, she secretly took a photo of the scar-faced man with her phone and sent it to Sean with a message. ¡°Help me find out if this person has a daughter. She needs a bone marrow transplant. Find which hospital she¡¯s in and which ward she¡¯s in.¡± Sean quickly replied that he had received it and immediately got to work. Shi Man narrowed her eyes and slowly walked around the other side of the building to the stairs. The top floor was where the daughter of the rich businessman was imprisoned. Shi Man listened to the footsteps pacing back and forth downstairs and knew that the other party had more than ten people. Moreover, from their conversation, she could guess that almost every one of them had a weapon. However, this was not difficult for Shi Man. In order to ensure the safety of the hostages, she only needed to wait for the opportunity to defeat them one by one. Elsewhere, Liu Wei shouted anxiously into the walkie-talkie, ¡°Still haven¡¯t seen that female commander? Can¡¯t the people she brought contact her?¡± In the command car, the man stared at the computer screen in exasperation. His fingers that were holding the walkie-talkie tightly turned pale. Damn it, she would cause trouble for him at this time! He was already helpless about rescuing the hostages, and now he had to divert his attention to look for her! They might as well not send any reinforcements! He really couldn¡¯t figure out why the army would send such a person. Could it be that this woman had a deep background, so she was assigned by the higher-ups to farm military merits? Even when human lives were at stake, it was actually difficult to escape the struggle for power. Liu Wei felt deeply tired and barely suppressed the anger in his heart. He pressed the walkie-talkie and said, ¡°Everyone, ignore her. We¡¯ll act on our own. If she really destroys our plan, I¡¯ll report it truthfully! You just have to successfully save the hostage!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Several voices sounded from the walkie-talkie again. Liu Wei closed his eyes and threw the walkie-talkie on the table. Then, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest. In the alley behind the abandoned building, a large group of police officers in bulletproof vests had silently surged in. They were actually queuing up in an orderly manner to sneak into the building. The vice-captain in the lead gestured for the people behind him to stop. Then, he raised his gun and carefully leaned against the cement pillar at the corner. He took a deep breath and stuck his head out slightly. After the vice-captain confirmed that there was no one in front of him, he gestured for his brothers behind him to advance. Unexpectedly, just as he turned out of the cement pillar, he suddenly saw the toes exposed above the staircase. His pupils dilated in fear and he hurriedly hid back with his men. On the second floor, after Brother Peng and the man with the sharp mouth and monkey face finished peeing, they pulled up their pants and smoked. The two of them held the cigarette butt in one hand and touched the pistol on their waists with the other out of habit. The man smiled slyly and said, ¡°I¡¯m still at ease with this thing.. It¡¯s not in vain that we spent so much money to get it! Brother Peng, do you think this rich businessman can really send us the money so obediently?¡± Chapter 647 - Chapter 647: Smile Chapter 647: Smile Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Brother Peng sneered and said indifferently, ¡°If he dares to call the police, we¡¯ll let him have a taste of regret! Little Zhou, what did that old thing say on the phone just now?¡± Xiao Zhou hurriedly nodded and bowed. ¡°The other party has already agreed and has already sent someone to the bank to withdraw the money. It will probably take a while to gather so much cash.¡± Brother Peng nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go up first. Don¡¯t stay down for too long to avoid being discovered. Although we¡¯ve set up a bomb at the alley behind the building, we have to be careful.¡± With that, the two of them walked up the stairs. The vice-captain, who was about to jump into the building through the alley, panted in shock. When the footsteps of the two people faded away, he ordered the team to retreat and make way for his brothers who were in charge of demining. That was close. If not for his sharp eyes seeing the toes of the two people, he would have implicated his brothers behind him! The vice-captain regretted his carelessness while rejoicing in their good luck. The demining team carefully walked over with the detector, but after scanning for a long time, the device did not detect anything. The man in the lead had a serious expression and continued to walk forward slowly, but he was held back by the person beside him. ¡°Are you crazy? What if there¡¯s a landmine?¡± ¡°No.¡± The man seemed especially certain because he already had a guess in his heart. Sure enough, before he could take a few more steps, the ground in front of him that had clearly been tampered with attracted his attention. He raised his hand slightly to signal the person behind him to stop. Then, he squatted down and carefully observed the ground that had been dug up. He narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°It seems that someone got rid of the landmines here before us.¡± ¡°Someone has already gone in?¡± The person beside him widened his eyes in disbelief. Soon, he thought of the person who had just been declared missing by the captain of the criminal police, Liu Wei, on the walkie-talkie. Was it really done by that young lady? Could she clear mines alone? Was it really that godly? Before he could figure it out, the others had already carefully probed around with instruments. The answer they received was that the landmines here had been removed. Now, even if he didn¡¯t want to, he had to believe it! He and the leader looked at each other and immediately returned to the alley to report the current situation to the vice-captain of the criminal police. The vice-captain did not come back to his senses for half a minute. It was not until he met the surprised gaze of the man in front of him that he remembered to take out his walkie-talkie and report this strange incident to his captain. At that moment, Liu Wei was still staring at the surveillance cameras in the command car. When he heard the vice-captain¡¯s analysis, he was stunned and could not help but glance at the surveillance cameras in the alley. After discovering that the alley could reach into the first floor of the building last night, he immediately arranged for someone to plant surveillance cameras first. However, ever since Shi Man disappeared, he had been staring at the surveillance cameras. He was sure that he had never seen anyone pass by. ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly yet. Wait for my order.¡± He had to confirm that Shi Man had really eliminated the landmines before letting his subordinates enter the building. Otherwise, if there were really other hidden dangers, it would be a disaster! However, when he really pulled up the video, he realized that the scene was calm. Before the vice-captain and the others entered the alley, no one had passed by there. He refused to believe it and continued to watch the surveillance video a few times. Finally, he discovered something abnormal. He quickly contacted the cyber police to recover the surveillance footage. Although the recording had been changed, it had not been carefully processed. It was very easy to restore the original recorded appearance. The cyber police mobilized the progress bar and found the time point that had been processed. A magnified human face suddenly appeared on the screen, scaring everyone in the command car. Liu Wei looked at the screen in disbelief. That face was beautiful, youthful, and there was a mocking smile on her lips. Who else could it be but Shi Man? Did she really enter the building in advance and eliminate the landmines on the way? How was this possible? He asked the cyber police to speed up the video. The surveillance video of the place where the landmine was buried was not captured, but he was sure that Shi Man had really walked into the building and even took the time to replace the surveillance cameras to give him a smokescreen. The most infuriating thing was that before Shi Man left, she specially smiled at the surveillance cameras mockingly. A strange thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. Liu Wei was almost certain that Shi Man¡¯s smile was aimed at him. She had long expected him to discover the abnormality of the surveillance cameras sooner or later, so she specially left him this meaningful smile. Liu Wei, who had been mocked ruthlessly, was so shocked that his eyes almost fell into the surveillance cameras. After a long silence, he finally came back to his senses and slowly picked up the walkie-talkie. ¡°The landmines have been eliminated. Let¡¯s continue forward..¡± Chapter 648 - Chapter 648: Breaking Down One by One Chapter 648: Breaking Down One by One Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When the vice-captain received the instructions, he understood that his guess was true! Not only did Shi Man enter the building first, but she also helped them clear the landmines that the criminals had buried in advance! He and the soldier in charge of demining looked at each other and saw the disbelief in each other¡¯s eyes. However, time was short, so there was not much time left for them to waste at the door. Since the landmines had been eliminated, all they needed to do now was move forward. Being able to sneak into the building was a good start for them. Behind the wall upstairs,Shi Man let go of the unconscious man in her hand and tied his hands and feet with the other two. Then, she hid the pistols she had plundered from them in a secret place. Ten minutes ago, the three of them went downstairs together. Coincidentally, they were only a wall away from Shi Man. Shi Man took advantage of their lack of attention and knocked down two of them. After the last person pulled up his pants, he realized that his two companions had long disappeared. He thought that his two companions had gone back without informing him, but just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly saw a foot sticking out of the corner. Looking at the familiar shoe on that foot, the man quickly recognized that it was his companion lying on the ground. He immediately felt that something was wrong. Just as he was about to shout for the people upstairs to come down, his mouth was tightly covered by a fragrant handkerchief before he could make a sound. He didn¡¯t even see what the person behind him looked like before he fainted completely. Shi Man quickly tied him up with the two of them. Then, she continued to lie in ambush on the other side. After suddenly losing three companions, it was impossible for the people in the thieves¡¯ nest upstairs not to notice. Since they had sensed it, they would definitely come down to check. At that time, she could use the same trick. As long as she could reduce the number of people on the other side as much as possible, she could ensure the girl¡¯s personal safety to the greatest extent. On the top floor. Brother Peng was leaning against the chair with his eyes closed to rest when he suddenly thought of something. His cold eyes suddenly opened and he stared straight at Xiao Zhou, who was also sleepy. ¡°Why aren¡¯t the three of them back yet?¡± This time, after kidnapping, they entrenched themselves in this abandoned building. They had been eating, drinking, and shitting in the building for the past two days, so even the cautious Brother Peng didn¡¯t care at first. However, they had been gone for so long and had not returned, so he could not help but think more. Xiao Zhou was suddenly woken up by him. He sat up straight with a start, and his hands and feet were still a little numb and cold. He first looked around and saw that the three of them had not returned. He guessed in surprise, ¡°Could it be that the three of them have a stomachache? Should he wait a little longer?¡± Last night, Brother Peng said that the building was so dark that they couldn¡¯t even see their fingers. He didn¡¯t let them sleep in case anything happened. Xiao Zhou was extremely sleepy here. He wanted to rest well before the young lady¡¯s family gathered enough money to send her over. He really didn¡¯t want to go downstairs for such a small matter. However, Brother Peng had always been strict and did not allow any mistakes. He frowned and urged unhappily, ¡°Go downstairs and take a look. If the three of them continue to dawdle downstairs, bring them up immediately!¡± ¡°Ah, okay,¡± Xiao Zhou replied helplessly. He left the hot chair and slowly walked downstairs. Brother Peng felt a headache when he saw his zombie-like appearance. I low could he not be tired? How could he not want to rest well? However, in order for Xiao Yuan to have the money to treat her illness, he would not hesitate even if he was sentenced to death in the end. Downstairs, Xiao Zhou lazily swung his arm and walked down the stairs. As he walked, he shouted, ¡°Gang Zi, where are you? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re f*cking having a stomachache? Then move your butts down again. Don¡¯t f*cking make this entire floor smell.¡± The building was empty. His words fell into the air and bounced back, forming a loud echo, but no one else answered. Xiao Zhou turned around in surprise. After confirming that there was indeed no sign of them on this floor, he scratched his messy hair that was like a chicken nest in confusion. ¡°Where did these three bastards go!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he was about to go down the stairs again in frustration when he suddenly heard a soft sound from a corner that he could not see. His ears had always been sharp. At this moment, in the silent and empty building, the sound became especially strange. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Xiao Zhou nervously took a step forward. He hesitated for a moment before slowly taking a step forward. His arm reached to his back. After touching the pistol, he felt a lot more confident. ¡°Is it Gangzi? Don¡¯t scare me. If it¡¯s you, come out quickly. Brother Peng is looking for you.¡± He waited and waited, his eyes fixed on the gray concrete wall. He swallowed nervously. ¡°Gangzi, stop fooling around.. Come out quickly, or I¡¯ll be angry later!¡± Chapter 649 - Chapter 649: Threat Chapter 649: Threat Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, what answered him was dead silence, as if the commotion he had heard just now was just his imagination. Xiao Zhou took a tentative step forward, and the sound of rapid breathing filled the entire building. ¡°Gang Zi, come out quickly!¡± As he said this, he held the gun in his hand and walked over with a trembling body. Although he was usually boisterous around Brother Peng, he was more timid than anyone else at the critical moment. Even when he wanted to go to the toilet previously, he had to drag Brother Peng along with him. He had forgotten his fear because he was too sleepy just now, but now, he had already woken up from the cold wind. His mind had long been paralyzed by the unknown fear. His dragging footsteps kept rubbing against the dusty ground, leaving two clear footprints on the cement floor. As he got closer to the wall, he suddenly smelled an extremely unpleasant stench in the air. Following the smell, Xiao Zhou turned his head and saw three water stains on the wall. He didn¡¯t need to think carefully to know what they were. ¡°Damn it, it stinks. He must be sick!¡± He cursed and the fear in his heart subsided slightly. Instead, he became bolder. ¡°Don¡¯t hide anymore. I know you¡¯re here. Come out quickly. Are you goofing off behind Brother Peng¡¯s back again? Are you afraid that 1¡¯11 complain about you?¡± The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was possible. Xiao Zhou was completely unafraid now. He walked slowly along the direction of the sound just now. When he was only a corner away from the back of the wall, he suddenly stopped and narrowed his eyes with a wicked smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t come out, I¡¯ll expose you!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Zhou suddenly turned the corner. The smile on his face suddenly froze when he saw that there was no one around the corner. A bone-chilling coldness suddenly enveloped him again, and his courage that had just been strengthened subsided. He held the gun and stepped back slightly, but his body suddenly bumped into a warm object. ¡°Who is it?¡± He held the gun and was about to turn around immediately. Unexpectedly, a hand beat him to it and covered his mouth and nose tightly. A tiny pill rolled down his throat. When it flowed down his throat, he almost choked on the pill. As he struggled, the pill finally rolled into his stomach. Shi Man let go and stared coldly at the man who was retching non-stop. She narrowed her eyes and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your effort. This thing will melt in your body after you consume it. If you don¡¯t have my antidote, you will immediately die from the poison in an hour!¡± ¡°Who are you! How did you get in!¡± Xiaozhou shouted with a flushed face. He saw the girl standing in front of him calmly raise her finger and make a quiet gesture with her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t be so loud. If the people upstairs hear you, 1 won¡¯t give you the antidote.¡± Xiao Zhou¡¯s originally flushed face turned pale because of her words. The blood on his face drained. ¡°Are you here to save the little girl?¡± Shi Man slowly took out her handkerchief and wiped her palm. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask so much. Now, you just have to do one thing for me. After it¡¯s done, I¡¯ll give you the antidote.¡± ¡°Where did you come from?¡± Although Xiao Zhou¡¯s face was still ferocious when he asked this, he was afraid that what Shi Man had just said was true. He subconsciously lowered his voice and looked like he did not have any aura. This girl¡¯s appearance was too strange. They had already covered all the roads in front and behind the building with landmines. Even they did not plan to go out easily, but this girl had actually quietly arrived here and was only a step away from Boss. And they actually did not notice! Thinking of this, Xiao Zhou couldn¡¯t help but shiver. This girl looked young, but since she had the ability to infiltrate this place, it meant that her background was definitely not simple. It seemed that the disappearance of Gangzi and the other two was probably related to her. Shi Man narrowed her eyes and said impatiently, ¡°I told you, you don¡¯t need to know so much. As long as you work for me obediently, you can live.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do? Moreover, how do 1 know that you¡¯re not lying to me?¡± Xiao Zhou held the pistol tightly and looked at Shi Man. He wanted to capture her and hand her to Boss when she was not paying attention before slowly getting the antidote from her. But this was undoubtedly gambling with his own life. Shi Man saw through his thoughts at a glance and smiled. ¡°Since 1 came here without being discovered by you, you should know my ability. Besides, is there a need for me to spend so much effort to enter here just to feed you a piece of candy? Believe it or not, 1 don¡¯t mind another life on my hands.¡± ¡°You killed Gangzi and the others?¡± The fear in Xiao Zhou¡¯s eyes was almost impossible to hide. He might not be a match for such a ruthless woman.. At the thought of this, he swallowed nervously and asked, ¡°What do you want me to help you with?¡± Chapter 650 - Chapter 650: Luring the Tiger Away Chapter 650: Luring the Tiger Away Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s very simple. You just have to go back and tell your boss that you found the three people secretly smoking drugs downstairs and bring him down. After it¡¯s done, I¡¯ll give you the antidote.¡± Xiao Zhou never expected her to want to use him to capture them all. His eyes widened in horror. ¡°You¡¯re a police officer?¡± Thinking of her identity, Xiao Zhou suddenly raised his hand and touched his stomach. Hope suddenly surged in his heart. If she was really a police officer, then that thing just now might really not be poison! However, what was rare was that before the seed of hope in his heart could take root in his chest, it was ruthlessly extinguished by Shi Man. ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just a killer, so you should know clearly what you should do now.¡± This time, Xiao Zhou completely shut his mouth. There was no doubt that he wanted to live. She was not a police officer. She would kill him at any time. Faith wavered between morality and life for only an instant. Without hesitation, he chose the latter. ¡°Okay, I can do as you say, but you can¡¯t go back on your word. You have to give me the antidote.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shi Man smiled knowingly and returned to the back of the corner. She narrowed her eyes and watched him. ¡°Go. Remember, you only have an hour.¡± The hesitation and helplessness appeared on Xiao Zhou¡¯s face for a moment, but he quickly hid it well. He turned and trudged backupstairs. After Shi Man saw him leave with her own eyes, she turned around and left this corner, hiding in another place. Actually, she had wanted to deal with Xiao Zhou like she had dealt with the three people previously, but after hearing Xiao Zhou¡¯s shout at the three of them, she changed her mind at the last minute. If she still drugged him according to the plan, the people upstairs would definitely realize that something was wrong. At that time, the man called Brother Peng might be driven to desperation and use the hostage to threaten her to surrender. At that time, the situation would naturally become passive. That was why she changed her plan at the last minute and asked Xiao Zhou to lure Brother Peng down alone. As long as she captured this chief planner, she believed that the people above would become leader less. At that time, it would be easy to deal with them. Soon, Xiao Zhou walked down with Brother Peng. He walked behind the man and stared uneasily at the corner where Shi Man was hiding. ¡°Where are they?¡± Brother Peng rounded on him angrily. Xiao Zhou pointed behind the wall with a trembling finger. ¡°Over there.¡± Brother Peng snorted and looked deeply at Xiao Zhou. Then, just as they were about to reach the corner, he suddenly gave Xiao Zhou a look. The two of them raised their guns one after another and surrounded the corner tightly. However, to their surprise, the corner of the wall was already empty. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Brother Peng did not react for a moment. However, Xiao Zhou had already suffered a loss just now. He cursed his carelessness and hurriedly roared, ¡°Big Brother, be careful. That woman is very sinister. She might be hiding behind us!¡± Hearing this, Brother Peng immediately turned around and pointed his gun coldly at the cement pillar behind him. On the way here just now, he had already taken the opportunity to look around with Xiao Zhou. Only this place was another perfect blind spot. That woman must be hiding here! He and Xiao Zhou looked at each other, then quickly surrounded them from both sides. With a roar that seemed to embolden them, Xiao Zhou was the first to rush behind the cement pillar, but he raised his gun and did not move for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Brother Peng hurriedly went around. Who was hiding behind the concrete pillar? ¡°Where is she? Why isn¡¯t she here?¡± Brother Peng put down his gun in exasperation and frowned at the extremely shallow footprints on the ground. He was almost certain that there was indeed a person standing here just now! Xiao Zhou¡¯s hands trembled and he couldn¡¯t speak properly in fear. ¡°Brother Peng, did we encounter a ghost!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Who would encounter a ghost in broad daylight!¡± Brother Peng rolled his eyes at him in frustration. Then, he thought of something and his heart skipped a beat. ¡°Not good!¡± With that, he pushed away Xiao Zhou, who was blocking the way, and ran back upstairs while panting. His eyes were bloodshot! He had fallen into a trap! This was clearly that woman¡¯s plan to lure him away! The few people who were still sleeping upstairs were all unconscious on the ground. His heart immediately skipped a beat, and his forehead was covered in sweat. He hurriedly walked towards the innermost bed. Xiao Zhou also rushed over from behind. He was about to say something when he was shocked to see the empty bed frame. His legs almost went weak and he collapsed to the ground. ¡°Brother Peng, where¡¯s that child? Why is she missing?¡± Brother Peng roared angrily and kicked the chair beside him. ¡°Find her! Find her! That woman won¡¯t leave this building so easily with a child! You have to find her!¡± Below, after the vice-captain and the others finished checking the floors one by one, only the top two floors had not been searched. He was about to bring people up when he was caught off guard and heard this roar. His heart immediately rose to his throat.. Chapter 651 - Chapter 651: Apologize Chapter 651: Apologize Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He exchanged glances with his companions and saw shock in their eyes. What did the man upstairs mean? A woman with a child? Could it be¡­ The vice-captain couldn¡¯t help but gasp. He wanted to use the walkie-talkie to contact Shi Man in time to confirm the progress of the mission with her. However, just as he picked up the walkie-talkie, he suddenly remembered that his captain had not let Shi Man participate in their operation at all! She didn¡¯t have any communication equipment that could put her in contact with them! The vice-captain was anxious. He wanted to confirm the situation upstairs, but there was nothing he could do. Just as he was feeling anxious, the soldiers brought by Shi Man suddenly pressed the tiny buttons on their collars. Right on the heels of that, a calm female voice echoed in their ears. ¡°The hostage has been rescued. Take action immediately.¡± When they received the instructions, they immediately turned into arrows and jumped out without hesitation. The vice-captain was dumbfounded. He immediately followed with his subordinates. The rescue went very smoothly. This was because after they went up, they realized that other than the two men who could still stand, the rest had long fallen to the side. It seemed that they might have been drugged and would not wake up for a while. The armed police and professional criminal police were more than enough to deal with the two criminals. In less than an hour, they successfully captured the two of them and handcuffed the rest. There were two large wooden boxes of ordnance seized. However, Shi Man and the hostage were gone. In the command car, Liu Wei listened to the vice-captain¡¯s report on the walkie-talkie and was already stunned. He never expected that the girl he looked down on previously had actually completed the rescue mission alone! And she had completed it so cleanly! They had become so useless they might as well serve as decorations! ¡°Captain.¡± The vice-captain heard that there was no sound from the walkie-talkie for a long time and asked again worriedly, ¡°What should we do now? Shi Man stopped contacting us. How do we find her and the hostage?¡± At this moment, the rich businessman could no longer sit still. When he heard that his daughter had been successfully saved, he immediately ran over with tears of joy. He couldn¡¯t care less that the walkie-talkie was still in Liu Wei¡¯s hand and snatched it over. ¡°Tell that girl that she¡¯s the benefactor who saved my daughter now. I¡¯m willing to apologize to her and compensate her for what happened just now. She can have as much money as she wants! Please send my daughter back safely!¡± He thought that Shi Man was refusing to bring his daughter back because she had a grudge against him for offending her just now. He apologized repeatedly on the walkie-talkie. Unexpectedly, the door of the command car was pushed open from the outside. As the warm spring breeze surged into the narrow space, they saw two figures, one big and one small. The older one was calm and composed. The corners of her mouth curled into a faint smile, and her eyes were filled with cold mockery. The younger one seemed to have just woken up. When she saw the man standing in front of her, her round eyes lit up. ¡°Daddy! Are you here to bring Baby home?¡± When the rich businessman saw his daughter return safely, his tears couldn¡¯t help but burst out. He immediately dropped the walkie-talkie and ran to his daughter, giving her a warm hug. It was not until he completely hugged her that the rich businessman¡¯s heart, which had been hanging in his chest for a day and night, finally calmed down. He let go of his daughter slightly and sized her up before asking carefully, ¡°Baby, did they bully you? If they did, tell Daddy. Daddy will definitely teach them a lesson!¡± ¡°You mean those uncles?¡± The girl blinked innocently. Hearing the words ¡°uncles¡±, the rich businessman¡¯s heart, which had just relaxed, rose again. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s them. Did they ask you to lift your skirt or touch you, hug you, and touch you?¡± His daughter did not seem to have been hurt on the surface, but the child was still young and might not know so much. As a father, he had to understand clearly! However, the girl only shook her head in confusion and said, ¡°No, the uncles are very good to me. They gave me snacks and even told me stories so that I won¡¯t cry when 1 sleep! Daddy, 1 actually want to hear you tell me stories the most, but Daddy is always very busy and doesn¡¯t have time to accompany me.¡± Upon hearing this, the rich businessman¡¯s stern eyes flickered with tears again. ¡°Baby, be good. It¡¯s all Daddy¡¯s fault. Daddy will definitely try my best to spend time with you in the future and tell you stories, okay?¡± Only then did the girl smile sweetly. She hugged her father¡¯s neck and refused to let go. The man hugged the girl in his arms. When he looked at Shi Man again, the sarcasm in his eyes was long gone. Instead, they were filled with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Leader. It was all my fault just now. I was blind.. Please don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± Chapter 652 - Chapter 652: Netherworld Pavilion Chapter 652: Netherworld Pavilion Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Of course, Shi Man would not argue with him. She did not care what the rich businessman had said previously. She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at the rich businessman. She turned around and stared at Liu Wei seriously. ¡°That group of people must have kidnapped a woman. You must interrogate them and find out that woman¡¯s location later. If you can¡¯t do it, then let me do it.¡± Liu Wei was stunned for a moment. For a moment, he was forced by her aura and almost raised his hand to salute her. That was a subconscious action that only subordinates would do when facing their superiors. He had been the captain of the criminal police for decades. He did not expect to be frightened by a young lady today. He immediately looked embarrassed. ¡°How did you know that they kidnapped a woman? We haven¡¯t received any other reports of kidnapping recently.¡± Shi Man looked away speechlessly. ¡°They didn¡¯t kidnap that woman to ask for ransom, but to force that woman to donate her bone marrow to the kidnapper¡¯s daughter.¡± As she spoke, the news of Sean¡¯s investigation was sent to her phone. Shi Man looked down and put away her cell phone. ¡°Forget it. By the time you find that woman, I¡¯m afraid her bone marrow will have been sucked dry. 1¡¯11 make another trip and investigate personally.¡± Was she despising the efficiency of the police? Liu Wei was furious. The good impression he had of Shi Man immediately disappeared, and he returned to his previous nasty tone. ¡°Are you going to act alone again? Just because you can successfully save the hostage doesn¡¯t mean that your subsequent actions will be foolproof. Please cooperate with us and don¡¯t attack without permission!¡± Shi Man looked at the watch on her wrist and was clearly not in the mood to talk nonsense with him. ¡°Alright, hurry up if you want to take action, but 1 won¡¯t wait for you. I¡¯ll leave first. If you can make it in time and find out the whereabouts of that woman from those kidnappers, we might have a chance to cooperate.¡± ¡°You!¡± Liu Wei slammed the table angrily. Shi Man turned to leave, but when she reached the door, she suddenly stopped and squatted in front of the little girl again. ¡°Is there a girl called Xiao Yuan in your class?¡± The little girl was stunned for a moment before she chuckled. ¡°Sister, how did you know that there¡¯s a baldy in our class! She¡¯s so ugly. Baby doesn¡¯t like to be her deskmate!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the rich businessman seemed to be afraid of something. He hid his daughter behind him and said with a faint smile, ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± As Shi Man stood up straight, her gaze was no longer as gentle as before. ¡°1 just want to remind you that sometimes, children are insensible. As parents, it¡¯s their duty to guide their children and tell them what to say and what to do.¡± ¡°What do you think this means? Our baby has been very sensible since she was young and has a good relationship with her classmates!¡± After the rich businessman finished speaking, he seemed to feel guilty for a moment, but then he glared at Shi Man. ¡°I know how to educate my child. There¡¯s no need for the leader to worry. I¡¯ll naturally be grateful to you for saving my daughter, but it¡¯s not polite for you to interfere in my family¡¯s matters, right?¡± Shi Man curled her lips silently, her eyes filled with disdain. ¡°Take care.¡± With that, she drove away from this abandoned city without looking at the rich businessman and his precious daughter. In the car, Shi Man dialed Sean¡¯s number, her eyebrows filled with hostility. ¡°How is it? Have you found her?¡± If the hospital was to facilitate the bone marrow transfusion, it could only be done if both parties were willing. Brother Peng and the others could not fool the hospital, so they would definitely choose an illegal hospital or doctor in the black market. Therefore, they would definitely hide that woman in the black market. Sean and Shi Man had guessed the same thing, so he had just led his men to search the black market in the capital from the inside out. Finally, he found a clue. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve just confirmed that a woman was brought into the black market last week. She¡¯s being hidden in the most famous Netherworld Pavilion. Boss, it¡¯s not easy to barge in that place. We can only watch from the periphery first to prevent those people¡¯s accomplices from secretly transporting the hostage.¡± ¡°Netherworld Pavilion?¡± Shi Man turned the steering wheel with one hand and turned the car into an alley with a deep frown. ¡°What is that place?¡± Sean was stunned for a moment, as if he did not expect his usually omnipotent boss to have information that she did not know. He hurriedly introduced it to her as if he was presenting a treasure. ¡°Boss, the Netherworld Pavilion hides the most shady transactions. There are long rules in the pavilion. As long as the guest pays a sufficient watch fee, the Netherworld Pavilion will safeguard any items for the guest, including armaments, people, and even corpses.¡± Shi Man understood. This was equivalent to a bank¡¯s safe. However, the Netherworld Pavilion could do much more than an ordinary bank. No wonder these kidnappers would ask for an exorbitant price and extort a hundred million from the rich businessman. It seemed that the fee for guarding the Netherworld Pavilion was really not cheap.. Chapter 653 - Chapter 653: Brand Chapter 653: Brand Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Have you confirmed that the person must be there?¡± Shi Man asked with a frown. Sean nodded with certainty. Then, he realized that Shi Man could not see him. He replied in a very certain tone, ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve almost searched the black market with my men. Only this place has not been searched. If there¡¯s nothing in the Netherworld Pavilion, I¡¯m afraid our judgment is wrong. They didn¡¯t hide anyone in the black market at all.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Since that was the most likely place to hide someone, Shi Man might as well go and try. In any case, she was confident that she could escape unscathed no matter where she went. At this moment, the black market was sparsely populated. Daytime was not the time for them to do business, but once night fell here, it would be noisy. After Sean and the others arrived in the capital with Shi Man, in addition to cleaning up the stronghold that they had used previously, they also wanted to figure out the person behind the black market in the capital. This was very important for their future operations. They had been to the black market in the capital a few times in the past, but the business they could do here was not something G City could compare to. Moreover, they now had another enemy, Lin Si, who was hiding in the dark. Sean could only be vigilant at all times. After a long time, he finally found some clues. Otherwise, he would not have been able to figure out the mission Shi Man gave him so quickly. Now, he brought his subordinates and hid his true appearance. He pretended to chat and slowly drank tea in the restaurant opposite the Netherworld Pavilion until a beautiful girl wearing a silver mask stopped in front of him. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Sean was clearly very excited to see Shi Man. After thinking about it, it had been a long time since they had met since Boss came to the capital. They had only contacted each other through the phone. Shi Man nodded lightly and glanced at the other customers in the restaurant. She narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°There are too many people here. Let¡¯s go out first.¡± Sean quickly got up and went to the bar to settle the bill. Then, he followed Shi Man carefully. Those who could come to the black market were not simple people. There were countless people who met here sneakily like them, so the boss did not care much. However, someone in the corner put down his teacup with interest. When he stood up, his white shirt rubbed against the edge of the table, creating a line of creases. He gently smoothed the corner of his shirt and unfolded the fan in his hand, revealing a beautiful landscape painting. ¡°Boss, the bill.¡± His voice was also cold, as indifferent as his own. The boss could tell at a glance that this person was extraordinary. He did not dare to be negligent and immediately jogged over to serve him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to pay. These cups of tea are on me. If you like them, come to my shop often next time. I¡¯m always welcome.¡± The man curled his lips and chuckled, but the white mask on his face did not show any joy. ¡°Boss, I can only come again next time after receiving the money.¡± He stretched out his hand slightly and left a bronze sign. Then, he turned around and walked out of the restaurant. The boss was stunned for a long time when he saw the sign. Then, he realized what it was and hurriedly grabbed it and put it in his pocket. This thing was not worth much outside, but only people who had been in the black market all year round knew how expensive this brand was. Its material was not worth this price, but the meaning it symbolized was extraordinary. That thing was a token that the Netherworld Pavilion would distribute to every VIP! With this bronze plate, no matter what the guest wanted to store in the Netherworld Pavilion, the price would be reduced by 30%. This discount did not seem to be much, but if one calculated carefully, it would definitely be a six-figure number. They had been operating n the black market all year round and most of them had some secrets that they did not want to be discovered. That was why the business of the Netherworld Pavilion had always been popular. The boss had only offered a pot of tea with a small cost, but he had received such a huge discount from the Netherworld Pavilion. How could he not be happy? He immediately planned to find some rare food to entertain this esteemed guest next time. Outside, Shi Man brought Sean and the others out of the restaurant and went straight to the Netherworld Pavilion. It was an extraordinary building. Although each building was not built high, with so many buildings stacked together, it was enough to see how powerful the Netherworld Pavilion was. It had to be known that it was not easy to occupy a place in the black market. Moreover, it occupied such a large area in one go. The master behind the Netherworld Pavilion should be the person who ruled the entire capital¡¯s black market. Seeing that Shi Man was about to rush into the Netherworld Pavilion without caring about anything, Sean was afraid that she would have a conflict with someone because she did not know the rules. He quickly stood in front of her and said, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know the rules here. No matter what the guests have deposited with them, they will never reveal it to a third party other than the confidentiality agreement. Therefore, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t find anything if we go in like this..¡± Chapter 654 - Chapter 654: Storage Chapter 654: Storage Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man looked at him strangely and said, ¡°Who told you that 1 was going to barge in?¡± Sean was stunned for a moment before asking, ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t you planning to rush up and fight to the death?¡± Looking at Shi Man¡¯s dignified appearance, it was difficult for Sean not to suspect that Shi Man was planning to go up and fight someone first before capturing a few people to torture them. Shi Man glared at him and rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s too troublesome. 1 have an easier way.¡± Sean was speechless for a moment, but also a little curious. Boss only said that it was very troublesome to do that, but she did not say that she could not do that. It seemed that Boss really did not take the Netherworld Pavilion seriously! The Immaculate stronghold was only in G City and M City. When they arrived in the capital, their power had been greatly weakened. Everything had to develop from scratch. However, Shi Man still did not care. Indeed, Boss¡¯s thinking was not something they could compare to! As soon as Shi Man led Sean and the others into the hall of the Netherworld Pavilion, someone immediately came to welcome them with a smile. ¡°Sir, Miss, hello. Welcome to the Netherworld Pavilion. I low can I help you?¡± Shi Man glanced at the staff indifferently and said, ¡°Store something.¡± ¡°Alright, please follow me.¡± The attendant respectfully gestured for her to follow him. Then, he turned around and walked in front, leading her to the innermost room. This place was transparent. People were sitting on the sofa in the middle, but they could see the people moving in the black market outside. The room was only separated from the outside by a few pieces of transparent glass, but Shi Man could still tell at a glance that the glass material was different. These pieces of glass did not seem to have any confidentiality, but they were actually heavily processed anti-explosive glass. Not only that, but they also had quite good anti-peeking functions. The person sitting in the room could clearly see the outside, but the people outside could not see the situation inside at all. Just like the essence of the Netherworld Pavilion, the people outside knew what was going on inside, but they could not pry into all the secrets hidden here. Perhaps the reason why the Netherworld Pavilion chose to use this material glass when it was established was to tell the guests that they could safely hide their secrets in the pavilion. Shi Man knew what to do. After glancing at it, she retracted her gaze. Soon, the attendant brought over the supervisor in charge of receiving guests in the Netherworld Pavilion. It was a middle-aged man who had already gained weight, but the fierce flesh on his face did not make people feel disgusted. Instead, he had a disturbing shrewdness. The supervisor walked in and took the initiative to extend a hand to Shi Man. ¡°Hello, Miss. I¡¯m Supervisor Xiao, who¡¯s in charge of receiving you. May I know what valuable items you need to store?¡± Ordinary people would undergo layers of encryption when they came to the Netherworld Pavilion to store things. Carrying a safe was already the most ordinary thing. Some people would even hire a mover to carry a large wooden box in. Last time, a group of people carried in a wooden box that could fit one person. He arranged for it to be in Room 1502 on the top floor of Building C. Until now, no one had come to take it away. However, it was really rare for someone like Shi Man to say that she wanted to save something empty-handed. Even the knowledgeable supervisor was a little curious about what she wanted to store. As soon as she finished speaking, Shi Man slowly raised her hand, took off a bracelet from her wrist, and gently placed it on the coffee table in front of her. ¡°This is it. Help me store it. I¡¯ll come and take it away when 1 need it.¡± Supervisor Xiao was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright, Miss. However, we charge according to the time. If you want to settle the bill in the end, you have to pay a certain amount of security first.¡± After saying that, he looked down at the bracelet and said hesitantly, ¡°This item looks like an antique. It should be quite old. If you want to store it, you have to pay 500,000 first. But don¡¯t worry, if your final settlement doesn¡¯t exceed 500,000, we will refund you the excess money and definitely won¡¯t charge you a single cent more.¡± Sean was dumbfounded. What bracelet was so expensive to store! Wasn¡¯t the Netherworld Pavilion asking for a sky-high price just because their boss was young? However, when Shi Man heard this number, she only raised her eyebrows slightly. Without any hesitation, she took out a bank card from her other pocket and placed it on the table with the bracelet. ¡°Alright, swipe the card. I¡¯ll come back to take it back myself when the time comes.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s sign the contract now.¡± Supervisor Xiao did not expect this young lady to be so generous. His attitude immediately became even more solicitous as he took the contract that had been prepared in advance from the tray of the waiter beside him. Shi Man hurriedly glanced at it and lowered her head to sign. This time, she didn¡¯t put on airs. After returning the contract, she took the initiative to shake hands with Supervisor Xiao. Her fingertips gently touched Supervisor Xiao¡¯s sleeve. Then, she retracted her finger in the blink of an eye without attracting anyone¡¯s attention. On this trip to the Netherworld Pavilion, they did not find anything. Instead, they spent 500,000. Sean followed behind Shi Man and sighed.. Chapter 655 - Chapter 655: Success Chapter 655: Success Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If he had known that it would cost so much money, they might as well have barged in! Anyway, he believed that Boss definitely had this ability! Shi Man was a little annoyed by his sighs along the way. She stopped in her tracks and turned to glare at him unhappily. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to pay. Why are you feeling sorry for?¡± She did not care about a mere 500,000. Moreover, she could take back this money at any time. Sean looked up and was about to complain when he suddenly smelled a distant fragrance. His attention was immediately attracted. He turned his head to look in the direction of the smell and saw a man in a white Chinese tunic suit standing not far away. He kept waving his fan, as if he had been staring at them for a long time. Sean immediately narrowed his eyes warily. In their line of work, the most taboo thing was to be spied on, let alone such a person who was extremely good at hiding his aura. Even Boss probably did not notice that a man had silently stood beside then. Shi Man felt Sean suddenly become nervous and frowned. She immediately looked up in the direction of his gaze. When she saw a man standing at the side for no reason, a trace of vigilance immediately appeared on her face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shi Man said briefly, expressing her dissatisfaction with the man staring at them. Unexpectedly, not only did the man not look away because of this, but he closed his fan and walked over with a smile. ¡°Are you here to do business in the Netherworld Pavilion? I¡¯ve never seen such a young girl in the black market. 1 was a little curious just now. Miss, don¡¯t take offense.¡± Shi Man¡¯s cold gaze only lingered on the man¡¯s mask for a moment before she looked away without hesitation. She took a step forward again and had no intention of answering. She brought Sean and the others down the stairs. Seeing that the girl was gradually walking away, the man¡¯s smile suddenly disappeared. Behind him, the staff of the Netherworld Pavilion perked up when he saw the man. He jogged over eagerly and said, ¡°Boss, didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t come to the pavilion personally today?¡± The man walked into the building expressionlessly, his hands behind his back gripping the fan tightly. ¡°What did those people store just now?¡± The attendant was stunned for a moment. He glanced at the bottom of the stairs and quickly answered, ¡°It¡¯s a bracelet. It looks to be worth at least eight digits.¡± ¡°Oh? Such an expensive bracelet¡­.no wonder you stored it with us.¡± Although the man said that, his voice still revealed a hint of disbelief. However, the attendant did not understand the deeper meaning in his words. He nodded in agreement and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Anything stored in our Netherworld Pavilion has never been lost. Our place is even more reliable than the insurance pipeline of the bank outside.¡± The man only smiled faintly and did not say anything else. It was not until they had walked a long distance that Sean carefully approached Shi Man. ¡°Boss, are we really going back directly?¡± We¡¯re they going to stop investigating that woman¡¯s case? Or had his boss already found another way? ¡°Go back.¡± Shi Man gave her order concisely, before leaving Sean and the others behind and to depart from black market alone in her car. After confirming that there was no one following her, she took out her phone and quickly entered a string of codes on the screen. The screen that originally only showed black with white words suddenly lit up. It was the surveillance system of the Netherworld Pavilion! She did not just enter the Netherworld Pavilion to check on the situation. Before she went in, she had already expected that there would be a very tight protective system inside. Otherwise, there would not be so many people who would be at ease storing their secrets here. Therefore, she was almost certain that she would not be able to sneak into the system of the Netherworld Pavilion in a short period of time through conventional methods. The only way was to send her signal transmitter into the Netherworld Pavilion. Just now, while she was shaking hands with Supervisor Xiao, she had secretly pasted the tiny chip on Supervisor Xiao¡¯s sleeve. This way, Shi Man could move freely in the Netherworld Pavilion¡¯s system without being easily discovered. Through the surveillance cameras, Shi Man quickly found the surveillance video of the kidnappers coming to the Netherworld Pavilion to store the huge box. Looking at how difficult it was for those people to lift the wooden box, Shi Man could almost conclude that it was probably the woman who was about to have her bone marrow extracted. According to the time recorded on the surveillance footage, Shi Man located the system where the information was stored in the Netherworld Pavilion and found the documents that had been encrypted. It had to be said that the Netherworld Pavilion could indeed be called the most impenetrable place in the world. Even Shi Man took a full hour to crack the encryption system of the document. This was despite the fact that the technology Shi Man grasped actually far exceeded this world. If she had to go through so much trouble to steal what she wanted, the natives of this world probably could not steal any secrets.. Chapter 656 - Chapter 656: Denunciation Chapter 656: Denunciation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Shi Man hacked into the encryption system, she spent about ten minutes finding the document. It recorded in detail the location of the room where the Netherworld Pavilion stored the huge wooden box for the kidnappers. Room 1502 on the top floor of Building C. When she first hacked into the system, she had obtained the layout plan of the entire Netherworld Pavilion. At that time, she realized that the building of the Netherworld Pavilion looked like it was being protected by a group of people standing outside, but in fact, they were protecting the main control center building in the middle. Seat C was in front of the main control center. The security was extremely tight. It was almost impossible to steal a living person from there, let alone a woman who had most likely lost her ability to act. However, this difficulty was nothing to Shi Man. She held her cell phone and her fingers flew across the screen. Soon, she mapped out a feasible route. Just as she was about to refine the process of saving the hostage, Shi Man¡¯s phone suddenly rang. The caller was Lu Jun. At this moment, he was in the meeting room of the army, looking at the other leaders. As soon as Shi Man picked up the phone, the low voice of the Lu Jun immediately sounded. ¡°Where are you?¡± was all he asked. Shi Man was stunned for a moment before she understood that he already knew what had happened at the event location where the hostages were rescued. She simply turned off the system and leaned back in her chair to answer slowly, ¡°I¡¯m on the mission.¡± Lu Jun took a deep breath. ¡°Of course I know you¡¯re on the mission, but the mission I gave you was to rescue the hostage. Now that the hostage has been successfully saved, what mission are you still on?¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Only 1 can save this woman. Those police can¡¯t do it alone. I¡¯ll take action tonight. I promise to return a complete hostage to you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Shi Man!¡± Lu Jun stood up angrily and walked to the window. He barely vented the anger in his heart. ¡°The mission assigned to you by the army has been completed. You should bring the team back immediately to report your work! You don¡¯t have to worry about anything else!¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± Shi Man was shocked by his voice. She switched her phone to her other hand and continued to explain, ¡°Only I can save this woman. I¡¯m not being arrogant. I¡¯m telling the truth. If I don¡¯t go, she might stay in an impenetrable place forever. There might only be death waiting for her.¡± She was telling the truth. She would not tell Lu Jun directly about the black market and the Netherworld Pavilion, because then she would be labeled a traitor by the black market. At that time, Immaculate would no longer exist. Moreover, even if she told the truth, Lu Jun would probably not do anything. She would never believe that the Netherworld Pavilion could stand in the capital for so long without the protection of an extremely high-ranking leader. Lu Jun heard the seriousness in her tone and subconsciously rubbed his fingertips behind his back. He criticized her sternly as usual, ¡°The most important thing in the army is to obey orders. This is your first mission. You completed it very well, so I won¡¯t be too harsh on you. However, you¡¯re definitely not allowed to act alone next time.¡± Shi Man did not take his words to heart. How she acted was her own business. If Lu Jun really couldn¡¯t stand her, he wouldn¡¯t continue to put her in an important position. At that time, she would be happy and at ease. But if he still couldn¡¯t bear to let her go, he could only go with her wishes. She could do whatever she wanted. Therefore, after Lu Jun finished nagging, Shi Man only replied with a perfunctory ¡°Yes¡±. Then, she used the excuse of an ¡°urgent situation¡± and hung up the call. The office was still filled with Lu Jun¡¯s roar, but in an instant, the notification of the call being hung up came from the cell phone receiver. The scene was especially awkward. The other leaders were all under Lu Jun. When they saw this situation, they did not dare to make a sound. They lowered their heads and tried their best to pretend that they did not hear anything. Lu Jun put his phone back into his pocket and walked back to the head of the table expressionlessly. He slowly pulled out a chair and sat down. After a long silence, he said earnestly, ¡°This time, 1 didn¡¯t tell Shi Man in advance about the rules that she should follow. She completed her mission well this time, so I won¡¯t bicker with her for the time being. If you think she needs to be criticized and corrected, feel free to mention it. I will definitely discipline my student strictly.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the others looked at one another. What kind of person was Lu Jun? He had already taught Shi Man a lesson in front of them just now, but she hung up on him. How could they dare to say anything? The man sitting at the bottom of the army ranks hurriedly flattered Chief Lu¡¯s student is indeed peerless. She completed her mission so beautifully on her first mission. We can¡¯t wait to praise her, so how can we bear to criticize her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Shi Man is a talent. Our army needs the injection of such fresh blood. I believe she can definitely play a good lead in the army!¡± When one person spoke first, the others echoed.. Chapter 657 - Chapter 657: Internal Disorder Chapter 657: Internal Disorder Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lu Jun felt comfortable when he heard this, and his expression finally softened a little. ¡°In that case, this is the end of the matter. When Shi Man comes back and writes the report, this mission will be completed.¡± Since he had already said so, how could the others dare to have any objections? Actually, everyone knew very well that Lu Jun had never wanted to punish Shi Man from the beginning. He had only done that to shut them up. At the black market, Shi Man shrugged away the useless nagging of Lu Jun and turned on her cell phone to plan the night¡¯s operation. When the night was dark, the entire black market was covered in a layer of fog. There was an endless stream of people on the streets. There was much more traffic than in the day, but it did not make people feel lively. Instead, it made every one of them tense. Everyone who came and went wore a mask, as if this could protect the secret that they didn¡¯t want outsiders to know. Most of the people who came to the black market were doing shady work, so they were already used to wearing dark clothes to facilitate hiding at any time. However, in the hotel lobby opposite the Netherworld Pavilion today, a man in a white Chinese tunic suit had been drinking tea slowly. His sharp gaze passed through the mask, making others even more afraid to investigate his identity. The boss was overjoyed to see his esteemed guest again. He hurriedly got someone to brew a pot of good tea to replace the ordinary pot of flower tea on his table. The man only smiled when he saw this. He didn¡¯t blame the waiter for being negligent just now, nor was he surprised by the boss¡¯s deliberate flattery. He just took a calm look and quickly looked away. The waiter was surprised that he had sat here without moving for the entire night. What was he looking at? He followed his gaze and looked out of the window. Only then did he realize that he had been staring in the direction of the entrance of the Netherworld Pavilion opposite. Could it be that he was involved with the people there? Thinking of this possibility, the waiter hurriedly put away his curiosity and filled the teacup in front of him before quickly retreating to the side with the tray. It was definitely not a good thing to be related to the Netherworld Pavilion. Everyone in the black market knew that although the Netherworld Pavilion looked like a storage place in the black market on the surface, there was actually a powerful pair of hands secretly commanding the black market. They could not afford to offend people related to the Netherworld Pavilion at all. If they accidentally offended someone, they would probably end up with an incomplete corpse. The man saw all the people coming and going at the entrance of the Netherworld Pavilion, but he did not move at all. He just kept fanning himself, as if he was waiting for someone to appear. It was late at night, and the customers in the shop had changed wave after wave, but he still occupied the window seat and didn¡¯t even move. In the C Building of the Netherworld Pavilion, a black shadow took advantage of the chaos and rushed out of the night, slipping into the heavily guarded building. At this moment, the Netherworld Pavilion¡¯s main control building was in complete chaos. Tonight, the defense system, which had always been impregnable, suddenly had an extremely serious malfunction. The entire defense system was almost paralyzed. The repair crew was so busy that they were sweating profusely, but they still could not find the problem with the system. The entire Netherworld Pavilion was in an uproar. It had to be known that the documents in the General Control Center were all confidential documents of the Netherworld Pavilion. If they lost one, there would be irreparable trouble. At best, they would lose their reputation in the black market. At worst, their golden reputation would probably never be restored. Supervisor Xiao was as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof. He paced around the general control center with sweat all over his forehead. He dialed the phone in his hand again and again, but he could not contact his boss. He was unlucky today. There were countless managers in the Netherworld Pavilion, but the problem occurred on hos shift. If Boss blamed him, he would definitely not be able to absolve himself of the blame. Just as he wanted to apologize with his life, the hackers behind him who were busy repairing the system suddenly exclaimed. Supervisor Xiao was so frightened that his cell phone almost fell to the ground. He hurriedly ran to the computer and stared at the code on the screen. ¡°Have you found the cause?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t find it.¡± Hacker N shrugged helplessly. Seeing that Supervisor Xiao¡¯s mood had become even more irritable, he quickly changed the topic and explained, ¡°However, our documents shouldn¡¯t be leaked. This isn¡¯t a big problem. The anti-theft system that the few of us have been busy building for a month is still in effect. The trouble only lies within us. The people outside will still be blocked by the firewall.¡± Supervisor Xiao heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°That¡¯s great. When can it be repaired?¡± Hacker N was silent for a moment. He estimated the time and said, ¡°It should be taken care of tonight.¡± Supervisor Xiao¡¯s tense body completely relaxed. His legs went weak and he sat on the ground. He couldn¡¯t care less about his image and quickly waved his hand to reject the hacker¡¯s help. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me.. Fixing the system is more important than anything else!¡± Chapter 658 - Chapter 658: Kindness Chapter 658: Kindness Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the dim room, the woman sat alone on the wide bed. Her hands and feet were tied up and she could not move. Inside the house, the curtains were tightly drawn, and there was no light coming through. She could not remember how long she had been locked up here. She only knew that her stomach was in so much pain that she could not feel anything. If she did not think of a way to get out, she would definitely die here. If she had not shown kindness that day, perhaps none of this would have happened. That day, the sun was shining brightly. She had just finished a class with the students when she received a call from the hospital. In the past, when she was in university, she was sent by the school to donate stem cells to the hospital, so her sample had been stored in the hospital¡¯s database. She did not take it to heart, but she did not expect to receive a call from the hospital many years later. ¡°Hello, this is the City People¡¯s Hospital. Are you Miss Tang Zhi? Our hospital has just taken in a critical patient. Based on the stem cells you once donated, your profile matches that of the patient. Are you willing to come to the hospital to donate bone marrow to the patient?¡± Tang Zhi¡¯s hands and feet turned cold when she received this call. Back then, she only went to the hospital to donate cells for credits, but she didn¡¯t expect to be needed one day. However, donating her bone marrow was not a small matter. She did not have the courage to sacrifice her bone marrow selflessly. When the hospital heard that there was no sound from the phone for a long time, they understood what was going on. They only persuaded her a few more times before hanging up. Although Tang Zhi felt guilty and uneasy, she could only try her best to put this matter behind her and not think about it. However, what she did not expect was that the call was just the beginning. A few days ago, she had just left the house when she was stopped by a rough-looking man. The man seemed to know her. When he saw her come out, he immediately greeted her and dragged her into the car. ¡°Let go of me. Where are you taking me? My mother calls me every night. If she can¡¯t contact me, she¡¯ll definitely call the police!¡± Tang Zhi was trying to hoodwink the man to scare him. However, the man was unmoved. He held her shoulders and made her unable to move. ¡°Don¡¯t scream yet. Listen to me, Miss Tang. I¡¯m really here to beg you for something very important!¡± ¡°Beg me? Then let go of me first!¡± In the narrow car seat, Tang Zhi couldn¡¯t struggle against a man as strong as an ox. She could only try her best to soften her tone and cooperate with the man to quieten down first. Seeing that she was no longer struggling, the man released his grip tentatively. However, he still pressed the button on the car door and locked her side of the car. ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡± Tang Zhi became even more flustered when she saw the man¡¯s actions. She subconsciously put her hands behind her back and was about to call the police. But even her little intentions were easily seen through by the man. He snatched her phone away and held it in his hand. Then, he begged her humbly, ¡°Can you not call the police? I really don¡¯t have any ill intentions. 1 just want you to save my daughter!¡± ¡°Your daughter?¡± Tang Zhi was stunned for a moment before she reacted. ¡°Is the call from the hospital true? Your daughter is the patient who needs a bone marrow donation?¡± The man nodded heavily, and a trace of hope appeared in his eyes. ¡°I know you¡¯re a teacher. Teachers love their students very much, right? My daughter is just in kindergarten. She¡¯s really too young. 1 only have one daughter. Can you please save her? I¡¯m willing to give you any amount of money you want. Really, I¡¯m willing to go bankrupt. As long as you can save my daughter, I¡¯m willing to do anything!¡± Looking at the man¡¯s pitiful appearance, Tang Zhi gradually relaxed the tension in her mind. Although her hands were still trembling from shock, she was much calmer than before. She hesitated for a moment, subconscious guilt in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. 1 don¡¯t want to be on the operating table. I¡¯m really afraid. Can you find someone else? There might be someone willing to donate bone marrow to match your daughter.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a teacher!¡± The man widened his eyes in disbelief and grabbed her wrist with a low growl. His expression was as fierce as a Rakshasa about to eat someone. Tang Zhi, who had just relaxed, became vigilant again. She began to resist the man¡¯s grasp desperately, but she could only be suppressed by the man. She was pressed against the car seat and could not move. When Tang Zhi was hired by this school, she rented an old neighborhood close to the school in order to take care of her paralyzed mother. The rent here was cheap, and the neighbors were all enthusiastic uncles and aunties. Usually, when she went to school for class, these neighbors would help her take care of her mother. She had always felt that this place was quiet and secluded, suitable for her mother to recuperate. However, she did not expect that this place would also make her cry out in vain. After an unknown period of time, Tang Zhi was a little tired from struggling. Her neatly combed hair was also in a mess.. Chapter 659 - Chapter 659: Help Chapter 659: Help Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing that she finally had the intention to give up struggling, the man loosened his grip slightly, but he still pressed against her and said, ¡°I¡¯m begging you for the last time. As long as you promise to save my daughter, I can give you anything you want.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Tang Zhi glared at him coldly and barely held back the fear in her heart. She thought that she could still mediate with the man for a while so that she could take the opportunity to think of a way to escape. However, she did not expect that the man would run out of patience just as she asked. He suddenly took out a handkerchief from behind her back and pressed it against her mouth while she was in a daze. Then, she suddenly fell unconscious. When she woke up again, she found herself lying in this dark and empty room. The only thing she was glad about was that the man didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of attacking her. The hemp rope tied around her wrists had already been deeply embedded in her flesh, and blood was flowing everywhere. Her originally rosy and bright face had turned pale. It was as if an old man was lying weakly on the bed, staring blankly in the direction of the door. Suddenly, the tightly shut door in front of her seemed to move, followed by a soft click. Tang Zhi, who was weak all over, was shocked by this sudden change. She actually gathered her strength from somewhere and suddenly sat up from the bed, staring fixedly at the door that was slightly open. She hoped that someone would come and save her. During these dark days, she had been looking forward to someone coming here to save her. However, she knew in her heart that the only person who could come here was the man who was like a demon forcing her to donate her bone marrow. Perhaps the next person to enter was the person who had come to take her life. The door was slowly pushed open by the person outside. The light at the door seeped into the room, stimulating Tang Zhi to subconsciously close her eyes. However, in the next moment, she still stubbornly opened her eyes and boldly looked straight into the dazzling light, wanting to see who it was. Soon, a figure squeezed through the crack in the door. Right on the heels of that, Tang Zhi suddenly smelled an extremely faint fragrance. She looked up in the direction of the smell and suddenly met a face wearing a silver mask. That face was covered so tightly that she couldn¡¯t tell who it was. However, she could still deduce that the other party was a woman from her thin figure. Tang Zhi heaved an inexplicable sigh of relief, but in the next second, she gasped as the person approached her. She stared at the person¡¯s mask warily. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Shi Man could tell that the woman was nervous, but she only comforted her softly and did not continue. Tang Zhi didn¡¯t expect this to be the first thing the other party said to her! Thinking of the man¡¯s motive for kidnapping her here, Tang Zhi pursed her thin lips and advised with a trembling voice, ¡°1 know your condition is serious, but you can¡¯t let your father break the law! You can¡¯t kidnap me! Let me go now, and I won¡¯t argue with you on account of your serious illness. Otherwise, this will be called kidnapping and killing!¡± She thought that her words would move the girl in front of her. However, she could only see the girl slowly reaching out her hands to her, as if she wanted to strangle her. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m willing to donate, okay? 1 can donate my bone marrow. Take me to the hospital, okay! But you have to promise me that you¡¯ll let me go immediately after donating! 1 still have a sick mother in bed at home. She really can¡¯t live without me. Let me go, please!¡± As she spoke, tears welled up in Tang Zhi¡¯s eyes again. The stubbornness that had persisted for so many days completely collapsed at the moment of death. She knew very well that even if the girl did not come to end her life personally, she would probably not be able to last long as long as she was locked up for a few more days and did not eat or drink. Instead of that, it was better for her to agree to donate her bone marrow! However, to her surprise, the girl¡¯s outstretched hands did not freeze because of her words. Instead, they brazenly passed through her shoulders. Tang Zhi closed her eyes nervously. Just as she thought that she was really dead this time, the hemp rope on her wrist suddenly loosened, and right on the heels of that, she felt a sharp pain in her hands and feet. She carefully opened her eyes, only to see the cold white mask. ¡°Done.¡± Shi Man untied her expressionlessly and retreated to the side coldly. She looked at her quietly and said, ¡°Can you still stand on your own?¡± Tang Zhi was stunned for a moment before she realized that the other party might really be here to save her. Her despair was suddenly swept away, and she was immediately so excited that tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Thank you, I should be able to!¡± ¡°Then stand up and walk by yourself.¡± Shi Man turned around and opened the door slightly. She narrowed her eyes and sized up the empty corridor outside.. Chapter 660 - Chapter 660: Saved Chapter 660: Saved Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this moment, the people from the Netherworld Pavilion were still unaware that someone had sneaked into Building C. It seemed that the trouble she had created for them just now was not small. It was enough for them to deal with for a while. This place was safe for the time being. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shi Man opened the door and was about to leave. Behind her, an arm suddenly stretched out and weakly supported itself against the wall. Shi Man glanced coldly at the pale woman and frowned slightly at the wounds on her wrists and ankles. ¡°You can¡¯t walk anymore?¡± The woman blushed. Because of her nervousness and panic, her heart beat even faster. ¡°My legs are a little weak. Can you help me?¡± Tang Zhi regretted it as soon as she said this. The girl who came looked even thinner than her. How could she help her up? Moreover, she had never seen this girl before and did not know why she took the risk to save her. Just as Tang Zhi tried her best to grit her teeth and hold on to the wall to stabilize herself, the girl in front of her suddenly bent down and squatted in front of her, revealing a thin back to her. ¡°Come up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tang Zhi was stunned for a moment, not understanding what she meant. Shi Man turned her face away impatiently. ¡°Come up. Do you want to continue to stay here?¡± ¡°Oh! Okay!¡± Tang Zhi was afraid that she would really leave her like this. Although she was a little uneasy, she still obediently lay on her back. Tang Zhi thought that it would be very difficult for this girl to carry her, but to her surprise, Shi Man could actually walk easily with her on her back. Moreover, this building seemed to be empty. They did not encounter anyone downstairs. Shi Man sneaked into the night with Tang Zhi on her back. Soon, she found the corner where she came from with familiarity. After successfully leaving the Netherworld Pavilion, she suddenly thought of something and took out a black cloth from her pocket and handed it to the woman on her back. ¡°Put it on.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tang Zhi took the cloth, not understanding what she meant. Shi Man realized that this hostage was a little stunned and explained patiently, ¡°Cover your eyes. I¡¯ll bring you out. If you dare to peek at this road, I¡¯ll leave you here to fend for yourself!¡± The woman on her back clearly stiffened. She hurriedly covered her eyes with the cloth and tied a dead knot behind her head, afraid that this savior she had waited so long for would really leave her here. Shi Man waited for her to blindfold herself and confirm that she could not peek before walking steadily again. The girl¡¯s back was very narrow but very reliable. Tang Zhi lay on her back and felt her body sway as she walked. Her consciousness actually became dizzy, and her originally nervous heart gradually stabilized. After an unknown period of time, just as Tang Zhi was about to fall asleep from exhaustion, she suddenly felt a chill around her, making her shiver. Before she could ask in a panic, she heard someone open the car door in the next second. Right on the heels of that, she was thrown into the soft backseat of the car. Just as she was about to take off the cloth, a cold voice suddenly sounded from above. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to take it off. If you dare to disobey halfway, I¡¯ll immediately throw you out of the car.¡± This time, Tang Zhi didn¡¯t dare to move. Her heart was in her throat. She heard the car door close and open. It was not until the car engine sounded that she confirmed that the girl was not sitting beside her. Only then did she feel relieved. After an unknown period of time, she seemed to have heard the sound of a police car. Right on the heels of that, the car suddenly stopped after braking. She heard the girl driving in front of her click her tongue impatiently. Then, several uniform footsteps sounded around the car, as if there were people surrounding them. ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Tang Zhi asked tentatively. After all, this matter had started because of her. She didn¡¯t want to implicate the girl and get her into trouble. If there was really danger, she was willing to let the girl escape first. Anyway, she had already been locked up once, so she wasn¡¯t afraid of being locked up a second time. However, the fate of being abandoned did not come. She heard the girl snort coldly. Then, right on the heels of that, she let out a long sigh and said, ¡°There¡¯s no danger. You¡¯re safe.¡± Tang Zhi let out a nasal sound in a daze. Then, she heard someone open the car door on her side again. ¡°Is this the hostage?¡± A deep male voice suddenly sounded beside her. Tang Zhi subconsciously trembled in fear and moved to the other side to avoid the person. In the next second, her wrist was grabbed. Tang Zhi hurriedly started to struggle crazily, but before she could scream in fear, the man explained softly again, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m the police. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Police?¡± Tang Zhi was so surprised that she immediately forgot to move. She quickly grabbed the arm and said, ¡°Are you really a police officer? Are you really here to save me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The man replied and reached out to remove the cloth on her face. Only then did Tang Zhi slowly open her eyes. When she saw that the person in front of her was indeed wearing a police uniform, she immediately cried tears of joy. ¡°Great, the police are finally here.. I¡¯m finally saved!¡± Chapter 661 - Chapter 661: Detention Chapter 661: Detention Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this moment, the car Tang Zhi was in was surrounded by police cars. There were dazzling red and blue lights all around, and the sirens were incessant. In the quiet night, it made people feel especially uneasy. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t be agitated. Please cooperate with our investigation first.¡± After two police officers helped Tang Zhi out of the car, they realized that her hands and feet were covered in ligature marks. As soon as Tang Zhi¡¯s feet touched the ground, she subconsciously felt weak. She subconsciously searched for Shi Man in the crowd, but she realized that the driver¡¯s door had long been opened, and there was no one inside. When this group of police surrounded her, Shi Man knew that trouble would definitely be inevitable. Therefore, she took advantage of the chaos and hid in the crowd. Before Liu Wei could find her, she quietly disappeared into the darkness. Unexpectedly, before she could run far, she was stopped by a black car. Shi Man stopped in her tracks expressionlessly. It was not until the car door opened and she saw the familiar man get out of the car that her tense face suddenly relaxed. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± Shi Man watched as the man got closer and closer to her, but she did not mind his approach at all. Yi Zheng raised his hand and rubbed the top of her head. His tone was intimate and domineering. ¡°To be able to appear in time when my fiancee needs me and bring her home is something 1 should do as her fiancee.¡± ¡°You know my whereabouts like the back of your hand?¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes. She clearly did not intend to let him fool her so easily. Yi Zheng saw the seriousness on her face and his heart tightened slightly. He suddenly felt a little uncertain. ¡°Are you angry?¡± Shi Man shook her head gently and said, ¡°No, you¡¯ve indeed helped me a lot by appearing here now.¡± Yi Zheng heaved a sigh of relief and turned around to open the car door for her. ¡°Are we going home first?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m done with my work. Of course, I have to go home.¡± Shi Man got into the car with a calm expression, but she realized that the man outside the car had not moved. She tilted her head in surprise and realized that he was staring straight at her wrist. Shi Man followed his gaze and looked down. When she saw her bare wrist, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°I stored it in a safe place. 1¡¯11 get it back tomorrow. 1 didn¡¯t lose it.¡± She subconsciously explained. Yi Zheng raised his eyebrows in interest before sitting beside her. After closing the car door, he instructed the chauffeur to drive home. The next day, Shi Man went to the black market before reporting to the army. Since that bracelet was the Yi family¡¯s heirloom, Shi Man wanted to take it back as soon as possible to prevent any mishaps. However, things did not go as smoothly as she had imagined. It was as if the Netherworld Pavilion had not woken up in the morning. The entire building was silent. Only the attendant standing at the door was waiting for something. This time, Shi Man walked straight through the main door. She had an official contract with the Netherworld Pavilion. She only wanted to take back what she had stored here. There was no need to sneak around. When the attendant saw her, his chaotic eyes lit up, and he hurriedly welcomed her right on the heels of that. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re finally here. Our supervisor was just about to call you.¡± Shi Man had only come to the Netherworld Pavilion once on the surface, but she did not expect this person to be waiting for her. She frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The attendant nodded and said with an apologetic expression, ¡°It¡¯s like this. There was a serious malfunction in the system of the Netherworld Pavilion last night. The building where your items are stored happens to be within the malfunction range, so you can¡¯t retrieve your items for the time being before the system is repaired. However, our boss said that this is an internal problem of our Netherworld Pavilion. If you come to collect the goods during the period before the repair, we will give you the full storage fee.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly and said with a faint smile, ¡°Do you mean that you can¡¯t return it to me today?¡± The attendant smiled apologetically. ¡°We¡¯re deeply sorry for the inconvenience we caused you, but the data related to you is being urgently repaired. Once it¡¯s repaired, we¡¯ll contact you immediately. If it¡¯s not convenient for you to come and collect the goods, we¡¯ll also arrange a delivery service for you.¡± The measures taken by the Netherworld Pavilion after the malfunction were considered perfect. However, the key to the problem was that Shi Man was the one who caused the system to malfunction. No one knew better than her what this malfunction would affect. She had not touched the stored documents at all. Why was there a need to repair the portion of system data that belonged to her? It seemed that the person behind the Netherworld Pavilion did not intend to let her take back the bracelet today. Thinking of this, Shi Man sneered. The mastermind was probably deliberately making things difficult for her. However, she really couldn¡¯t figure out what the person behind her could achieve by keeping the bracelet from her. At this moment, on the top floor of the Netherworld Pavilion Master¡¯s control center building, the man in a Chinese tunic suit slowly fanned himself. Looking at the girl who was stopped by the surveillance cameras, he suddenly turned his head and instructed his secretary beside him, ¡°Keep a close eye on her movements after she leaves the black market and report to me in time..¡± Chapter 662 - Chapter 662: Chatterbox Chapter 662: Chatterbox Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man didn¡¯t spend much time with the attendant before returning to the army. She wanted to see what the mastermind wanted to do. Today, the soldiers were especially enthusiastic when they saw her. Along the way, they met many people who took the initiative to greet her. While Shi Man was surprised, she pretended not to see it. It was not until the moment she walked into the office that she realized why the troops were so abnormal today. It turned out that the leader of the army had personally come to the office to wait for her. Seeing that she had arrived, he slowly stood up from the chair that should have belonged to her and came over to shake her hand with a smile. ¡°Shi Man, congratulations. You were able to complete such a dangerous mission yesterday so smoothly. It seems that Chief Lu really didn¡¯t misjudge you. You¡¯re indeed a rare talent.¡± Overnight, the legendary incident of Shi Man saving the hostage at the event location yesterday was completely spread. Now, everyone knew that Shi Man had actually sneaked into the dangerous building alone. Not only had she successfully saved the hostage, but she had also eliminated the landmines alone before the subsequent troops arrived. The police¡¯s preparation for a prolonged battle became useless because of Shi Man. The police and the kidnappers were in a stalemate for a day and night and were helpless against them. However, Shi Man actually resolved the crisis when she arrived. I low could others not admire her ability and skills? However, at the same time, there were actually many people criticizing Shi Man behind her back. Zhang Rui was one of them. After Shi Man was personally invited to the meeting room to report the mission, Zhang Rui started discussing with someone in the office. Zhang Rui looked at Shi Man¡¯s back as she was taken away by the leader and sneered. ¡°What did she mean by sneaking into the building alone? She didn¡¯t listen to orders at all! Actually, Captain Liu Wei had already arranged everything. It was Shi Man who was anxious for quick success and snatched the credit. Actually, even without her, the police could have successfully saved the hostage yesterday!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Moreover, I heard that she left her post last night and did something unrelated to the mission. She even dared to directly contradict Chief Lu. She¡¯s simply lawless! Such a person is not suitable to stay in the army at all. If it were Instructor Chu, she would definitely be able to complete yesterday¡¯s mission better.¡± The person who was badmouthing Shi Man with Zhang Rui was the female instructor, Zhao Jing. She had a good relationship with Chu Yue, so she couldn¡¯t stand Shi Man stealing their limelight. Zhang Rui sighed softly and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because she has someone backing her? People like us who rely on our own hard work to realize our ideals are destined to be incomparable to her.¡± ¡°How are we inferior to her? We¡¯ve been in the army for so long, what dangerous missions haven¡¯t we carried out? Moreover, she only has Chief Lu as her backer. Isn¡¯t Yueyue also Chief Lu¡¯s student? She¡¯s not as arrogant as she is.¡± Zhao Jing pursed her lips in disdain. Her words were filled with disdain for Shi Man. In fact, Chu Yue did not treat Zhao Jing very well. All along, Zhao Jing had just been sticking her face to her cold butt. However, Zhao Jing was willing. Moreover, Chu Yue was best at showing concern for Zhao Jing from time to time, making her seem benevolent. In fact, she had never done anything of value for Zhao Jing; she simply allowed Zhao Jing to delude herself into thinking that there was deep friendship between her and Chu Yue. To Zhao Jing, Chu Yue was undoubtedly the only big tree she could climb. She could rely on Chu Yue to show off, so she hoped that Chu Yue could stay in the army for a long time. Only then could she continue to use her power to make the people in the army not dare to offend her easily. Therefore, on the first day Shi Man arrived, she had already thought of chasing her away. Now, she and Zhang Rui hit it off. They exchanged glances and left the office together to discuss their plan. Fang Mo had long been annoyed by the two women chattering in the office. Now that they had finally left, he heaved a sigh of relief and touched his forehead. He took out his phone and hesitated for a long time before typing a message. ¡°You have to be more careful in the army in the future.¡± After sending this message, he realized that a man had silently stood behind him. He was shocked. He hurriedly put away his cell phone and asked uncertainly, ¡°What did you see?¡± That person was another male instructor in the office, Hong Ze. He had never liked to participate in any activities other than training. Even during his lunch break, he returned to the dormitory to rest alone. He was like a machine all day, as if he did not care about anything other than training. Therefore, the moment Fang Mo realized that the person behind him was Hong Ze, other than being shocked, he heaved a sigh of relief. No matter what Hong Ze saw, with his personality, he probably wouldn¡¯t tell anyone. Sure enough, in the next second, Hong Ze looked away coldly and continued to fetch water from the water dispenser. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to look at things that have nothing to do with me.¡± Fang Mo¡¯s worried heart finally relaxed, but he still felt a little guilty. He took the initiative to place the food box his wife had prepared for him on Hong Ze¡¯s table.. ¡°Do you want to eat apple slices?¡± Chapter 663 - Chapter 663: Fight Chapter 663: Fight Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hong Ze frowned when he saw someone else¡¯s things on his desk. ¡°No, take them away.¡± Fang Mo was a little embarrassed. He quickly picked up his things as if he had been electrocuted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My wife prepared a lot of fruits for me today. 1 was thinking that since we¡¯re colleagues, 1¡¯11 share them with you.¡± Hong Ze¡¯s expression softened. ¡°No, thank you.¡± Only then did Fang Mo walk back to his table and sit down. He carefully looked in Hong Ze¡¯s direction again. Seeing that he was no longer looking in his direction, he picked up his phone again to see if Shi Man had replied to him. However, the empty information interface disappointed him. At this moment, Shi Man had just come out of the leader¡¯s office. She calculated that there was still some time before the training, so she went to the canteen for breakfast first. She left the house too early this morning, so she didn¡¯t wake the butler to cook for her alone. It was work time, but there was still a lot of breakfast left. Shi Man casually scooped a bowl of porridge and an egg and sat in the corner to eat. Unexpectedly, someone came to cause trouble for her right after she took a bite. Zhang Rui leaned against the table where Shi Man was in disdain and looked down coldly at what she was eating. The lollipop in her mouth suddenly fell into Shi Man¡¯s porridge bowl. ¡°Aiyo, I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Why don¡¯t you scoop another bowl?¡± Although Zhang Rui said this, there was no guilt on her face. Shi Man looked up at her calmly and picked up a tissue to wipe her sleeve that had been splashed with porridge. There was no anger on her face. Seeing this, Zhang Rui¡¯s eyes became even more smug. She knew that no matter how arrogant Shi Man was, it was impossible for her to really dare to contradict her. After all, she was Shi Man¡¯s senior! She looked down at Shi Man with a proud expression. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. 1 just didn¡¯t expect someone to dare to come to the canteen to eat during work hours. If 1 tell the leader about this, I¡¯m afraid your military achievements last night will be wasted.¡± Shi Man ignored her. After slowly wiping her sleeves, she threw the tissue into the porridge bowl. Seeing that she was silent, Zhang Rui felt that there was no point in continuing to provoke her. Anyway, Shi Man had already admitted defeat in front of her, so she turned around and left the canteen. Just as she was feeling smug, her head suddenly felt hot. An ear-piercing scream immediately broke the silence in the canteen. The staff who had yet to pack were shocked and looked over. They saw that Instructor Zhang, whom they were familiar with, had a porridge bowl on her head. Porridge and sticky sugar water flowed down his forehead. Soon, Zhang Rui was covered in porridge. ¡°F*ck! Shi Man, are you f*cking crazy?!¡± Zhang Rui roared at Shi Man in disbelief and glared at her angrily. Shi Man patted the nonexistent dust off her hands happily and crossed her arms in interest. ¡°Don¡¯t be too surprised. You deserve this.¡± ¡°Do you f*cking want to die?¡± Zhang Rui smashed the porridge bowl in anger and pounced at Shi Man without caring about her image. Shi Man gently avoided her hand and leaned against the cement pillar on the other side with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re exasperated just like that? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know the consequences of an instructor inciting a fight?¡± ¡°You attacked me first!¡± Zhang Rui glared at her angrily. Her eyes were about to pop out of their sockets, looking ferocious and terrifying. Shi Man shrugged her shoulders calmly. ¡°Why would I attack you? It¡¯s work time now. I didn¡¯t expect Instructor Zhang to appear in the canteen and happen to stand in front of me. Some dog food dropped into my bowl so I wanted to throw away the porridge. However, 1 didn¡¯t expect you to suddenly come out and block the way. My hand slipped and I accidentally knocked the porridge bowl on your head. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Zhang Rui wiped the porridge off her face in exasperation and pointed at Shi Man fiercely. ¡°Do you dare to confront me in front of the leader? I want to see if you can still be so unreasonable!¡± Shi Man smiled indifferently and said, ¡°I can do anything. If you insist on going, I can accompany you. However, you have to make it clear in front of the leaders how the lollipop in your mouth happened to fall into my bowl.¡± Zhang Rui was rendered speechless by her. Her face instantly turned red, and her breath rose to her throat. She wanted to vent, but she couldn¡¯t win against Shi Man, and she couldn¡¯t swallow her anger. She almost blacked out. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Shi Man lazily opened her eyes and looked at her. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, 1 have to go back to work. Instructor Zhang, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± After saying that, she looked at Zhang Rui with interest. The corners of her lips curled up into a mocking arc before she turned around and left the canteen.. Chapter 664 - Chapter 664: Competition Chapter 664: Competition Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man returned to the office for a while before Zhang Rui arrived with wet hair. Fang Mo was slightly stunned to see her drenched appearance. He hurriedly took his towel and went up to her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s not raining outside!¡± Zhang Rui rolled her eyes at Shi Man fiercely and pushed away Fang Mo¡¯s hand that was holding the towel. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Had she eaten dynamite? Fang Mo¡¯s good intentions were treated as ill intentions. He immediately returned to his seat angrily and stopped caring about Zhang Rui. Shi Man did not even look at her, as if this had nothing to do with her. However, even if Shi Man did not look up, the sharp gaze behind her could not be ignored. When it was Shi Man¡¯s turn to train in the afternoon, the students led by Yue Ming raised their heads curiously, wanting to hear Shi Man explain the process of completing the mission yesterday. Under the deliberate publicity of the army leader, almost everyone in the army knew the miracle Shi Man had created last night. After all, it was not easy for an ordinary person to successfully save a hostage from armed kidnappers on her own. Even Yue Ming, who had always looked down on women¡¯s abilities, could not help but respect Shi Man With the previous competition, he was even more curious about Shi Man now. He really wanted to know why this woman was so different. However, Shi Man was not in the mood to satisfy their curiosity. She kept a straight face as she methodically trained her soldiers, ignoring the heat in their eyes. In the beginning, these people were still depressed because Shi Man ignored them, but gradually, they inexplicably realized that Shi Man¡¯s training methods were different from Chu Yue¡¯s. When Chu Yue was the instructor, their bodies would be exhausted every time, but they did not gain much. They could only comfort themselves that training was not something that could be done overnight. They had to work hard and persevere to achieve the improvement they wanted. However, after training with Shi Man for two days, although they still felt tired, they could subconsciously sense their improvement every day. It was as if their physical fitness increased faster than others when they were training with Shi Man. Yue Ming was the most sensitive to this feeling. After an entire day of training, he took the initiative to compete with Shi Man again. The entire class stared at Yue Ming¡¯s stubborn back in disbelief. A student who was deeply afraid of being implicated by Yue Ming hurriedly went up to stop him. ¡°Class Monitor, it¡¯s already time for us to rest. Let¡¯s hurry to the canteen to eat.¡± ¡°Go on your own.¡± Yue Ming glared at him coldly and stared at Shi Man seriously. ¡°Instructor, I don¡¯t mean anything else. I just want to confirm how much I¡¯ve improved.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly and walked slowly to him with her hands behind her back. ¡°You¡¯ve only practiced for two days and you¡¯re already anxious to succeed. If you can¡¯t defeat me today, you won¡¯t be able to defeat me a year later. What¡¯s the difference?¡± Was she saying that Yue Ming was not her match even if he trained for another year? The students beside him sucked in a cold breath. They all knew that Yue Ming had always been arrogant. Now that Shi Man had said the difference in strength between the two of them so bluntly, would Yue Ming lose his mind and immediately go berserk? The students looked at each other nervously and hurriedly squeezed between the two of them. ¡°Instructor, I think what you said makes sense. We indeed need more training. It¡¯s indeed a little impatient to propose a challenge at this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Class Monitor. Let¡¯s go eat first. At most, we¡¯ll come to the training ground to train for a while tonight.¡± ¡°Training won¡¯t be effective just because you work overtime.¡± Shi Man corrected his thoughts at the right time. She placed her hands behind her back and said calmly, ¡°If you can¡¯t let your bodies get the rest they deserve, then continuing training will only increase the burden on your bodies and backfire.¡± The students looked at each other and hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Instructor Shi makes too much sense. Class Monitor, we should strike a balance between work and rest now. Let¡¯s quickly go eat and not delay the instructor¡¯s rest.¡± However, no matter what others said, Yue Ming remained unmoved. He shifted his shoulder slightly and dodged the person¡¯s hand. He took a step forward and stood in front of Shi Man. ¡°Compete with me so that I know if I¡¯ve improved or not. 1 won¡¯t take up too much of your time. Just compete once.¡± The student hurriedly gave the boy closest to Yue Ming a look, indicating for him to quickly persuade Yue Ming to leave. After Yue Ming proposed the competition last time, they ran a full 20 kilometers with weights. They did not want to try such a painful experience again. Unless he did not implicate them! However, the only things that matter were what Shi Man said! Seeing that the expressions of the surrounding students had become a little depressed, Yue Ming narrowed his eyes in understanding. ¡°Instructor, this is a competition I¡¯m personally issuring to you. It has nothing to do with others. You can let them rest first..¡± Chapter 665 - Chapter 665: Opposite Sex Chapter 665: Opposite Sex Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Unexpectedly, Yue Ming took the initiative to plead on their behalf. The surrounding students looked at him gratefully, waiting for Shi Man to answer. Actually, what Yue Ming said made sense. As an instructor, Shi Man had the obligation to assess students, so she nodded and said, ¡°Alright, what do you want to compete this time?¡± The students looked nervously at Yue Ming¡¯s side profile. His tense jaw suddenly relaxed, and there was a hint of joy on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s compete in a five-kilometer hurdle run.¡± He had been training with Shi Man for the past two days and felt that his agility and physical fitness had increased by a level. He needed to confirm his true strength. Shi Man nodded indifferently and said, ¡°Sure, the others will go to the canteen first.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly saw a circle of longing gazes around her. She immediately sighed and said, ¡°You can stay and watch if you want, but don¡¯t blame me when there¡¯s no food in the canteen.¡± They did not expect Instructor Shi, who had always had a cold expression, to be so easy to talk to today! The students gradually revealed relaxed and familiar expressions. ¡°Instructor, don¡¯t worry. Being able to see your competition is more important than being able to eat a hundred bowls of rice tonight.¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shake her head. Together with Yue Ming, they were escorted to the starting line. The long hurdle run tested endurance and reflexes. ;Shi Man had always been invincible in this aspect. Yue Ming could already see this through the last shooting competition, but he still wanted to face the difficulties. He was a an admirer of strength. He looked down on Shi Man when he first met her, but he respected her now. With a loud bang from the starting gun, everyone on the training ground who had yet to disperse was attracted by them. Originally, there were only dozens of people standing beside the starting line, but now, more than a hundred people surrounded them. All of them looked curiously at the two figures on the track. Shi Man had never needed to deliberately conserve her strength when running. The moment the starting gun sounded, she turned into a sharp sword and ran out of the starting line. In an instant, she rushed half a circle away, leaving Yue Ming far behind. In the crowd, Zhang Rui watched this scene coldly and could not help but complain about Shi Man¡¯s brainlessness to Hong Ze. ¡°She wants to prove her strength in front of her students so badly. She used all her strength at the beginning of the race. Her speed will definitely decrease later. Wouldn¡¯t it be even more embarrassing if her student surpass her? She¡¯s really brainless!¡± Hong Ze glanced at her indifferently, then narrowed his eyes and looked seriously at Shi Man, who was clearly still at ease. He shook his head slightly and said, ¡°She didn¡¯t use her full strength.¡± Zhang Rui took the speedometer from her hand in disbelief. 19 kilometers per hour? Zhang Rui could not help but widen her eyes. To think Hong Ze actually said that she had preserved her strength! Did he know what this number represented? It had to be known that the fastest person in the world could only run at 21 kilometers per hour. In the many assessments after Zhang Rui became an instructor, the fastest speed was only 16 kilometers per hour. She remembered that Hong Ze¡¯s results were only 18 kilometers per hour. Which eye of his could tell that Shi Man could still conserve her strength at such a high speed? Zhang Rui snorted in disbelief and returned the speedometer to Hong Ze. She said coldly, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Don¡¯t overestimate her.¡± Although Hong Ze did not want to participate in the dispute between women, he could not help but narrow his eyes in disgust when he saw that Zhang Rui was still as blind as ever. On the track, Shi Man had already left Yue Ming far behind, but she did not look burdened. On the other hand, in order to chase after Shi Man, Yue Ming¡¯s breathing was already unstable and he was sweating profusely. Anyone who saw this would understand that he no longer had the strength to fight Shi Man. However, Yue Ming gritted his teeth and ran the entire time. By the time he crossed the last obstacle, Yue Ming was exhausted. If he only followed his own pace and conserved his strength in the early stages, this distance would not be a problem for him. However, he wanted to keep up with Shi Man¡¯s progress, which caused him to exhaust his stamina in advance. The final outcome was obvious. Yue Ming had lost completely. But he was very happy. This was because he could clearly feel the improvement in his stamina and reaction speed during the long run. He had to admit that Shi Man¡¯s training method was much more effective than Chu Yue¡¯s. He walked up to Shi Man with admiration in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be a talent like Instructor Shi among women. I lost, but I won¡¯t stop here.¡± Shi Man frowned slightly. She was not happy with his compliment. Instead, she felt a little unhappy. ¡°There are many capable women. You haven¡¯t seen them before because you¡¯re short-sighted. In the future, you should put in more effort in training and not look at the opposite sex differently..¡± Chapter 666 - Chapter 666: Struggle Chapter 666: Struggle Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yue Ming did not expect to be reprimanded by Shi Man when he came over to express his determination. He was stunned for a moment before frowning in disapproval. ¡°Women are weak and are indeed not as useful as men in the army. I¡¯m not wrong to say this. Instructor Shi, you¡¯re just an exception.¡± Shi Man sneered and narrowed her eyes in disdain. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re worthy of saying that?¡± These words were a slap in the face. The expressions of the surrounding students, including the instructor, changed. Zhang Rui had just recovered from the shock brought by Shi Man. Now that she saw her arguing with her student in public, she immediately looked like she was watching a good show, completely forgetting that she was also a woman who was being looked down on. Yue Ming puffed up his cheeks indignantly and his expression changed drastically. ¡°Instructor Shi, although 1 haven¡¯t learned it yet, my results in the army have always been top-notch. There are also female soldiers in the army, but their results in first place are far inferior to mine, let alone others.¡± At this moment, the female soldier he had called out, Cheng Luo, was standing at the periphery watching the commotion. Her face turned pale when she was suddenly criticized by him. She couldn¡¯t help but stand up and retort, ¡°The reason my results are far inferior to yours is because of my personal ability. However, this doesn¡¯t mean that all the girls are inferior to you. On the contrary, there are still men among you who are not my match.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand the principle of competing above or below?¡± Yue Ming¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, as if he was silently mocking Cheng Luo for overestimating himself. Cheng Luo was speechless. After all, with her own strength, she was indeed inferior to Yue Ming. All the excuses seemed to have become excuses at this moment. She bit her lower lip in humiliation. Just as she was about to compete with Yue Ming at all costs, the female instructor, who had been calm and composed, suddenly moved. Shi Man sized up Cheng Luo appreciatively. She took Cheng Luo¡¯s arm and confirmed the state of her muscles. In the end, she nodded under Cheng Luo¡¯s shocked gaze. ¡°Your physique is not bad, and your muscles are perfect. If you trust me, 1 can help you beat him in the next assessment.¡± As soon as she said this, everyone was stunned, including Cheng Luo¡¯s instructor. She couldn¡¯t help but walk forward and ask with uncertainty, ¡°Do you really have a way to improve the students¡¯ assessment results in a short period of time?¡± One had to know that the next assessment would be in half a month. In fact, there was nothing she could do in such a short period of time. However, Shi Man still looked confident. When Zhang Rui saw this scene from the periphery, she cursed in a low voice. She suddenly pushed away the person in front of her and walked quickly to the center of the incident. ¡°Shi Man, as an instructor, do you know the consequences of instigating a fight?¡± ¡°You again.¡± Shi Man glanced at her impatiently. ¡°Do you have a hidden position in the army? Why do you like to poke your nose into other people¡¯s business so much? What will happen to me has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°You!¡± Zhang Rui¡¯s face turned red from her words. Then, she snorted and said, ¡°I just want to remind you not to be too willful in the army. After all, this is not your home. If you can¡¯t do it, won¡¯t you embarrass the female soldiers even more?¡± These words hit home with the thoughts of many female soldiers present. They admitted that Shi Man was really strong, but they could not guarantee that they could become as strong as Shi Man in such a short period of time or surpass Yue Ming, who had always been far ahead. If they really agreed to this competition and they still lost, they would probably not be able to raise their heads in the army. Yue Ming was right. Women were always inferior to men in terms of strength¡­ ¡°She won¡¯t lose.¡± Her cold words suddenly interrupted the hesitation of all the female soldiers present. Shi Man stood there quietly with a calm expression. ¡°With me around, she won¡¯t lose.¡± With that, she slowly turned to Cheng Luo and said expressionlessly, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to trust me, 1¡¯11 apply for a transfer with the army. I¡¯ll train your phalanx until the assessment.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The instructor in charge of Cheng Luo still hesitated. However, at this moment, the female soldiers under her could not help but feel their blood boil. Ever since they joined the army, they were unwilling to fall behind others, let alone be suppressed by a man like Yue Ming who looked down on women. After being looked down on for a long time, they wanted a chance to counterattack. Cheng Luo looked at Shi Man intently. The last worry in her heart was suddenly extinguished by the determination in her eyes. Cheng Luo¡¯s heart suddenly warmed. She nodded without thinking and said, ¡°I¡¯m willing to trust you. I¡¯ll rely on you next, Instructor Shi.¡± Shi Man smiled. However, before she could say anything, Zhang Rui interrupted again. ¡°It¡¯s against the rules for instructors to participate in the internal strife between students. Shi Man, you can carry out this competition if you want, but you have to promise that if you lose, you have to bear the consequences for these students and leave the army on your own..¡± Chapter 667 - Chapter 667: The Bet Chapter 667: The Bet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This must be Zhang Rui¡¯s true goal. Shi Man knew what was going on. However, before she could speak, Cheng Luo was the first to stand up and reject on her behalf. ¡°Instructor Zhang, this bet is not in line with the rules. Moreover, even if 1 fail, I should be the one to bear the responsibility for what 1 promised to do. It has nothing to do with Instructor Shi.¡± Zhang Rui¡¯s expression darkened slightly. She sneered and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can talk to me like this just because you¡¯re the first place among the female soldiers. I¡¯m the instructor, your division commander! When I talk to others, you have no right to interrupt!¡± Cheng Luo¡¯s face turned red from her reprimand, but she still argued, ¡°Instructor Zhang, the cause of this matter is related to me, so I should have the right to express my opinion. Moreover, I only said that 1 have to bear my own responsibility. I don¡¯t have any intention of refuting Instructor Zhang. Could this be considered contradicting my division commander?¡± ¡°You!¡± Zhang Rui was so angry that she laughed. Her playful gaze kept glancing at Cheng Luo and Shi Man. ¡°Good, very good. Since you¡¯re so anxious to take responsibility, why don¡¯t the two of you bear it together? The other party in the bet is Yue Ming.¡± Hearing this, Yue Ming frowned slightly, and a fleeting hesitation flashed across his face. He had a deep understanding of Shi Man¡¯s training methods. He did not want to agree to this bet, but now that Instructor Zhang had personally spoken, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, ¡°I can agree to this bet, but 1 have a condition.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Zhang Rui¡¯s eyes lit up impatiently, as if she could already see Shi Man packing up and being chased out of the army. Yue Ming frowned and said in deep thought, ¡°I request to undergo Instructor Shi¡¯s training with Cheng Luo at the same time. This way, if Cheng Luo¡¯s results can surpass mine during the assessment, this result will be more convincing. Otherwise, it will only prove that Instructor Shi is very capable.¡± Zhang Rui naturally believed that Yue Ming could easily defeat Cheng Luo. After all, he had always been an outstanding soldier under Chu Yue. Therefore, Zhang Rui nodded and agreed without thinking. However, Yue Ming did not relax because of this. Instead, he looked at Shi Man carefully. ¡°Instructor Shi, do you agree?¡± As Cheng Luo swallowed nervously, her eyes were wide open. She was clearly waiting for her answer. The atmosphere at the event location suddenly became a little heavy. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on one person. However, as the focus of the storm, Shi Man still had no expression on her face. ¡°1 can teach the two of you at the same time, but I have to make it clear in advance. The best way to improve is different from person to person. At that time, the training content of the two of you might be very different, but 1¡¯11 make the specific training content of both sides public. If you have any objections, you can practice according to the other party¡¯s training plan.¡± This was the fairest training method. Yue Ming nodded decisively. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have to trouble Instructor Shi to coach me next. If 1 lose, 1¡¯11 apologize to Cheng Luo.¡± Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Luo, whose eyes had been red and seemed to be choking, suddenly said, ¡°Instructor Shi and 1 have to accept the punishment in the army if we lose. Instructor Shi even has to leave the army, but when you lose, you get away with a simple apology? Yue Ming, don¡¯t you think this is a little unfair?¡± Yue Ming frowned deeply, his face cold. ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Did this woman really think that she could defeat him? He only said that to make the bet valid. Was this woman really bent on probing what he should do if he lost? This was simply a huge joke. He was a man and had Instructor Shi¡¯s fair guidance. How could he suddenly lose to a woman who had always been inferior to him? He could not imagine what methods Shi Man had to make Cheng Luo improve rapidly in a short period of time! However, Cheng Luo was very concerned about the absolute fairness of the bet. She had to make Yue Ming promise them a price equivalent to theirs. After thinking for a while, Cheng Luo stood up and said in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°Yue Ming, Instructor Zhang means to let Instructor Shi leave the army after losing. If you¡¯re still a man, please leave the army yourself on losing. Similarly, I¡¯ll leave on my own if I lose!¡± This bet had blown up a little! Zhang Rui did not expect Cheng Luo to be so fierce. She actually wanted to leave with Shi Man! However, when she thought of how she could use this opportunity to chase Shi Man away, she did not care if she would ruin Cheng Luo¡¯s future. She tried her best to signal to Yue Ming. When Yue Ming heard this, he was slightly stunned. Of course, he didn¡¯t want to leave the army for such an absurd reason, but at this point, how could he not dare to fight a woman in front of so many people? He simply nodded and replied, ¡°Sure. 1 hope you won¡¯t cry and beg for mercy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll return these words to you,¡± Cheng Luo said sarcastically.. Chapter 668 - Chapter 668: Bet Begins Chapter 668: Bet Begins Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man crossed her arms and watched from the side with interest. Cheng Luo was about the same age as her, but she had such courage and boldness, which surprised her. After Yue Ming left, Zhang Rui felt that this bet would definitely get Shi Man out of the army, so she did not hide her emotions anymore and walked up to Shi Man to challenge her. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to only work with you for half a month before you get chased out. It¡¯s really a pity.¡± Shi Man curled her lips slightly, her eyes dark. ¡°You can¡¯t bear to part with me? Then why don¡¯t you join the bet and leave with me?¡± ¡°Who wants to go with you!¡± Zhang Rui had never seen such a shameless person. She immediately sneered in disgust. ¡°But you still know your limits. You know that you will definitely lose. It¡¯s just that you implicated the first-place student among the female soldiers for nothing. It¡¯s really unlucky to have you.¡± ¡°Since you think I¡¯m unlucky, why did you pity me just now?¡± Shi Man glanced at her lazily. ¡°The competition hasn¡¯t even started, but Instructor Zhang can¡¯t wait to hit me when I¡¯m down. Do you deserve to be called an instructor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worthy, but are you? Why don¡¯t you take a look at yourself! You want to be a leader with your connections at such a young age? I want to see what you can teach!¡± Since Shi Man dared to fall out with her in public, there was naturally no need for her to leave any leeway. Anyway, Shi Man was definitely going to leave this place. As the winner, she naturally had the right to be proud. When Shi Man really left, Zhang Rui could take this to Chu Yue and claim credit. Perhaps she could even be promoted at the end of the year! Thinking of this, Zhang Rui¡¯s eyes became even more smug. She looked at Shi Man as if she was looking at a pile of trash. After taking a look, she looked away in disdain and slowly walked towards the dormitory. Shi Man stood calmly in the middle of the crowd. She lazily raised her eyelids and glanced around. Her cold gaze immediately made the surrounding people shiver. The crowd gradually dispersed, and the whispers faded. Soon, only two thin figures were left in the night. Shi Man turned around and left expressionlessly. Cheng Luo clenched her fists and mustered up the courage to call out to her. ¡°Wait.¡± Shi Man stopped in her tracks and turned her head without turning around. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Will you really train me personally from tomorrow onwards?¡± Cheng Luo was still a little uncertain. The rules of the army were strict. Shi Man was not the instructor in charge of her. Could she really apply for a transfer? Shi Man said coldly, ¡°What I said always counts. Wait for me outside my office tomorrow morning and print out your various physical data and report cards for me.¡± Only then did Cheng Luo feel relieved. Surprise and joy finally appeared on her nervous face. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll definitely be on time tomorrow morning! Thank you, Instructor Shi!¡± Shi Man smiled and turned to leave without saying anything. That night, she told Lu Jun about this bet. Naturally, someone helped her settle all the obstacles. Therefore, early the next morning, the leader of the army issued a transfer order. The phalanx that Shi Man had originally trained included Cheng Luo¡¯s phalanx. Shi Man was in charge of both groups. The instructor in charge of Cheng Luo¡¯s phalanx was temporarily assigned other work before the assessment. He would only return to continue being an instructor after the assessment. Early in the morning, Cheng Luo stood at the office door excitedly. However, before Shi Man could see her, she saw Instructor Zhang, who had come to work after breakfast. Zhang Rui already knew the latest arrangements of the army regarding Shi Man. Seeing the smile on Cheng Luo¡¯s face, her originally sunny mood suddenly turned gloomy. She couldn¡¯t help but walk over and mock, ¡°You still have the mood to be silly here. If you have the time, why don¡¯t you beg your original instructor and ask her to think of a way to get you out of this bet? Don¡¯t tell me you really think Shi Man is very reliable?¡± Cheng Luo was not angry at her ridicule, but the surprise in her eyes had already faded. Instead, she was a little calm. ¡°Instructor Zhang, we¡¯ll only know if Instructor Shi is reliable based on the assessment results.¡± Zhang Rui seemed to have heard a huge joke. She couldn¡¯t help but shake her head and say, ¡°Stop joking. Don¡¯t you know your own level? Yue Ming was personally taught by Instructor Chu. His level far exceeds yours. You want to defeat Yue Ming in half a month? Isn¡¯t this a fantasy?¡± ¡°Instructor Zhang, you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± Cheng Luo narrowed her eyes and secretly clenched her clothes. She cheered herself on in her heart. ¡°The reason why I¡¯m willing to join this bet is not to surpass Yue Ming, but to give myself a chance.¡± ¡°What chance?¡± Zhang Rui said indifferently. Cheng Luo¡¯s expression was extremely serious. ¡°I want to give myself a chance to prove that although women have some innate disadvantages compared to men, these disadvantages don¡¯t necessarily have to last for a lifetime. They can also be made up for or even surpassed through hard work..¡± Chapter 669 - Chapter 669: Ordinary Instructor Shi Chapter 669: Ordinary Instructor Shi Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhang Rui sized her up, her light eyes gradually overflowing with surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so naive.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± As a woman, Cheng Luo looked back at her in confusion. Zhang Rui was able to become an instructor not only because she wanted to curry favor with Chu Yue. To be honest, her results when she was training in the army back then were not inferior to Chu Yue¡¯s. The reason why she could stand out among the female soldiers was because of her own strength. Otherwise, if she did not have any results, it would have been impossible for Chu Yue to treat her differently. However, over time, her initial ambition had long been blunted. In terms of the four people in her office, she was not as strong as Chu Yue among the women. Compared to Fang Mo and Hong Ze, she was even less of a match. Back then, she and Hong Ze were instructors of the same batch, but Hong Ze¡¯s various results made her only look up to him. No matter how hard she worked, others would only give her an evaluation of ¡°As a woman, that¡¯s already very good.¡± After hearing too much, she gradually accepted the concept that women were inferior to men. Therefore, when she looked at Cheng Luo now, she felt that it was especially dazzling. She couldn¡¯t wait to see Cheng Luo being suppressed by a man forever like what happened with her. Seeing the suspicion in Cheng Luo¡¯s eyes, Zhang Rui sneered and said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you to win. Perhaps in other aspects, women have the possibility of surpassing men, but in the army, this is simply impossible.¡± ¡°Then Instructor Zhang, please wait and see.¡± Suddenly, crisp footsteps came from the corridor, followed right on the heels of a cold voice. Zhang Rui inexplicably shivered at the coldness in this voice. When she turned around and saw Shi Man, the shock in her eyes suddenly turned into disdain. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not bragging.¡± With that, she walked straight into the office and couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to the two of them anymore. Since they were going to take the initiative to embarrass themselves, she would wait to see them make a fool of themselves! ¡°Instructor Shi.¡± Seeing Shi Man, Cheng Luo hurriedly went up to greet her. Shi Man nodded slightly and took the results from her to take a closer look. Cheng Luo¡¯s results were actually not bad, even better than Shi Man had imagined. Although she was still a distance away from Yue Ming, there was still room for improvement. With a little training, she still had the possibility of turning the tables. In the interval where Shi Man was looking at the results slip, Cheng Luo had been staring at her nervously. When she saw that she was only frowning slightly, her heart skipped a beat, afraid that her results would not satisfy her. However, in the next second, Shi Man returned the report card to Cheng Luo and said with a gentle expression, ¡°Not bad. My confidence has increased by 50%.¡± Cheng Luo looked surprised. ¡°Then how confident were you last night?¡± Shi Man hummed softly and laughed under Cheng Luo¡¯s hopeful gaze. ¡°100%.¡± She saw Cheng Luo¡¯s eyes widen in confusion. Shi Man explained helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t do battles I¡¯m not confident of winning. Of course, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re not worth my risk, so let¡¯s work hard together.¡± She slowly reached out to the girl who was still in a daze. Cheng Luo¡¯s eyes lit up. In shock, she held her hand without hesitation and smiled widely. ¡°I will definitely work hard, Instructor Shi. I definitely won¡¯t disgrace you!¡± On the field, the scene of the two sides in an array was still very spectacular. The people from the other phalanxes participating in training would always peek over from time to time, very curious about what special methods Shi Man would use to train Cheng Luo. However, after staring for a while, they quickly looked away in disappointment. Shi Man¡¯s training method was no different from that of an ordinary instructor. They were almost certain that Shi Man was bragging last night. At this moment, the training ground was filled with sand and dust. The wind was so strong that people could barely open their eyes. Cheng Luo narrowed her eyes and tried her best to look at Shi Man, who was standing at the front supervising their push-ups. Although she was also very curious why Instructor Shi did not teach her according to her aptitude as she had said last night, she believed that Instructor Shi must have a reason for doing this. However, just because she believed it didn¡¯t mean that others would believe it. The more Yue Ming trained with Shi Man in the same way, the angrier he became. He had a feeling that Shi Man would use some underhanded methods to win. Now, it seemed that it was true. He was almost certain that Shi Man would definitely give Cheng Luo special treatment after training. Otherwise, how could she explain her ordinary training method? Thinking of this, the way he looked at Shi Man gradually changed. The reverence in his eyes was exhausted by disdain. Upstairs, by the windowsill, Zhang Rui was holding her cell phone and sneering at the ordinary Shi Man outside. ¡°Sister Chu Yue, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely be able to successfully chase her out of the army this time. You¡¯ll be able to take back everything that belongs to you soon..¡± Chapter 670 - Chapter 670: Increase of Bet Chapter 670: Increase of Bet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the blink of an eye, a week had passed. It was already halfway to the assessment, but Shi Man had yet to implement any special teaching had yet to be carried out. Many people were already gradually disappointed in Shi Man. They had thought that the person who could be chosen by Lu Jun had some real ability. Now, it seemed that she was just a little eloquent. Cheng Luo was also secretly anxious. She had been doing this kind of training for more than a year. It was impossible for her to surpass Yue Ming. If this continued, she might really have to voluntarily quit the army. However, although she was anxious, Cheng Luo still did not fall behind in all the training. Shi Man saw all of this and was even more satisfied with Cheng Luo. During the lunch break, the canteen was silent. All the students buried their heads and ate their food silently, but their gazes would drift to the other side from time to time. In the corner, Zhang Rui slammed her plate on the empty seat opposite Shi Man and sat down with a provocative gaze. ¡°There¡¯s still a week left. Treasure the time you have left to work in the army. After this week, you can return to the military academy to continue your class.¡± ¡°What? What does Instructor Shi mean by returning to the military academy for class? Isn¡¯t she an instructor?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know this, right? I heard from my family that Shi Man hasn¡¯t even graduated from the military academy yet. She got in through the back door in advance to be our instructor!¡± ¡°All? No way? Can she even be an instructor like this? Is the threshold for military instructors so low now? What can she teach? No wonder she was so aggressive that day and wanted to bet with someone. It turns out that she¡¯s not afraid of the tiger!¡± ¡°Moreover, I heard that Instructor Chu can¡¯t return to the army because of her. Shi Man is occupying her position and doesn¡¯t know how to teach anything. I think it¡¯s a good thing to let her go this time!¡± ¡°I agree! It will delay many things if such a person continues to stay in the army. Instructor Chu has to come back!¡± As Zhang Rui deliberately revealed something, a low discussion suddenly sounded around her. In an instant, the fact that Shi Man had come to the army to be an instructor before she graduated from the military academy was completely exposed in front of everyone, immediately attracting the dissatisfaction of many people. Those who originally believed that Shi Man really had an ace in the hole, completely changed sides and stood on Zhang Rui¡¯s side. In the eyes of these people who had been in the army for many years, Shi Man, the military school student who had yet to graduate, was simply inexperienced! No matter what abilities she had, they would not be convinced. Even in the phalanx where Shi Man was training, more than half of the people felt that they had been deceived and glared at Shi Man angrily. To think that they thought that this was a really capable instructor. They did not expect to be fooling around with a student! Poor Cheng Luo was about to throw herself into this comical bet! Shi Man was really misleading and harming her! In an instant, the students who were originally willing to obey Shi Man¡¯s commands immediately felt rebellious. However, Shi Man did not express anything about this. In fact, she did not care if the others were willing to train with her. She was only concerned about Cheng Luo¡¯s performance in the assessment. After all, she had also taken on the profession of an instructor in her previous life. However, at that time, it was difficult for people to get her to train them even if they had money. There were countless people who wanted to beg her to teach them privately. In this life, they had missed the opportunity to be coached by her for free, so they could not blame her. Zhang Rui was still provoking her on the other side. Shi Man only calmly finished her meal before putting down her chopsticks. Looking at Zhang Rui, who was already parched from talking, the corners of her mouth curled up into a mocking smile. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have participated in this bet. Seeing that you¡¯re so willing to jump up and down, why don¡¯t you increase the stakes too? Otherwise, won¡¯t you look like a clown?¡± Zhang Rui was slightly stunned. She thought that Shi Man would keep eating and let her say whatever she wanted. She did not expect her to start fighting back. However, she was not afraid of anything. She nodded decisively and said, ¡°Alright, what bet do you want me to add?¡± Shi Man said with a faint smile, ¡°If I win, you¡¯ll leave the army. How about that?¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Zhang Rui felt inexplicably guilty. She had spent a lot of effort to get a good job as an instructor in the army. Her family had always been proud of her. If she really retired from the army because of such a small matter, it would not be worth it! However, this thought only flashed through her mind for a moment before disappearing under Shi Man¡¯s increasingly playful gaze. Zhang Rui straightened her back and deliberately raised her chin. ¡°Alright, if you win, I¡¯ll apply to leave the army myself and shall no longer be an instructor. If you lose, you can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal.¡± After obtaining the promise she wanted, Shi Man left with the empty plate in satisfaction, leaving Zhang Rui with lingering fears. After saying that aggressively, Zhang Rui suddenly regretted it for some reason. She felt that her words just now would change her life.. Chapter 671 - Chapter 671: Suffering for Her Face Chapter 671: Suffering for Her Face Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios No matter how the surrounding people guessed about Shi Man, Cheng Luo still trained with her. Cheng Luo did whatever she asked her to do. On the other hand, Yue Ming was in an especially impetuous mood. It was not that he was worried that he would lose, but when Shi Man trained him previously, he could clearly feel his improvement. However, that feeling had suddenly disappeared in the past week. This made him suspect that the feeling last time was only because of his accumulated training and not due to Shi Man¡¯s training method. If that was the case, Shi Man would be useless. Therefore, in recent training, there would always be cases of disobedience. On a particular day, it was sunny, and the breeze in the air could take away a lot of heat. Yue Ming felt that such good weather was more suitable for training, so when Shi Man suggested resting, he still did the necessary warm-up activities at the side. He was a strong man. It was impossible for him to stop training just because he had sweated a little. He sat in a shady place at the side and took a break. Moreover, he felt that if he did not sweat during training, it would be equivalent to no training! There would be no effect at all! Seeing that he did not listen to her, Shi Man did not deliberately correct him. Instead, she sat at the side with the female soldiers and let the boys struggle for a while before they continued to train with Yue Ming. At this moment, there were already many criticisms in the square formation. Originally, the students felt that Shi Man, a student who had yet to graduate, was not worthy of being an instructor. Now that they saw that she had gone to the side to enjoy the shade after suffering a little heat and even openly slacked off with the other girls, they immediately felt even more disdainful. Cheng Luo could not suppress the doubts in her heart. She ran to Shi Man and asked softly, ¡°Instructor Shi, have you had your own plans long ago?¡± Shi Man glanced at her and said, ¡°Why? Can¡¯t hold it in anymore?¡± Cheng Luo shook her head gently and said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of losing, but 1 haven¡¯t improved much recently. This is a matter of my personal ability. I don¡¯t want to implicate you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have plans.¡± Shi Man calmly moved her gaze away from her and slowly landed on the sweating Yue Ming. She suddenly asked, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s better to stop training or keep breaking through your limits?¡± Cheng Luo was stunned for a moment, as if she did not expect her to ask him this question. After thinking carefully, he said carefully, ¡°It should be better to keep breaking through the limits, right? Only then can 1 keep raising my upper limit and improving, right?¡± If she did not break through her limit, there would never be the possibility of her surpassing Yue Ming. There was a huge difference in strength between men and women. Moreover, Yue Ming was one of the more powerful men. If she wanted to defeat him, it was probably impossible to rely on regular training. Shi Man nodded in agreement. ¡°That does seem to be the case.¡± ¡°Seem?¡± Cheng Luo was slightly surprised. Then, she blinked and stared at her curiously. ¡°Instructor Shi, is there anything wrong with this?¡± ¡°Accumulation of quantity will indeed cause a qualitative change. That¡¯s right. Only by constantly challenging the limit will there be a chance to break through the limit.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes and her gaze landed on the man¡¯s gradually trembling arm. The corners of her mouth curled into a meaningful smile. ¡°But sometimes, if you challenge the limit too much, you will often ignore the potential of the body and also put a huge burden on the body.¡± Cheng Luo nodded as if she understood. ¡°That¡¯s why Instructor Shi asked us to rest at the side after training for a period of time. This is so as not to intensify the burden on our bodies? But when we rest, others are training. Wouldn¡¯t we improve a little less than others?¡± Shi Man shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°You guys are too brainwashed now. Forget it, let¡¯s start training.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything else. She clapped her hands and gestured for the girls sitting and resting to stand up and form a square formation to start training. This time, she did not show mercy. After experiencing her torture for the entire afternoon, the boys and girls immediately complained. The boys who followed Yue Ming had their training doubled; they were so tired that they could not straighten their backs at the end of the night training. However, they looked down on Shi Man¡¯s training. No matter how tired they were, they held their breaths and did not say anything. Shi Man saw the pain on their faces, but her heart was calm. The next day, she trained like usual. Yue Ming seemed to be competing with her, as if he only wanted to prove that he was indeed stronger than women as a man. Therefore, when the female soldiers were so tired that they couldn¡¯t wait to rest at the side, he continued to train with a group of male soldiers under the scorching sun. Shi Man saw that they were panting and knew their current physical state, but she did not stop them. They asked for it, didn¡¯t they? They had to suffer if they wanted to retain their dignity.. Chapter 672 - Chapter 672: Instructor’s Dormitory Chapter 672: Instructor¡¯s Dormitory Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In just a few days, the boys led by Yue Ming had visibly lost a lot of weight. Their exposed skin was tanned, and their former skin color could not be seen at all. Their collars and chests were also wet, making them look very sorry. On the other hand, the female soldiers followed Shi Man obediently. They rested when they should and worked hard to complete the mission when the difficulty increased. After a few days, not only did they not look tired, but they also looked even more energetic. Cheng Luo had been in the army for so long, but she had never been so energetic during training. It was not that she did not like training. On the contrary, she had disobeyed her family back then and resolutely entered the army to start her military life. However, after being tortured by training day after day, her initial vitality was almost exhausted. Unexpectedly, in less than half a month under Shi Man, she seemed to have regained her former passion. She couldn¡¯t tell why, but the other female soldiers seemed to have the same thoughts as her. After a short rest mid-training this day, Shi Man reorganized the phalanx and ordered expressionlessly, ¡°In the next few days, we will cancel our rest time and increase the difficulty again. Everyone¡¯s training missions will be doubled. If anyone is not feeling well, please report to me as soon as possible!¡± As soon as she said this, the male soldiers immediately sighed, but the female soldiers were even more excited. Yue Ming glared coldly at the men behind him who were making embarrassing sounds. He let the sweat on his forehead flow past his eyes, but he stood straight and did not even move. Shi Man saw all of this, but she still chose to ignore it. When she made the bet, Shi Man had already thought of a training method. She had also promised that she would train Yue Ming and Cheng Luo the same way. It was Yue Ming who was disobedient and took the initiative to disrupt the training rhythm. She could not be blamed. The male soldiers suffered for the rest of the afternoon. Initially, they thought that Shi Man was just an embroidered pillow and did not have any training methods. However, now they knew that Shi Man was just hiding her strength. When she really trained people, she had endless methods, but they were all very effective. She didn¡¯t just command them aimlessly, making them suffer. When they rested at night, everyone was so tired that they sat on the ground and could not stand up. Although Cheng Luo was tired, she was very happy. In the afternoon, she learned a lot from Shi Man. Only then did she know that she had taken many detours in her previous training, which made it difficult for her to improve. Unfortunately, there were only three days left. If she was given another month, she would definitely be very confident of defeating Yue Ming in the assessment. During this period of time, Shi Man had applied for a dormitory from the army and had been staying in the instructor¡¯s dormitory. Cheng Luo thought for a long time before finally mustering the courage to disturb Shi Man¡¯s rest. At this moment, the instructors coming and going along the corridor made her even more nervous. She subconsciously clenched her sleeves and finally found the dormitory at the end of the corridor according to the house number the guard had asked. However, whether to knock on the door became a problem. Although Instructor Shi seemed to be on the same side as her this time, she had almost no interaction with Shi Man other than training. Even when they were eating, Instructor Shi sat alone and did not associate with them. However, since she was already here, she couldn¡¯t come here for nothing. Just as she was hesitating, a cold voice behind her shocked her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shi Man held the washbasin and was wearing pure white tights. Her bare arms were strong and muscular, and a white towel hanging around her neck was still dripping. Looking up, Cheng Luo could see a pair of cold eyes staring at her in confusion. She quickly shivered and came back to her senses. She stammered, ¡°I just wanted to see if you¡¯re used to living here.¡± Shi Man looked at her curiously, took out her key, turned the lock, and walked in first. When she placed the basin on the shelf at the side, she realized that the girl was still standing outside the door. She was speechless. ¡°Come in and talk.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Cheng Luo¡¯s eyes lit up in surprise. As if afraid that Shi Man would regret it, she hurriedly ran into the dormitory and closed the door tightly. For some reason, she felt that there was a strange distance between her and Instructor Shi, making her not dare to get too close. Cheng Luo lowered her head as if she had been reprimanded. She carefully moved into the dormitory and only dared to secretly observe what Shi Man was doing. After putting away the toiletries in the basin, Shi Man picked up a towel and dried her hair. She sat on the chair with her legs crossed and looked at Cheng Luo casually. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Cheng Luo was slightly stunned. Suddenly, her heart raced. ¡°I¡­ I just want to ask, will we still train like this in the next few days?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Why? Can¡¯t hold on anymore?¡± Chapter 673 - Chapter 673: Assessment Begins Chapter 673: Assessment Begins Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cheng Luo quickly shook her head and denied it. ¡°No, I¡¯m worried that the intensity of the training is not enough. 1 want to increase the difficulty of the training, even if it¡¯s just me!¡± Shi Man smiled in understanding. ¡°You¡¯re worried that you won¡¯t be able to defeat Yue Ming in three days, right?¡± Cheng Luo hesitated and probed, ¡°Instructor Shi, do you think 1 can win?¡± Shi Man laughed and hung the wet towel on a shelf to dry. ¡°How do you think you¡¯re inferior to Yue Ming?¡± Cheng Luo thought about it carefully and clenched his fists indignantly. ¡°I¡¯m confident that my hard work is not inferior to his. The reason why I¡¯ve never been able to surpass him is because the natural difference between men and women is too great.¡± Shi Man glanced at her in amusement. ¡°Then why do you think I can beat Yue Ming?¡± Cheng Luo was stunned for a moment before he guessed blankly, ¡°Because Instructor Shi, you¡¯ve trained longer than him and are more talented than him?¡± Shi Man smiled and said, ¡°When I was training back then, 1 saw many men stronger than him, but almost none of them were my match.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Cheng Luo asked the question in his heart in shock. Could it be that there were really people in this world who could resist the efforts of others just by relying on their talent? However, Shi Man seemed to be able to see through her thoughts. She had just thought about it when Shi Man quickly denied it. ¡°If you want to be outstanding, of course you can¡¯t rely on talent alone. You have to rely on your brain.¡± Cheng Luo was puzzled. Shi Man said slowly, ¡°Back then, when 1 was training, 1 realized that men were born with an advantage over women, but so what? It¡¯s never about brute force, but intelligence. You have to use your brain well to know where to make up for your natural shortcomings.¡± Cheng Luo said as if he understood, ¡°Instructor Shi wants me to use my brain to find the other party¡¯s flaws so that I can defeat him in one go? However, during the official assessment, the other subjects also took up a lot of points. 1 might not have a chance to defeat him.¡± Shi Man shook her head and said, ¡°You still don¡¯t understand what 1 mean. This assessment has to be completed in a day, so the amount of exercise that day is even greater than the usual training. You know that you can¡¯t compare to him in hurdles, so there¡¯s no need to force yourself. You can work harder on other things you¡¯re better at.¡± Cheng Luo frowned and pondered for a while. He muttered in shame, ¡°But 1 don¡¯t think 1 can compare to him in other aspects.¡± ¡°So this is the meaning of my existence.¡± Not only was Shi Man not affected by her words, but there was also a smile on her face. When she looked at Cheng Luo¡¯s results, she already had a plan in her heart. ¡°Next, you just have to work hard according to the training 1 planned. You might have unexpected gains during the assessment.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Cheng Luo looked up with a smile. ¡°Instructor Shi, then I¡¯ll have to continue to trouble you. I believe in your strength and will definitely work hard. 1 won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man nodded gently. ¡°Go and rest well tonight. I¡¯ll increase the training tomorrow.¡± Previously, the bet had stated that Cheng Luo and Yue Ming had to undergo the same training, so Shi Man would not break the contract and give her special treatment. Moreover, she was confident that her students could become even more outstanding in a short period of time. Moreover, Cheng Luo¡¯s strength was actually not as weak as she said. Soon, it was the day of the assessment. Early in the morning, the training ground was filled with tall students. Two examiners were assigned to each assessment venue. Shi Man was in charge of the examination hall today. This place was set up in the last ring, so when the exam started, she was quite free here. The first assessment was hurdles. Cheng Luo was confident. She was not too nervous when he stood at the starting line. She took a deep breath and shot out with the starting gun. The female soldier¡¯s assessment was different from the male soldier¡¯s. In the past, in order to close the distance between her and Yue Ming, she had tried her best in every assessment. Therefore, when it came to the later segments, she would often be exhausted and have to grit her teeth and persevere through the assessment. However, this time, she changed her routine. During the female soldier¡¯s hurdle assessment, she only used 70% of her strength. She barely exceeded the second place for two seconds and did not widen the distance. At the side, Zhang Rui sneered and teased with Zhao Jing, ¡°Look, after the female soldier¡¯s first place was trained by Shi Man, her results have actually deteriorated so much. She¡¯s almost half a minute later than before! I want to see how she ends up!¡± ¡°How else can it end? Of course they have to pack up and leave!¡± Zhao Jing smiled proudly at Zhang Rui and lowered her head to record the results of this group. She was the examiner in charge of this examination. She did not expect that she would witness Shi Man¡¯s loss just as the assessment began. At the thought that Shi Man would leave in a sorry state after today, she could not help but feel excited.. Chapter 674 - Chapter 674: Outsiders Are Not Allowed to Enter Chapter 674: Outsiders Are Not Allowed to Enter Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The other examinees in the examination hall also paid attention to the assessment here from time to time. After the morning, Cheng Luo¡¯s score was already more than ten points behind Yue Ming. If this continued, Cheng Luo would definitely lose. During the lunch break, Zhang Rui ran to Shi Man happily to show off the good results Yue Ming had achieved in the morning. Shi Man ate the food on her plate calmly. No matter how she gestured at her, she did not look at her. Zhang Rui was ignored like a clown and was instantly furious. ¡°Treasure your last lunch in the army! It¡¯s impossible for Cheng Luo to win. You¡¯ll soon know that even if you rely on others to rise, you won¡¯t be able to protect your position without that ability!¡± Shi Man chewed and swallowed a mouthful of pork ribs slowly before looking up at her. ¡°Do you want to sit down and eat too? Otherwise, you might regret not eating properly in the canteen after the assessment.¡± Zhang Rui seemed to have heard a huge joke and couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°You can only boast now. Don¡¯t be anxious. In five hours at most, you will pay the price for your current arrogance!¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t listen to her, Shi Man couldn¡¯t be bothered to persuade her anymore and continued to eat. Zhang Rui said that she was bored, so she carried her plate to the other side to eat with Zhao Jing. Unexpectedly, at this moment, a series of gasps suddenly came from the direction of the canteen door behind her. Zhang Rui immediately turned around curiously, but she met Chu Yue¡¯s stern and cold gaze. Her face instantly lit up. Chu Yue came today to personally admire Shi Man¡¯s defeat. In fact, she was not very confident at first, so she did not plan to come. However, after Zhang Rui sent her the results in the morning, she knew that Shi Man was really going to lose this time, so she immediately packed up and ran over to watch the commotion. When she saw Chu Yue, Zhang Rui immediately welcomed her with a smile. ¡°Chu Yue, I didn¡¯t expect you to really come. Hurry up and sit at my place. 1¡¯11 get you another meal.¡± Chu Yue glanced at her indifferently and said expressionlessly, ¡°Where is she?¡± Zhang Rui was stunned for a moment before she reacted. She quickly gestured to the left of the canteen with her eyes. ¡°Oer there, Chu Yue. Don¡¯t worry, Shi Man definitely has no chance of turning the tables this time.¡± Chu Yue curled her lips slightly and nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go meet her.¡± She strode forward and walked to Shi Man¡¯s table with her head held high in front of everyone. During this period of time, Zhang Rui and Zhao Jing had intentionally or unintentionally publicized that even the people in charge of getting food in the canteen knew that Shi Man had used a scheme to snatch Chu Yue¡¯s job. Now that the two of them met in public, it immediately caused a huge commotion. Everyone forgot to eat and their gazes stopped on the two of them. Chu Yue stood beside Shi Man and suddenly stretched out her arm. Her slender and beautiful nails tapped the table lightly as she said arrogantly, ¡°You¡¯ve been living a good life as an instructor recently. It seems that you¡¯re very used to this place. It¡¯s a pity that you can¡¯t snatch what doesn¡¯t belong to you even if you use some unorthodox methods.¡± Chu Yue said it matter-of-factly, as if she had forgotten that she had failed to harm Shi Man back then and was suspended by the army. However, it did not matter what the truth was. As long as she said it first, outsiders who did not know the inside story would naturally believe it. She wanted to ruin Shi Man¡¯s reputation bit by bit so that she would never have the possibility of returning after getting out of the army! Otherwise, when she thought about how Shi Man might still be on equal footing with her after graduation three years later, Chu Yue felt that her appetite had been ruined. Shi Man slowly finished the last mouthful of soup before putting down her bowl and chopsticks. She leaned back in her chair and burped comfortably. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what did you say just now? I was distracted and didn¡¯t hear you clearly.¡± Chu Yue narrowed her eyes and smiled sarcastically. ¡°Shi Man, what¡¯s the point of pretending to be confused at this time? I heard that you even overestimated yourself and made a bet with someone. If you lose, you have to leave the army. You were able to get this position because of the teacher¡¯s help. Now, you¡¯re not cherishing it. If you make such a brainless bet with someone, you¡¯ll suffer the consequences of losing face!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shi Man slowly opened her eyelids and looked at her lazily with a pair of dark eyes, but the sharpness in them made people not dare to look straight at her. ¡°You heard? I thought that you changed your trick because the strange trick you came up with with with Ruan Yu last time didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± Chu Yue quickly stopped her. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Last time, you drugged Ruan Yu and me and caused us to lose face in front of others. Are you going to throw the blame on me this time? You clearly caused this trouble yourself. What has it got to do with me?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you. What are you talking about?¡± Shi Man blinked in confusion. ¡°If I remember correctly, the army has long stipulated that outsiders are not allowed to enter privately..¡± Chapter 675 - Chapter 675: Scheming Chapter 675: Scheming Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You¡¯re the outsider!¡± Chu Yue widened her eyes and stared at Shi Man in disbelief. She looked like someone had clearly stepped on her sore spot. When she was at the entrance of the army just now, the person standing guard at the door indeed stopped her. Because everyone knew that her position had been temporarily replaced by Shi Man, they did not dare to let Chu Yue in easily. After all, the army was not a place that anyone could enter easily! They had not received any instructions from their superiors, so they naturally did not dare to let Chu Yue in easily. This was the shame of Chu Yue¡¯s life! As a military instructor, not only had her position been replaced, but she even had to threaten and tempt her to enter the army. If others knew about this, she would probably be too ashamed to show her face in front of others! And all of this was caused by Shi Man! When she thought of this, Chu Yue became even angrier. Her words were filled with thorns. ¡°Shi Man, I¡¯ll make you pay back everything you owe me today!¡± Shi Man shrugged casually. ¡°Since you want to chase me away so much, why wait for the results of the assessment tonight? Fight me now. If you win, I¡¯ll leave directly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of me doing it myself!¡± Chu Yue looked away unnaturally, her face ashen. Zhang Rui was just about to agree with Shi Man¡¯s reckless suggestion so that she could personally see the scene of Chu Yue beating her up. However, when she looked up, she only saw Chu Yue¡¯s strange expression. Her heart skipped a beat, and the words that were about to come out of her mouth changed. ¡°Are you worthy of letting Chu Yue do it herself? Chu Yue is the head of the instructors. Who do you think you are?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shi Man said frivolously, ¡°Then please chase me away quickly, Instructor! If you have the guts, accept this bet. If you lose, 1¡¯11 leave immediately. Isn¡¯t this more direct and convenient?¡± For a moment, everyone¡¯s gazes were focused on Chu Yue. This b*tch. She knew that she couldn¡¯t beat her, so she deliberately embarrassed her in front of so many people! Chu Yue gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Do you think this is a market? Do you think you can fight just because you want to? The army has to abide by discipline! If you don¡¯t know anything, don¡¯t continue to mislead others!¡± ¡°So this isn¡¯t the market.¡± Shi Man seemed to have heard of this for the first time and blinked her dark eyes in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s not the market. Why are the two of you chattering around my table?¡± ¡°You!¡± Chu Yue was rendered speechless by her retort. Her face instantly turned red. ¡°I¡¯m just waiting to see if you can continue to be so smug later!¡± With that, she turned around and left the canteen. She wanted to return to her old dormitory to rest and recover. She would wait to see Shi Man make a fool of herself in the afternoon! Seeing Chu Yue leave, Zhang Rui hurriedly followed her. She did not even bother to eat. Before she left, she did not forget to curl her lips at Shi Man in disdain. Shi Man ignored him and stood up with her plate, wanting to place the used cutlery in the appropriate position. In the corner, a gloomy girl suddenly stood up and quietly walked to Shi Man¡¯s side. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Instructor Shi, I definitely won¡¯t let you lose this afternoon. I will definitely win.¡± Shi Man turned her head and saw Cheng Luo staring at her with certainty. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh and pat her shoulder. ¡°Yes, then I¡¯ll leave it to you. Good luck.¡± ¡°I will!¡± Cheng Luo looked at Shi Man¡¯s back and promised in a low voice. Elsewhere. When Zhao Jing saw Zhang Rui and Chu Yue leave one after another, she wanted to take the opportunity to curry favor with Chu Yue. She quickly stood up and wanted to pour away the food on her plate that she had not eaten much. When she saw Shi Man¡¯s back in front of her, her eyes darted around. An idea suddenly surfaced in her mind. She held her plate and pretended to want to scoop more food. She pretended to approach Shi Man unintentionally. When she was close and saw that no one was paying attention to her, she suddenly exclaimed and pretended to accidentally splash everything on the plate at Shi Man¡¯s back. There was a lot of greasy food on the plate and a bowl of steaming soup. If she was drenched, she would definitely be scalded! When Cheng Luo noticed this scene, it was already too late. She could only call Shi Man¡¯s name as she pounced at her, as if she wanted to fight for time with the bowl of soup and try her best to push Shi Man away to prevent her from being injured. Zhao Jing turned her head and noticed Cheng Luo¡¯s actions. Her lips curled into a sneer as she quietly stretched out a foot on the road in front of Cheng Luo. In the canteen, everyone¡¯s gaze was attracted by Cheng Luo¡¯s panicked shout and they immediately gasped. However, Zhao Jing¡¯s expected scream did not sound. In a flash, Shi Man¡¯s back seemed to have eyes. The moment Cheng Luo shouted, she had already reacted quickly and turned around to avoid it. She even pushed Zhao Jing from behind. At this moment, all of Zhao Jing¡¯s attention was on Cheng Luo. She wanted to take the opportunity to trip Cheng Luo up and kill two birds with one stone. As long as Cheng Luo was injured, wouldn¡¯t Yue Ming win the competition in the afternoon be even more certain, a shoo-in? However, she did not expect Shi Man to see through her intentions instantly! Chapter 676 - Chapter 676: Going For Wool and Coming Home Shorn Chapter 676: Going For Wool and Coming Home Shorn Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man pushed with all her might. Zhao Jing had just stretched out a leg. Coupled with the fact that the ground was made of smooth tiles, she lost her balance and actually fell forward. The soup in her hand had already spilled on the ground. The plate fell to the ground with a soft sound, and hot soup splashed everywhere. Zhao Jing cursed in her heart. In the next second, she fell into the puddle. Fortunately, the clothes she was wearing were thick enough and the soup did not touch her skin directly. However, her wrist was still knocked heavily. Many green leaves and vegetables hung on it, making her look miserable. Zhao Jing wailed, and the people beside her immediately came over to help her up. Cheng Luo barely stabilized her feet before she approached Zhao Jing. A lot of soup spilled on her shoes and dirtied them, but this was better than being secretly injured by Zhao Jing just now. The last match in the afternoon that could determine the outcome was a double combat. If she limped on stage, she would definitely not be able to win against Yue Ming! Zhao Jing¡¯s thoughts were so vicious! She clearly wanted to play these cheap shots, to make her completely lose the competition. Thinking of this, the anger in Cheng Luo¡¯s eyes intensified. ¡°Instructor Zhao, what did you mean just now? Why did you deliberately approach Instructor Shi and splash hot soup on her? Why did you extend your foot in front of me?¡± Zhao Jing had really fallen hard just now. Now, her wrist and knee hurt badly. Just as she was feeling aggrieved, she did not expect to be questioned first. She immediately flew into a rage out of humiliation and said, ¡°Which eye of yours saw me do that? On the other hand, Instructor Shi, why did you deliberately push me just now? 1 have no grudge against you. Why did you deliberately push me down?¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes and smiled, but the smile on her lips made people feel cold. ¡°Is that so? How can you blame me if you can¡¯t stand steadily? Which eye of yours saw that I pushed you? We¡¯re all instructors. You have to have evidence.¡± B*tch! She was really sharp-tongued! At this moment, Zhao Jing¡¯s chest was stained with a large pool of sticky soup and rice. There were even a few vegetable leaves hanging from her sleeves. She looked especially like a beggar begging for food. Where was the dignity of an instructor? Therefore, although she tried her best to look imposing just now, she was actually very comical. Yue Ming had already noticed Zhao Jing¡¯s actions the moment she stood up and tried to approach Shi Man. Naturally, he saw through her thoughts. A cold smile appeared on his face, and he felt even more disdain for women. They were just a group of weak women who liked to plot and scheme. He was not interested in their tricks. In an instant, he lost the mood to eat. His appetite was ruined. Yue Ming stood up expressionlessly and stood in front of Zhao Jing with his plate. ¡°Instructor Zhao, I¡¯m sorry. Please make way. You¡¯re blocking the can of leftovers in the canteen.¡± Zhao Jing frowned in dissatisfaction. She felt that his words were a little ambiguous. She clearly had the intention of helping him just now. Now, he could forget about keeping himself out of this! Thinking of this, Zhao Jing decided to drag Yue Ming down with her. ¡°See? These are your opponents. They¡¯re despicable and shameless. You have to work hard in the competition later and strive to teach them a lesson on behalf of your Instructor Chu!¡± Yue Ming narrowed his eyes unhappily. What did she mean by his Instructor Chu? To be fair, Yue Ming did not care who his instructor was. As long as that person was stronger than him, he was willing to learn from her. Originally, Yue Ming thought that Chu Yue was the strongest existence among women, but after the first match with Shi Man, he had already seen through her. Shi Man¡¯s strength far exceeded Chu Yue¡¯s. Otherwise, there was no reason for Chu Yue to avoid Shi Man¡¯s provocation just now. Therefore, compared to Chu Yue, he hoped that Shi Man could continue to be his instructor. However, now that Shi Man insisted on standing opposite him and even sent out a weak opponent to surpass his strength, she shouldn¡¯t blame him for being merciless! Since Shi Man did not really teach him, such a person would only cause him trouble if she continued to stay in the army! He might as well ask Shi Man to get lost as soon as possible! However, Yue Ming despised the people on Instructor Chu¡¯s side. Although he did not show it on his face, he still said impatiently, ¡°1 will naturally win the competition, but 1 won¡¯t do it for anyone but myself.¡± After saying that, he walked around Zhao Jing without looking sideways. He turned around and poured all the food into the bucket. Then, he left the canteen with a cold expression without looking at them. Zhao Jing was embarrassed. She cursed Yue Ming a few hundred times in her heart. She angrily shook off the hand that was supporting her and snorted. ¡°Shi Man, we¡¯re not done with this!¡± ¡°As you please.¡± Shi Man was not in the mood to argue with a small character like her. After dinner, she still had time to return to the dormitory to sleep for a while. As the two of them left, the canteen instantly fell silent. Zhao Jing went for wool and came back shorn. She could only limp away from everyone¡¯s sight.. Chapter 677 - Chapter 677: Bee Swarm Chapter 677: Bee Swarm Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The first assessment item in the afternoon was the Single Double Bar. This was Cheng Luo¡¯s forte. But Yue Ming was not bad either. The outstanding score for this assessment needed to be above 85 points. Cheng Luo had steadily scored full marks. When Zhao Jing recorded this score, she gritted her teeth. On the high platform, Chu Yue watched Cheng Luo participate in this assessment coldly. She turned her head and instructed the man beside her, ¡°The next segment is the five-kilometer cross-country. Go and arrange it.¡± Fang Mo was stunned for a moment, as if he was unwilling. Chu Yue cast him a dissatisfied glance before he reluctantly went to do what Chu Yue had instructed him to do in advance. The next assessment would require all soldiers to carry machine guns, grenades, water bottles filled with water, and backpacks filled with first-aid medicine. They would carry a total of 15 catties and run five kilometers on dirt roads. This assessment was one of the most difficult things to complete. Every year, in the middle of this assessment, there would be many people who fainted and vomited because they had carried too much weight and exhausted their strength. Therefore, there would always be a few military doctors and stretchers prepared in advance beside the examination hall in case of emergencies. What was even harder than running the entire distance was that the final result of this assessment would not take into account, the results of the person who used the fastest time. Instead, it would take the team¡¯s slowest speed as the final result. Therefore, this required everyone to be united and help one another, instead of being far ahead. Before the assessment began, the examiners would personally distribute the weighted equipment that they had to carry for the examination. The guns and ammunition were all real. If they were not careful, they would be in great danger. Cheng Luo remembered Shi Man¡¯s reminder, so the moment she received the items, she carefully checked every weapon and equipment to ensure that there was nothing wrong with them before carrying them on her back according to the rules. The assessment soon began. Following the whistle, everyone set off together. In the beginning, they could still advance at a uniform speed. However, at this moment, the sun was hot, and they were wearing thick and tight military uniforms. Soon, someone was so affected by the heat that he could not breathe. If one person stopped, the others could not leave him behind. Yue Ming turned back from the front of the team with a cold expression and scolded in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Don¡¯t affect everyone¡¯s results!¡± The man bent down and placed his hands on his knees. He kept shaking his sweating head. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. 1 feel like I¡¯m going to have a heatstroke. Run. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re carried off the stage by the military doctor halfway, your results will be canceled. If you insist on dragging us down, leave the assessment yourself. Don¡¯t affect others.¡± Yue Ming¡¯s words were very cold, but he also took care of the collective interests. It was impossible for all of them to fail the assessment because of one person. The man also knew the seriousness of the problem. He tried his best to follow behind for a while, but in the end, he resigned himself to fate and fell to the ground. Soon, he was carried away by the military doctor who rushed over. The assessment was still ongoing. The hot sun above their heads shone on everyone¡¯s faces, and the weight on their bodies seemed to be soaked in sweat, becoming heavier. There were also people in the female soldiers¡¯ team who could not hold on. Cheng Luo returned to ask about her health. The short-haired girl panted and waved her hand. ¡°Luoluo, this assessment is too important to you. 1 don¡¯t want to drag you down. Hurry up and leave with the other students. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°How can we do that?¡± One of the aspects of the five-kilometer cross-country assessment was teamwork. Moreover, Cheng Luo did not want her classmate to give up an assessment for her sake. However, the short-haired girl really couldn¡¯t run anymore. Two kilometers was already her limit. She shook her head desperately and felt dizzy. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. Run quickly. I¡¯ll get the military doctor to bring me back first.¡± Cheng Luo was worried. She waited until the military doctor carried her away before running forward again and catching up to the main group in front. Chu Yue, who was standing at a high place, curled her lips mockingly. ¡°Idiot.¡± Although this assessment emphasized teamwork, it did not mean that the students had to be kind. They had to give up when it was time. This was the focus of this assessment. In Chu Yue¡¯s eyes, Cheng Luo¡¯s actions just now were simply wasting time! The competition had already reached the middle. At this moment, a group of exhausted students ran across the sandy dirt road. The female soldiers could still smell the fragrance. Cheng Luo felt that the air around her was a little sweet. She sniffed slightly and realized that the smell actually came from her! Before she could find out what was emitting the smell, she heard a sudden exclamation from the crowd. Right on the heels of that, a dense swarm of bees suddenly surrounded her. ¡°Shit!¡± Before Cheng Luo could react, she subconsciously grabbed a girl beside her and quickly crawled to the ground. She tried her best to cover her exposed skin with her hat and sleeve, waiting for the bees to leave. However, things did not go as planned. These bees seemed to have smelled something they liked and kept circling above Cheng Luo¡¯s head, unwilling to fly away. Cheng Luo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She immediately thought of something and gently reached into her backpack. To her surprise, she touched something sticky.. Chapter 678 - Chapter 678: Internal Strife Chapter 678: Internal Strife Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Damn it! She had still underestimated the extent of these people¡¯s evilness! In the distance, Fang Mo watched uneasily as the swarem of bees suddenly pounced on the female soldiers. He hesitated for a long time before disappearing into the vast forest. ¡°What should we do? Luoluo, if this continues, even if we run the entire journey, our results won¡¯t pass if we delay for too long!¡± The girl who had been pulled down by Cheng Luo tried her best to hide in her hat as she shouted gloomily. Cheng Luo secretly revealed a gap and observed the situation outside. She thought fiercely, ¡°Run! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± ¡°How can that be? Luoluo, you still have that bet! Why don¡¯t you run first? We¡¯ll block these bees for you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! At most, we¡¯ll suffer from the swells for a few days!¡± ¡°Luoluo, run quickly. Don¡¯t worry about us!¡± As soon as Cheng Luo said this, the voices of her comrades sounded around her. A warm current slowly flowed through her heart. Cheng Luo shook her head and said, ¡°No, these bees are all coming for me. I¡¯ve already fallen into a trap. Run quickly. I¡¯ll think of a way to escape myself!¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°Run!¡± Seeing that they were still unwilling to leave, Cheng Luo simply bounced up from the ground, took off her backpack, and shook it desperately in her hand, successfully attracting the bees. This time, the others completely believed Cheng Luo¡¯s words. Actually, it was obvious that there must be a conspiracy behind why so many bees suddenly appeared in such a good assessment. However, there was a rule in this assessment. As long as the military doctor interfered, they would all lose their exam results. The situation was serious. They had to make a choice as soon as possible. Seeing that Cheng Luo was about to lure all these bees away alone, the female soldiers looked at each other and saw determination in each other¡¯s eyes. The girls stood up bravely from the ground and imitated Cheng Luo. They took off their backpacks and tried their best to whip the bees, trying to divert the bees¡¯ attention. Cheng Luo was shocked and hurriedly shouted, ¡°You¡¯re crazy! Is it fun to be stung by bees?¡± However, the female soldiers had already made up their minds. They had long established an unshakable comradeship in the same phalanx. How could they give up on Cheng Luo at the critical moment and watch her lose the bet and leave the army? ¡°Cheng Luo, don¡¯t forget that we agreed to retire from the army together. Don¡¯t think about running away alone first and leaving us here to continue suffering!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t worry. At most, we¡¯ll be stung a few times. We¡¯re not afraid! We¡¯ll just be ugly together!¡± ¡°Cheng Luo, stop daydreaming. If you¡¯re done resting, run quickly. I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t outrun the bees!¡± The girls, who were originally trembling in fear, were now bravely chasing away the bees. Everyone was twisted into a rope, and no one had thought of abandoning their teammates. This scene happened to be seen by the military doctors who were about to rush over to support. They were only a step away from entering the examination hall, but seeing that they did not intend to give up the competition, they hesitated and stopped. The young military doctor walked up to the leader and asked, ¡°Director, do we still need to go in?¡± The director was an old doctor in his fifties. He had a pair of thick reading glasses on his nose bridge. When he saw these smiling and energetic faces, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. He shook his head and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. We can¡¯t drag these children back. Without my orders, no one is allowed to step into the examination venue.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The military doctors retreated. Even from afar, they could hear the laughter on the dirt road getting further and further away. Although the female soldiers had an additional threat from the bees, because of their unity and optimism, they quickly turned danger into motivation and ran faster than before. On the male soldier¡¯s side, people kept being carried out of the examination venue. Yue Ming¡¯s expression darkened. Those who gave up on the competition midway would more or less affect their final collective results. These people did not pay attention to training usually. When it came to such an assessment that required teamwork, they would always drag him down and make him annoyed. ¡°Can you still hold on?¡± At this moment, facing his teammate who couldn¡¯t run, Yue Ming¡¯s expression was completely ugly. Sweat rolled into his eyes along his hair. The man raised his hand to rub his eyes. ¡°1,1 can still hold on a little longer.¡± ¡°Hold on for what?¡± For this person, he wasted another half a minute. Yue Ming was completely furious. He grabbed the man¡¯s collar and pushed him to the tree at the side. ¡°Listen, if you can¡¯t run anymore, get lost as soon as possible. Don¡¯t hinder me here!¡± ¡°That student!¡± The instructor in charge of the invigilation blew the whistle in time and ordered Yue Ming to let go quickly. Yue Ming snorted reluctantly and turned to run away without looking back. Soon, the boy who had been threatened raised his hand and applied to leave the examination venue, voluntarily giving up his exam results. Shi Man turned her head slightly and met the burning gaze at the side expressionlessly.. ¡°Is this the soldier you trained? Starting an internal strife at the critical moment?¡± Chapter 679 - Chapter 679: Crack Chapter 679: Crack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, Chu Yue did not think that there was anything wrong with Yue Ming¡¯s actions. Was he going to affect everyone¡¯s results for a piece of trash? This was simply a huge joke! ¡°It¡¯s natural selection. Survival of the fittest. They¡¯re not used to this exam. It¡¯s a problem with their own abilities. It has nothing to do with Yue Ming.¡± Shi Man only found it funny. She had always been used to being alone and did not like to cooperate with her teammates. However, sometimes, it was indeed difficult to complete a mission alone. At this time, she would also look for teammates with matching strength. She was not a naive person, but she knew that it was taboo for cracks to appear between teammates. Once there was a dent in mutual trust, it would be very difficult to heal. Sure enough, the male soldiers¡¯ team was soon filled with complaints. Everyone expressed their dissatisfaction with Yue Ming. The reason was that a boy who was very popular accidentally had trouble breathing. The surrounding students wanted to go up and help him recover before continuing his long run. However, when Yue Ming saw that so many of them had slowed down to support their teammate, he immediately came out to stop them unhappily. ¡°The most important thing now is to finish running. If there¡¯s something wrong with his body, it has nothing to do with us. There¡¯s no need to waste everyone¡¯s time for him.¡± The person beside him had tolerated Yue Ming for a long time. At this moment, he finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and exploded. ¡°Enough, Yue Ming. In order to squeeze out two women, how many teammates have you dissuaded along the way? Could it be that your results are your results and others¡¯ results are nothing?¡± Yue Ming frowned tightly and said in confusion, ¡°Could it be that this result is only for me in the end? Don¡¯t forget, your results are also included! If you delay, none of you can pass!¡± It was fine if he didn¡¯t mention this matter, but once he did, the boys roared even more angrily, ¡°Are you thinking for us? Why did you always run alone and never pay attention to us in the past? This time, you took the initiative to persuade a teammate to leave when you saw that he wasn¡¯t feeling well? Isn¡¯t it just to win the bet! Yue Ming, don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re a team!¡± Yue Ming widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°So what if we¡¯re a team?! They¡¯re useless. They can¡¯t even finish a mere five-kilometer cross-country. Do I have to carry them?¡± The boy held his abdomen uncomfortably with one hand and waved his other hand repeatedly. ¡°Don¡¯t argue, don¡¯t argue. I¡¯ll just follow slowly from behind. If there¡¯s too much difference, I¡¯ll leave myself. I won¡¯t delay you.¡± ¡°How can that do? You¡¯re just suffering from shortness of breath. You can recover slowly. If you leave the assessment halfway, you¡¯ll have zero points for this sehment!¡± The buzz-cut boy who was in the same dormitory as him righteously placed him on his shoulder. ¡°If you don¡¯t get out of the line of fire with light injuries, we can¡¯t be deserters. Even if 1 have to carry you, I have to let you run the entire journey!¡± ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with his brain!¡± Yue Ming snorted disdainfully and turned to run away. He was too lazy to waste time on them. The results were obvious. Even though there were swarms of bees chasing after the female soldiers, their faces were also injured. The redness and swelling had completely disfigured the young ladies for the time being, but there was a happy smile on their lips. Initially, there were people who could not run anymore, but they were encouraged by this cheerful atmosphere and insisted on completing the assessment. As soon as Cheng Luo and the others arrived at the finish line, the military doctors immediately went up to give them emergency treatment. Even at this moment, there was still a big smile on their faces. Even if they cried out in pain, no one complained. Shi Man went down from the platform and walked to Cheng Luo¡¯s side. She raised her hand to take her backpack and handed it to the leader behind her. ¡°Who is in charge of this batch of military supplies? We have to investigate carefully.¡± The leader took the backpack from her and immediately understood what was going on. He nodded with a solemn expression and said, ¡°Instructor Shi, don¡¯t worry. We will definitely take this matter seriously. We definitely won¡¯t let the person who secretly played a cheap shot.¡± Shi Man nodded and returned to check on Cheng Luo and the others¡¯ injuries. Fortunately, she was used to preparing medicine. At this moment, she happened to give each of them one. After they consumed it, the swelling on their faces quickly subsided, and their injuries immediately recovered. The military doctor was amazed. Especially the oldest director. He had studied medicine all his life and had never seen such a magical medicine. He quickly came over to ask Shi Man for advice. Shi Man did not hide anything. She took out the small medicine bottle and showed it to him. The director was so happy that his eyes narrowed into slits. He carefully crushed the pill to distinguish the ingredients. In the end, he widened his eyes in shock and said, ¡°The person who made this pill must be an experienced doctor! Instructor Shi, can you introduce me to him? I really want to meet him!¡± A doctor who could make the director say this must have extraordinary medical skills. Seeing this, the other military doctors surrounded her after treating the wounds. They asked Shi Man curiously about the identity of the person who prescribed the medicine. Unexpectedly, after they praised her, Shi Man pursed her lips and smiled. Then, right on the heels of that, she said confidently in front of everyone, ¡°I concocted this pill. If you need it, 1 can share the prescription with you..¡± Chapter 680 - Chapter 680: Moral Coercion Chapter 680: Moral Coercion Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As soon as these words were spoken, the military doctors were stunned. No one expected Shi Man to have concocted this prescription herself. Could it be that she knew medicine? However, if a medicine that even the director could not concoct was concocted by a young lady like her, it would definitely lose some credibility. Cong Wei was the first to raise his doubts. He was one of the best among the younger generation of military doctors and the most outstanding student under Director Zhao. He was confident that his medical skills were unparalleled among the younger generation, so he naturally did not believe that Shi Man could concoct this prescription. ¡°Instructor Shi, you have to think before you talk big. Are you joking with my teacher? How could you concoct this medicine?¡± He had just carefully identified the ingredients. Even he did not know that some medicine had such an effect. How could Shi Man make it? Director Zhao De was also stunned. He was not as domineering as Cong Wei, but he smiled in disbelief and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if Instructor Shi doesn¡¯t want to tell me which famous doctor made this prescription. I don¡¯t have to ask for a copy.¡± Seeing that they did not believe her, Shi Man completely lost the desire to share. To think that because she was in a good mood just now, she wanted to do something good to benefit the soldiers at the front line and provide them with better medical support. Now, their reaction completely extinguished her interest. Shi Man shrugged her shoulders indifferently. ¡°I concocted this medicine myself. If you don¡¯t believe me, forget it. Just pretend you¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± With that, she suddenly stretched out her hand and gestured for Zhao De to return the medicine bottle to her. Zhao De suddenly felt a little reluctant. He had been developing medicine his entire life and had a natural obsession with medicine. Now that he had encountered such a good medicine, he was naturally unwilling to let go. Cong Wei saw through his teacher¡¯s thoughts and said coldly, ¡°Instructor Shi, how much is this bottle of medicine? I¡¯ll spend money to buy it and give it to Teacher for research. It can be considered as doing my best for Lu Jun.¡± He deliberately mentioned Lu Jun because he didn¡¯t want to give Shi Man the chance to refuse. However, what he did not expect was that Shi Man would not give anyone face when she was cold. ¡°I¡¯m not selling,¡± she rejected coldly. Since they were unwilling to return it, she might as well snatch it herself. Then, before they could react, she put the medicine bottle in her pocket. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said?¡± Cong Wei glared at her with an unfriendly expression. Shi Man said disdainfully, ¡°1 heard you. 1 said I¡¯m not selling. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Cong Wei took a step forward angrily, his cold gaze like a poisonous snake. ¡°As an instructor, you naturally have to consider the army at all times. You¡¯re extremely selfish if you don¡¯t donate such a good medicine! Is this how you set an example?¡± These words were meant to coerce Shi Man. However, Shi Man did not fall for this trick. She looked back at him expressionlessly and sneered. ¡°Looking at the ring on your finger, it should be a wedding ring, right? Many soldiers in the army don¡¯t have time to get married because they¡¯re stationed at the border. Why don¡¯t you donate your wife? Is this considered selfless and setting an example?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± Cong Wei roared. He had always been a favored son of heaven. Although he was young, he had deep attainments in medicine. No one had ever dared to speak to him like this. This woman was really arrogant and shameless! It was said that she had an ambiguous relationship with Lu Li previously. Cong Wei knew at a glance that she was not a well-behaved woman and looked so seductive. Perhaps she had relied on seducing Lu Li to make Chief Lu treat her differently and induct her into the army using his power. In fact, she had no ability at all! Chu Yue was naturally happy to see someone target Shi Man with her. She watched silently from the side. It was also at this moment that the male soldiers¡¯ long-distance running finally ended. They were actually two to three minutes later than the female soldiers. This was an unprecedented gap. Yue Ming¡¯s face instantly darkened. If not for those idiots insisting on holding a cripple for the assessment just now, they could clearly be faster than Cheng Luo and the others! Still¡­ Thinking of the points Cheng Luo had lost to him in the morning, Yue Ming¡¯s heart, which was about to explode, eased a lot. It was impossible for her to easily surpass such a huge gap. Even though Cheng Luo had won once, he was still confident that he could defeat her in the end. At this moment, he had just exchanged supplies when he noticed the commotion here. He immediately frowned and walked over in surprise. When he saw Chu Yue, Yue Ming nodded slightly to greet her. Chu Yue did not mind his perfunctory attitude. After all, Yue Ming was just a tool for her to take down Shi Man. At this moment, Cong Wei was completely angered by Shi Man and roared at her relentlessly, ¡°If you have the ability, repeat what you said just now! Don¡¯t think that you can look down on everyone just because you have Chief Lu behind you. Let me tell you, I¡¯m definitely going to take the medicine in your hand today!¡± ¡°What medicine?¡± Yue Ming asked the woman beside him in surprise. Chu Yue glanced at him indifferently and said arrogantly, ¡°It¡¯s a very effective medicine. Shi Man said that she made it..¡± Chapter 681 - Chapter 681: Attack Chapter 681: Attack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yue Ming found it ridiculous. How old was Shi Man? It was already very impressive for her to have such skills. Could it be that she still fantasized that she was a divine doctor? When Director Zhao was young, he was one of the best in the medical school. He had studied the medicine for his entire life but could not concoct such a medicine. But Shi Man dared to say that she made it! There should be a limit to vanity! Yue Ming had always known how vain women were, but he did not expect Shi Man, whom he looked at in a different light, to have such a bad personality. He immediately felt very disappointed. Shi Man realized that the people here were even more domineering and unreasonable than in G City. Her expression turned cold. ¡°If you have the ability, come and snatch it, but 1 can¡¯t guarantee that 1 won¡¯t know my limits.¡± Cong Wei had never seen such an ignorant woman. He immediately felt like his lungs were about to explode. ¡°Alright, do you think you can be domineering just because you have the Lu family backing you? Try hitting me! Do you believe that I¡¯ll immediately report it to the leader who will skin you alive!¡± Shi Man only found it amusing. The more untalented a person was, the more anxious they would be when threatening others. They wanted to use this to intimidate the other party. If it were anyone else, they might have admitted defeat. After all, no one wanted to offend their leader. However, Cong Wei was facing Shi Man now, so he could only teach her a lesson. Seeing that Shi Man was silent, he thought that she was already frightened by him and did not dare to attack. The smile on his lips became even more mocking. ¡°Are you afraid now? If you¡¯re afraid, quickly give the medicine to my teacher. Otherwise, 1¡¯11 tell the leader that you don¡¯t have the troops in your heart and are unwilling to donate even a lousy bottle of medicine.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows expressionlessly and said, ¡°You said you wanted to buy it just now, but now you want me to donate it for free? Your wishful thinking is quite loud.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this for the army!¡± Cong Wei blushed at her words, but he still argued. Shi Man sneered in disdain. ¡°You claim to be doing this for the army sacrificed, but are actually forcing others to make sacrifices. Do you know what this action usually termed as?¡± ¡°What?¡± Cong Wei had a feeling that she was going to say something bad. Sure enough, in the next second, Shi Man said coldly, ¡°Shameless.¡± Cong Wei was furious. He pointed at Shi Man¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡°B*tch, how dare you scold me? Looks like I have to let you know how powerful 1 am!¡± Shi Man¡¯s expression suddenly turned cold. If there was more playfulness on Shi Man¡¯s face just now, she was really angry now. ¡°Do you know what happened to the last person who pointed a finger at me?¡± Her eyes narrowed, and her smile was almost cruel. Cong Wei shivered for some reason as his fingers trembled slightly. After a moment, he said confidently, ¡°What?¡± Shi Man did not say anything else. The only answer was the crisp sound of bones breaking, which sounded especially loud beside the silent dirt road. The surrounding onlookers could not help but feel their hair stand on end. Cong Wei¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. His shrill cry resounded throughout the entire training ground and quickly attracted the attention of the leaders. Chu Yue stood up in front of Cong Wei and said, ¡°Shi Man, you lied first, and now you attacked your colleagues in the army. Do you know how big a mistake you made?!¡± Shi Man waved her hand casually and glanced at her from the corner of her eye. ¡°How big a mistake was it? Chu Yue, don¡¯t forget that you don¡¯t have the right to stand here today.¡± ¡°You!¡± Chu Yue felt that she was in the wrong, but from the corner of her eye, she saw the leaders walking over with stern expressions. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Shi Man, it¡¯s not your place to care if 1 can be here, right? On the contrary, you publicly attacked your colleagues in front of so many people today. Everyone saw it with their own eyes!¡± ¡°Doctor Cong was the one who pestered us first and wanted to snatch the instructor¡¯s things!¡± The female soldiers stood up for Shi Man. In their hearts, Shi Man was really much better than Chu Yue. Chu Yue had taken care of them before, but she had always been arrogant. It was as if she never took them seriously, especially when it came to Cheng Luo. She always had a hint of hostility. They were not fools. They were already adults. They knew very well what Chu Yue was thinking, so they naturally preferred Shi Man, who was stronger and approachable. Chu Yue did not expect these female soldiers to dare to contradict her for Shi Man¡¯s sake in such a short period of time. Her expression darkened as she said, ¡°This has nothing to do with you! You still have to take the assessment. Do you not want to pass?¡± These words could be considered to have pinched their vital points. They were still here now, but they had to deal with their injuries. However, the next assessment was about to begin, so there was not much time for them to rest. If they were late, the examiner would probably directly sentence them to lose their qualifications to take the assessment! At that time, the gains would not make up for the losses! Cheng Luo was conflicted, and her face was solemn. ¡°Instructor Shi, don¡¯t worry. If it blows up, we¡¯ll all testify for you.¡± Unexpectedly, Shi Man only patted her shoulder lightly and said, ¡°You should be worried about yourself now. There are still five minutes before the next assessment. Go ahead. I¡¯ll handle this myself..¡± Chapter 682 - Chapter 682: Complaint Chapter 682: Complaint Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cheng Luo was still not at ease, but the assessment was definitely a big deal and could not be delayed. Seeing that she was standing still, Shi Man straightened her shoulders and spun her around. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You¡¯re not needed here.¡± Cheng Luo still hesitated, but when she met Shi Man¡¯s smiling eyes, she suddenly felt that there was nothing to worry about. Shi Man had always given them the feeling that she was at ease. Perhaps the problem that seemed very difficult to them was not a problem in Shi Man¡¯s eyes? With this thought in mind, Cheng Luo left with the female soldiers. After they left, Yue Ming was not in the mood to watch this commotion. He also brought his class to participate in the next assessment. For a moment, the venue was empty. The leaders walked closer and finally stood between the two sides. ¡°What happened? Why are you all gathered here and not giving the students the assessment?¡± Cong Wei snorted and took the initiative to walk to the leader to complain. ¡°Shi Man has a medicine on her that¡¯s very useful for treating wounds. My master wanted to borrow it to study it, but Shi Man refused to hand over the medicine! As an instructor, she¡¯s a member of the army. How can she be so selfish?¡± This matter concerned the old military doctor in the army, so the leader had no choice but to intervene. He turned to Shi Man expressionlessly. ¡°Is what he said true?¡± Shi Man said neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°Leader, I¡¯ve already suggested that I¡¯m willing to give the medicine to Director Zhao for research before he spoke. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Director Zhao and the other doctors if I said that.¡± The leader frowned and glanced at everyone in confusion. ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhao De hurriedly stood up and said, ¡°I did say that I wanted to ask Instructor Shi for the prescription for this medicine. 1 also wanted her to help introduce me and personally discuss it with the people from the pharmaceutical industry. However, Instructor Shi said that she was the one who concocted this prescription¡­¡± Before he could finish, Cong Wei continued angrily, ¡°Leader, Instructor Shi didn¡¯t want to introduce the doctor who made the prescription to my teacher, so she lied that she made this medicine. 1 said that I wanted to pay for her medicine. After my teacher and 1 developed it, we could give it to the soldiers at the front line of the army, but she was still unwilling!¡± The leader had already understood what had happened just now. Now, his expression softened and he smiled gently at Shi Man. ¡°Instructor Shi, it¡¯s like this. Although we¡¯re still in a peaceful era, the missions taken over by the army are still very dangerous. You know that you went on a mission last time. During the mission, if one is not careful, someone will be injured. Since this medicine is really effective, see if you can share it. It doesn¡¯t matter how much we pay.¡± Cong Wei stood beside the leader arrogantly, as if the leader had specially come to support him. Shi Man pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Leader, I¡¯ve said from the beginning that I¡¯m willing to give the prescription to the army for free. It¡¯s because this military doctor and his teacher don¡¯t trust what I said. When 1 said that I made this prescription, they thought that I was deliberately hiding it.¡± The leader¡¯s eyelids twitched as he clicked his tongue in wonder. ¡°Could it be that you really made this prescription? You actually know medicine?¡± Without waiting for Shi Man to answer, Cong Wei interrupted again. ¡°Leader, how is that possible? She¡¯s not even as old as me. Even if she has learned medicine, it should take her more than a few years to do it. How can she develop such a good prescription?¡± ¡°Do you think others have to be as stupid as you?¡± Shi Man glanced at him angrily. Cong Wei was scolded by her again and was instantly furious. ¡°Leader, be reasonable. Do you think she made this prescription? Can she produce evidence? She wants to take the results of others for herself! 1 think we have to find the old doctor who developed this prescription behind the scenes. Otherwise, Instructor Shi will continue to take credit for the work of others!¡± The leader was also a little nervous. Logically speaking, someone that Chief Lu valued so much shouldn¡¯t be lying about this. Moreover, the leaders of the army had seen Shi Man¡¯s strength. Even without the enhancement of medical skills, her strength could not be underestimated. There was really no need to lie. However, he could not believe that Shi Man really knew medicine and was even better than Director Zhao. After all, Shi Man was too young. The leader thought about it carefully and chose a compromise. ¡°How about this, Instructor Shi? Write down the prescription for Director Zhao to take a look first. If there are any problems, let Director Zhao discuss it with you. If this prescription is really useful to the soldiers at the front line, the army will definitely not take your things for nothing. We will definitely offer a suitable price. What do you think?¡± A scheming look flashed across Cong Wei¡¯s eyes. The leader¡¯s words were exactly what he wanted. As long as Shi Man handed over the prescription, he and his teacher could casually ask questions to test Shi Man. As long as she could not answer, it would prove that it was impossible for her to make the formula.. When the time came, it would definitely be a slap to her face! Chapter 683 - Chapter 683: Test Chapter 683: Test Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Thinking of this, Cong Wei couldn¡¯t wait to see the prescription. Zhao De¡¯s eyes were filled with hope. He was obsessed with researching medicine. If he could have such a prescription, he believed that the soldiers at the front line would suffer a lot less. Shi Man slowly opened her eyes and said without looking sideways, ¡°Leader, 1 said that I¡¯m willing to donate this prescription unconditionally, but that was before. If you want this prescription now, fine, but 1 want this person to apologize to me.¡± Cong Wei¡¯s fingers were still swollen. If not for the medicine he had with him, he would have been hospitalized long ago. Shi Man had just attacked him, and now she wanted him to apologize to her! If this wasn¡¯t pushing her luck, what was? Cong Wei immediately scolded hatefully, ¡°Why should i apologize to you? You injured my finger and I haven¡¯t asked you to compensate me for my loss, but you actually want me to apologize? Did 1 say something wrong? You didn¡¯t concoct that prescription in the first place. If you really concocted it, i would eat this bottle of medicine in front of everyone!¡± Shi Man sneered. ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Do you think I¡¯m like you, who only knows how to speak nonsense?¡± Cong Wei¡¯s face was filled with disdain. Shi Man nodded. ¡°Very good.¡± She casually pulled over a piece of white paper at the side and quickly wrote down a prescription with a wave of her hand. However, she deliberately left out the most important ingredient. Then, she handed the prescription to Zhao De. ¡°Director, this prescription is only one medicine away from the finished product. If you can think of what ingredient to use for this missing ingredient, I¡¯ll give the prescription to you for free.¡± Cong Wei wanted to test Shi Man with this prescription, but he did not expect the other party to have the same idea as him! His thoughts were that the prescription was not her original creation; it went without saying that, she was afraid of being tested, so she had to take the initiative. This woman was quite scheming! But he felt it was wishful thinking that he couldn¡¯t do anything about it¡­ Thinking of this, Cong Wei ignored the pain in his hand and hurriedly reached out to take the prescription on his teacher¡¯s behalf. Unexpectedly, he was stunned. Even Zhao De noticed the abnormality of his student. The others surrounded him curiously and followed his gaze to the white paper in his hand. Chu Yue also wanted to know what Shi Man could write. She narrowed her eyes and stood at the periphery, trying her best to peek at the paper. However, who would have thought that she would be stunned? Between the white paper, an entire row of medicinal herbs was written smoothly. The handwriting was flamboyant, but one could tell it was a master¡¯s handwriting. If this piece of paper was handed to a calligraphy expert, they would definitely not believe that it was actually made by a young lady. Cong Wei gritted his teeth in hatred. He was very jealous that Shi Man could write well. After all, as a doctor, he often needed to write some prescriptions. However, although he had learned medical skills well, his handwriting was a little unpresentable. For this matter, Zhao De even asked him to practice calligraphy diligently a few times. After all, if the doctor wrote ugly words, to a certain extent, it would reduce the patient¡¯s trust. However, Cong Wei¡¯s hand was very stiff. No matter how hard he trained, his handwriting could not compare to others. One could only barely read it. It was not an exaggeration to say that Shi Man¡¯s beautiful handwriting had already reached a level that Cong Wei could not surpass even if he practiced for another hundred years. He forced himself to compose himself, take his mind off her handwriting and concentrate on studying the prescription. To be honest, Shi Man¡¯s prescription was ordinary. He had seen every ingredient and knew their uses, but he and his teacher had never thought of combining these medicines. With just a cursory glance, Cong Wei could not hide his surprise. People who studied medicine for a long time would always be unable to help but study a good prescription merticulously. He couldn¡¯t wait to return to the laboratory with the prescription and test if these ingredients could achieve the unexpected effect just now. However, before he could recover from his shock, Shi Man took the prescription from his hand and handed it to Director Zhao. ¡°Did I let you take a look? I said that if you want to get the prescription, you have to apologize to me. I¡¯m missing the most important medicine here, and 1 didn¡¯t write down how much of each ingredient should be added. How you decide is your own business. Also, don¡¯t forget what you just said.¡± What did he just say? If this prescription was concocted by Shi Man, would he eat all the medicine in the bottle! However, Shi Man could not prove that she had concocted this prescription. Thinking of this, Cong Wei was full of confidence. ¡°So what if 1 remember what 1 said? How can you convince us that this prescription is yours?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple.¡± Shi Man sized him up and said, ¡°Only I know the last ingredient. Only I know the dosage of each medicine. If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to study this prescription. You can also ask any famous doctor. At that time, you will know if 1 made this prescription..¡± Chapter 684 - Chapter 684: Final Assessment Chapter 684: Final Assessment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cong Wei was stunned. He did not expect Shi Man to do this to him. On the surface, she seemed to be cooperating with the leader to give them the prescription, but in fact, she wanted to force him to apologize to her and admit that she had developed this prescription! However, Cong Wei did not believe that they could not find out what the last ingredient in the medicine was! Did Shi Man really think that this prescription was anything special? She looked down on their strength too much! Zhao De pondered for a moment. Actually, at this point, he already believed that this prescription was made by Shi Man. However, his student had sworn in front of so many people that he could not embarrass Cong Wei. He could only hesitate and say, ¡°Instructor Shi, if 1 don¡¯t develop this prescription, are you still willing to tell me what the last herb is?¡± Nothing else mattered. All he wanted now was to get the best prescription to use on the frontline soldiers so that the good children of their country could suffer less. Shi Man nodded slightly and said, ¡°Yes, but only if your student apologizes to me.¡± Zhao De froze and shook his head helplessly. How could he not know Cong Wei¡¯s personality? It was as difficult as ascending to the heavens to make him apologize! At this moment, a bell rang in the examination hall. This indicated the start of the next assessment. Shi Man had to return to the area she was in charge of and leave after hurriedly bidding farewell to the leader. Behind him, Cong Wei snorted disdainfully and continued to whisper in the leader¡¯s ear, ¡°Look at her. It¡¯s obvious that she wants to raise conditions and is unwilling to give it to us for nothing. What do you mean by asking me to apologize? Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine if she¡¯s unwilling to give it to me. Teacher and I will definitely be able to develop this prescription.¡± The leader only glanced at him and did not say anything. At this moment, there were still many people here. It was not appropriate for him to directly express his stance and offend either party, so he pretended to be deep and nodded before turning around to leave with his hands behind his back. After he left, Zhao De pulled Cong Wei back to the infirmary and said earnestly, ¡°You were too anxious just now. If this prescription was really made by that young lady just now, are you really going to eat that bottle of medicine?¡± As the saying went, even medicine was 30% poisonous. Moreover, it was such a powerful medicine. It could be seen that the medicinal effect was extremely strong. There were at least a dozen pills in the bottle. If Cong Wei really ate them all, he would definitely be hospitalized. However, he still looked nonchalant. Not only did he not feel nervous, but he also waved his hand indifferently and said, ¡°Teacher, you were just fooled by her appearance. Think about it. How can she make a prescription that even you can¡¯t make? How old is she? Moreover, if we successfully develop it, we won¡¯t need her anymore. Do we still need to care who made this prescription?¡± Zhao De felt that things should not be left unsettled like this, but he was holding the prescription in his hand and only wanted to enter the laboratory to study it immediately, so he did not argue with him. Cong Wei saw that his teacher was silent and thought that he had successfully convinced him. His expression became even more smug! Shi Man¡¯s prescription was given to them for nothing. She was really a fool! If she had known earlier, she should have handed over the prescription while he was still willing to pay just now. Wouldn¡¯t she have made a huge profit? Outside, in the examination area, the sky was suddenly covered in dark clouds, and the sultry heat in the air made people sweat. It was almost evening. Finally, it was the last competition, which was the double combat that Shi Man was invigilating. The competition used a lottery system. The two people who were drawn had to go on stage to fight. The loser would be left as a backup and had to wait for the next round of lottery. The winner could advance and be screened layer by layer until the last three places were confirmed. The wonderful thing about this competition was that it was a mixed competition between men and women. There was no distinction between men and women, so it was possible to draw anyone as an opponent. Cheng Luo drew one of the male soldiers in the first round. She was not weak, and that person had exhausted his strength from the first five kilometers of cross-country. He was defeated not long after. Below the stage, Yue Ming watched this scene coldly, as his eyes were filled with disdain. He knew the boy from before. His strength was usually not good, so it was not odd for him to lose to Cheng Luo. She was just lucky to have drawn such a piece of trash as her opponent. If she were to fight him, he would definitely teach this arrogant woman a lesson! Just as he was thinking this, Cheng Luo drew again after leaving the stage. She really drew Yue Ming. The surrounding students immediately found it unbelievable. The two of them had a bet to begin with. Now that they were openly competing, the onlookers were simply too excited! Yue Ming leaned against the cement wall alone with his arms crossed and a deep frown on his face. He felt that things should not be so coincidental. It was as if someone had tampered with it. However, this was not important. He was confident that he could defeat Cheng Luo. Even if she really played tricks, she would be courting death. Elsewhere, Cheng Luo nodded at Shi Man, indicating that she was ready to take a gamble. Shi Man narrowed her eyes and threw the note she had prepared in advance into the wastebasket. She smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. You will definitely win..¡± Chapter 685 - Chapter 685: The Last Mockery Chapter 685: The Last Mockery Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This assessment successfully attracted the attention of everyone in the army. On the tall platform, Yue Ming and Cheng Luo stood on both sides. One looked tall and mighty, while the other had a wound on her face and looked weak. No matter how one looked at it, Cheng Luo did not look like she would win. At this moment, many people below the stage had already started to make bets in private. They secretly placed their bets on Yueming. Only the female soldiers who were on good terms with Cheng Luo would bet on Cheng Luo winning without caring about anything and appear isolated. The boy beside them couldn¡¯t help but tease the female soldiers. ¡°I think you should bet with us that Yue Ming will win. Wouldn¡¯t you be able to earn a sum of money to subsidize your lives? Why do you have to put in more money for a lost cause?¡± Who was Yue Ming? He was always first in every assessment! No matter how outstanding Cheng Luo was, she couldn¡¯t beat Yue Ming! Moreover, they had already asked around in advance. Although Cheng Luo had performed well in the afternoon¡¯s assessment and had barely caught up to the score, She was still one point behind Yue Ming. This round could directly determine the outcome. It was impossible for Cheng Luo to win! The female soldiers immediately retorted unhappily, ¡°Which eye of yours can tell that our Luoluo will definitely lose? 1 think Yue Ming is a little unsteady now. He definitely won¡¯t be able to defeat Luoluo later! It¡¯s better for you to change your minds as soon as possible. Don¡¯t lose miserably like last time with Instructor Shi!¡± When she said this, the boys immediately remembered their fear of being punished on the day Shi Man first came. But how could Cheng Luo compare to Instructor Shi? Instructor Shi was an out-and-out monster! Her sniping results that day had broken the highest record in the army! Could Cheng Luo do this? The answer was obvious! Therefore, the boy who had just been refuted immediately said confidently, ¡°I bet that the class monitor will win! How can he not defeat a woman? It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t listen to my advice, but don¡¯t cry when you lose money!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who will cry! We¡¯ll definitely win!¡± The girls refuted in unison. The argument reached the judges¡¯ seats. As Chu Yue was not an instructor in the army now, she could not sit in the first row. However, she still chose a seat behind Shi Man and deliberately leaned close to her ear. She lowered her voice and mocked, ¡°You¡¯re leaving the army soon. Instructor Shi, have you thought of your farewell speech?¡± Shi Man turned her head slightly to avoid the heat from her mouth and said expressionlessly, ¡°If you want to leave, leave. I have nothing to say.¡± Chu Yue snorted coldly, and a glint flashed across her eyes. ¡°Are you still stubbornly thinking that Cheng Luo will win? You¡¯re too funny. If she wins, I¡¯ll always give up my position to you.¡± Shi Man smiled and said, ¡°Remember, you didn¡¯t give up this position. I deserve it, and you can only be a loser in front of me.¡± Chu Yue almost couldn¡¯t control her expression. She glared at her hateful side profile with a twisted expression. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can be smug for! Shi Man, I¡¯ll get you out of the army tonight!¡± Shi Man pretended to turn around with a calm expression, as if she did not hear the threat. Chu Yue gritted her teeth in hatred. She leaned back in her chair and snorted angrily. Beside her, Zhang Rui came over to coax her. ¡°Sister Yueyue, don¡¯t lower yourself to her level. Let¡¯s see if she can still be so arrogant when she packs up and scrams later!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! At that time, even if she wants to leave just like that, we can¡¯t let her off easily. We have to take this good opportunity to teach her a lesson!¡± Zhao Jing hurriedly echoed. Her words reminded Chu Yue. It was too easy on Shi Man if she was allowed to leave unscathed. Chu Yue narrowed her eyes slightly and curled her finger to let Zhang Rui lean closer. Then, she lowered her voice and said, ¡°Later, find a few people you know outside and block her outside the army. Remember, don¡¯t let anyone see this.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Zhang Rui nodded excitedly. She had been an instructor for so many years and had carried out countless missions. She knew some of those hooligans in the underworld. These people were thinking about how to curry favor with her all day long. It was perfect for them to do such a thing! Moreover, she was not afraid that these people would not be Shi Man¡¯s match. These people had many shameful things in their hands. As long as they succeeded when Shi Man was unprepared, this matter would be settled. With this thought in mind, she quietly looked around. After confirming that no one was paying attention to her, she quietly left her seat and went to a quiet corner to make a call to explain this matter. However, what she did not notice was that Fang Mo had been paying attention to Chu Yue and her movements. When he saw her suddenly leave after whispering a few words to Zhang Rui, he immediately felt that things were not simple. He quickly used the excuse of going to the washroom and quietly followed her out. At this moment, the preparation time for the assessment finally ended. As the referee, Shi Man picked up the whistle and blew an ear-piercing whistle, pushing the tense atmosphere to the peak.. Chapter 686 - Chapter 686: Sneak Attack Chapter 686: Sneak Attack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The assessment officially began. Yue Ming assumed a defensive posture and sneered. ¡°It¡¯s not too late for you to admit defeat now. 1 disdain bullying women!¡± Not to be outdone, Cheng Luo threw a punch. Although it missed, it was aggressive. ¡°There¡¯s no difference between men and women on the battlefield. Bring it on. You don¡¯t have to humiliate me with your words!¡± Yue Ming¡¯s expression turned cold as he narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°You asked for it!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly waved his fist and attacked. The blow from his fist lifted the hair beside her ear. His fist, which was as hard as iron, brushed past her cheek, bringing with it a burning pain. Yue Ming¡¯s skills could not be underestimated. But¡­ Cheng Luo wiped the broken skin on her cheek ad her eyes were filled with determination. She followed Shi Man¡¯s training and steadily defended against his attacks. It seemed that she was retreating step by step, but in fact, Yue Ming did not touch her at all. Her footsteps were very mysterious, and she was agile and fast. Yue Ming had once been her opponent in the assessment. However, although Cheng Luo was brave at that time, she only knew how to use strength and did not know how to be flexible. He did not think it was difficult to deal with Cheng Luo fighting him head-on. But today, Cheng Luo had clearly changed her routine. She suddenly became very difficult to deal with. Every punch Yue Ming threw was full of strength, but in the end, it was as if he had hit a ball of cotton. His attacks were either easily dodged by her or neutralized by her gentle strength, making him very anxious. Even the onlookers outside could tell that there was something wrong with Yue Ming today. The boy who had supported his class monitor just now could not help but stand up straight. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible, right? When did Cheng Luo become so strong? Didn¡¯t she train with us every day? Could it be that Instructor Shi secretly taught her?¡± As he spoke, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Shi Man. This glance stunned him completely, and all the blood in his body was almost drained. In the first row of the judging panel, Shi Man was sitting there. She exuded a coldness that no one could break through, but there was also a warm smile on her face. The dimples at the corners of her mouth were filled with confidence from the beginning to the end. It was a pity that he had only seen this level. It turned out that Shi Man was confident that she would win. He now knew the strength of this new instructor very well. At first, like others, he thought that Shi Man was young. Even if she was skilled, she might not know how to train. But now, he knew how ridiculously wrong they were! Looking at the smile on Shi Man¡¯s face, he knew that she firmly believed that Cheng Luo would definitely win this competition. Thinking of that bet, the boy couldn¡¯t help but shiver. He suddenly felt that Shi Man was especially terrifying. She was like a deep pool. She always stood there quietly, as if she was waiting for her prey to come knocking on her door at any time. As long as the other party relaxed a little, she would completely devour him. And now, her prey should be Yue Ming, and Zhang Rui. In fact, it even included Chu Yue! Thinking of this, the boy couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat. However, before he could think about it carefully, he suddenly heard a cry of surprise around him. He hurriedly looked up at the two people in the assessment and suddenly put an arm on his shoulder. His companion hugged his shoulder and smiled. ¡°Brother Yue Ming will definitely win this time. This girl will never stand up again!¡± His heart tightened and he hurriedly looked over, only to see Cheng Luo lying on the ground on the stage. Her face was pale as she held her abdomen and did not move for a long time. What was going on? Cheng Luo¡¯s playstyle just now would not place her at a disadvantage. He had only been distracted for a short while. Why did such a huge change happen?! Just as he was about to ask the person beside him, the few female soldiers who had been worried about Cheng Luo heard this and immediately retorted unhappily, ¡°Our Luo Luo won¡¯t be defeated so easily! It was clearly Yue Ming who played dirty. He knew that Luo Luo¡¯s eyes had been stung by bees and the swelling had yet to completely subside, so he used that blind spot to ambush Luo Luo! He¡¯s a hypocrite! A villain!¡± ¡°All¡¯s fair in war, do you understand?¡± The male soldiers immediately retorted unhappily. ¡°Besides, she could have given up the assessment when you¡¯re injured. Who asked her to insist on participating? If she can¡¯t defeat your opponent, she could just go for forfeit. What¡¯s wrong with using your opponent¡¯s weakness to break through?¡± ¡°You!¡± The female soldiers could not win against them. They could only bite their lower lips hatefully and stomp their feet in anger. Although there had to be a victor in this assessment, it had always been fair. Moreover, everyone was not an enemy who needed to fight on the battlefield. They were all comrades, and Yue Ming was a man. How could he be so despicable and sneak an attack? They had really misjudged him! In the past, they had thought that Yue Ming was a cold and handsome man. Now, it seemed that he was really useless on the outside! The more they thought about it, the angrier they became. The female soldiers simply ignored the gazes of the instructors and leaders.. Seeing that Cheng Luo had yet to get up from the ground, they hurriedly shouted, ¡°Luo Luo, go! Stand up and defeat him! We believe in you!¡± Chapter 687 - Chapter 687: Never Admitting Defeat Chapter 687: Never Admitting Defeat Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cheng Luo had just suffered a solid blow to her stomach, and it was so painful that her face turned pale. Now, as long as she moved slightly, her entire body would tremble violently. The stomach was the weakest part of the human body. Yue Ming did not hold back. It was impossible for Cheng Luo to stand up before the countdown. It seemed that she had already lost this round. The judges were restless, but no one dared to stop the assessment first. After all, they knew very well that Shi Man would definitely lose if they spoke. That might indirectly offend Chief Lu! However, they were afraid of offending Shi Man, but some people were not! Chu Yue glanced at the time and said coldly, ¡°Shi Man, shouldn¡¯t you announce that the assessment is over? If you delay it any longer, it will violate the rules. As an instructor, you should deal with it impartially. You can¡¯t play favorites in front of so many people.¡± As she looked fixedly at Shi Man¡¯s side profile, smile gradually bloomed on her lips, and her eyes were filled with anticipation. As long as Shi Man announced that Cheng Luo had failed this assessment, she would never have a chance to turn the tables! However, Shi Man did not speak. Chu Yue¡¯s patience ran out. She turned around and said to another instructor, ¡°Can you announce the results of this assessment? Cheng Luo clearly can¡¯t stand up anymore. Is there any point in stalling for time now?¡± The instructor, who was supervising the examination with Shi Man, felt his heart tighten. He subconsciously asked for Shi Man¡¯s opinion. ¡°Instructor Shi, do you think we can end the assessment now?¡± Shi Man moved slightly, but there was no panic on her face. ¡°Instructor Chen, according to the rules, there¡¯s still a minute before the assessment ends. Why are you in a hurry?¡± Instructor Chen blushed and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, look at my negligence just now. There¡¯s indeed a minute left. Then let¡¯s wait a little longer!¡± Chu Yue glared at Instructor Chen and said impatiently, ¡°Is there any point in waiting for this minute? Could it be that Cheng Luo can defeat Yue Ming in this minute? She can¡¯t even stand up now. Do you want Yue Ming to beat her to death on the stage?¡± Instructor Chen¡¯s forehead was already covered in sweat. These two were both students of Chief Lu, and he could not afford to offend either of them. He could try his best to reduce his presence so that he would not be implicated in the battle. Shi Man did not show any panic because of her words. Instead, she said calmly, ¡°The battlefield is ever-changing. You can do many things in a minute. Instructor Chu, can¡¯t you even wait for this little time?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Chu Yue gritted her teeth in hatred. ¡°I¡¯ll see if your good student can turn the tables in this minute!¡± It was simply a fool¡¯s dream to overcome the pain in her stomach and stand up to defeat an opponent that she could not defeat in the first place! She would give the two of them another minute and see what excuse they could use to brush them off! At the event location, Yue Ming looked down at the girl crawling at his feet, and his eyes filled with mockery. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to admit defeat? You and Instructor Shi can¡¯t beat me. Admit defeat as soon as possible. I can still show mercy.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Cheng Luo¡¯s eyes turned cold as she struggled to arch her back. She was trembling in pain now, but there was no thought of admitting defeat in her mind. She had to stand up and continue fighting. This was the only thought in Cheng Luo¡¯s heart. With this thought in mind, her figure moved. She suddenly struggled to get up and stood on her feet shakily. ¡°Yue Ming, I have to beat you today. Continue.¡± She wiped the blood flowing down the corner of her mouth and raised her fist again with bloodshot eyes. A bloodthirsty cold glint flashed across her eyes. Yue Ming¡¯s mocking smile deepened. He narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°You asked for it!¡± With that, he suddenly attacked again. Cheng Luo grunted and endured the pain in her stomach. She suddenly dodged. Yue Ming gathered all his strength in his hand, but the force he released was as light as cotton. Another attack was easily resolved by Cheng Luo. Yue Ming¡¯s eyes were filled with jealousy. ¡°You and Instructor Shi cheated! We already said when we made the bet that we had to undergo the same training! But you secretly learned this move from her!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t learn it secretly,¡± Cheng Luo said weakly. ¡°You were the one who was arrogant and unwilling to obey orders. Think about it carefully. During the days of training, how many times did you really obey Instructor Shi¡¯s orders?¡± Yue Ming¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He thought of the days when Instructor Shi brought them to rest at the side, but he continued to sweat profusely. He suddenly shook his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I just didn¡¯t listen to her to watch the commotion like a piece of trash. How could I be so different from you so quickly?¡± Cheng Luo lowered her eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°Instructor Shi is right. Everyone has their own areas of expertise. Men have the advantage of men, but women are not necessarily weak. They are just not good at stimulating their potential!¡± Her words were powerful and resonated with the surrounding women. For so long, they had always been treated differently from men, whether in the army or in society.. Chapter 688 - Chapter 688: A Complete Victory Chapter 688: A Complete Victory Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, in fact, they had long abandoned their temperament of a lady when they participated in the iron-blooded training in the army. What they hated the most was being looked down on. However, this was how the world was. Men would be regarded as promising and lauded for protecting the country. However, no matter whose daughter joined the army, there would always be relatives in the family who expressed their disapproval and confusion, thinking that such a girl would definitely not be able to marry in the future. ¡°What can a girl do in the army? Isn¡¯t she just working in the office as a clerk? Actually, it¡¯s useless. She can¡¯t go home more than a few times a year. Isn¡¯t such a daughter raised for nothing? It won¡¯t be easy for her to get married in the future!¡± ¡°That girl from the Cheng family only comes home once a year. She can¡¯t even see her parents. How can she take care of her husband and children in the future? My family doesn¡¯t want such a woman even if you give her to us for free!¡± Such vicious words were endless. They were already tired of hearing it. Everyone is proud to be a military wife, but few husbands are proud that their wives are soldiers. Most of them did not understand. They thought that such a woman would sooner or later not be able to hold on and leave the army. After all, women really looked useless in the army. But was that really the case? Ever since these female soldiers entered the army, they had been receiving the same training as the men every day. Every day, they endured unimaginable hardships, but in the end, all the glory seemed to fall on the men. They had long been unwilling to endure it. Shi Man¡¯s appearance undoubtedly lit a lamp that would never go out on their foggy path. Cheng Luo would always remember what Shi Man had told her in the dormitory that day. She also had her own areas of expertise that men could not understand and could not do! Thinking of this, Cheng Luo suddenly flashed and took the initiative to attack. There was an uproar outside the arena. No one expected Cheng Luo to grit her teeth and persevere without giving up even though she was so seriously injured. She was just a woman¡­ Unsurprisingly, all the men present were shocked. For the first time, they realized that a seemingly thin woman could actually erupt with such powerful strength. Yue Ming¡¯s feelings were the most intuitive. His pupils couldn¡¯t help but dilate. He was forced back by Cheng Luo repeatedly and almost fell off the assessment venue. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, as his eyes became even more vicious. ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Yue Ming launched another fierce attack. However, this time, while Cheng Luo cleverly used gentle strength to resolve his attack, she also took the opportunity to jam her wrist on his neck. Just as Yue Ming was stunned, she suddenly exerted strength in her hand and grabbed his shoulder, throwing him over her shoulder beautifully. Yue Ming was completely thrown out of the arena. Being thrown out of the arena was equivalent to defeat. Victory and defeat were decided. The time limit was up. At the judges¡¯ table, Shi Man blew the whistle and announced the end of the assessment. The entire place fell silent. After a while, everyone finally came back to their senses. At this moment, the female soldiers¡¯ blood was completely ignited by the scene just now. Everyone screamed and jumped up to clap and cheer. Then, they walked to the assessment stage in unison and carried their pride down the steps. Cheng Luo was still in a daze. She had actually almost fainted from the pain just now. She had completely completed the attack that had decided the outcome under the guidance of her willpower. Now that she was surrounded by them, she became a little dizzy again. ¡°I won? Instructor Shi and I don¡¯t have to leave the army, right?¡± ¡°Yes! Cheng Luo, you won. We all won. Luoluo, that¡¯s great. You don¡¯t have to leave!¡± Beside her, the female soldiers cried tears of joy and hugged Cheng Luo, unwilling to let go. No one knew how worried they were when Cheng Luo was knocked down by Yue Ming. They were really afraid that such a good class monitor would leave them from now on. But it was fine. Fortunately, everything was over now. Cheng Luo smiled in relief. Then, right on the heels of that, her vision darkened and she completely lost consciousness. At the judges¡¯ table, Chu Yue stood up in disbelief. She stared at Yue Ming, who had a dark expression on his face, and slowly shook her head. ¡°Impossible. How could Yue Ming lose? You must have cheated!¡± Chu Yue pointed her sharp fingernails at Shi Man¡¯s nose. However, what she did not know was that her inadvertent action had touched Shi Man¡¯s reverse scale. ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t learned your lesson.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes, her voice sinister and terrifying. Chu Yue shivered for no reason. She forgot to retract her fingers. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The next second, Shi Man¡¯s sudden action was the best answer for her. She only heard the crisp sound of her knuckles, and right on the heels of that, a sharp pain gradually spread from her fingertips to her heart. It was so painful that she couldn¡¯t help but gasp for breath, and cold sweat covered her forehead in an instant. ¡°How dare you attack me!¡± Chu Yue could not help but bend down in pain, but she glared at Shi Man as if she wanted to bore a hole in her. ¡°You asked for it.¡± Shi Man¡¯s voice was flat. She raised her eyes slightly and looked at Zhang Rui, who was trembling behind Chu Yue. She smiled and said, ¡°The assessment is over. I hope you can fulfill your promise..¡± Chapter 689 - Chapter 689: Settling Old Scores Chapter 689: Settling Old Scores Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhang Rui had no idea what to do. She subconsciously looked at Chu Yue, hoping that she could speak up for her. But Chu Yue could not even take care of herself, so how could she have the time to care about Zhang Yue? Zhang Rui could only fall back into her chair in a daze and endure the strange gazes of the others. According to the bet, once Yue Ming lost, she would have to withdraw from the army. This was what she had promised back then. If she went back on her word, even if she was lucky enough to stay, others would look down on her. No one could save her now. Zhang Rui was so nervous that her entire body was trembling. She was already in a daze as she sat on the chair. In a flash, she suddenly thought of her arrangements just now, and a trace of ruthlessness flashed across her eyes. ¡°Shi Man, if you really don¡¯t let me off today, 1 definitely won¡¯t let you have an easy time!¡± The assessment quickly came to an end. At this moment, the sky had completely darkened. The students were already so tired that they wished they could lie on the ground and sleep, but they knew that today¡¯s matter was not over. In the center of the training ground, Yue Ming and Cheng Luo were surrounded in the middle. One of them was so gloomy that his face seemed to be darker than the night, but the other was smiling. The female soldier who was very close to Cheng Luo smiled and placed her hand on her shoulder. She looked at the man opposite her with a smile. ¡°Why? Hurry up and retire from the army. Are you trying to go back on your word?¡± Yue Ming gritted his teeth and said fiercely, ¡°Do you dare to say that you didn¡¯t cheat with Instructor Shi?¡± Cheng Luo frowned. ¡°Do you have to say that someone cheated after losing? Is this an excuse that male chauvinists always use?¡± Yue Ming¡¯s expression darkened as he argued, ¡°This is a reasonable suspicion. Who knows if Instructor Shi secretly taught you behind my back? Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t I know what you know?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re stupid.¡± The female soldier shook her head proudly. ¡°All of us underwent the same training. You have poor comprehension. Do you have to blame others? If you¡¯re a man, hurry up and admit defeat. Don¡¯t waste time!¡± ¡°You!¡± Yue Ming couldn¡¯t win against her. He snorted and turned his head away. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll apologize to you, okay! But you have to promise me that you¡¯ll compete with me in the next assessment!¡± ¡°Do you have another assessment?¡± Cheng Luo sneered sarcastically. So what if they competed again? If she could win the first time with her own strength, she could naturally keep winning! However, Yue Ming had promised that he would retire from the army if he lost! Now, he actually wanted to brush it off with an apology! ¡°Very good.¡± Yue Ming narrowed his eyes dangerously and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve already thought highly of you by apologizing to you. Do you really want to force me to retire from the army? Don¡¯t be naive! It¡¯s not so easy to retire from the army!¡± Once he was discharged from the army, he would be considered a deserter. He had to bear the stigma for the rest of his life. Losing to a woman was already humiliating enough. If he became a deserter because of her, how could he survive in the future? Cheng Luo frowned slightly and asked unhappily, ¡°Then are you going to go back on your word?¡± The female soldier beside her couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and scolded arrogantly, ¡°Yue Ming, let me ask you. If the person who lost today was Cheng Luo, can you be willing to let Cheng Luo off?¡± A moment of hesitation flashed across Yue Ming¡¯s eyes. The female soldier sneered and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll use the words ¡®women really don¡¯t keep their promises¡¯ to force Cheng Luo to leave, right? Yue Ming, can you not have such double standards for your self-righteous chauvinism? Why, can you go back on your word after losing? Do women have to be obedient?¡± Yue Ming¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Here we go again.¡± The female soldier pursed her lips speechlessly. ¡°When you can¡¯t think of a good solution to a problem, you throw the problem to a woman. If we ask you to retire according to your promise, you would just say that we¡¯re unreasonable. We just have to follow your thoughts, right? Retiring from the military is your business now. Why don¡¯t you think of a way for yourself now?¡± Yue Ming¡¯s face turned pale. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want me to retire from the army. I¡¯ll submit an application to my superiors now, but if the higher-ups don¡¯t agree, 1 can¡¯t do anything!¡± The female soldier sneered impatiently. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re some treasure? Why must others rush to keep you?¡± Yue Ming narrowed his eyes and snorted. He turned around and left. The training ground fell silent again. Only then did Shi Man move. She slowly stood up from the chair and slowly walked to the back of the crowd. She raised her hand and grabbed someone¡¯s collar, throwing the trembling person into the center of the crowd. Her lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Then what about you? Instructor Zhang, is it your turn to keep your promise?¡± Zhang Rui forced herself not to be embarrassed in front of her. But now that things had come to this, she could not stop the anxiety in her heart. She looked at the crowd as if she was asking for help. Only then did she realize that Chu Yue had disappeared. Even Zhao Jing had disappeared. The two of them had left.. Now that everything had fallen on her, Zhang Rui regretted her actions! Chapter 690 - Chapter 690: Chased Away Chapter 690: Chased Away Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, she could only bite the bullet and say, ¡°Shi Man, this matter actually has nothing to do with me. It¡¯s Chu Yue who wants to squeeze you out! I¡¯m innocent!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shi Man sneered. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve forgotten what you said. Do you want me to help you recall?¡± Zhang Rui wished she could bite off her tongue. She shook her head desperately and said, ¡°We¡¯re all colleagues. There¡¯s really no need to make such a scene. I¡¯ve let you down this time. Let¡¯s get along well in the future, okay?¡± Shi Man pursed her lips and smiled. A trace of hope suddenly burst out in Zhang Rui¡¯s eyes. But soon, this flame of hope was completely extinguished. Shi Man said expressionlessly, ¡°But I don¡¯t need a colleague like you. You can get lost.¡± Zhang Rui¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°How can you treat me like this? I¡¯m more experienced than you and older than you. You¡¯re just a small-time instructor who just entered the army, and you actually want to chase me away? Why don¡¯t you take a look at yourself and see if you¡¯re worthy of sitting in this position!¡± She was stimulated by Shi Man and said what was on her mind. After saying that, she felt regret. It would definitely not end well for her to anger Shi Man at this time. However, things had already come to this point. Here words were like water that had been splashed out and could never be returned. She could only straighten her back and say with a tough attitude, ¡°Let me tell you, it¡¯s absolutely impossible for me to leave! I¡¯ve been in the army for so many years. Even if I don¡¯t have any major contributions, I¡¯ve worked hard. I have more military merits than you. You¡¯ve only done one mission, right? Your contribution to the army is far inferior to mine. If there¡¯s anyone who has to leave , it¡¯s you!¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her breath on her. She took out her phone and fiddled with the screen before placing it in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve already written a resignation letter on your behalf to the leader. There¡¯s also a recording of you making the bet. I believe the leader will handle it appropriately.¡± ¡°Shi Man! You¡¯re going too far!¡± Zhang Rui did not expect her to have recorded the bet. Zhang Rui¡¯s heart tightened for some reason. Thinking that the leaders might be sitting in the office listening to the recording and looking at her resignation letter, she was so angry that she rushed up to tear Shi Man¡¯s mouth apart. However, her little strength was not enough. Shi Man did not take her seriously at all and did not even dodge. It was not until she pounced in front of her that Shi Man dodged and stretched out a foot to trip her easily. Zhang Rui fell hard, and there was a bruise on her face. When she glared at Shi Man, the expression on her face became even more ferocious and terrifying. ¡°Shi Man, just you wait. I definitely won¡¯t let you off just like that! If you don¡¯t let me live well, I definitely won¡¯t let you live a comfortable life!¡± Shi Man curled her lips coldly. ¡°Go ahead and try. You¡¯ve only lost your job this time, but I can¡¯t guarantee what you¡¯ll lose next time.¡± When she said this, there was a dignified look on her face. Zhang Rui subconsciously held her breath. Only when Shi Man looked away completely did she react. She heaved a sigh of relief and stood up with the help of her student. She walked to the corner with heavy footsteps and took out her phone. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all done, Instructor Zhang. We¡¯re helping you this time. The next time we transport goods, you¡¯ll have to look the other way!¡± The man¡¯s teasing voice came from the phone. Zhang Rui closed her eyes and said, ¡°Alright, as long as you don¡¯t make it too obvious next time, 1¡¯11 let you off and not pursue the matter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Instructor Zhang is a trustworthy person. We can¡¯t bear for you to leave the army just like that.¡± The man laughed lewdly. After hanging up the phone, he gestured to his subordinates. ¡°Bring everything. This woman is very difficult to deal with this time. If we succeed, we can rest easy from now on! If we don¡¯t do it well, you know the consequences!¡± His subordinates nodded in agreement. Only then did the man lean against the sofa with determination. He reached out and pulled the scantily-clad woman into his arms, kissing her red lips in front of everyone. When he was done kissing, the smile on his lips curled up even more. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°In the future, I¡¯ll also be someone with a background in the army!¡± ¡°Congratulations, Brother Han.¡± The woman hid shyly in the man¡¯s arms, her weak and boneless hand caressing his chest. Jiang Han suddenly grabbed her hand and raised an index finger in front of the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. Do it for me.¡± ¡°What?¡± The woman blinked at him curiously. She was so beautiful that one could not take their eyes off her. Jiang Han lowered his voice and whispered in her ear. The woman immediately covered her mouth in disbelief, leaving only a pair of bright eyes. Her gaze was clear and charming, and she looked like there was no man whose soul she cant hook. ¡°What should Jiaojiao do if she can¡¯t do this?¡± Jiang Han smiled and pulled her into his arms. He pinched her chin and kissed her for a while before saying faintly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no man can refuse your taste. When you do this well, I¡¯ll give you the villa you like.¡± ¡°Brother Han is so petty. You¡¯re only giving me a villa after making me do that?¡± Chen Jiao wheedled in his arms.. Chapter 691 - Chapter 691: The Oriole Behind Chapter 691: The Oriole Behind Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Han smiled and patted her perky butt. ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot. Do you know how much a villa in the capital is worth? Greedy little thing, what else do you want?¡± Chen Jiao hooked her arms around his neck and pressed him down on the sofa. She pouted pitifully. ¡°I also took a fancy to a sports car.¡± Jiang Han heaved a sigh of relief without batting an eyelid. He said with a gentle expression, ¡°I thought you wanted something. Isn¡¯t it just a car? If you want it, I¡¯ll definitely buy it for you, but the premise is that you have to do this for me, understand?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Jiang. I¡¯ll definitely help you get it done.¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s voice was delicate and soft, making Jiang Han¡¯s heart melt. He couldn¡¯t help but chase away the people in the office who were in the way and press her down for a while. In order to avoid affecting his plan, he was especially careful not to leave any traces on her. That night, after Shi Man sorted out the various assessment data in the office, she stretched and left. It was already dark outside, but there were often people patrolling in the army, so there was nothing to be afraid of. Shi Man passed through the huge training ground and was about to walk out the door when she suddenly acutely sensed movement behind the bushes not far away. She narrowed her eyes and subconsciously slowed down, paying attention to that direction. However, the surroundings returned to calm. The man in charge of standing guard at the door saw Shi Man coming over and quickly saluted her. ¡°Instructor Shi, you just got off work. It¡¯s been hard on you today.¡± Shi Man nodded calmly and greeted him. She took out her phone and called Yi Zheng. She had been living in the army recently and had not seen him for a long time. Unexpectedly, no one picked up the call. Perhaps he was in a meeting? Shi Man didn¡¯t take it to heart and left the military camp alone. Her car was parked in the parking lot outside. It was still a distance to go from here. If it were an ordinary timid little girl, she probably wouldn¡¯t dare to walk alone in the deep mountains and forests, but Shi Man had nothing to be afraid of. However, for some reason, she felt that something extraordinary was about to happen on this seemingly calm night. Just as she was thinking this, the sound of a tree branch breaking suddenly sounded behind her. Shi Man stopped in her tracks and turned around, only to realize that there was no one behind her. She knew that something was wrong. Right on the heels of that, she quickly took a few steps to the side and barely dodged a man¡¯s arm. ¡°Damn it, why did you react so quickly? You even let her dodge?¡± Seeing that he couldn¡¯t avoid it, the man immediately became ruthless. He took out a spray from his waist and sprayed it on Shi Man¡¯s face. Shi Man hurriedly raised her arm to cover her mouth and nose, but at this moment, a cold wind slowly blew over, blowing the smell infinitely towards Shi Man. She couldn¡¯t help but take a few breaths. The man was overjoyed and waved behind him. ¡°Come out quickly! The heavens are really helping me! This thing can even knock down an elephant. We¡¯ve succeeded!¡± ¡°Second Brother, you still have a way! Now, we can enjoy this peerless beauty!¡± The thin man rubbed his palms and took the initiative to carry Shi Man on his shoulder. After all, this was outside the military courtyard wall, so it was not convenient for him to do anything. It would not be fun if he caused a commotion and alarmed the people inside. Therefore, they had to bring her to a safe place to enjoy her! Soon, the man threw Shi Man into the trunk of the car. With a loud engine, the car suddenly started, sounding especially loud in the quiet night. After they left, Zhang Rui turned off the video and called Chu Yue to report the good news. Before she could speak, Chu Yue asked in an unfriendly tone, ¡°I heard that after 1 left, you begged Shi Man for mercy and said that I ordered you to do those things?¡± Zhang Rui choked on her words and hurriedly explained to herself, ¡°Sister Yueyue, I was just trying to make her lower her guard! I was about to tell you good news that we succeeded in that matter! Shi Man has already been carried into the car and taken away. Moreover, I¡¯ve already recorded her. When the time comes, we can use this video to threaten her! Let¡¯s see if she still has the face to stay in the army!¡± When Chu Yue heard this, she was delighted. Her dissatisfaction with Zhang Rui disappeared completely. She smiled in satisfaction and said, ¡°At least you¡¯re still useful. After this matter is settled, I¡¯ll protect you in the future.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll thank Sister Yueyue first!¡± Zhang Rui hung up the phone in satisfaction and opened her car door happily. Just as she was about to get into the car, a large hand suddenly appeared from behind and suddenly covered her mouth and nose. Right on the heels of that, her vision darkened, and her head tilted to the side, completely unconscious. ¡°Big Brother, this woman is too ruthless. How should we teach her a lesson?¡± The man¡¯s round eyes darted around. ¡°Why don¡¯t we rape her too?¡± Sean rolled his eyes in disgust.. ¡°Do you want to die? Aren¡¯t you afraid that the boss will settle scores with you?¡± Chapter 692 - Chapter 692: Terrifying Atmosphere Chapter 692: Terrifying Atmosphere Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The man immediately smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°I was just saying. How would I dare!¡± Sean glared at him and continued to throw him into the trunk. ¡°Alright, stop nagging. Let¡¯s follow Boss¡¯s car quickly. Don¡¯t let anything really happen.¡± Although Shi Man had instructed them to guard here and not act rashly, they could not help but worry for Shi Man. Shi Man¡¯s unconscious appearance just now was too real. They were a little nervous, afraid that their boss would really fall for it. The car sped out of the parking lot and quickly stopped near an old bungalow. After Sean got out of the car, he first sized up the car in front of him. After confirming that this was the car that had kidnapped Shi Man, he took out two electric batons from the backseat and threw one to the other man who had gotten out of the car. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t make a sound. Play by ear.¡± The man nodded at him, holding the stun baton tightly. Only then did the two of them tiptoe closer to the flat door. This was the suburbs, which was even more remote than where the troops were. Sean really wondered how this group of people had found such a place. If not for the fact that he could see the famous television tower in the capital from here, he would have suspected that they had already left the capital and arrived in the territory of another city. It was already late at night, so there were no street lamps in this area. The two of them crept to the door in the dark and leaned against it to eavesdrop. For a moment, it was quiet. Only their heartbeats were especially loud. Suddenly, a muffled groan came from the door. It was impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman. Sean¡¯s heart clenched. In the house, the man had just laid her on the bed and was about to unbutton his pants when his companion suddenly bumped into him with his arm. He looked up in confusion and saw his companion say mysteriously, ¡°Second Brother, should we attack together or one by one? This is a peerless beauty. I can¡¯t help it.¡± The man said disdainfully, ¡°Look at you. Move aside. Unlike you, I don¡¯t have any fetishes. 1¡¯11 have fun first before it¡¯s your turn.¡± His companion immediately shut his mouth, resenting himself for talking too much just now. Otherwise, he would have succeeded by now. However, since Second Brother had already spoken, he did not dare to disobey. He could only put on his pants again and turn around, waiting for Second Brother to settle it first. Soon, there was a rustling sound behind him. The man couldn¡¯t help but secretly look back; he couldn¡¯t help but want to witness the erotic scene next. He saw Second Brother with his back facing him. His hand reached down and he took a trembling step forward. Just as he was waiting to watch a good show, his second brother, who had an anxious expression, suddenly exclaimed, scaring him. He walked over and frowned in confusion. ¡°Second Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Could it be that Second Brother suddenly realized that he could not make it? Wouldn¡¯t it be his turn now? Before his companion could get excited, he saw Second Brother pointing in the direction of the wooden bed with a trembling finger. ¡°Where, where is she?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she here?¡± His companion looked in the direction of his finger in confusion. When he saw the empty bed, his heart constricted. ¡°Where is she? Wasn¡¯t she here just now?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Hurry up and find her!¡± Second Brother hurriedly pulled up his pants. His wretched thoughts just now were all frightened away in an instant. They had located this bungalow with care. No one would come over. That woman had indeed been drugged by them. However, it was a little terrifying that a person had disappeared into thin air. The originally quiet and charming atmosphere suddenly became a little terrifying. The man grabbed Second Brother¡¯s arm and tried his best to widen his eyes as she looked around. ¡°Second Brother, it¡¯s too dark in this room. 1 can¡¯t see anything clearly. Did that woman fall under the bed?¡± ¡°How can we not hear anything when such a big person falls?¡± Second Brother retracted his hand angrily and pushed her forward. ¡°Where¡¯s the cell phone! Use the flashlight! Useless thing, you¡¯re afraid now. Where did your lust go?¡± The man did not dare to make a sound after being reprimanded. He hurriedly took out his phone to light up. A strong light shone from behind the cell phone and suddenly landed on the entire bed, revealing the empty bed. The two of them immediately felt their hair stand on end. The cold wind behind them was like a pair of invisible hands, scaring them until their hair stood on end. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± A cold voice sounded behind them. The two of them couldn¡¯t help but cry out at the same time. They hurriedly took a big step back and almost sat on the bed in embarrassment. The flashlight beam suddenly hit the woman, illuminating her slender outline. Second Brother was the first to react. After seeing that it was Shi Man, he immediately pretended to be calm and swallowed. ¡°You, how did you wake up? Or were you pretending to faint? Are you tired of living?¡± Shi Man smiled, her expression becoming more terrifying under the strong light of the flashlight. ¡°Do you think you can knock me out? In your fantasies..¡± Chapter 693 - Chapter 693: Helping You Complete the Mission Chapter 693: Helping You Complete the Mission Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Beside her, the other man finally came back to his senses. Thinking of how he had almost peed his pants because of this woman just now, he immediately became bold and spat on the ground. ¡°Pfft! You b*tch, how dare you play with me? Watch how I deal with you today! 1¡¯11 let you know how powerful I am today!¡± With that, the man reached out to grab Shi Man¡¯s arm, wanting to throw her onto the bed to teach her a lesson. Unexpectedly, before his outstretched hand could touch Shi Man¡¯s side, he heard a crisp crack and a sharp pain suddenly came from his arm. Second Brother was so frightened that he fell onto the bed. He pointed at her with a trembling finger and said, ¡°You, what did you just do?¡± Shi Man¡¯s smile was like a ghost as she approached the bed step by step. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it too?¡± ¡°Second Brother! She¡¯s just a woman. Why are you afraid of her? Go!¡± His companion gritted his teeth and endured the pain as he roared in the man¡¯s direction. This b*tch was actually so vicious. He had to tie her up and f*ck her until she was tired of him! After being shouted at by him, Second Brother suddenly felt a little more confident. He casually picked up the knife at the side and roared as he rushed towards Shi Man. It was impossible for the woman to dodge at such a close distance. Although the higher-ups only instructed them to destroy her innocence, it was not a big deal for them to accidentally kill her if she resisted and was insensible. In any case, Instructor Zhang had to clean up their mess for them. Of course, they could do whatever they wanted! Thinking of this, Second Brother almost stabbed her in the heart. Shi Man sneered. When the tip of the knife was less than ten centimeters away from her, her figure suddenly flashed and disappeared in front of him. The man suddenly missed and staggered, almost hitting the door. But in the next second, he was kicked hard in the back of his knee. The man knelt down in front of him uncontrollably. His knees hit the concrete floor hard, causing him to break out in cold sweat. Shi Man didn¡¯t seem to have had enough fun. She stood at the side playfully and stared down at the two of them. ¡°Don¡¯t be a coward. Continue.¡± The thin man was so agitated that his veins bulged. He picked up the knife at his waist and rushed forward recklessly. Shi Man kicked his stomach again mercilessly. The man couldn¡¯t help but bend over and retch. He almost vomited his entire stomach. Only then did Shi Man pat the dust off her hands in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, if I kill you, the next scene won¡¯t be easy to play.¡± ¡°What scene?¡± Second Brother turned around with difficulty, but he could only kneel in Shi Man¡¯s direction and not stand up. It looked like he had already submitted. Shi Man raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you come with a mission tonight? If I don¡¯t let you complete the mission, it won¡¯t be easy for you to report.¡± Second Brother¡¯s eyelids twitched. His intuition told him that this woman did not have any good intentions. The mission they received was to do her! She would be humiliated from now on! Now, she had first beaten them up and calmly let them complete the mission. It was obvious that this woman was up to something! Sure enough, in the next second, he saw the woman clap her hands gently. Two burly men suddenly barged in. Second Brother was shocked and his pupils constricted. What was going on! This place was so remote. Who were they and how did they find this place? ¡°Boss.¡± After Sean entered, he brought his brothers behind him and nodded respectfully at Shi Man. What else did Second Brother not understand? He had been tricked by this woman from the beginning! Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but forget the pain in his knee. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Shi Man smiled playfully. The smile only lingered on her face for a moment before turning expressionless. ¡°Of course I want you to complete the mission. Bring her in¡± The latter sentence was directed at Sean. Sean immediately understood and called his brothers out to carry her out of the trunk and throw her in front of the two men. Shi Man raised her chin slightly and said, ¡°Either you use her to complete the mission, or you leave your lives here. Choose.¡± The man¡¯s legs went weak. He was not blind. Now that there was a flashlight in the room, he could see who the woman on the ground was. That was why he was afraid. He felt fear from the bottom of his heart for Shi Man¡¯s ruthlessness. He had been in the underworld for so many years, but he had never met such a black-hearted woman! He looked up uncertainly and met Shi Man¡¯s deep eyes. He subconsciously said nervously, ¡°You¡¯re not joking, right? She¡¯s Instructor Zhang!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to joke with you.¡± Shi Man raised her wrist to look at the time on her watch. It was almost midnight. If she didn¡¯t go back soon, her family would be anxious. The man broke out in cold sweat. He glanced at the woman on the ground who was like a pool of mud and nervously reached out. Before he could touch her arm, he suddenly retracted it. ¡°No, Boss will definitely beat me to death!¡± If he accidentally killed Shi Man, his boss would at most scold him a little, but he would still deal with the aftermath for him.. However, if he did that to Zhang Rui tonight, he would definitely not survive when he returned! Chapter 694 - Chapter 694: Staying Out at Night Chapter 694: Staying Out at Night Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t do this!¡± The man refused repeatedly. He tugged at Shi Man¡¯s pants and begged desperately, ¡°Missy, 1 beg you to let me go. As long as you leave me alive, I¡¯m willing to do anything you want!¡± Shi Man took a step back in disgust and shook off his hand. ¡°Either do as 1 say or leave your life behind now.¡± She was not a saint who was willing to forgive others. Since Zhang Rui wanted to use such a despicable method to control her, why couldn¡¯t she do the same? It was a good opportunity for a vicious person like Zhang Rui to reap what she sowed! She would have a good taste of this! Sean was getting impatient. He kicked the man¡¯s chest and scolded, ¡°Stop being so wishy-washy. Didn¡¯t you almost take off your pants just now? Why is your tool not working now?¡± The man trembled as he reached for his belt, but he was too nervous. Even if he wanted to, he was powerless! Sean sneered disdainfully and turned his gaze to the other man. ¡°Can you do it? Do you want to live or die now?¡± ¡°I want to live!¡± the man replied almost immediately and without hesitation. After saying that, he glanced timidly in Second Brother¡¯s direction. He made up his mind and suddenly took off his pants. He reached out and dragged Zhang Rui onto the bed. Sean crossed his arms and looked like he was watching a good show. ¡°Sure, you look thin and small. I didn¡¯t expect you to have more guts. You¡¯re much better than your useless second brother!¡± The man seemed to be encouraged by his words and his body quickly reacted. Shi Man was not interested in watching him do it with Zhang Rui. She waved her hand in boredom and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave this place to the two of you to keep an eye on. Remember, there¡¯s no need to let those who are disobedient continue to live.¡± Sean quickly said seriously, ¡°Yes, Boss. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely take care of this place.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Man yawned and slowly turned to leave. Behind her, heavy breathing quickly sounded in the silent room. When Shi Man returned home, Shen Xian was still watching television in the living room. Seeing her return, a smile appeared on her tired face. ¡°Manman, you¡¯re back. Did you have dinner?¡± Shi Man glanced at the screen and realized that her mother was watching Shi He¡¯s drama again. Her heart ached as she frowned. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll bring you back to G City to see Brother next time.¡± She really couldn¡¯t bear to see Shen Xian like this. Moreover, she could rush back before Shi He¡¯s next poison attack. This way, she could hide it from Shen Xian and make her feel at ease. Hearing her say this, Shen Xian¡¯s silent eyes lit up. However, she shook her head hesitantly and said, ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re so busy now. How can you have time to go back? Let your brothers come to the capital to reunite with us at the end of the year.¡± Shi Man sighed softly. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m just going back to take a look. It won¡¯t take long. If you want to go back, 1¡¯11 definitely accompany you.¡± Shen Xian patted her hand in relief and asked kindly, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± Shi Man shook her head and said, ¡°Not yet. By the way, where¡¯s Yi Zheng? Hasn¡¯t he returned yet?¡± Shen Xian frowned strangely. ¡°Xiao Zheng originally said that he would come home for dinner tonight, but I haven¡¯t seen him come back yet. He hasn¡¯t called home either.¡± Shi Man frowned. Thinking of her unanswered call just now, she immediately became a little worried. Yi Zheng had been with her for so long, and there had never been a time when he didn¡¯t answer calls or reply messages. No matter how busy he was, he would take the time to reply. In his own words, even if he was so busy that his feet didn¡¯t touch the ground, he would have time to reply to Shi Man. Today was indeed abnormal. Shi Man was afraid that Shen Xian would worry, so she persuaded her to return to her room to rest. She then walked to a quiet place and called Yi Zheng again. This time, the call was quickly picked up. When Shi Man heard the commotion, she couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Where are you? Aren¡¯t you coming back tonight?¡± After saying that, she realized that her tone was a little stiff, like a resentful woman who could not wait for her husband to come home. She could not help but smile. But in the next moment, she couldn¡¯t smile anymore because a woman¡¯s voice suddenly came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello? Are you looking for President Yi? President Yi drank too much and is resting now. If you have anything to say, you can tell me. I¡¯ll pass it on to President Yi tomorrow.¡± Shi Man¡¯s expression darkened as she said coldly, ¡°Who are you?¡± The woman on the other end of the phone smiled gently. Her voice was as pleasant and moving as a lark. ¡°I¡¯m President Yi¡¯s new special assistant, Chen Jiao. You can call me Assistant Chen.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Man smiled casually and said, ¡°Assistant Chen, your eyesight isn¡¯t very good. Can¡¯t you see the note Yi Zheng gave me?¡± Chen Jiao was slightly stunned, as if she did not expect Shi Man to not only not be affected, but also ask openly. She glanced at the big bed behind her and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. I picked up the call in a hurry just now. 1 didn¡¯t see the note President Yi gave you. President Yi is not feeling well now. If you have anything to say, you can talk about it later.¡± With that, Chen Jiao hurriedly hung up.. Chapter 695 - Chapter 695: Misunderstanding Chapter 695: Misunderstanding Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tang Zhe would be back soon. If he knew that she had answered Yi Zheng¡¯s call privately, he would probably be suspicious of her. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Shi Man seemed to have seen through the other party¡¯s intentions and said bluntly, ¡°Wake him up now and let him answer my call.¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she hurriedly said in a panic, ¡°President Yi is resting now¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath. Wake him up,¡± Shi Man said calmly. She wanted to see what this woman was up to. Chen Jiao forced herself to bite her lower lip and tentatively reached out to push the person behind her. When she felt the hard abs under her palm, she immediately felt her entire body burning. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Yi is very uncomfortable now. Let¡¯s talk tomorrow.¡± With that, Chen Jiao hurriedly hung up. She had to achieve her goal before Tang Zhe returned. She did not have time to continue wasting time with Shi Man. Moreover, according to the plan, shouldn¡¯t Shi Man have already fallen into Jiang Han¡¯s trap? Could it be that those pieces of trash did not succeed? What useless teammates! Chen Jiao scolded the two men in her heart, but stared at Yi Zheng¡¯s side profile in an even more infatuated manner. She couldn¡¯t help but lean over and quickly take off her clothes and those of Yi Zheng¡¯s. Then, she lay beautifully in his arms. Outside, the sound of leather shoes hitting the floor approached. Chen Jiao was about to fall asleep from waiting. When she heard the sound, she hurriedly got up and wrapped herself in the blanket. Her hair was in a mess as she curled up in the corner and cried. Tang Zhe pushed the door open and entered to see his President sleeping soundly, but his clothes were scattered all over the ground. Tang Zhe was shocked. What was going on! He had only been held back by someone for less than half an hour. Why were the President¡¯s clothes off? And what was wrong with Chen Jiao, who had been crying beside him? His first reaction was that the President had been secretly harmed. His expression turned cold as he pointed at the door and ordered, ¡°Put on your clothes and get out. Don¡¯t mention this to anyone.¡± Chen Jiao was already in tears. She nodded submissively and carefully wrapped herself in the blanket before getting out of bed. She stood on the floor and looked at Tang Zhe steadily. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go out first? I¡¯ll put on my clothes before leaving.¡± It was not right for her to go out to another room naked to change. Tang Zhe nodded with a headache and turned to walk out. Chen Jiao heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that he had successfully been deceived by her. Her face was filled with a smug smile. In the corridor, Tang Zhe had just stood at the door when he heard hurried footsteps, mixed with many waiters¡¯ anxious persuasion. ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t come in. This is a membership system. You can¡¯t come upstairs without a membership!¡± ¡°Cut the crap. If you continue to talk, I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart!¡± Shi Man glared at that person coldly. That person immediately felt as if he had been targeted by a poisonous snake. After a while, he came back to his senses and continued to stop her. ¡°Miss, listen to me. You really can¡¯t come up here. Why don¡¯t you go to the front desk to apply for a membership first?¡± Shi Man pushed away the noisy staff in annoyance. She turned the corner and bumped into Tang Zhe, who was standing at the door with an awkward expression. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Where is he?¡± Tang Zhe scratched his hair uneasily. His heart was in turmoil as he thought of a wonderful excuse to persuade Miss Shi to go home first. However, before he could find a reason, Shi Man had already seen through his intentions. After pushing him away, she leaped up and kicked open the door. At this moment, Chen Jiao was still in a mess in the room. She was holding Yi Zheng¡¯s clothes in her hand. She was only wearing half of her shirt. It was unknown if she was taking it off or putting it on. A cold aura suddenly spread out at the door, making the surrounding people shiver. Tang Zhe reacted extremely quickly and hurriedly rushed in front of Shi Man with a smile. ¡°Miss Shi, things are definitely not as you think! President Yi must have been framed! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely find out who the mastermind is as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Move.¡± Shi Man¡¯s eyes were dark, and the anger in them was intimidating. However, Tang Zhe still braced himself and stood in front of her. ¡°Miss Shi, listen to my explanation. President Yi felt unwell just now. He drank too much before 1 sent him to his room to rest.¡± ¡°Let Yi Zheng explain these things to me himself.¡± Shi Man pushed Tang Zhe away again, using so much force that he bumped into the wall. She walked up to Chen Jiao and looked down at the woman with tears on her face. She said coldly, ¡°Are you that special assistant just now?¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s hand trembled, and her finger, which was still holding Yi Zheng¡¯s shirt, accidentally rubbed against Yi Zheng¡¯s chest. A cold touch suddenly came from in front of him, instantly relieving the heat in Yi Zheng¡¯s chest. He subconsciously reached out and grabbed the cold object tightly, muttering, ¡°Don¡¯t go. It¡¯s comfortable. Stay¡­¡± As he spoke, the man raised the clasped hand and placed it on his chest. A sweet smile appeared on his lips.. Chapter 696 - Chapter 696: Proving His Innocence Chapter 696: Proving His Innocence Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man¡¯s eyes burned with anger. Tang Zhe¡¯s heart trembled as he watched from the side. Afraid that Shi Man would be unhappy and chop off the President¡¯s hand, he quickly went up and forcefully separated their hands. He turned his body to block Shi Man¡¯s line of sight. ¡°Miss Shi, President Yi is delirious now. It¡¯s really not his fault. Why don¡¯t we get him to explain it to you personally when he wakes up?¡± Chen Jiao stuck her head out timidly from behind him and blinked innocently at Shi Man. ¡°Miss Shi, I don¡¯t know why things turned out like this. I¡¯m really innocent. My¡­ my innocence is gone¡­¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s sobbing came from behind. Tang Zhe felt like his head was about to explode. He rubbed his temples in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t speak first.¡± Shi Man looked at her coldly, and her gaze shifted from her exposed collarbone to her teary face. The temperature of her gaze gradually fell to the freezing point. ¡°What innocence do you have?¡± ¡°What other innocence can it be?¡± Chen gathered her clothes shyly, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Coincidentally, the unconscious man on the bed finally opened his eyes. When his deep black eyes saw so many people standing by his bed, they suddenly narrowed dangerously. Right on the heels of that, he saw Shi Man, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Manman, when did I come home?¡± Shi Man smiled faintly. ¡°1 don¡¯t know if you still want to go home.¡± Yi Zheng frowned slightly. Due to the anger in Shi Man¡¯s eyes, he ignored his body¡¯s fatigue and barely propped himself up. The shirt on his shoulder suddenly slipped off. Then, Yi Zheng watched as his naked chest was exposed. ¡°Get out!¡± Yi Zheng roared as his eyes turned red. Shi Man turned around and left. Yi Zheng was anxious. He quickly stood up and grabbed her arm. ¡°Manman, I¡¯m not talking about you. I¡¯m talking about them.¡± Shi Man turned around and saw his untied belt. She sneered and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you let your special assistant help you put on your clothes first?¡± Yi Zheng smiled and said, ¡°Manman, I never let anyone touch me. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shi Man¡¯s lips were filled with sarcasm. ¡°Then how do you explain the one beside you?¡± She pouted in Chen Jiao¡¯s direction. Yi Zheng followed her gaze in surprise and saw Chen Jiao in a disheveled state. He immediately frowned. ¡°Tang Zhe, why is she here? Take her away.¡± Tang Zhe hurriedly responded and pulled Chen Jiao¡¯s arm away. But how could she be willing to leave just like that? Seeing that she was about to be pulled out of the room, Chen Jiao steeled her heart and suddenly relaxed her bitten lower lip. She actually broke free from Tang Zhe¡¯s shackles and ran to Shi Man. ¡°Miss Shi, I¡¯m sorry. 1 don¡¯t know why this happened between President Yi and me, but I¡¯m also a victim. Don¡¯t blame me. My innocence is gone. I really don¡¯t know what to do in the future!¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s face was filled with confusion, but combined with his and Chen Jiao¡¯s messy clothes and Chen Jiao¡¯s words, he immediately understood what was going on. His face turned pale. ¡°Manman, that¡¯s definitely not the case. I, Yi Zheng, will never do anything to let you down!¡± ¡°CEO Yi, you might not have been sober just now, so you don¡¯t remember, but I don¡¯t blame you. After all, you¡¯re also a victim in this matter. I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s just pretend that nothing happened in the future. Don¡¯t fire me because of this. I really need this job!¡± Chen Jiao spoke tactfully and pitifully. Even Tang Zhe, who had been skeptical at first, could not help but pity her. Yi Zheng wished he could sew her mouth shut. He was a man. No one knew better than him if he had done such a thing! Moreover, Shi Man was here. What nonsense was this woman talking about? Yi Zheng rubbed his temples in frustration. ¡°Tang Zhe, take her away first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This time, Tang Zhe dragged Chen Jiao out of the room and the staff who came with her. The moment the door closed, the bedroom fell silent. The atmosphere was extremely cold. Yi Zheng lowered his head apologetically, like a big dog that knew it had made a mistake. He held Shi Man¡¯s hand helplessly. ¡°Manman, believe it or not, I would never do that with another woman.¡± Shi Man raised her eyelids slightly and said expressionlessly, ¡°How should 1 believe you?¡± This cold appearance was very similar to her attitude when two of them were strangers in the past. Yi Zheng inexplicably panicked and held her hand even tighter. ¡°I really didn¡¯t realize just now. I don¡¯t even have any memory of it. How could I have done such a thing?¡± Shi Man shook off his hand and said unmoved, ¡°Yi Zheng, you have to have evidence for everything. If you didn¡¯t do it, think of a way to prove it yourself. You said that you don¡¯t have any memory of it, and I can¡¯t pry open your brain. How do 1 know if you¡¯re lying to me?¡± Yi Zheng pursed his thin lips and clenched his fists by his side.. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll think of a way to prove it, but you can¡¯t break the engagement!¡± Chapter 697 - Chapter 697: Proof Chapter 697: Proof Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°That depends on how long it takes you to prove yourself.¡± With that, she turned around and left without waiting for Yi Zheng¡¯s reaction. She didn¡¯t like the smell in this room. Yi Zheng hurriedly followed without thinking. Tang Zhe had been observing carefully from next door. When he saw Yi Zheng come out, he hurriedly came up and lowered his voice. ¡°President Yi, how should we deal with Assistant Chen?¡± He told Yi Zheng everything he had seen after entering the room. When Yi Zheng heard this, he only rubbed his eyebrows in frustration. ¡°Let her go back first. Investigate this matter carefully. 1 suspect that the Sui family did this.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Tang Zhe received the order, he immediately retreated, not daring to delay the President¡¯s pursuit of his wife. Tonight, Yi Zheng originally planned to go home after dealing with the company, but he was stopped by an invitation before he left. The banquet was held by the most famous family in the capital, the Fu family. Yi Zheng was developing his business in the capital on his own, so he had to go to the Fu family¡¯s invitation. He was the youngest President at the banquet. There were many people who came and went to flatter and find fault with him. Yi Zheng had been in this circle for many years, so he naturally knew how to deal with them. There were jealous or envious gazes from these people, but only the Sui Family had animosity towards him that could not be ignored. At night, the head of the Sui family, Sui Ze, took the initiative to clink glasses with him. It was difficult for him not to suspect the other party. Elsewhere. After Yi Zheng left, Tang Zhe brought Chen Jiao back to the car. He lit a cigarette and placed one hand on the window without saying anything. In the front passenger seat, Chen Jiao carefully stole a glance at him and said hesitantly, ¡°Cousin, about tonight, I¡­¡± Tang Zhe interrupted her irritably. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When I find out who did this, I¡¯ll definitely avenge you.¡± ¡°But my innocence has been ruined!¡± Chen Jiao choked with grief. ¡°It was President Yi who had sex with me, not anyone else!¡± ¡°I know, but President Yi was also drugged at that time. In the end, this matter can¡¯t be blamed on President Yi.¡± Tang Zhe felt annoyed when he thought of this. This distant cousin of his did not have a deep relationship with him, but she was a girl after all. She would definitely want an explanation for such a thing. However, the other party was President Yi! There was nothing he could do! If it were any other man, he would definitely ask for compensation. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you run back then? President Yi shouldn¡¯t have been conscious!¡± Tang Zhe asked her with a frown. This was also the main reason why he had been puzzled and could not confront Yi Zheng. Logically speaking, President Yi should have been unconscious at that time. Why would such a thing happen? When Chen Jiao heard this, she pouted even more aggrievedly, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°Cousin, after you left, I suddenly felt dizzy. Perhaps I was drugged too? Later, President Yi suddenly woke up and started to take off my clothes. After that¡­ that happened!¡± Tang Zhe held his forehead helplessly and waved his hand. ¡°Alright, in short, don¡¯t act rashly on this matter, let alone look for President Yi yourself. Listen to my arrangements, understand? If you¡¯re disobedient, not only will you not be able to receive compensation, but you¡¯ll probably not be able to keep this job.¡± Chen Jiao nodded in a daze. There were still tears in the corners of her eyes, making her look pitiful. After all, she was just a girl. Tang Zhe¡¯s heart suddenly softened. He casually took out a tissue and handed it to her. ¡°Wipe your tears. I¡¯ll send you back first. Don¡¯t mention this to anyone first.¡± Chen Jiao hummed softly and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She lowered her head and stopped talking. Tang Zhe heaved a sigh of relief when she was so obedient. If Chen Jiao kept crying, this matter would be difficult to handle. Now that Chen Jiao was so sensible, even if something really happened, President Yi could at least protect her for a lifetime. It could be considered her good fortune. The car slowly drove to the bottom of a high-end district. This was the place Tang Zhe had arranged for Chen Jiao to live. It was very close to the company and very convenient to go to work. Chen Jiao lowered her head the entire way and only revealed a few sobs when she got out of the car. Tang Zhe¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t cry. Cousin will definitely find out who drugged you and President Yi.¡± ¡°Thank you, Cousin.¡± Chen Jiao raised her hand and gently wiped her tears. She did not look at Tang Zhe until she walked into the room and confirmed that Tang Zhe could no longer see her. Then, she secretly took out her phone and secretly sent a message to the person waiting for the news. ¡°Brother Han, I¡¯ve succeeded. Just wait for my good news!¡± After sending the message, she lay on the bed with a happy expression. She didn¡¯t expect the President and the chief secretary to be so gullible! Were they too stupid, or were her acting skills too good? Now that there was already a crack in trust between Yi Zheng and that woman, it would probably not be long before she could rely on President Yi¡¯s pity for her to control his heart! However¡­ Shi Man actually appeared in the hotel tonight. This was something she did not expect. Thinking of this, she picked up her phone and told Jiang Han about Shi Man.. Chapter 698 - Chapter 698: Interest Exchange Chapter 698: Interest Exchange Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was quiet late at night, but the nightclub was welcoming a carnival. At the booth, a row of well-dressed men were hugging a peerless beauty. All of them were gentle and shy as they sat in the men¡¯s arms with wine glasses in their hands. Their voices were delicate and charming. The loud music was intoxicating. Under the lights, it looked lewd. Only Jiang Han¡¯s side was empty. Sui Ling was already half drunk. He staggered to Jiang Han with a wine glass in his hand, his face red. ¡°Brother Han, just because you¡¯re so loyal to your brother, I¡¯ll help you take down my sister!¡± Jiang Han pursed his lips and smiled. He leaned forward slightly and picked up his wine glass. ¡°Then whether we can become a family depends on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me.¡± Sui Ling patted his chest. After clinking glasses with him, he drank it all in one gulp. Sui Ling had always known that Jiang Han had taken a fancy to the eldest daughter of the Sui family. In the past, he didn¡¯t like Jiang Han, so he kept making things difficult for him. He often badmouthed Jiang Han in front of his sister. This also caused Jiang Han to be unable to become the son-in-law of the Sui Family even after using all means. Therefore, Jiang Han chose to help the Sui family deal with Yi Zheng this time. The main reason why Sui Ling didn¡¯t like Jiang Han was that he felt that Jiang Han was too pretentious. They were all in the same circle and were all men with a lot of money. Who didn¡¯t know what was going on in private? They came out to play, but Jiang Han refused. No matter how much he played behind the scenes, he was a well-dressed gentleman on the surface. Just like now, all the men were hugging a beauty in their arms, but he was the only one who didn¡¯t touch a single leaf. It made them seem so wanton. If not for the fact that Sui Ling had accidentally bumped into a woman in Jiang Han¡¯s residence, he would really believe the rumors that Jiang Han was cold toward women in the outside world. However, they were all men. As long as Jiang Han was willing to help, he didn¡¯t care how many women there were outside. Anyway, his sister wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. The two of them hit it off immediately, and Sui Ling immediately became drunk. Jiang Han handed him to his assistant, patted his clothes, and left the nightclub with a righteous expression. Before getting into the car, he looked at his assistant beside him. ¡°Tell Chen Jiao that she has to finish acting before I ask her to withdraw.¡± The assistant adjusted his glasses and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, CEO Jiang. With Miss Chen¡¯s personality, even if you don¡¯t say it, she will have fun.¡± After all, the other party was Yi Zheng. Jiang Han narrowed his eyes and looked at him deeply. He opened the car door and got in without saying anything else. The next morning, Shi Man was on leave from the army today. She woke up early and brought Su Tang and Bai Xue home for dinner after training as usual. Today, Yi Zheng stayed at home to eat with them. Shen Xian was happy, but when she saw Shi Man¡¯s ugly face, her heart skipped a beat. She stole a glance in Yi Zheng¡¯s direction and saw that his face was filled with caution. Yi Zheng said, ¡°Manman, with your training, your diet has to be balanced. You¡¯re eating too little now. Try the silver fungus soup 1 made this morning.¡± Shi Man glanced at it and pushed the porridge bowl aside. ¡°Thank you, but 1 don¡¯t want to eat. 1 won¡¯t be full if 1 eat porridge in the morning. 1 still like buns.¡± Yi Zheng did not give up easily after she rejected him. Instead, he pushed a plate of buns in front of her even more eagerly. ¡°1 drove to buy these this morning. It¡¯s from the store you like.¡± Shi Man sneered expressionlessly. ¡°Thank you, but I like to eat the buns made at home now. After all, the things outside are very unclean and it¡¯s easy to fall sick after eating them.¡± She deliberately emphasized the last two sentences. Then, she picked up another plate of soup dumplings made at home and stuffed it into her mouth in front of Yi Zheng. Yi Zheng¡¯s face turned pale and his outstretched hand suddenly froze. Shen Xian was surprised. After her precious daughter got engaged to Yi Zheng, their relationship was visibly harmonious and sweet. Now, her cold words seemed to have sent them back to the past. What the hell was going on? She stole a glance at Su Tang, only to see that the latter was also puzzled. Clearly, she did not know the inside story. After hesitating for a while, Shen Xian asked carefully, ¡°Manman, you haven¡¯t seen Yi Zheng for a long time and you¡¯re on leave today. Why don¡¯t you let him bring you around the capital? The scenery here is very different from G City.¡± She smiled gently and kindly. After saying that, she tried her best to shoot Yi Zheng a look. Yi Zheng was delighted and hurriedly followed her words. ¡°Manman, I¡¯m not busy today. 1 can just leave things to Tang Zhe. Why don¡¯t I take you around? After you came to the capital, the two of us haven¡¯t had a chance to have a meal alone and have a good chat.¡± With that, he reached out to Shi Man, as if he wanted to hold her hand, but Shi Man decisively avoided him. ¡°No.¡± Shi Man still rejected coldly. Yi Zheng had no choice but to sigh. ¡°You have to give me a chance to speak before 1 can explain to you, right?¡± Explain what? Shen Xian¡¯s eyes widened in confusion. Had Yi Zheng really made his daughter angry? Chapter 699 - Chapter 699: Physical Examination Chapter 699: Physical Examination Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this moment, everyone in the dining room was focused on Shi Man. Even Shi Mu, who had always looked down on Yi Zheng, spoke up for him in a rare move. ¡°Manman, if Brother-in-law did anything wrong, just tell him directly and ask him to change. If he doesn¡¯t listen to you, I¡¯ll help you deal with him!¡± Yi Zheng glared at him. Seeing that he was putting in a good word for him, he did not argue with him. Su Tang and Bai Xue had the same thought. Shi Man sighed and said, ¡°Brother, I think it¡¯s too early for you to call him brother-in-law now. We¡¯re just engaged. Although he lives in the Shi family, he¡¯s only staying temporarily. We¡¯re not married and living together. Therefore, it¡¯s better for you to call him by his full name so that others won¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Misunderstand? Who would get the wrong idea? Wait a minute! Did his sister mean that she didn¡¯t want to marry Yi Zheng anymore? Shi Mu was overjoyed. ¡°Sister, did you suddenly realize that Yi Zheng is not worthy of you? Have you realised that he can¡¯t give you happiness?¡± Shen Xian nudged him and told him to shut up. Then, she quickly walked behind her daughter and patted her shoulder. ¡°If there¡¯s anything, you can tell me. I¡¯ve been through this before. I can help you analyze it.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shi Man shook her head gently. ¡°Forget it. 1¡¯11 go out with him. Sit down and eat.¡± ¡°Sister, if you want to call off the engagement now, I¡¯ll be the first to support you!¡± Shi Mu said happily. Then, he received a warning look from Bai Xue. He instantly deflated like a deflated ball and sat back down pitifully. Yi Zheng didn¡¯t care what others said, but he was already very happy that Shi Man was willing to be alone with him. After dinner, Shi Man tidied up briefly and got into Yi Zheng¡¯s car. There were only the two of them in the car. Yi Zheng held Shi Man¡¯s hand tentatively and said, ¡°What did you mean just now? Didn¡¯t we agree that you can¡¯t call off the engagement before 1 find evidence to prove myself?¡± Shi Man retracted her hand expressionlessly, her dark eyes filled with silence. ¡°So, did you investigate the entire matter?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Yi Zheng said with a deep gaze. ¡°I went to the hospital for a checkup before I came back last night, but the result was that there was no residual poison in my body. There are only two reasons for this. First, it was not poison at all. It¡¯s just medicine that will make me lose my mind. Second, the poison has already lost its effect, so they couldn¡¯t locate it.¡± Shi Man listened quietly and nodded. ¡°Continue.¡± Yi Zheng continued, ¡°I asked Tang Zhe to investigate the most likely mastermind and send all the wine glasses in the hotel to be tested, but the results are still not ideal.¡± There was no harmful substance left in those glasses at all. Moreover, the surveillance cameras that night showed that although Sui Ze was full of malice towards him, he did not do anything suspicious. He had never touched Yi Zheng¡¯s glass at all. This matter could not be connected to him for the time being. Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly and said, ¡°In other words, you still haven¡¯t found anything after investigating for the entire night?¡± Yi Zheng sighed and said, ¡°There¡¯s another direct way. Tang Zhe has already brought people to do it. I believe there will be a result soon.¡± If he wanted to prove that he had never touched Chen Jiao, the simplest and fastest way was naturally to start with Chen Jiao. If it was really as Chen Jiao had said, then there must still be something in her body that belonged to him. If there was nothing, it just happened to prove that he had not done anything. Before he could finish his sentence, Shi Man immediately understood what he wanted Tang Zhe to do. Her expression turned cold. ¡°Why is there a special assistant beside you that 1 don¡¯t know about?¡± At the mention of this, Yi Zheng hurriedly explained to her, ¡°The company has been too busy recently, so I asked Tang Zhe to hire a few assistants. Chen Jiao is Tang Zhe¡¯s distant cousin. She wanted to come to the capital to work, so she could become my assistant under Tang Zhe.¡± So they were relatives. Shi Man narrowed her eyes, her expression becoming more and more meaningful. Yi Zheng¡¯s heart tightened. He hurriedly held her hand and said, ¡°Manman, don¡¯t you believe me? I really didn¡¯t do anything. I only like you. How could I have sex with another woman?¡± Shi Man could not help but roll her eyes. She retracted her hand and opened the car door to get out. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely believe you when you show me the evidence.¡± Yi Zheng suddenly frowned and tried his best to suppress his emotions. He barely managed to calm down and call Tang Zhe. ¡°How is it?¡± The situation on Tang Zhe¡¯s side seemed to be a little tricky. He could hear a woman crying on the phone. He walked to the bathroom with a headache and barely isolated himself from the noise outside. ¡°President Yi, my cousin has never had a boyfriend before. This kind of thing is indeed difficult for her to accept. Give me some more time. 1¡¯11 definitely finish it.¡± Yi Zheng also knew that this was a little difficult, but Chen Jiao was the one who insisted that she had sex with him, so it was impossible for her to stay out of it. ¡°Well, send someone to keep an eye on the Sui Family. 1 feel that this matter has something to do with them..¡± Chapter 700 - Chapter 700: Heartache Chapter 700: Heartache Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tang Zhe felt a lot of pressure after hanging up the phone. When he pushed open the bathroom door, he could still hear the heart-wrenching cries of the woman outside. The doctor was helpless with the equipment and could only look at Tang Zhe for help. ¡°Secretary Tang, if Miss Chen doesn¡¯t cooperate, we won¡¯t be able to complete our work.¡± ¡°Okay, you guys go out first. Let me talk to her alone first.¡± After saying this, Tang Zhe let go of the buttons on his suit and lifted his clothes to sit by the bed. His eyes were dark. Seeing this, the doctor could only pack his things and go to the living room first. With a soft click of the bedroom door, only the two of them were left in the room. Tang Zhe softened his tone and advised, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring you to the hospital for a checkup. Instead, I invited the doctor to your house. You should know that I¡¯m doing this to protect you. You just have to cooperate with the doctor to take a sample. Once you confirm that what you said is true, President Yi will definitely compensate you.¡± ¡°Could it be that what 1 said is fake?¡± Chen Jiao hugged the pillow aggrievedly and curled up into a small ball, unwilling to let go. ¡°Cousin, we haven¡¯t been together since we were young, but I¡¯m your cousin after all. Would 1 lie about my innocence?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Tang Zhe grabbed her shoulder with a headache. ¡°Listen to me. It¡¯s not that Cousin doesn¡¯t believe you, but President Yi really needs this proof.¡± ¡°Prove what? Prove that he didn¡¯t have sex with me at all so that he can report to his fiancee?¡± Chen Jiao said with tears in her eyes, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯m not a child who doesn¡¯t know anything. 1 understand. President Yi definitely doesn¡¯t want his fiancee to know about this, so he wants me to do a checkup to prove his innocence. What about me? Isn¡¯t my body important?¡± Tang Zhe sighed deeply and said, ¡°Cousin, 1 swear that I¡¯ll personally take a look at this test result. There¡¯s no possibility of it being fake. If you really had sex with President Yi last night, 1¡¯11 definitely help you!¡± Chen Jiao suddenly turned her head away. Half of her face was buried in her long hair, so no one could see her expression. ¡°Cousin, is what you said true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Tang Zhe was overjoyed when he heard that she was showing signs of relenting. ¡°Then are you willing to do a checkup?¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s ears turned red in embarrassment. She hesitated for a moment before nodding under Tang Zhe¡¯s expectant gaze. ¡°Alright, I believe Cousin will stand up for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Tang Zhe jumped out of bed almost immediately and went outside to find the doctor to come in. Chen Jiao threw away the pillow in her arms and sat on the bed with her head lowered. Her long hair blocked her expression, so no one could tell that she was smiling. After the doctor brought the things in again, Chen Jiao finally became very cooperative. Tang Zhe comforted her softly before leaving the bedroom to wait for the results. After all, Chen Jiao was his cousin. As a man, it was not good for him to stand inside and watch. In the living room, the second hand of the clock was ticking. Tang Zhe¡¯s heart was beating like a drum. Soon, the door was opened from the inside again. The doctor had already packed up and came out. He took off his mask and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve already taken the samples and will head back for a test. The results should be out before dinner.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Tang Zhe hurriedly and respectfully sent her away. He instructed the chauffeur to send her back to the hospital safely before turning back. As soon as he entered the bedroom, he heard the soft sobbing sound inside, and his footsteps subconsciously lightened. On the bed, a pink blanket was propped up. Chen Jiao was curled up in it and trembling, looking extremely cute. Tang Zhe¡¯s heart could not help but soften even more. He could not help but pat her shoulder through the blanket and say, ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve been crying for the entire day. Cousin will bring you out for a meal, okay?¡± As Chen Jiao lifted the blanket, tears were streaming down her face. When Tang Zhe saw her tear-stained face, his heart ached. He did not even have the time to push Chen Jiao away when she took the initiative to throw herself into his arms and hug his waist. ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t tell my Mom about this first, okay? I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m really scared.¡± She curled up in Tang Zhe¡¯s arms, her ear pressed against his heart. She could hear the butterflies in his chest. ¡°Okay,¡± Tang Zhe agreed without hesitation. This matter concerned a girl¡¯s reputation. Since Chen Jiao, the person involved, did not want to say anything, he naturally could not say anything. Actually, Tang Zhe already believed Chen Jiao¡¯s words in his heart. He was afraid that something had really happened between Yi Zheng and her that night. It was just that Yi Zheng had no memory because of the medicine. However, as a man, he knew very well that the instincts of creatures were difficult to control. In the end, both of them were victims. ¡°Alright, put on your clothes. 1¡¯11 take you to eat something. You won¡¯t look good if you continue to cry,¡± Tang Zhe coaxed her softly. He raised his hands in midair and hesitated for a while before finally pushing her away. He looked elsewhere unnaturally. Chen Jiao couldn¡¯t help but snicker when she saw his reddened ears. Before he realized it, she quickly put on that aggrieved expression again. ¡°Cousin, tell me about President Yi¡¯s fiancee..¡± Chapter 701 - Chapter 701: Complaint Chapter 701: Complaint Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the other side, Shi Man had originally planned to look for Sean and the others to ask how things were going last night. Unexpectedly, she received a call from the army halfway. She had no choice but to turn around and drive to the military district. As soon as she arrived at the command center, Shi Man felt the coldness of the atmosphere inside. The small office was already filled with people. Shi Man glanced at them. Other than the few leaders she knew and Yue Ming and Zhang Rui, she did not know anyone else. However, this did not stop her from guessing their intentions. Especially Zhang Rui. Today, she looked at her with anger in her eyes, as if she wanted to skin her alive. It seemed that the matter last night had indeed been done. Shi Man lowered her eyes and sneered. Towards such a vicious person, she would never care if her methods were brilliant or not. After all, being soft-hearted to such a person was the greatest stupidity. When the leader saw that Shi Man had arrived, he waved for her to sit beside him and said in a low voice, ¡°Instructor Shi, it¡¯s like this. I called you over this time because of your previous bet. The army has its rules and regulations. 1 don¡¯t think this bet can be counted.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows in understanding and pouted at the the exquisitely dressed couple behind Yue Ming. ¡°These two are Yue Ming¡¯s parents, right?¡± Yue Lin¡¯s expression darkened and his attitude was firm. It was obvious that he did not want to talk to Shi Man. The woman sitting next to him couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and said, ¡°Instructor Shi, you look young. I hope you can perform your duty well in the army and not force my son to make any bets that violate the rules. Let me tell you, I won¡¯t let my son leave the army!¡± The Yue family was a military family. If there was a deserter in this generation, wouldn¡¯t it tarnish the reputation of the entire family? She felt that Shi Man was really a bad person. Perhaps she had been targeting her son from the beginning! Upon hearing this, Zhang Rui chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right, Shi Man. You¡¯re too vicious. Yue Ming is the top student in our army. He¡¯s a talent. What good will it do you to push such a person away?¡± Shi Man looked up at her and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been an instructor for three years, and you¡¯ve always only been a B-rank when you go on missions. You can¡¯t guarantee that you can complete all of them perfectly. The best students you train can only be ranked fifth. Zhang Rui, you¡¯re not a talent, right? Then what right do you have to stay?¡± Zhang Rui¡¯s face instantly turned red from her words. She glanced at the leader awkwardly and hurriedly stammered to defend herself. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been in the army for so many years. Even if I don¡¯t have any credit, I¡¯ve worked hard. What right do you have to let me leave?¡± Shi Man sneered. ¡°Zhang Rui, you were the one who wanted to participate in the bet. You said it yourself. No one forced you, right?¡± She turned her head slightly to look at the leader. ¡°You should have heard it with your own ears. As an instructor, if Zhang Rui can¡¯t keep her word, 1 believe the students won¡¯t be willing to obey her commands in the future.¡± ¡°Shi Man, don¡¯t be too despicable!¡± Zhang Rui was so angry that her chest heaved violently. She had really underestimated Shi Man in the past. She did not expect this person to be even more ruthless than her despite her young age! Last night, she only remembered that she had been knocked out by someone. The rest of her memory was blank. However, when she woke up and saw her naked lower body and the pain of fatigue, she instantly understood what had just happened. When she understood, her first reaction was relief. At that time, she was alone in the abandoned house. It was not her first time. She had had a few men in the past. Although she was tainted by someone while she was unconscious, she could pretend that nothing had happened if no one knew! There was no way she would go to the police. For instructors in the army, nothing was more important than reputation. Besides, would it have mattered if she had called the police? That place was remote and uninhabited. There were probably no surveillance cameras there. The police would only blow things up with great fanfare. At that time, she would be the one to be humiliated. Therefore, the moment she reacted, she got up and put on her clothes. She carefully checked every corner of the room. After confirming that there were no cameras, she hurriedly left this nightmare. However, she still had to settle the score. Shi Man should bear the brunt of it! Seeing that Zhang Rui was about to explode from anger, the leader quickly stood up and said, ¡°Shi Man, Instructor Zhang is indeed more experienced than you in the army. Let¡¯s forget about this bet. I don¡¯t object to you competing fairly in private. It¡¯s just that you have to stop when it implicates important matters. Don¡¯t hurt the friendship between your colleagues.¡± Zhang Rui was not surprised to hear the leader speak up for her. After all, she had tried her best to please Chu Yue for a long time, but it reaped some benefits. These people more or less had to show Chu Yue some respect. Otherwise, they would not be able to explain themselves to Chief Lu. Shi Man did not intend to give her any respect. Just as she was about to retort, her cell phone rang at the wrong time. The phone rang for a short while before returning to silence. This was the call reminder Shi Man had set up for Sean. It seemed that Sean was also anxious to report to her about last night.. Chapter 702 - Chapter 702: Natural Weakling Chapter 702: Natural Weakling Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was only a short message. Shi Man did not take much time to read it and understood it after a quick glance. However, in this second, it was as if she had a huge handle on Zhang Rui. She was so angry that she laughed and criticized, ¡°You still dare to mock my results? Look at what you¡¯re doing now. You actually dared to secretly play with your phone in front of the leader. 1 think you haven¡¯t finished university and don¡¯t know the rules. You should obediently return to the military school and learn how to respect your seniors!¡± ¡°What? You dare to come to the army to be an instructor before graduating from the military academy?¡± Yue Ming¡¯s mother, Xie Huai, interrupted in disbelief. ¡°Leader, has this matter really been carefully considered? Shouldn¡¯t you go through layers of screening before coming to the army to be an instructor? How can you let such a young child be an instructor?¡± The leader was most afraid of being asked about this matter. He glared at Zhang Rui and said with a headache, ¡°Instructor Shi does have the ability to take on this position. There¡¯s no doubt about this. Moreover, her strength is personally recognized by Chief Lu.¡± As expected, Xie Huai calmed down after Lu Jun was used as a shield. However, her eyes were still filled with dissatisfaction. ¡°Leader, Instructor Shi is capable, but that doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s mature enough. In my opinion, such a bet is simply nonsense. It can¡¯t be valid!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Shi Man is simply fooling around. She¡¯s even openly pitting men against women in the army. Leader, please deal with this matter seriously. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid everyone in the army will be provoked because of her!¡± Zhang Rui argued with Xie Huai. Their sharp voices echoed in the office. Seeing that the leader¡¯s attitude was not firm enough, Yue Lin, who had been silent all this while, muttered to himself and his expression changed drastically. ¡°Shi Man, I¡¯ve heard about you and the Lu family. I want to remind you that don¡¯t think that you can rest easy just because you have the Lu family backing you. My Yue family has been in the army for generations. It¡¯s not something you can touch easily. If you take a step back, 1¡¯11 pretend that nothing happened, but if you don¡¯t listen¡­¡± ¡°You should know the consequences.¡± Yue Lin¡¯s voice was low and magnetic, sounding extremely oppressive. He had always been a man of his word at home. Even his wife did not dare to disobey his decision. It was more than enough to shock a little girl. However, what he did not know was that Shi Man would only be colder than him if he acted dignified and cold. ¡°Mr. Yue, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± Shi Man¡¯s calm voice suddenly broke the oppressive atmosphere. Yue Lin frowned in confusion. Shi Man said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not targeting Yue Ming just because I feel that I have someone backing me. I¡¯m just doing my duty as an instructor and teaching him the principles that he should understand at his age. In addition, you just said that the Yue family has been in the army for generations. You should understand that since they¡¯ve entered the army, regardless of gender, they should be treated equally.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Yue Lin narrowed his eyes in confusion, his sharp gaze landing on her. Shi Man said without changing her expression, ¡°Your son has a very serious discriminatory mentality towards women. Just now, Instructor Zhang said that I deliberately provoked the opposite sex, but in fact, it was Yue Ming who disrespected women first. This is not the first or second time this has happened in the army. As his instructor, I have the duty to correct his wrong perception.¡± ¡°Nonsense! How can my son disrespect women? My son is the most filial to me. Why are you so evil at such a young age? How dare you slander my son!¡± When it came to Yue Ming¡¯s faults, Xie Huai was the first to retort unhappily. Even though she had no idea what had happened, she felt that her son had done the right thing. Such an outstanding son from her family must be well-rounded. Shi Man was just jealous of her son¡¯s talent and wanted to establish her prestige when she took over the position. That was why she attacked her son! Everyone in the office was criticizing Shi Man. The leader advised with a difficult expression, ¡°Madam Xie, don¡¯t say that. Instructor Shi is indeed very capable. Even if this matter is not done appropriately, we can¡¯t deny her results. This time, the female soldier Cheng Luo who was trained by her has made considerable progress in the assessment.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s that Cheng Luo!¡± Xie Huai refused to give up. ¡°She must have joined forces with Man to take a cheap shot. 0then-vase, how could my son lose to a woman? My son was born to be a soldier. How could he be surpassed by a woman in just half a month?¡± When she said this, it was clear that Xie Huai was very proud of her son. Shi Man revealed an knowing expression and sneered. ¡°Madam Xie, right? When you say this, have you forgotten that you¡¯re also a woman? Even if you¡¯re Yue Ming¡¯s mother, in his eyes, you¡¯re just a woman who¡¯s destined to lose to a man. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he¡¯ll look down on you in the future?¡± ¡°My son won¡¯t look down on me. My son is the most filial!¡± Xie Huai said nonchalantly. ¡°Stop trying to sow discord here. Is there anything wrong with what I said? Women are born weak. They should stay at home and take care of their husbands and children.. Do they really think they can go to the battlefield?¡± Chapter 703 - Chapter 703: Terrifying Strength Chapter 703: Terrifying Strength Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios These words were a little overboard. Even the leader couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and quickly interrupted, ¡°Madam Xie, in the army, we have always emphasized equality between men and women. Regardless of gender, we will treat them equally. There are also many outstanding female soldiers. Their results might not be worse than male soldiers.¡± Upon hearing this, Xie Huai realized that she had accidentally said something wrong just now and quickly corrected. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. The leader is right, but you¡¯ve always known my Yue Ming¡¯s results. How could he suddenly be defeated? I¡¯m just making a reasonable guess. I don¡¯t mean anything else.¡± ¡°You want to erase my student¡¯s efforts for the past half a month with just a guess?¡± Shi Man said sternly, ¡°You keep saying that I¡¯m just a student who hasn¡¯t graduated and isn¡¯t worthy of being an instructor. Then I want to ask Madam Xie. Since you¡¯re already the mother of an adult man. Don¡¯t you have to be responsible for what you said?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Yue Lin shouted sternly. His large palm smashed onto the table with a loud bang. As the head of the family, he had the dignity of a man. Shi Man was lecturing his wife in front of him. How was this different from slapping his face in public? Zhang Rui snickered secretly, as her eyes brightened with interest. It was obvious that she was waiting for Shi Man to be taught a lesson. However, Shi Man only turned her gaze to Yue Lin lightly. Her dignity did not decrease at all. ¡°Mr. Yue, this is the army. You¡¯re not my leader, so you¡¯re not qualified to talk to me like this.¡± Yue Lin was clearly angered by her. His chest heaved up and down violently, and his bull eyes glared at Shi Man. He wanted to pounce on her and strangle her to death immediately! Xie Huai was already trembling in fear when he slammed the table in Yue Lin. Now that she saw that he was really angry, she quickly got up and went to his side to pat his chest to calm him down. ¡°Hubby, don¡¯t be so angry. It¡¯s not worth it to hurt your health because of her.¡± Yue Lin was furious and frustrated. He shook off Xie Huai¡¯s hand and glared at Shi Man fiercely. ¡°You¡¯d better think about how to talk to me first!¡± Shi Man said expressionlessly, ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way. First, you¡¯re not my leader, and second, you¡¯re not my elder. The respect between us should be mutual. But you didn¡¯t give me the respect 1 deserve, so I don¡¯t have to respect you. Do you understand?¡± Yue Lin stared at her in disbelief, as if he had never met such a difficult girl to tame. ¡°When I was in the army, you were not even around. Now, you actually dare to talk about mutual respect with me. I think you lack education!¡± As Yue Lin spoke, he casually picked up the teacup beside him and threw it over. If this hit his target, Shi Man would definitely bleed. Zhang Rui¡¯s eyes were filled with ecstasy. The leader wanted to stand up and block Shi Man, but it was clearly too late. Hot tea splashed in the air. In a flash, Shi Man suddenly raised her hand and slammed the table. Her body suddenly rose along with the force and dodged to the other side in the blink of an eye. The teacup shattered. The hot tea that had yet to be spilled in the air was now drenched on the chair that Shi Man had just sat on. Broken porcelain shards splattered everywhere. Zhang Rui could not help but scream. Yue Ming suddenly frowned. He did not even have time to see Shi Man¡¯s actions just now. Everything had happened too quickly. Was Shi Man¡¯s strength actually so terrifying? The shock almost buried him. He had never expected a woman to have such terrifying strength. It was hard to imagine what Shi Man had experienced in the past to make her so powerful. Yue Lin did not expect her to dodge his sudden attack so easily, but he composed himself. He quickly restrained the surprise in his eyes and continued to say with a dark expression, ¡°Don¡¯t think that it¡¯s over just because you dodged this time. Let me tell you, as long as I¡¯m alive, it¡¯s impossible for Yue Ming to retire from the army!¡± With that, he did not wait for Shi Man to react. He snorted and turned to leave the office. However, Shi Man would not let him leave so easily after making a scene. She said coldly, ¡°Mr. Yue is leaving just like that. Don¡¯t tell me you think this matter will end here? Don¡¯t forget that the bet with Yue Ming was made in front of everyone. Of course, you can let him stay, but it¡¯s not certain if Yue Ming can continue to be a soldier in the army in the future.¡± These words hit the soft spot of Yue Lin. He had been in the army for many years and cared about his pride the most. If his son, whom he had doted on since he was young, had caused him humiliation, it would probably be worse than killing him directly! ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± Shi Man opened her eyes in surprise, as if she did not expect this domineering and selfish man to compromise so quickly. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. If Yue Ming wants to stay, fine, but a loss is a loss. He has to accept the punishment he deserves!¡± Hearing this, Yue Lin¡¯s eyelids twitched, and his eyes darkened.. ¡°Then how do you want to punish him?¡± Chapter 704 - Chapter 704: Making Things Worse Chapter 704: Making Things Worse Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man did not answer him directly. Instead, she sat on a clean chair at the side and leaned back in a comfortable position. Then, she said slowly, ¡°Sit, Mr. Yue. As an instructor of Yue Ming, I still have the right to decide his punishment.¡± Yue Lin¡¯s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, but he still sat back in his seat in silence. Xie Huai glared at Shi Man and snorted before reluctantly sitting back down. Yue Ming was still standing there thoughtfully, as if he was still immersed in Shi Man¡¯s agility. The leader turned his head and said seriously, ¡°Instructor Shi, what punishment do you plan to give to Yueming?¡± Shi Man said calmly, ¡°Before punishing him, I hope Mr. and Madam Yue can understand that the reason why I want to punish him is not because he lost the bet, but because he doesn¡¯t know how to respect women. Since you as parents can¡¯t teach him this, 1 have the responsibility and duty as his instructor to make him understand this.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her gaze to the boy standing at the side. ¡°Yue Ming, from tomorrow onwards, you have to take over all the girls¡¯ outerwear that needs to be changed and clean all the female dormitories every day. You also have to help the girls complete three tasks every day. 1¡¯11 occasionally do a spot check for a month. If you don¡¯t pass any of the checks, then you¡¯ll have to follow this arrangement for a month until you complete it.¡± What kind of unprecedented punishment was this? Xie Huai immediately stood up and objected, ¡°Leader, that¡¯s absolutely not allowed. My son doesn¡¯t even do such trivial things at home. Why should he do housework for those women!¡± Her son¡¯s hands should be used for doing great deeds! Did he need to see to such small matters? Moreover, he was going to serve those useless women in the army. Just thinking about it made him feel unlucky! The leader also wanted to say that he had to consider this matter further, but Shi Man interrupted him expressionlessly. ¡°The punishment in the army has never been fixed. It¡¯s only targeted. This matter is decided. If Madam Yue is unwilling, please take your son away. Just as Mr. Yue said just now, as long as I¡¯m in the army, that bet will always be effective.¡± Yue Lin did not expect her to use his words to shut him up. It was as if there was a ball of fire in his chest, burning him up. However, he could not say anything. Just as Shi Man had said, Shi Man was Yue Ming¡¯s instructor. She had the right to decide on Yue Ming¡¯s punishment. He had no right to interfere. At this point, Shi Man had taken a step back. He closed his eyes silently and barely suppressed the anger in his heart. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I hope that Instructor Shi will be fair and just and not deliberately make things difficult for him.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shi Man nodded slightly and slowly turned her gaze to Zhang Rui. ¡°As for Instructor Zhang, I don¡¯t have the right to decide anything. However, everyone saw that bet. Let the leader decide for himself.¡± With that, she turned around and left without hesitation. There was no need for her to finish off Zhang Rui. In any case, Sean already had something on Zhang Rui. It would be easy for Shi Man to deal with her. She had already suffered the consequences of what she had done. From now on, it would depend on whether she would still court death. At night, the results of the hospital¡¯s examination were finally out, but the outcome was not ideal. Tang Zhe hurriedly went to get the results. When he saw them, he was stunned for a moment. Then, he called the President and told him that this was neither good nor bad news. ¡°President Yi, the results show that there¡¯s no bodily fluid in Chen Jiao¡¯s body that belongs to you, but there are indeed signs of her being sexually assaulted. It¡¯s just that it can¡¯t prove that this person is you.¡± Even so, there were only Chen Jiao and Yi Zheng in the room at that time. Who else could it be but Yi Zheng? On the other end of the line, Yi Zheng rubbed his eyebrows in frustration. He had always tried his best to prove his innocence, but he did not expect it to become worse. ¡°I understand. Bring Chen Jiao to my office. 1 want to talk to her personally.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tang Zhe received the order and quickly drove to Chen Jiao¡¯s apartment to pick her up. When the two of them arrived at the office, the sky outside was already completely dark. Chen Jiao carefully followed behind Tang Zhe. Along the way, her shoulders were hunched like a child who had done something wrong. The secretariat was very busy every day. Chen Jiao¡¯s absence today had added to the burden on the other secretaries. When they saw her follow Tang Zhe in, the people who wanted to denounce her immediately stopped talking. After the two of them walked into the office one after another, a heated discussion broke out in the secretariat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? She didn¡¯t come to work for the entire day! Can a relative of the chief secretary have such special privileges?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how she looked just now? I feel that she must have done something wrong. Moreover, the President¡¯s face darkened for the entire day today. Perhaps she offended the President!¡± ¡°No way? Didn¡¯t she only attend a banquet with the President and didn¡¯t do anything else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that banquet.. 1 heard a big piece of news!¡± Chapter 705 - Chapter 705: Negotiation Chapter 705: Negotiation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°What news?¡± For a moment, everyone in the secretariat went over curiously. Cheng Fang was a man who was almost 30 years old, but this did not affect him at all. He had also heard about this from others. Seeing that everyone was curious, he lowered his voice and said mysteriously, ¡°I heard that the President and Chen Jiao had a one-night stand!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As soon as he said this, everyone¡¯s first reaction was disbelief. They were all secretaries who had followed Yi Zheng from G City and knew their President¡¯s temper. He was definitely not the kind of man who would have a one-night stand with someone. ¡°Brother Fang, how dare you spread this news! If the President finds out, you¡¯ll lose your job!¡± A cute girl beside him advised kindly. Cheng Fang also knew the seriousness of the problem. He immediately regretted telling them about it. He quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°ljust heard rumors. Don¡¯t spread it, and don¡¯t say that 1 said it!¡± The others nodded thoughtfully. Just as they were thinking, the office door was opened again. Tang Zhe came out alone expressionlessly. The others immediately scattered like birds and beasts, but they couldn¡¯t help but believe Cheng Fang¡¯s words. Who didn¡¯t know Yi Zheng¡¯s personality? Just now, Tang Zhe had brought Chen Jiao in with him, but now, only Chen Jiao stayed inside to serve the President alone. That was Yi Zheng! Yi Zheng, who never got close to women! If it were anyone else, they would not suspect that Chen Jiao had gone in to discuss serious matters. However, Yi Zheng¡¯s work had always been handed over to Tang Zhe. Chen Jiao, this special assistant, had actually gotten in through the back door. From the looks of it, Chen Jiao might really have caught Yi Zheng¡¯s eye! Could it be that their Mrs President¡¯s position was going to change so soon? Everyone had mixed feelings in their hearts, and the changes in their expressions were very interesting. Tang Zhe glanced at them curiously. ¡°What were you discussing just now instead of working hard?¡± ¡°No, no. We were just discussing the contract to see if there were any mistakes!¡± At the critical moment, Cheng Fang reacted the fastest. He quickly found a perfect excuse to brush it off. Tang Zhe did not think too much about it. After giving out a few instructions, he returned to his office and started working. At this moment, in the office, Chen Jiao stood in the middle helplessly. She lowered her head and refused to speak first. Yi Zheng looked at her quietly with a cold and distant gaze. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Only then did Chen Jiao move. However, her legs seemed to be a little numb from standing. When he walked, she limped and walked especially slowly. To be fair, her figure was almost perfect, and her face was very beautiful. She was a great beauty. Coupled with her current fragile appearance, any man who saw her would be unable to help but pity her. She slowly sat on the chair opposite Yi Zheng and tilted her head slightly, seemingly unintentionally revealing her slender neck. The side of her face was gentle and demure, and her nose was perky and beautiful. She was so flustered that her tightly pursed lips revealed a pitiful paleness. She did not speak, so Yi Zheng could only say, ¡°About that night¡­¡± Yi Zheng only said a few words before Chen Jiao couldn¡¯t help but tremble. He saw it but did not care at all. He insisted on finishing his sentence. ¡°1 don¡¯t know why you said that, and 1 don¡¯t care. I only know that 1 will never do such a thing. If you want money, I can give it to you, but you have to restore my reputation.¡± Hearing this, Chen Jiao¡¯s body trembled even more. She seemed to be crying. She sobbed slightly and suddenly raised her head, letting her tears flow out. ¡°President Yi, do you think I¡¯m doing this for money? If you didn¡¯t do it, why would I slander you for no reason? My cousin has worked with you for so long, and 1 have a bright future. Why should I use this matter to threaten you?¡± Yi Zheng frowned with a headache. ¡°Crying won¡¯t solve the problem. 1 definitely won¡¯t admit to anything I haven¡¯t done.¡± Chen Jiao suddenly lowered her head. Her fingertips kept rubbing her clothes, and her face was red from crying. ¡°President Yi, if you called me here to make me admit that 1 lied to Miss Shi that night and tell her that nothing happened between you and me, 1 can promise you that you don¡¯t have to humiliate me with money.¡± She was Tang Zhe¡¯s cousin. It was impossible for him to use his identity to force her to do this. However, he was sure that it was impossible for him to touch a woman unconsciously! Yi Zheng¡¯s patience was completely exhausted. His expression instantly turned cold. ¡°Chen Jiao, I¡¯ll say it one last time. If you¡¯re willing to admit that nothing like that really happened between us now, 1 can forgive you for lying that night. But if I find out about this myself, you should know what the consequences will be.¡± Chen Jiao closed her eyes in despair. Her lower lip was almost bleeding from her bite. ¡°President Yi, that¡¯s enough. Stop talking. If you believe that you didn¡¯t do it, then pretend that nothing happened..¡± Chapter 706 - Chapter 706: Strange Chapter 706: Strange Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Since she said so, Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t be too tough. In the end, he still had to consider Tang Zhe. At the thought of this, he suddenly said in a low voice, ¡°You should know your cousin¡¯s personality. If he finds out that you¡¯re lying on purpose, even if he¡¯s your cousin, he won¡¯t protect you. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t tell the truth now. I¡¯ll find the evidence myself. Leave.¡± He had said everything he needed to say. Yi Zheng did not want to see this woman again. However, a thought inevitably arose in his heart. Could it be that there was really a drug in this world that could make people lose consciousness and not lose control themselves when it came to that? The few lines of the test results flashed before his eyes. Chen Jiao did have signs of being violated. Yi Zheng¡¯s heart could not help but beat wildly, but when he thought of Shi Man, he decisively suppressed this thought. No matter what, he was willing to believe that his body would not do anything to betray his lover! Chen Jiao walked out of the office in a daze. Before she could wipe the tears off her face, she was caught off guard and met the curious eyes of the secretariat. She suddenly came back to her senses and seemed to have thought of what Yi Zheng had said just now. She quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for wasting a day¡¯s work. If there¡¯s any work, please leave it to me.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the office looked at each other. Ever since she came out, Tang Zhe¡¯s gaze had never left her face. His frown deepened. Before Cheng Fang could tentatively stuff a stack of documents into Chen Jiao¡¯s hands, Tang Zhe couldn¡¯t take it anymore and stood up. He rushed over and grabbed Chen Jiao¡¯s arm. ¡°Come with me. 1 have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Cousin?¡± Chen Jiao looked up at him in a daze. Her wet eyes were like a frightened rabbit, making people pity her. Tang Zhe dragged her away without any explanation. He brought her to the VIP room and slammed the door shut. Only then did he look at her steadily and say, ¡°What did President Yi tell you? Why are you crying?¡± At the mention of this, Chen Jiao immediately bit her lower lip in shame and lowered her head. ¡°No, nothing. Cousin, don¡¯t ask anymore. It¡¯s really nothing.¡± Tang Zhe took a step forward and grabbed her shoulder domineeringly. ¡°I¡¯m your cousin. 1 hope you won¡¯t hide anything from me. Otherwise, 1 won¡¯t know how to help you.¡± Chen Jiao lowered her head. After a long time, she said hesitantly, ¡°Cousin, President Yi wants me to clarify in front of Miss Shi that nothing happened between him and me. He even said that he would give me a sum of money¡­¡± ¡°You agreed?¡± Tang Zhe¡¯s face suddenly darkened. Chen Jiao choked and shook her head. ¡°1 don¡¯t want his money, Cousin. It¡¯s okay. 1 can do as President Yi says. After all, he¡¯s your leader. 1-1¡¯11 treat that night as a nightmare. I¡¯m fine.¡± As she spoke, she cried silently. Her shoulders twitched, making her look even weaker. How could this be considered fine? Tang Zhe let out a long sigh and said, ¡°Listen to me. Don¡¯t act rashly before the matter is clear.¡± He had thought of asking Yi Zheng to compensate Chen Jiao with money because this was the best way he could think of to compensate Chen Jiao. However, Yi Zheng compensating for his mistake was completely different from Yi Zheng believing that Chen Jiao was lying but compensating for Shi Man¡¯s sake. Tang Zhe could barely accept the former. However, Tang Zhe felt that Chen Jiao was too aggrieved. Moreover, this was unfair to Miss Shi. Originally, he only wanted to get compensation for Chen Jiao, but he suddenly wanted to find the truth. At the thought of this, Tang Zhe¡¯s gaze became even more certain. ¡°Alright, go back first. Rest well for the next few days. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t come to work. Cousin is here for everything.¡± ¡°No, I want to work hard.¡± Chen Jiao blinked her teary eyes and shook her head desperately. ¡°Cousin, I can¡¯t rely on you for the rest of my life. 1 want to work hard. This job is very important to me. 1 can¡¯t give up because of this.¡± Tang Zhe¡¯s heart ached even more. He couldn¡¯t help but reach out and pat her head. ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t tire yourself out. If you need any help, just tell me. Don¡¯t carry it alone anymore, understand?¡± Chen Jiao smiled obediently, her eyes curved into crescents. ¡°I understand. Thank you, Cousin. In this world, other than my parents, only you treat me the best.¡± Hearing this, Tang Zhe was slightly stunned. A strange feeling suddenly flashed across his heart. Shouldn¡¯t Chen Jiao¡¯s father have passed away long ago? However, looking at Chen Jiao¡¯s innocent smile, he still smiled and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back together.¡± The two of them returned to their desks one after another. After Chen Jiao sat down, she began to deal with her work seriously. However, no one knew what she was thinking at this moment. In the beginning, she was only sent by Jiang Han to get close to Yi Zheng and wait for an opportunity to steal the company¡¯s information. At the same time, she would add a few more stains to Yi Zheng¡¯s life. However, after interacting with Yi Zheng, Chen Jiao became more and more interested in this man.. Chapter 707 - Chapter 707: Unable to Take Care of Her Own Life Chapter 707: Unable to Take Care of Her Own Life Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios How could Chen Jiao not be moved by such a handsome, rich, and loyal man? As long as she held onto Yi Zheng tightly, she would no longer have to submit to different men and could be Mrs. Yi in peace! Thinking of this, Chen Jiao almost laughed out loud. At the side, Cheng Fang had been secretly peeking at Chen Jiao¡¯s expression. He whispered to his colleague beside him, ¡°I think the rumors just now are true!¡± His colleague¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°How can you be so sure all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Intuition.¡± Cheng Fang said with an unfathomable expression, ¡°Looks like even if Chen Jiao can¡¯t become Mrs President in the future, she¡¯s definitely not someone we can order around!¡± Elsewhere, Shi Man went home and poured herself a cup of hot tea. At the side, Butler Qi approached her respectfully. ¡°Missy, did you have a good time out with President Yi today? Why didn¡¯t Presudent Yi come back with you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t go out with him.¡± As soon as Shi Man finished speaking, Shen Xian, who had been sitting in the corner, walked over in disbelief. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you agree to go shopping with him? What¡¯s wrong with the two of you? You can tell Mom anything.¡± Shi Man chuckled helplessly. Seeing how anxious she was, she quickly held her shoulders and pressed her down on the sofa. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can settle my own matters.¡± ¡°How can 1 not be worried?¡± Shen Xian doted on her daughter the most. She knew that Shi Man was working hard now. Her baby should be living a carefree school life, but she had been transferred to the army in advance. She really wanted to help her daughter with these small matters. Seeing her persistence, Shi Man sighed silently and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a big deal. There¡¯s just a problem with Yi Zheng, but I¡¯m already letting him resolve it himself.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Is it very serious?¡± Shen Xian asked impatiently. For it to make the two children fall out so badly, if it was some difficult problem, she could get Shi Zhong to help. ¡°It¡¯s not serious, Mom. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Shi Man took a sip of tea calmly and patted her mother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Yi Zheng what you asked me today. In short, don¡¯t interfere in this matter. Yi Zheng will settle it himself.¡± Hearing Shi Man¡¯s words, Shen Xian finally heaved a sigh of relief. In the morning, when she saw Shi Man¡¯s cold attitude, she thought that this child really had the intention to cancel the engagement. Now, it seemed that she was indeed too worried. Shi Man still had high hopes for Yi Zheng. Since that was the case, she did not have to worry. Shen Xian, who had been worried for the whole day, finally felt relieved. She even ate a lot more for dinner. When Shi Man was about to leave in the morning, Su Tang hurriedly caught up with her and said, ¡°The school¡¯s midterm exam is in two days. Don¡¯t forget to come and participate. This will count toward your final results.¡± Shi Man nodded to indicate that she understood and drove to the army alone. Su Tang looked at her departing figure and swallowed the words she wanted to say, leaving only worry on her face. She was still a student in the military academy. With Chief Lu¡¯s instructions, it was fine if she did not go to class, but she still had to participate in important large-scale exams. Shi Man knew what to do. When she arrived at the military district, Shi Man wanted to return to the dormitory to change her clothes. However, as soon as she walked into the dormitory, Cheng Luo rushed out. Her forehead was covered in sweat. It was obvious that she had been waiting for her for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shi Man handed her a tissue to wipe her sweat in confusion. Cheng Luo nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°Instructor Shi, come back to the dormitory with me to take a look. Yue Ming has gone crazy!¡± Thinking of the special punishment she had given Yue Ming, Shi Man frowned and followed behind her. This was the first time she had come to the female soldier¡¯s dormitory. However, since one was in the army, one had to follow the rules everywhere. Therefore, generally speaking, even if it was a dormitory that provided a resting place, it should be quiet. It should not be like now, where one foot had stepped into the market and it was noisy everywhere. From time to time, she could hear a few screams. Shi Man looked down at the corridor under her feet and hesitated. ¡°Is the water pipe broken?¡± Cheng Luo shook her head and led Shi Man deeper into the corridor for a while. Ignoring her wet shoes and socks, she pointed at the man in the washroom who was staring at the washing machine with a deep frown and said, ¡°Instructor Shi, did you really ask him to work for us?¡± Was he really not here to cause trouble? Early in the morning, Yue Ming knocked on the dormitory door one by one with a dark expression. He went door to door asking for their dirty clothes. If they did not give them to him, his attitude would be very fierce. A few girls boldly asked, and he told them that Instructor Shi had asked him to do this. That was why someone dared to give him their dirty training uniforms. Unexpectedly, Yue Ming did not know how to use such an old-fashioned washing machine despite looking quite smart. It was hard to imagine how he had lived alone in the army for so long! Coincidentally, a thin female soldier mustered her courage and walked to Yue Ming¡¯s side. She carefully guided him on how to drain the washing machine.. Chapter 708 - Chapter 708: Breaking into the Women’s Dormitory Alone Chapter 708: Breaking into the Women¡¯s Dormitory Alone Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yue Ming listened quietly with a straight face. In the end, he nodded solemnly. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ve learned it.¡± The girl clearly didn¡¯t believe him. She stood at the side and watched nervously as he began to operate. When all the sewage was discharged into the sewer and not a single drop flowed to the ground, she heaved a long sigh of relief. Shi Man stood at the side and watched the commotion with interest. Cheng Luo swallowed nervously. ¡°Instructor Shi, is Yue Ming really not crazy today?¡± Shi Man smiled and said, ¡°No, in the future, when he comes to ask for work, let him do it. If he does anything wrong, let him change.¡± With that, Shi Man turned around and left in a good mood. Just as she was about to walk out of the dormitory building, she stopped and reminded, ¡°Remember to ask him to clean the water in the corridor himself.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Although Cheng Luo did not understand Shi Man¡¯s intentions, she still did as she was told and went to look for Yue Ming and her other sisters to convey Shi Man¡¯s intentions. Hence, Yue Ming could be seen in the female dormitory for a long time. In the office, the seat that originally belonged to Zhang Rui had been empty. Fang Mo took advantage of Hong Ze¡¯s inattentiveness to sneak to Man¡¯s side and mutter softly, ¡°I heard that Instructor Zhang was temporarily suspended because of that bet. Soon, a new instructor will take over her position.¡± Shi Man was not interested in this matter. She nodded disinterestedly and quickly sorted out her training plan. Then, she brought the plan to the training ground. After the assessment ended, Cheng Luo and the rest returned to train under the previous instructor. Shi Man continued Yi train Yue Ming and the others. With the shocking results from the previous assessment, these people had become especially obedient when training with Shi Man. When Shi Man told them to rest, they would rest. They no longer acted on their own accord. Yue Ming also became very obedient, but he became even more silent. Occasionally, he would stare at Shi Man¡¯s side profile with a probing gaze. After today¡¯s training ended, Yue Ming walked towards the girls¡¯ dormitory after eating. A few boys with him stopped him curiously, but they did not dare to get too close because of his aura. They could only maintain a distance and ask curiously, ¡°Class monitor, what¡¯s wrong with you recently? Could it be that you¡¯ve fallen in love with a female soldier?¡± Yue Ming looked at them expressionlessly, scaring them so much that they quickly stopped smiling and looked away. ¡°No, this is Instructor Shi¡¯s punishment.¡± ¡°Punishment?¡± Speaking of which, Yue Ming should indeed leave the army according to the bet. But what kind of punishment was this? ¡°Your punishment is to clean up for girls?¡± The boy continued to ask in confusion. Yue Ming grunted coldly. The onlookers immediately had different expressions. Yue Ming frowned and asked unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The boy quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°Class monitor, don¡¯t misunderstand. We just think that this punishment is¡­ quite simple! By the way, how long are you going to do it for?¡± ¡°One month,¡± Yue Ming said coldly. Before the boy could react, Yue Ming asked in confusion, ¡°Is it very simple?¡± The boy blinked in shock. ¡°Simple, right? It¡¯s much better than really submitting an application for discharge!¡± If he applied for discharge before the time was up, wouldn¡¯t he be a deserter? This would be a stain for the rest of his life. Compared to this, Instructor Shi was simply too soft-hearted to get him to clean and wash the girls¡¯ clothes. But why did he feel that Yue Ming¡¯s expression was a little indescribable? Thinking of this, the boy suddenly realized something. He had never seen Yue Ming clean a room or wash clothes with his own hands. The Yue family lived nearby. He usually brought his dirty clothes home for the servants to wash. There were even people in the dormitory who cleaned up for him. From the looks of it, Instructor Shi¡¯s punishment was really the right medicine! Wait a minute! Could it be that Yue Ming could not do such things at all! However, just as he touched the truth behind Yue Ming¡¯s troubled expression, he saw that Yue Ming had already left without looking back, leaving him with a cold back view. In the female dormitory, the female soldiers looked at Yue Ming as if he was the God of Plagues. They watched as he walked into the building calmly. He looked around coldly. When his gaze landed on a slightly sloppy female soldier, his eyebrows twitched. Without thinking, he walked towards her. ¡°Clothes.¡± The female soldier¡¯s short hair was messy and drenched in sweat. The training uniform she was wearing was untidy, and her figure was burly and strong. When she approached, he could even smell the stench of sweat. She was about to take a shower with the bathtub in her hand when she suddenly heard the man¡¯s voice and was shocked. She hurriedly threw the bathtub aside and assumed a defensive posture. ¡°Where did this smelly hooligan come from? Don¡¯t you know that you can¡¯t enter the female dormitory casually?¡± Yue Ming¡¯s expression darkened as he repeated concisely, ¡°Clothes.¡± The female soldier followed his gaze and looked at her chest suspiciously. She quickly covered her chest in fear and said, ¡°How dare you snatch a woman¡¯s clothes in broad daylight? 1 think you don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡± After saying that, the female soldier actually stepped forward decisively. Cheng Luo hurriedly squeezed through the crowd and ran over to stop the fight. She hugged the female soldier¡¯s arm tightly and refused to let go. ¡°Sister Bing, it¡¯s a misunderstanding. Instructor Shi asked him to come..¡± Chapter 709 - Chapter 709: Women Were Born Dirty Chapter 709: Women Were Born Dirty Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Instructor Shi?¡± Sun Bing sized up Yue Ming and suddenly realized something. ¡°Is this the man who refused to leave after losing a bet with you?¡± Hearing this, Yue Ming¡¯s face darkened visibly. Cheng Luo quickly changed the topic. ¡°Just now, Yue Ming was asking you for dirty clothes.¡± She told her the whole story from beginning to end. Only then did Sun Bing nod in understanding. ¡°So you listened to Instructor Shi and came to be our nanny! Instructor Shi has a way. A man who looks down on women has to work for them!¡± Yue Ming¡¯s expression instantly turned even uglier. However, Sun Bing did not care at all. She took off her dirty coat and threw it on him. ¡°Wait here. I still have a lot of clothes to wash. I¡¯ll give them all to you.¡± Yue Ming¡¯s face turned green. He picked up a corner of the shirt in disgust and held it in his hand. ¡°Is this a woman¡¯s?¡± Sun Bing returned very quickly with a large pile of dirty clothes in her hands. She stuffed them all into his arms. ¡°Take them. Fortunately, I was lazy for the past two weeks and didn¡¯t wash the clothes. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have had any much to work with today.¡± ¡°Two weeks?¡± Yue Ming wanted to throw these clothes to the ground! Sun Bing nodded matter-of-factly and said, ¡°I usually train very hard. I have to change my clothes every day. There are only five washing machines in the female dormitory and it¡¯s not enough at all. Fortunately, I have a lot of clothes and can give up the washing machines for other sisters, so I saved them up to wash them together. Is there a problem?¡± Yue Ming did not want to speak at all. Now, he was surrounded by the smell of sweat, and even breathing became a little difficult. It was hard to imagine what kind of strange smell this woman¡¯s dormitory would have. Born in a military family, there was no shortage of nannies in the family. However, women in the family had always been dressed exquisitely and could clean up the family. Therefore, Yue Ming naturally thought that all women should look like this. Women were naturally more suitable to do such trivial things. But today, Sun Bing had completely opened his eyes. The conditions in the army were harsh, and the number of washing machines was indeed insufficient. He had always despised other people¡¯s clothes, so he was unwilling to use the public washing machine to wash clothes. He had always brought them home to get them washed, but he had never kept so much! He had never seen a woman who was more sloppy than a man! However, it was useless to say anything more. After all, he had to do these things for the next month. After this, she would not be able to accumulate so many clothes during this period of time. With this thought in mind, Yue Ming carried a pile of dirty clothes into the laundry room expressionlessly. Soon, the washing machine made a loud sound and began to wash clothes. Sun Bing casually placed her hand on Cheng Luo¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Serves him right. If you let him stay, you should torture him like this! Just you wait, 1¡¯11 definitely avenge you!¡± Cheng Luo laughed involuntarily and shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to offend him for me. The Yue family is very powerful. It¡¯s better to avoid unnecessary trouble.¡± Being able to defeat Yue Ming in the assessment was her greatest gain. Nothing else was important. Yue Ming washed clothes until late at night. Only then did he remember that Shi Man had asked him to do three things for girls every day. Just as he thought of this, footsteps suddenly sounded at the door. Sun Bing walked into the bathroom with a solemn expression. ¡°Are you done? Coincidentally, I have something I need your help with.¡± Yue Ming stood up and shook off the water droplets on his hand. He said with a straight face, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I have a roommate. She¡¯s on her period and she¡¯s undergoing more training today. Her stomach hurts now. Bring her to the infirmary and let the military doctor take a look,¡± Sun Bing said matter-of-factly. Yue Ming subconsciously frowned; his face was full of rejection. However, it was already very late. If he could not complete it, it would probably spread. Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and nodded. ¡°Alright, bring me there.¡± Sun Bing looked smug. She turned around and led him to her dormitory. At this moment, it was already a mess inside. The girls were all scrambling around the single bed. The bedsheets were stained with a large amount of blood. The girl who needed help was pale and pressed her abdomen with a painful expression. The smell of blood in the room was especially strong. Yue Ming took a step back in disgust. He suddenly felt that women were born dirty. It was no wonder that they usually made themselves so fragrant. It turned out that when it came to menstruation, the smell would actually be so strong! Sun Bing saw him retreating and immediately pushed him in impatiently. ¡°Hurry up. This is a human life. Can you bear the responsibility if you delay it?¡± Was this his responsibility? Yue Ming bent down and picked her up with a cold expression. His hand immediately touched a large pool of blood, and his body suddenly stiffened. ¡°Why are you still in a daze? Do you know that a life is at stake? Her problem is very serious now. Hurry up!¡± Sun Bing urged him again. Yue Ming had no choice but to carry her to the infirmary first.. However, he planned to wash his hands a few more times with hand sanitizer later and throw away all his clothes today! Chapter 710 - Chapter 710: Women’s Difficulties Chapter 710: Women¡¯s Difficulties Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When they finally reached the infirmary, Yue Ming was already sweating from exhaustion. He threw her onto the bed and looked at his bloody hand. He was so disgusted that he wanted to chop off his entire hand. The military doctor rushed over and saw the blood on Yue Ming¡¯s hand. He exclaimed, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you injured?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± Yue Ming pointed at the woman on the bed. The military doctor quickly surrounded the female soldier and did a detailed checkup. Yue Ming was about to leave. The air here had already been polluted by the smell of that woman¡¯s blood. He did not want to stay for another second. Unexpectedly, before he could walk out of the room, the doctor behind him suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Not good. It might be the rupture of the ovarian luteum caused by intense exercise. We have to send her to the hospital for surgery immediately.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late for the ambulance from the hospital to arrive. We have to send her to the hospital ourselves!¡± Zhao De quickly called for the doctor beside him to help carry her to the stretcher and lay her down. Yue Ming moved to the side to make way for the woman at the door. He stared blankly at the woman who had already lost blood and had gone into shock. She actually needed surgery just because her training had become more intense? Women were indeed weak and useless! Yue Ming¡¯s face turned cold. He turned around and was about to wash his hands in the sink when a big hand suddenly grabbed his arm. ¡°There¡¯s no time. We have to follow them and take a look. A person can die at any time if her body is ruptured!¡± Sun Bing pulled him away without any explanation. Yue Ming stood still. ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Sun Bing said expressionlessly, ¡°Are you still human?¡± Seeing that Yue Ming still looked indifferent, she immediately snorted and said, ¡°Men are indeed heartless and cold-blooded animals. Let me tell you, I¡¯ve already asked Instructor Shi. She asked you to help the girls to do three things each day. Have you done all of them today?¡± Yue Ming glared at her angrily. ¡°Alright, 1¡¯11 go!¡± With that, he shook off her hand in frustration and followed Zhao De and the others into the vehicle. Of course, Sun Bing followed him worriedly. The smell in the small space seemed to have been magnified countless times. Yue Ming held his breath and wanted to open the window, but Zhao De hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t open the window. The patient can¡¯t catch a cold now.¡± With Director Zhao¡¯s words, Yue Ming could only retract his hand and sit silently at the side. Of course, Sun Bing could smell it too, but she was already used to it. She narrowed her eyes and moved closer to him. ¡°Blood doesn¡¯t smell good, right? You can¡¯t take it anymore? Men are really pretentious. We bleed a lot every month. Even if our abdomen hurts during our period, we have to persevere in training. You actually can¡¯t hold on after smelling it.¡± Being looked down upon, Yue Ming retorted without thinking, ¡°Which eye of yours can tell that I can¡¯t take it anymore?¡± Sun Bing raised her eyebrows in understanding. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s best if you can stand it. Then continue to sit properly.¡± Although his words were unyielding, Yue Ming still endured the entire journey. As soon as he got out of the car, he immediately took a deep breath of fresh air. Sun Bing looked at his back and sneered. She walked over and patted his shoulder. ¡°Alright, you can continue working after taking a breather. You have to carry her off the stretcher and put her on the hospital bed.¡± With a dark expression, Yue Ming moved his hand and helped put the woman on the bed with another medical staff. The nurse hurriedly pushed her into the operating theater. The moment the huge red light lit up, the atmosphere in the entire corridor became solemn. Zhao De was so tired that he was sweating profusely. He sat on the chair and wiped his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s indeed not easy for girls these days. They still do so much training during their period. Now that there¡¯s a problem with her body, her family might be anxious if they find out!¡± Yue Ming pursed his lips nonchalantly and finally washed the blood off his hands in the washroom. It had been too long. Some of the blood had already flowed into his fingernails. Yue Ming had to wash his hands many times before they were completely cleaned. The military doctor who came with them had already been instructed by Zhao De to go through the hospitalization procedures and contact the patient¡¯s family. When Yue Ming returned, Zhao De immediately waved him over. ¡°If the surgery is successful later, 1¡¯11 have to trouble you to help settle her down.¡± Yue Ming nodded indifferently. Zhao De let out a long sigh and said, ¡°I think the army just doesn¡¯t value women too much. They should be appropriately tolerant when it comes to menstruation. How can they still undergo such intense training? Women will bleed a few days every month. We men have the best deal. As long as we don¡¯t go to the battlefield and are careful, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t bleed much in this lifetime.¡± Yue Ming frowned. ¡°Men have more things to do. It¡¯s easy to be a woman, right?¡± Zhao De shook his head disapprovingly. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. Which woman doesn¡¯t do what men do now? My daughter is also a doctor. She has to perform three surgeries almost every day. She¡¯s busy for a few hours and doesn¡¯t even have time to eat. Some of her male colleagues are don¡¯t even do as much as her!¡± In fact, Zhao De was panicking. He was a doctor, so he naturally knew better than Yue Ming the danger of a body rupturing. He could only talk non-stop to ease his nervousness. ¡°By the way, last month, my daughter performed a C-section on a pregnant woman. In the end, the pregnant woman had a difficult delivery and died on the operating table.. Two lives were lost!¡± Chapter 711 - Chapter 711: The Strongest Relationship Chapter 711: The Strongest Relationship Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s unlucky.¡± Yue Ming¡¯s expression was indifferent as he remained unmoved. Zhao De put away his nagging thoughts and suddenly looked up at him. ¡°Student Yue, 1 heard that Madam Yue also suffered a difficult labor in order to give birth to you back then. She almost died. Your father said that he wanted to choose a good time for you to be born. Your mother almost lost her life because of this. What do you make of it?¡± Yue Ming was shocked. He had never heard of such a thing. His pupils constricted in disbelief. Seeing that he did not believe him, Zhao De narrowed his eyes and recalled, ¡°1 remember that it was raining heavily that day. Your mother had already been pushed into the operating theater, but your father strictly asked the doctors to let her give birth at the exact time he chose. This made those doctors very troubled. Your mother almost lost her life because of this. Fortunately, she was saved by the doctors in the end.¡± After saying that, he stole a glance at Yue Ming and shook his head. ¡°Giving birth isn¡¯t as easy as you think. As men, we can¡¯t experience the pain that women have to endure since their puberty. This is our luck, but it¡¯s not something we can be proud of.¡± As time passed, Yue Ming¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, but this time, he did not insist that he wanted to leave. Instead, he sat obediently outside the operating theater and waited. Not long after, a slightly plump woman rushed into the corridor. The moment she saw Zhao De, she held his hand anxiously, her face filled with tears. ¡°Are you the child¡¯s teacher? How is the child now? If anything happens to our Xiaoyu, 1 won¡¯t live anymore!¡± Zhao De quickly got up and helped her to her seat. He tried his best to comfort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The surgery isn¡¯t over yet. We¡¯ll ask about the exact situation when the doctor comes out.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to the medical student who came with him and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t 1 see the child¡¯s father? Didn¡¯t you inform him?¡± ¡°Teacher, there¡¯s something you don¡¯t know. The child¡¯s father and 1 have divorced a long time ago. The court sentenced me to raise the child. Now, the child has nothing to do with her father.¡± The woman wiped her tears and answered first. Zhao De nodded in understanding. ¡°Calm down first. Yue Ming sent her here in time. There shouldn¡¯t be a big problem.¡± The woman nodded and followed his words to look at Yue Ming, who was standing at the side. She quickly stood up and thanked him. ¡°Good child, thank you for saving my daughter. However, may I ask how my Xiaoyu got into trouble?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s like this.¡± Zhao De sighed and said, ¡°When the child was sent to the infirmary, 1 did a detailed examination on her. 1 suspect that her ovaries ruptured because of intense exercise. Xiaoyu should be on her period now, so it caused hemorrhagic shock. However, don¡¯t worry. 1 know the doctor in this hospital. His medical skills are very good. He will definitely be able to save Xiaoyu.¡± ¡°Teacher, thank you so much.¡± The woman hurriedly held Zhao De¡¯s hand and kept bowing to thank him. Yue Ming stood quietly at the side and sized up the woman. Xiaoyu¡¯s mother was a middle-aged woman with a plump figure. However, her hair was neat and clean, and her clothes and shoes were spotless. It was late at night, and she certainly didn¡¯t have time to tidy herself up when she got the call about her daughter¡¯s accident, but she was still standing here in neat clothes. It seemed that she was usually a neat woman. She must have been pretty when she was young. Yue Ming was a little puzzled and asked directly, ¡°Auntie, why did you divorce your husband?¡± In his opinion, a relationship between a husband and wife should be long-lasting and stable. The woman in charge cleaned up the house. Her husband earned money to support the family. When he returned home, he could have a hot meal. He had always yearned for such a married life, so he had been training hard all these years and had never had a girlfriend. When the woman heard his question, she suddenly looked a little nervous. ¡°Why are you asking this? Her father and 1 divorced more than ten years ago.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Yue Ming frowned and continued to ask. Zhao De quickly stopped him. ¡°Alright, Yue Ming, why are you asking about other people¡¯s family matters for no reason? Why don¡¯t you go to the ward and see if there¡¯s anything we need to buy? Go buy some and get the army to reimburse you.¡± ¡°How can 1 let you do that? I¡¯ll buy it myself.¡± The woman quickly declined. Seeing Yue Ming¡¯s puzzled expression, her expression became more affectionate. She sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re my daughter¡¯s savior. There¡¯s nothing to hide. If you want to know, 1¡¯11 tell you.¡± ¡°Actually, I divorced her father because he had always looked down on me after being married for so many years. When 1 was young, I was hot-headed and had Xiaoyu with her father. After we registered our marriage, I never had a job and stayed at home to take care of the children. Her father despised me for being useless and found a woman outside. Then, the two of us divorced.¡± She said it casually, but the melancholy on her face was heartbreaking.. Chapter 712 - Chapter 712: Relationship Chapter 712: Relationship Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yue Ming didn¡¯t say anything else. Sometimes, he really felt that being called a man like those animals was an insult to him. Soon, an hour and a half passed, and the lights in the operating theater finally went out. The woman was the first to rush up and ask for the results. Fortunately, the doctor¡¯s face was full of smiles. ¡°Are you the patient¡¯s family? Don¡¯t worry, the surgery was very successful. If you¡¯ve already completed the hospitalization procedures, we can bring the patient to the ward to rest now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± The woman held the doctor¡¯s hand with tears of joy. The tears on her face finally dried. Yue Ming inexplicably heaved a sigh of relief. He turned his head slightly and saw Sun Bing looking at him with relaxed eyes. He immediately put on a straight face and said, ¡°Since she¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll leave first. 1 still have training tomorrow.¡± The woman thanked him profusely. This time, Sun Bing did not stop him. Instead, she happily called a taxi for him. ¡°What you did today was not an ordinary small favor. Thank you. With this matter, 1 believe Instructor Shi will not be too calculative with you about your performance not meeting the standard.¡± Yue Ming glared at her angrily, but the hostility on his body was clearly much less than when he came. He did not say anything else. After getting into the car, he went straight back to the army. However, when he lay in bed that night, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. After thinking about it, he took out his phone and called the butler in the bathroom. It was already late at night. The army had their own time to turn off the lights. Coupled with the fact that the training in the day was very tiring, Yue Ming was usually asleep at this time. If there was nothing urgent at home, he would not call home at this time. Therefore, when the butler saw that it was a call from him, he immediately had a bad feeling. He thought that something had happened to Yue Ming in the army. ¡°Young Master, why are you calling at this time? Did Instructor Shi from your army make things difficult for you again?¡± He had heard from Madam that the instructor actually dared to punish Young Master to do other people¡¯s chores! Aiyo, his young master had been born with a golden spoon in his mouth since he was young. When had his hands ever done such work! Madam¡¯s heart ached for him for a long time just to let him go to the army! Yue Ming pursed his thin lips and said, ¡°No, are Father and Mother asleep?¡± The butler quickly replied, ¡°They¡¯re both asleep. I was tidying up the living room just now. Young Master, are you looking for Old Master and Madam?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for you.¡± Yue Ming rubbed the space between his eyebrows to ease his inexplicable palpitations. ¡°I want to ask you, when 1 was born back then, my father¡­ did he discuss with the doctor about setting the time of my birth and almost killed my mother?¡± The butler, who had always been talkative, suddenly stopped talking when he heard his question. How was that almost causing Madam¡¯s death? It was obvious that he had not considered Madam¡¯s life. However, the Old Master was superstitious at that time and had to listen to the fake Daoist priest to let Yue Ming be born at ten o¡¯clock at night. It was said that such a child would definitely have great achievements when he grew up. However, so many years had passed and Madam was still fine. There was no need for him to tell the truth and ruin the relationship between the Yue father and son, so he said vaguely, ¡°Master only suggested it to the doctor. Later, the doctor said that we can¡¯t do this, and Master didn¡¯t insist anymore.¡± Yue Ming sneered and hung up. He knew his father. He was arbitrary, imperious, and irrefutable. How could such a person easily listen to the doctor and give up on his persistence? The situation at that time was probably far more dangerous than the butler¡¯s ambiguous words. His father had no choice but to nod in agreement. He suddenly remembered that his mother had once reminisced about how she and his father met and fell in love. She always had a smile on her face when she mentioned these things. The smile was so warm that he almost forgot the tears his mother had shed at his father¡¯s indifference on those sleepless nights. Before this, he had always thought that his mother was happy because his father had the same thoughts as him. He would not abandon his mother easily. He had chosen someone to accompany him until he grew old and died. However, it was only now that he understood that those days and nights of companionship and vows to stay by each other¡¯s side for the rest of their lives could not be achieved by counting on his father not abandoning them. A large part of it was because of his mother¡¯s compromise and obedience. Her mother had once said that women were born to live by relying on men. But now, Yue Ming suddenly felt that if his mother had not met his father back then, she would not have gotten pregnant and had a child. She might have been able to live a happier life. However, this thought only lingered in his mind for a while before he quickly shook it off. If it weren¡¯t for his father, her mother wouldn¡¯t have been so carefree for so many years. In the end, women couldn¡¯t live without men. However, he already knew that it was not easy for women. At most, he would tolerate them a little more in the future. He tossed and turned the entire night, unable to fall asleep. The next morning, Yue Ming received a call from his mother. Last night, Yue Ming hung up the phone in a hurry. The butler was worried that he would take things too hard, so he told Xie Huai about it after Yue Lin left.. Chapter 713 - Chapter 713: Compromise Chapter 713: Compromise Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Xie Huai heard this, she was a little worried. After hesitating for a while, she still wanted to call her son. ¡°Mingming, don¡¯t blame your father. Your father did it for your own good back then. Everyone said that the children born at that time were dragons and phoenixes among men. Your father also hoped that his son would become a dragon.¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Yue Ming interrupted her expressionlessly. Sensing that his tone was extremely cold, he took a while to calm down before saying softly, ¡°Mom, what about you? Don¡¯t you blame Dad?¡± Xie Huai was slightly stunned. Then, she said sternly, ¡°Did that Shi Man say something to you again? Did she start to sow discord between you and your father?¡± ¡°Mom, this has nothing to do with Instructor Shi.¡± Guanglin asked seriously again, ¡°Tell me the truth. Do you blame Dad?¡± Xie Huai suddenly felt a little nervous, and her heart was beating wildly. Her son¡¯s question undoubtedly stumped her. Because this was the question that had puzzled her for many years. Did she hate it? Many nights, she would dream that she was on the operating table. There was a dazzling surgical light above her head, and various instruments were ticking by her ears. Her lower abdomen was so cold that she could even feel the doctor¡¯s scalpel cutting open her stomach. Every time she thought that she was about to end this nightmare, the doctor¡¯s anxious questions would echo in her mind. ¡°Madam Xie, your husband has requested that we wait another twenty minutes before we can remove the child from your body. Do you agree?¡± Xie Huai lay on the bed and opened her mouth, but no sound came out. The doctor patiently asked again, ¡°If we delay any longer, I¡¯m afraid your lives will be in danger. If you don¡¯t agree, we will immediately take the child out and complete the surgery. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± The blinding light above her head became more and more blurry. Then, Xie Huai seemed to have heard her weak answer. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. We¡¯ll listen to my husband.¡± After that, she completely lost consciousness. Every time this happened, she would suddenly wake up from her sleep. Every time she woke up, she would be drenched in sweat. There were even a few times when she woke up her husband, who was sleeping soundly. Yue Lin was very busy with work during the day. At night, it was taboo for anyone to disturb his rest. He had gotten angry at her many times because of this. Xie Huai silently endured it. Because she really couldn¡¯t leave Yue Lin. Xie Huai suppressed her emotions. Fortunately, Yue Ming could not see the tears on her face through the phone. She pretended that nothing had happened and said, ¡°Why would 1 hate your father? Your father treats me very well and treats you well too. Our family is so happy together. How can I hate him?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yue Ming smiled bitterly and suddenly did not want to speak anymore. ¡°Then I¡¯ll hang up first. Mom, you can call me if anything happens at home.¡± Xie Huai quickly responded. When she heard the busy tone on the phone, her heart was still warm and she could not regain her senses. Worried about Xie Huai¡¯s emotions, the butler hurriedly handed her a tissue. ¡°Madam, what did Young Master say?¡± Xie Huai smiled and shook her head. She took the tissue and wiped her tears. ¡°Nothing. I just suddenly feel like he has grown up.¡± In the past, he rarely cared about her matters. Every time he called her, it would not exceed three minutes. She was always worried that she would disturb her son from doing his own things, so she never dared to delay his time. But today, her son actually took the initiative to care about her, which made her extremely happy. As Yue Ming hung up the phone, his face was so cold that ice could form on it. Of course, he could tell that something was wrong with his mother¡¯s tone. It was just as he had thought last night. The harmony in the Yue family on the surface had always been maintained by his mother swallowing her grievance. And he and his father, Yue Lin, just kept taking. At the thought of this, Yue Ming suddenly felt suffocated. He had a straight face throughout the entire day of training. The male students all guessed that Yue Ming¡¯s cold face was because he couldn¡¯t stand Shi Man¡¯s punishment. However, after the Yue Ming training ended at night, he went to the female dormitory to help. He was even more diligent than yesterday. Cheng Luo looked at Yue Ming, who had quickly cleaned up the trash in the corridor and started mopping the floor. She took out a bottle of water from the box and handed it to him. Yue Ming glanced at it and quickly turned his head away. ¡°Thank you, but 1 won¡¯t drink it.¡± Cheng Luo awkwardly retracted her hand and said, ¡°Thank you for saving Xiaoyu yesterday. How is she now? I can¡¯t leave the army so easily. Otherwise, 1 would have gone to the hospital to see her.¡± Hearing this, Yue Ming suddenly remembered the pale-faced girl from yesterday and the smell of blood that filled his nose. However, this time, he did not feel that the smell was bad. He only felt that he was lucky that he did not delay the best time for the girl¡¯s surgery. ¡°She¡¯s fine. The doctor said the surgery was a success. Her mother is already with her at the hospital, but you¡¯ll have to ask Director Zhao about the details. I¡¯m not sure.¡± It was rare for Yue Ming to speak so much. He spoke a series of words in one breath. After Cheng Luo was relieved, she only felt surprised. When she smiled, her eyes curved into crescents. ¡°You¡¯re very different from before. It seems that Instructor Shi¡¯s method is quite effective.¡± Yue Ming paused and glared at her angrily.. ¡°What does this have to do with Instructor Shi?¡± Chapter 714 - Chapter 714: Women Are All Fickle Chapter 714: Women Are All Fickle Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cheng Luo put away the water bottle and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Alright, the electric switch in our dormitory has jumped. Come and fix it.¡± Yue Ming suddenly raised his head and looked at her. Only then did he smell the hotpot smell on her body. His expression turned cold. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to use the electric cooker in the dormitory. If you break the electric switch, you have to go to the dormitory teacher to admit your mistake. I¡¯m not going.¡± Cheng Luo narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°You haven¡¯t done the three things you promised to do for the girls today, right?¡± Yue Ming suddenly choked on her words. Now, the most difficult thing for him was not to tidy up the girls¡¯ dormitory and wash their clothes. Instead, these three things were very difficult to achieve. Because almost none of them would ask him for help. At the thought of this, Yue Ming threw away the mop in his hand in frustration. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Cheng Luo smiled proudly and led the way to the dormitory. As soon as they opened the door, the fragrant smell of hot pot assaulted their faces. The girls were shocked and hurriedly pounced forward to protect their pots and pans. However, when they saw that the person who came in was Cheng Luo, they heaved a sigh of relief and fell back into their chairs with relief. In the day, girls would tie their hair up for training, but when they returned to the dormitory at night, their beautiful long hair would be let down and fall over their shoulders. Perhaps because they had just washed their hair, the fragrance of these girls¡¯ hair would enter Yue Ming¡¯s nose from time to time. ¡°Where¡¯s the electric switch?¡± He looked away unnaturally, pretending to be looking for something to hide his strange expression. Cheng Luo did not suspect anything and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s on the wall over there. See if you can repair it. If not, you can only go to the dormitory management teacher to ask.¡± With a straight face, Yue Ming tried to push the electric switch. As expected, there was no reaction from the lights in the room. He seemed to understand why Cheng Luo had asked him to come. ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Yue Ming refused succinctly, then turned around and left. Cheng Luo quickly pulled her back. ¡°Wait a minute. Listen to me. You¡¯re here on Instructor Shi¡¯s orders to clean up. Even if you really did something wrong, the dormitory manager won¡¯t punish you ruthlessly. For helping us this time, we¡¯ll treat you to a hotpot meal!¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Yue Ming looked away indifferently and took another step forward. Cheng Luo simply stood in front of him and put on a pitiful expression. She pressed her palms together in front of him. ¡°Help us. Later, boil water and brush the pot for us. We¡¯ll be done with all three things today!¡± Yue Ming felt the veins on his forehead throbbing. He tried to hold it in, but he couldn¡¯t help but scold in a low voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see that you were so good at pretending to be pitiful in the past?¡± This woman¡¯s drive during the training in the day gave off the feeling that she did not treat herself as a woman. Why did she become a little girl who knew how to wheedle and torture people after taking off her training uniform? Women were indeed fickle! Hypocritical! Yue Ming cursed in his heart. Then, he sighed and said, ¡°Wait!¡± Cheng Luo¡¯s eyes lit up and he quickly made way. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for your good news!¡± After saying that, she watched as Yue Ming opened the door and left. She could not help but giggle. Behind her, her roommates quickly surrounded her worriedly. ¡°Luo Luo, aren¡¯t you afraid that he will betray us and bring the dormitory management teacher in? Then, our fragrant delicacies will all be confiscated by the teacher!¡± The military dormitory was very strict. They could not use such high-power electrical appliances in violation of the rules. Once they were discovered, not only would they be confiscated, but they would also be punished by the instructor! However, the temptation of hotpot was too great. The few of them had barely managed to gather a pot of vegetables and tofu. Unexpectedly, before they could take a bite, there was a short circuit! However, Cheng Luo smiled confidently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t suspect anyone we use. We won¡¯t use anyone we suspect. He will help us!¡± Downstairs, Yue Ming, who had received great expectations, looked for the dormitory manager auntie with a cold expression. He casually found an excuse to brush her off and asked the auntie to pull the electric switch again. Cheng Luo and the others didn¡¯t wait long in the dormitory before they heard the sound of the hotpot again. They were so excited that they almost jumped up. After a while, someone knocked on the door. She ran over excitedly and pulled him into the house. ¡°Come in and eat with us. Don¡¯t hold back. It¡¯s not training time.¡± Yue Ming looked at her from the corner of his eyes. He was holding an empty bowl that had been washed clean. ¡°Are you usually like this?¡± Cheng Luo blinked innocently at him. ¡°I¡¯m like this when I¡¯m training.¡± Yue Ming wanted to refute, but when he saw that she had already stuck her chopsticks into the pot, he swallowed the words he wanted to say. He did not plan to eat with them, but he still ate a lot with them. After the meal, Yue Ming naturally went to wash the dishes. A few girls lay lazily on the chairs and supported their stomachs to digest their food. Yue Ming wanted to laugh when he saw this, but his hand was suddenly stained with oil. He immediately stopped laughing and frowned in disgust. However, no matter how disgusted he was, he still insisted on washing all the pots and bowls. He even helped them clean up the dining table and the floor. When he went out, he was carrying a bag full of trash.. Chapter 715 - Chapter 715: Silent Wetting Chapter 715: Silent Wetting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The moment he walked out of the dormitory building, even the dormitory manager looked at him with pity. He threw the trash into the trash can with a dark expression. Suddenly, he felt like an all-round housewife! On the top floor of the company. During this period of time, everyone had seen Chen Jiao¡¯s efforts. She had become an indispensable member of the secretariat. Tang Zhe was getting more and more satisfied with her. After work today, he saw that the President had no instructions and wanted to bring Chen Jiao out for a good meal to nourish her body. Unexpectedly, Chen Jiao shook her head and refused. ¡°Cousin, I still have a document that 1 haven¡¯t finished dealing with. Go and eat first. You¡¯ve been so busy recently that you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight.¡± Previously, Yi Zheng had snatched a piece of fat meat from the mouth of the Sui Family. They worked overtime every day and finally straightened out these jobs. Tang Zhe, on the other hand, was tired. He just wanted to go back to eat a full meal and have a good sleep, but he was worried about Chen Jiao working overtime alone. ¡°You should go back and rest. Leave the rest of the work to me.¡± Chen Jiao insisted on pushing him out. ¡°Cousin, just listen to me and get off work. The secretariat can¡¯t lose a chief secretary like you. If you can¡¯t take care of yourself and fall sick, we¡¯ll be leaderless!¡± Seeing that Tang Zhe was still a little worried, she smiled helplessly and said, ¡°Alright, the work I have is not very complicated. If there¡¯s anything I don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ll call you for guidance.¡± Tang Zhe had no choice but to be urged by her to turn on the elevator. The moment the elevator door opened, he still turned around worriedly and said, ¡°Then you must contact me if there¡¯s anything. Don¡¯t hold on alone.¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Chen Jiao pushed him into the elevator and waved goodbye to him. The smile on her face was extremely sweet. However, the moment the elevator door closed, the gentle smile on her face suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a cold smile. Through her efforts during this period of time, she had successfully made Tang Zhe let down his guard against her. Now that she had to enjoy the benefits of a favorable position, she believed that Yi Zheng would treat her differently soon. With this thought in mind, she picked up a document from the table and knocked on the office door. Yi Zheng had been working overtime recently, but he was not the kind of boss who would let his employees work overtime endlessly. Therefore, most of the time, his secretaries would get off work. He would work late alone and sometimes even sleep in the office. Chen Jiao could not help but snicker. Was this person unable to let go of his work, or did he not want to go home and face his fiancee¡¯s cold face? However, none of this mattered as long as he was here. ¡°Come in.¡± A deep voice with a hint of temptation came from behind the door. Chen Jiao swallowed her saliva, but the moment she pushed the door open and entered, her expression became cautious. Yi Zheng looked up from the document and frowned when he saw that it was her. ¡°Why is it you? 1 only work with Tang Zhe.¡± Chen Jiao walked to the desk timidly. Ignoring the warning in his eyes, she boldly placed the document on the table. ¡°CEO Yi, Secretary Tang has already gotten off work. This document needs your signature.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s expression softened slightly. He lowered his head and read the document seriously before signing his name at the end. ¡°Alright, get out. Don¡¯t knock on my door casually in the future.¡± She had only knocked on his office door, not his bedroom door. Did he have to be so vigilant? Chen Jiao rolled her eyes in her heart, but she still said timidly, ¡°Yes, 1 understand. Then I¡¯ll go out and continue working.¡± ¡°No need. You can get off work too.¡± He could only deal with Chen Jiao coldly. Tang Zhe was close to her, and she had not made any mistakes in the company. He could not just fire her and send her home. Chen Jiao paused. Just as Yi Zheng thought that she was about to say something else, she turned her head slightly and said seriously, ¡°Work is important. I still have a few documents. 1¡¯11 get off work after I¡¯m done. President, you have to take care of your health.¡± Yi Zheng frowned as he watched her leave. The doubts in his heart grew. Outside, Chen Jiao heaved a sigh of relief after closing the office door. She quickly picked up her phone and ordered takeout. She could not push Yi Zheng too hard. Otherwise, the other party would instantly see through her goal. Then all her previous efforts would be in vain! What she wanted to do was to care for him like a drizzle. She wanted to moisten things silently and change Yi Zheng¡¯s opinion of her bit by bit. After ordering two takeaways, Chen Jiao immediately picked up the documents and started working seriously. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Yi Zheng was sitting inside, only a wall away from her. He could see if she was working as long as he opened the door, so it was necessary for her to pretend. However, she was only working hard for a while now. When she successfully became Madam Yi, she would enjoy endless wealth in the future! Gradually, the sky outside turned completely dark. Yi Zheng raised his hand and turned on the table lamp. Only then did he realize that time had passed so quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already ten in the evening.. Chapter 716 - Chapter 716: Work Relationship Chapter 716: Work Relationship Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yi Zheng had not seen Shi Man for many days. Ever since the two of them parted on bad terms last time, Shi Man had not taken the initiative to send him a message. The replies to his messages were concise and distant. He sighed softly, before turning around to walk out of the office. He thought that it was already dark outside, but he did not expect that someone had specially left a light beside the desk at the door for him. He was surprised for a moment before subconsciously walking to the desk. At a glance, he saw the carefully packed thermos box on the desk. There was even a cute pink sticker on it. Her handwriting was neat as she wrote, ¡°As the President¡¯s special assistant, of course I have to take good care of CEO Yi¡¯s body. CEO Yi, it¡¯s been hard on you to work overtime. Rest early after dinner. Good night!¡± After reading the note, a face that was always brimming with an innocent smile instantly appeared in front of her eyes. Right on the heels of that, that face turned into a crying face, as if he had indeed made her suffer a lot that night. Yi Zheng¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. He pursed his lips and threw the note and the thermos box into the trash can beside the table before leaving the top floor with a cold expression. The next day, Chen Jiao walked out of the elevator with a smile on her face. She said good morning to her colleagues one by one. When she walked to the trash can and saw the cleaning lady packing a few thermos boxes, she subconsciously stopped her. ¡°Wait!¡± The cleaning lady looked at her in confusion. ¡°Secretary Chen, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The smile on Chen Jiao¡¯s face froze, and her face suddenly turned pale. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go ahead. 1 thought 1 saw something but was mistaken.¡± The auntie nodded skeptically. In the end, she threw the thermos containers into the trash bag and brought them downstairs. Chen Jiao sat in her seat and took a deep breath as she looked at the tightly shut door next door. It didn¡¯t matter. If he didn¡¯t accept it once, she would continue to care about him. There would be a time when he would soften his heart and accept her goodwill. As long as he accepted it, she would definitely eat him up! Just as she was thinking this, someone suddenly patted Chen Jiao¡¯s shoulder. She wasn¡¯t actually frightened, but she still pretended to be shocked and looked behind her with widened eyes. Cheng Fang scratched his head apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Chen Jiao immediately smiled considerately. ¡°Brother Cheng, why are you looking for me? Did something go wrong with my work yesterday?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Cheng Fang quickly waved his hand. His heart trembled at her sweet ¡°Brother Cheng¡±, but he quickly composed himself and asked carefully, ¡°Did something happen between you and the President?¡± Chen Jiao was disdainful in her heart, but the smile on her face became even more gentle and shy. ¡°Brother Cheng, why do you ask? Of course, the President and I are only in a working relationship.¡± Cheng Fang noticed that the tips of her ears were red, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Did you work late again last night? I saw Secretary Tang at a coffee shop near the company. You weren¡¯t with him. Could it be that you were working overtime alone with the President?¡± Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao stood up with a whoosh. Coincidentally, Yi Zheng had just come out of the elevator. Chen Jiao pretended to be shocked and quickly denied it. ¡°No, 1 worked overtime late last night, but President Yi went back even later. I was outside the whole time and never went into President Yi¡¯s office!¡± Cheng Fang¡¯s eyes revealed a teasing smile. The more flustered she was, the more he felt that there was a secret between them. Hearing this, Yi Zheng immediately frowned and looked over. Chen Jiao shook her head gently at him, looking pitiful and restrained again. Yi Zheng only took a glance before leaving. Only then did Cheng Fang notice that the President had already come to work. He quickly restrained his expression and returned to his seat to work. After a while, Tang Zhe was called into the office, and right on the heels of that, Chen Jiao was also called in. Cheng Fang watched her back until the office door was closed from the inside. After they left, Cheng Fang immediately told the people beside him about Chen Jiao and the President staying behind to work overtime last night. In the office, Yi Zheng sat upright on the chair. His suit was ironed neatly, and his brows were filled with sternness. ¡°What did you say to them outside just now?¡± Chen Jiao was stunned for a moment before she seemed to be worried about something and shook her head aggrievedly. Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes, his expression extremely displeased. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t spread rumors about our relationship with others. Otherwise, leave the company immediately!¡± When Chen Jiao heard this, her eyes quickly turned red. She looked at Tang Zhe for help and stubbornly bit her lower lip to retort, ¡°President Yi, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. 1 really didn¡¯t say anything to anyone else. Moreover, you and I¡­ are just superior and subordinate. How can I spread rumors!¡± These words made Yi Zheng choke. Tang Zhe quickly explained for her, ¡°President Yi, don¡¯t worry. Jiaojiao isn¡¯t that kind of person. If she really spreads rumors and slanders you, I¡¯ll make her leave the company without you saying anything. It won¡¯t affect your reputation, and I won¡¯t let the rumors ruin your engagement with Miss Shi..¡± Chapter 717 - Chapter 717: Basketball Match Chapter 717: Basketball Match Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios With Tang Zhe vouching for Chen Jiao, Yi Zheng really couldn¡¯t say anything. He could only wave his hand impatiently to gesture for them to leave. Tang Zhe promised Yi Zheng repeatedly before leaving with Chen Jiao. As soon as he walked out of the office door, his tense face relaxed slightly. Chen Jiao admitted that she had caused him trouble again. She kept her head lowered and rubbed her hands guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cousin. 1 caused you trouble again.¡± Tang Zhe rubbed her hair in amusement. ¡°Alright, is there a need to apologize to me? President Yi doesn¡¯t like people talking about his private life behind his back. You have to pay more attention in the future.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Chen Jiao carefully raised her eyes. ¡°Cousin, will President Yi be angry with you because of this?¡± ¡°No.¡± Tang Zhe smiled and said, ¡°President Yi and I won¡¯t have conflicts because of these things. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Go back and do your work.¡± Only then did Chen Jiao relax. During the lunch break, the secretaries outside were about to go downstairs to eat when the door that had been closed for the entire morning was suddenly pushed open from the inside. Everyone was shocked and quickly stood on both sides, afraid that they would provoke the President, who had an obvious fierce expression. Only Tang Zhe dared to ask at this time. Yi Zheng glanced at him from the corner of his eye and said coldly, ¡°We¡¯re heading out.¡± Tang Zhe immediately understood. He let Chen Jiao eat lunch by herself first, then brought Yi Zheng into the car. ¡°President Yi, where are we going?¡± The air pressure in the car suddenly dropped because of Yi Zheng¡¯s presence. The chauffeur was so nervous that his palms were sweating. He quickly gave Tang Zhe a look of admiration. It seemed that it was not that easy to be the President¡¯s chief assistant! If it were him, he wouldn¡¯t dare to take the initiative to talk to the President at this time! Yi Zheng remained silent. His fingers gently rested on the armrest of the chair. His fingertips tapped slowly as he looked out of the window with a depressed expression. Tang Zhe immediately understood and turned to look at the chauffeur. ¡°Go to the army.¡± The chauffeur stepped on the accelerator cooperatively and sped towards the army. Today was the day of the army¡¯s event. Soldiers rarely had the time to drink and sing like ordinary people, but they were not usually training. There were many entertainment venues like basketball courts, so over time, the male and female soldiers in the army would spontaneously organize basketball competitions on the day of the event. This kind of competition could not only motivate everyone, but also exercise and stimulate their spirits. Therefore, the leaders of the army were very supportive of the basketball competitions. They would even give the champion team an additional quota to go out on training days as a reward. Everyone¡¯s enthusiasm soared. After a morning of competition, the top three of the male and female soldiers were finally decided. At this moment, Shi Man was surrounded by Cheng Luo and the others who were begging her to participate in the competition. After the previous assessment, although Shi Man had only been training with them for half a month, they had still established a deep friendship. Even though Shi Man¡¯s aura was still quite terrifying when her face was cold, they still dared to talk to her. Shi Man was not someone who pretended to be aloof. She would never reprimand them sternly because of their pestering. Gradually, they seemed to have become very good friends with Shi Man and became much bolder. Cheng Luo pitifully raised an index finger and placed it on her lips. ¡°Just once, okay? Instructor Shi, I beg you! Class B will fight us in the next round. That¡¯s why we would like to invite Instructor Shi as external help!¡± However, Shi Man showed no interest. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to play basketball. You guys go ahead.¡± Cheng Luo quickly recommended herself. ¡°Instructor Shi, I can teach you if you don¡¯t know! Please, 1 really need this opportunity to go out!¡± Shi Man frowned in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t it your turn to go out next time?¡± In the army, each class only had a fixed quota to leave the army every month. If anyone outside the quota violated the rules and left the army, they would be punished. Cheng Luo pouted and pretended to be pitiful. ¡°My brother just transferred back to the capital to work not long ago. 1 want to see him, but it¡¯s not my turn yet, and I don¡¯t want to occupy someone else¡¯s place, so 1 can only try my best this time!¡± Shi Man nodded in understanding. ¡°Then are you so unconfident in winning? Which instructor is helping Class B?¡± ¡°That would be me.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, an extremely provocative voice sounded from behind. Shi Man did not need to look to know who that person was. She sneered and said, ¡°Instructor Zhao, are you in such a good mood that you actually bullied a student personally?¡± Zhao Jing¡¯s face turned pale. Before she could speak, the class monitor of Class B, Gao Shu, said arrogantly, ¡°Instructor Shi, the army doesn¡¯t prohibit instructors from participating in the basketball competitions. Our Instructor Zhao wants to compete with you. Do you accept the challenge?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the attention of the surrounding people was immediately attracted. The people wiping their sweat at the side did not care about their sweat that was flowing down. They all looked at Shi Man in unison, as if they were looking forward to her answer. Shi Man said expressionlessly, ¡°It¡¯s a low-level provocation. If your Instructor Zhao really wants to compete with me, let her talk to me personally..¡± Chapter 718 - Chapter 718: Brazenly Holding Hands Chapter 718: Brazenly Holding Hands Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Gao Shu took a step back and stood beside Zhao Jing. ¡°Instructor Zhao, do you really want to say it yourself, or should 1 continue¡­¡± Before she could finish, Zhao Jing raised her hand to stop her. She took the initiative to walk up to Shi Man. ¡°I want to compete with you. Do you dare to accept the challenge?¡± Shi Man smiled and said casually, ¡°Alright, since Instructor Zhao personally invited me, how can I not do you the honor?¡± It was rare for her to be in a good mood. There was even a smile on her face that came from the bottom of her heart. When Cheng Luo heard Shi Man agree, she quickly grabbed her arm excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s great, Instructor Shi. With you joining, I¡¯ll be able to get a spot to see Brother soon!¡± Zhao Jing glared at her and said angrily, ¡°Instructor Shi hasn¡¯t led you to victory yet. What are you so proud of?¡± Cheng Luo did not dare to argue with Zhao Jing. She could only shut her mouth aggrievedly after being suddenly scolded by her. Shi Man frowned and said impatiently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to care what my teammates say.¡± Hearing this, Cheng Luo looked up at her in shock. Shi Man smiled at her comfortingly and put her arm around her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Tell me the rules of the basketball game.¡± In her previous life, she was either on a mission or on the way to a mission every day. Occasionally, she had to avoid the pursuit of different people. She had no time to pay attention to these sports, let alone play basketball with others! Therefore, she really knew nothing about basketball. Cheng Luo¡¯s eyes darted around sneakily, and he said very sturdily, ¡°To put it simply, we have to throw the ball into our own hoop and stop the other party from throwing the ball into their hoop!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shi Man nodded. ¡°Is it that simple?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Cheng Luo explained to her in detail the rules of dribbling and shooting. Shi Man listened attentively and asked a few questions from time to time to figure out all the rules. Cheng Luo heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great. I know you¡¯re smart, Instructor Shi. You must have grasped it immediately. If it were anyone else, they wouldn¡¯t have accepted it so quickly.¡± Shi Man smiled faintly and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go change into the clothes for the basketball game. I don¡¯t have any, so 1 need you to lend me one.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Cheng Luo liked basketball games very much, so she wore more than one set of clothes for playing basketball. However, her size was still quite different from Shi Man¡¯s. The pants that were about knee-length turned into shorts that revealed a pair of long legs. Although the pants were loose, it did not affect the beauty of her legs at all. Her legs were different from pure slenderness. In fact, if one looked closely, the muscles on her calves were very developed. It was just that they had been trained to be well-proportioned and beautiful. They did not look thick at all. Cheng Luo was dumbfounded. She stared at her legs for a long time without turning around. Shi Man followed her gaze and looked at her legs with a playful expression. ¡°Are you envious?¡± Cheng Luo was stunned for a moment and nodded repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m envious. Instructor Shi, how did you train your legs to look so good?¡± As a girl, she naturally had an eye for beauty! Shi Man patted her head in amusement. ¡°i¡¯ll tell you if you win this round.¡± Cheng Luo was instantly confident. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I definitely won¡¯t lose! Moreover, with you joining, it will be very difficult for us to lose!¡± Shi Man smiled helplessly, but from the corner of her eye, she saw a figure shrinking back in the corner. The smile in her eyes immediately turned into frost. ¡°She¡¯s really confident. Does she think that she can look down on others just because she has some results?¡± Zhao Jing was in another changing room, listening to Gao Shu¡¯s report with a cold expression. ¡°Instructor Zhao, we have to let them know how good we are this time. As long as you join us in the previous basketball tournaments, we¡¯ve never lost!¡± Gao Shu continued to fan the flames. She had no grudge against Shi Man. She just could not stand the fact that a woman who had just arrived could have a place in the army. Out of jealousy, Gao Shu really wanted to embarrass Shi Man in public. When Zhao Jing heard this, she raised her eyebrows proudly. ¡°Of course. I, Zhao Jing, am best at basketball. I used to be the main force of the basketball team in school.¡± When Gao Shu heard this, she felt even more confident. ¡°We¡¯ll be counting on you, Instructor Zhao! Besides, I heard that Shi Man doesn¡¯t know how to play basketball at all! She just learned her rules from Cheng Luo!¡± Zhao Jing shook her head in disdain and smiled. ¡°Shi Man, Shi Man, you¡¯re so smug after defeating Zhang Rui once. She¡¯s a useless piece of trash. Do you think I¡¯m the same as her? This time, I¡¯ll make you admit defeat!¡± Gao Shu took in the hatred on Zhao Jing¡¯s face and secretly curled her lips. ¡°Zhao Jing, whether you can win against Shi Ji Man or not will depend on you. Don¡¯t disappoint me!¡± The 20 minutes of preparation time before the competition passed quickly. Shi Man was pulled to the center of the venue by Cheng Luo. Looking at her tightly held hand, Shi Man¡¯s mind was filled with question marks. When did this girl become so bold to actually dare to hold her hand in public? Chapter 719 - Chapter 719: Deadlocked Competition Chapter 719: Deadlocked Competition Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the opposite field, Zhao Jing raised her middle finger provocatively at her. She was looking down on her. Shi Man looked at her expressionlessly and the corners of her lips curled up slightly. The moment Zhao Jing looked over, she had already turned her back to her and treated her as air. Zhao Jing was angry in her heart, but there were so many people watching. If she made too many cheap shots, it would lower others¡¯ good impression of her. Especially Hong Ze. With this thought in mind, Zhao Jing took a deep breath and barely suppressed her anger from being ignored by Shi Man. She walked back to the front of her team with a cold expression and methodically arranged the work on the field. It was the same for Shi Man. Considering that this was Shi Man¡¯s first time playing basketball, Cheng Luo gave her a small forward position. Her physical fitness and movement techniques far exceeded everyone on the field. Moreover, she was good at singles. She was most suited for finding an opportunity to shoot at the front and stabilize the morale of the army at critical moments. Most importantly, although Shi Man understood the theory of basketball, she could not completely guarantee her hit rate. The position of the small striker required a slightly lower hit rate. As the backbone of the team, Cheng Luo naturally acted as the point guard. This position was equivalent to the commander-in-chief of a normal basketball game. Her physical fitness was excellent, and the team members admired her. She was the most suitable person to command on the field. The competition officially began. The judges blew their whistles, and everyone in the arena immediately moved. Yue Ming¡¯s competition was after the women¡¯s basketball competition. Therefore, he had just taken advantage of the time to run to the girls¡¯ dormitory and throw away the trash on the entire floor. Just as he washed his hands and sat down, his companion beside him put a hand on his shoulder. Yue Ming glared at that person coldly. The man hurriedly put down his hand with a smile and pointed at Shi Man, who was extremely agile in the middle of the arena. He commented, ¡°Class monitor, look at Instructor Shi¡¯s skills. I feel that she¡¯s not inferior to Chief Lu when he was young!¡± Yue Ming knew Shi Man¡¯s strength, but when he saw her calm posture in the crowd, he was still a little shocked. ¡°I really want to know who Instructor Shi learned such good skills from.¡± He had heard about what happened when Chief Lu first arrived in G City. Clearly, the Lu and Shi families had never interacted before this. Shi Man¡¯s teacher was someone else. However, with his experience in the capital, he really did not know anyone who could easily defeat Lu Jun. However, the man did not think too much about it. He was only concerned about the outcome of this competition. ¡°Do you think Instructor Shi can really win? I think she¡¯s nimble, but she¡¯s still a little rusty at dribbling. She almost slipped a few times. She must have never played basketball before.¡± Of course, Yue Ming also saw this. Zhao Jing¡¯s skills were considered top-notch among women. If Shi Man only fought her, of course, she would win easily. However, when it came to a basketball court that was bound by rules, the outcome might be uncertain. Zhao Jing clearly realized this too. When she brushed past Shi Man again, she could not help but mock, ¡°Do you really think a rookie can beat me just because you learned it on the spot? Stop dreaming. Today, 1¡¯11 let you know what it means to be humiliated!¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes. The next moment, she saw Zhao Jing suddenly jump up to shoot. With her posture and angle, the ball would definitely hit the basket. The moment she jumped up, a determined smile appeared on her face, and her eyes lit up. However, Shi Man was already prepared. Although she had never played basketball in person, she had seen it before. She was not as idiotic as Zhao Jing had imagined. In the blink of an eye, the entire venue suddenly erupted with exclamations. Zhao Jing thought that the audience was amazed by her skills. Unexpectedly, when she lowered her head slightly, she saw that Shi Man had already jumped up after her. The moment before she shot, Shi Man suddenly raised her hand and slapped the basketball away. In an instant, the situation was reversed. Cheng Luo was so excited that she almost flew. However, this was not the time for her to be happy. They had only snatched the other party¡¯s basketball, but it did not mean that they could also throw the ball through the hoop as they wished. The few of them quickly dispersed and began to pass the ball under her arrangements. Behind him, Gao Shu gritted her teeth in hatred and stared at their cheering backs. ¡°Instructor Zhao, why did she snatch the ball just now?¡± ¡°Is this the time to criticize?¡± Zhao Jing was already furious, but after being questioned, she immediately roared angrily, ¡°Hurry up and stop them! Why are you all staring at me? Are your legs crippled?!¡± She was an instructor, so they could only endure it when she scolded them. Gao Shu was so angry that her cheeks puffed up, but she still obeyed the order and rushed over to snatch the ball from the opponent. The situation instantly became tense. It was undeniable that Shi Man¡¯s successful interception of the opponent¡¯s scoring had laid the foundation for Cheng Luo¡¯s victory. However, Gao Shu and the others were not to be trifled with. After several dribbles, Cheng Luo¡¯s side could not shoot for a long time. ¡°What should we do, Luoluo? The deadlock is about to end!¡± The girl at the back asked Cheng Luo anxiously.. Chapter 720 - Chapter 720: Reversing the Battle Chapter 720: Reversing the Battle Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The time limit for the attack was only 24 seconds. Seeing that the time limit was almost up, they would violate the rules if they did not shoot! Cheng Luo made up her mind and wanted to throw the ball out to shoot when she was still a distance away from the basket. Zhao Jing looked happy. With her understanding of Cheng Luo, it was impossible for her to be able to shoot the loop this time. This time, Shi Man had worked hard for nothing. In the end, she still couldn¡¯t get a single point. However, just as she was feeling smug, a figure suddenly rushed out from behind. Zhao Jing was shocked and hurriedly stopped in her tracks. She saw the figure quickly pass her and rush towards Cheng Luo. Gao Shu thought that her teammate had come to snatch the ball, but in the next moment, she realized that the basketball jersey that the figure was wearing was clearly from Cheng Luo¡¯s side! She took a closer look and only saw an afterimage. Soon, Cheng Luo¡¯s basketball fell into the person¡¯s hand. The person tapped the ground with her toes and moved her wrist skillfully. The basketball drew a perfect parabola in the air, and right on the heels of that, it fell into the hoop in front of everyone. Things happened so quickly that Gao Shu forgot to defend for a moment. She watched helplessly as the basketball fell through the hoop. How could someone play basketball so well! Zhao Jing admitted that she couldn¡¯t make such a precise shot, so she followed that figure angrily with her gaze. Unexpectedly, she realized that the person was standing on the spot just now. She tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing her exquisite and beautiful side profile. Who else could it be but Shi Man? But didn¡¯t Gao Shu say that she didn¡¯t know how to play basketball at all? Zhao Jing looked at Gao Shu in surprise. Then, she saw the same confusion in her eyes. She immediately reacted and gritted her teeth in hatred. ¡°Shi Man, why did you pretend not to know how to play basketball?¡± Zhao Jing questioned with a ferocious expression. Shi Man blinked innocently. ¡°1 don¡¯t know how to. This is the first time I¡¯ve touched a basketball today.¡± Zhao Jing felt her vision darken. She wished she could tear Shi Man¡¯s stubborn mouth apart immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t deny it! You clearly know how to play, but you still pretend not to know. I¡¯ve never seen such a hypocritical woman like you!¡± Seeing that Zhao Jing actually made things difficult on the spot, Cheng Luo hurriedly walked over and explained, ¡°Instructor Zhao, it¡¯s indeed Instructor Shi¡¯s first time playing basketball. I just handed her the rules. Don¡¯t deliberately make things difficult for her after losing a game.¡± Even Shi Man could not help but laugh. Zhao Jing¡¯s face turned green as she growled at her angrily, ¡°I¡¯m not making things difficult for her. I just want to ask if she knows how to play basketball! You saw her actions just now. Can you do it? I think you were deceived by her. When she sells you, you¡¯d be counting money for her!¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste time with her. She retorted with an indifferent expression, ¡°Did I have anything to do with you in the past? Why? Could it be that you only dare to play after knowing that I don¡¯t know how to play basketball? Now that you think you¡¯ve been deceived, you¡¯re worried that you¡¯ll lose and embarrass yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll lose?¡± Zhao Jing immediately sneered. ¡°You¡¯ve only scored a goal. Don¡¯t be so smug. I was just distracted just now. 1 didn¡¯t expect you to be so sinister. 1 won¡¯t give in to you next!¡± Shi Man nodded with interest. ¡°Yes, Instructor Zhao, don¡¯t let me win. Otherwise, it will be too easy to win against you. It¡¯s meaningless.¡± Zhao Jing was so angry that her eyes widened. ¡°You!¡± A whistle suddenly interrupted the conversation in the middle of the arena. Seeing that they were about to fight, the judge hurriedly blew his whistle and stood between the two sides. ¡°Competition comes in second, friendship comes first. We¡¯re all comrades and colleagues. It won¡¯t look good if we quarrel here.¡± Zhao Jing snorted, but the team member beside her handed her a towel to wipe her sweat. ¡°See you in the next round!¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows slightly and refused to be outdone. ¡°Anytime.¡± Before the second round began, Shi Man took the initiative to suggest changing her position as a small forward to a shooting defender. The person in this position is usually the best bowler on the team and is very good at throwing accurately from the furthest distance. No one had any objections. Everyone had seen Shi Man¡¯s strength just now, so they trusted her very much. Soon, the competition began again. This time, the opposing team still planned the formation with Zhao Jing as the center and Gao Shu as the second-in-command. Cheng Luo was more confident than in the first round. Looking at Zhao Jing¡¯s exasperated expression just now, she knew that Shi Man¡¯s strength was definitely above Zhao Jing¡¯s! In that case, what was there to be afraid of! After the whistle sounded, the team members rushed forward. Yi Zheng was personally welcomed to the audience seats of the basketball competition by the army leader. For no other reason than the fact that Yi Zheng had agreed to help the troops custom-make a batch of military supplies at a low price and saved the troops a lot of expenses, they could not reject hon. Yi Zheng just wanted to see Shi Man, even if she might not want to see him now. However, he did not expect to see his fiancee¡¯s heroic posture on the competition ground the moment he arrived. He immediately felt that even if he was beaten up by Shi Man later, it would be worth it.. Chapter 721 - Chapter 721: Victory Chapter 721: Victory Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Due to Shi Man¡¯s stable shooting skills, she actually suppressed Zhao Jing¡¯s team and won. Cheng Luo jumped up happily and hugged Shi Man¡¯s neck. A cold breath assaulted her nose. Before she could be happy enough, her arm was suddenly stared at by a cold gaze, scaring her so much that she subconsciously shivered. Shi Man pulled Cheng Luo off her and retreated helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ll leave for a while. You don¡¯t need my help for the next competition, right?¡± Cheng Luo nodded solemnly. Just now, she had no choice but to ask Shi Man for help because Class B had pulled in Zhao Jing as external help. Now that Zhao Jing had lost so badly, she would definitely not go on court again. At this moment, the score of zero on the referee¡¯s seat was still hanging in place. Zhao Jing had never lost so badly before. She immediately felt ashamed. Looking at Shi Man¡¯s arrogant appearance, the fire in her heart suddenly burned. Gao Shu had never been so embarrassed before. Now, she looked at Zhao Jing¡¯s back with disdain. Zhao Jing turned around as if she had sensed something. She immediately saw the disdain in Gao Shu¡¯s eyes that she had yet to conceal. Her face burned. ¡°What kind of gaze is that? Could it be that I was the only one who lost this match?¡± Gao Shu came from a prominent family. In fact, she had never taken these seemingly noble instructors seriously. Therefore, in the face of the useless Zhao Jing, she did not speak too politely. ¡°Instructor Zhao, haven¡¯t you always boasted that you haven¡¯t met your match on the basketball court? Why are you being restricted like a rookie today? Don¡¯t you feel ashamed to question us?¡± As she spoke, she snorted coldly and said with a regretful expression, ¡°If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let you go on court from the beginning. We wouldn¡¯t have lost so badly.¡± Zhao Jing had never been so humiliated in basketball. She admitted that her strength in the instructors was even inferior to Zhang Rui¡¯s. She did not have a family background to support her, so she could only rely on carefully currying favor with Zhang Rui to gain a foothold. However, she had always been a dazzling player in the basketball competition. She had also contributed to the officialization of the basketball competition in the army. Zhao Jing wanted everyone to know that she was not useless. She still had her own merits. However, Shi Man¡¯s appearance today made her the joke of the entire army. Thinking of this, she subconsciously clenched her fists by her sides, and her expression became colder. ¡°Gao Shu, no matter how much you look down on me, I¡¯m still your instructor on the surface. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll take revenge on you if you say that about me?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Gao Shu was also angry at this moment, so she simply turned on her. ¡°If you dare to use your position to take revenge, believe it or not, I¡¯ll make you lose your current job in minutes!¡± Zhao Jing¡¯s clenched fists suddenly relaxed, and she looked a little stunned. Gao Shu sneered in disdain and left the venue with the other members. They had lost so badly, so they did not have the face to continue embarrassing themselves with Zhao Jing! This person was useless to her now. She still had to think of another way to pull Shi Man down! She just couldn¡¯t stand the fact that a woman could easily surpass her status in the army! Her family was very well-off, but she had still been bullied a lot when she first entered the army. Which person in the capital¡¯s army didn¡¯t have a background? If she was weak, she would not be valued like she was at home. Her words and actions were also very insignificant. Later on, after her hard work, she could finally make others look at her. Therefore, every time a new recruit came to the army, she enjoyed torturing the newcomer. On the surface, she wanted the recruit to grow quickly, but in fact, she was just selfishly satisfying her already distorted heart. This way, Shi Man, who had received a lot of attention as soon as she entered the army, became a thorn in her eyes. She just wanted to see Shi Man being pulled down from a high place and thrown into the mud! In the audience, Yi Zheng couldn¡¯t sit still anymore when he saw the pair of fair legs walking out of the arena. He took a deep breath, stood up, and chased after her. Outside the changing room, Shi Man deliberately slowed down. After wandering in the corridor outside for a while, she heard hurried footsteps approaching and quickly stopping behind her. She chuckled and turned around with a straight face. But before she could move, a pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, and right on the heels of that, her cold legs were suddenly covered in warmth. She looked down and saw that Yi Zheng had taken off his suit jacket at some point. His sleeves were tied tightly around her waist, and the clothes covered her legs. Shi Man glanced at him helplessly and saw the flames in the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shi Man sized him up calmly. After confirming that he was not poisoned, she was slightly relieved. However, since he was not poisoned, why was this person¡¯s face so red? Yi Zheng looked away unnaturally. Being stared at by her, the fire in his heart burned more intens.. Chapter 722 - Chapter 722: Argument Chapter 722: Argument Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When he was about to speak, he realized that his voice was so hoarse that he could not speak. ¡°You don¡¯t often dress like this.¡± Shi Man looked puzzled. ¡°Do i have to wear long pants when playing basketball?¡± Yi Zheng laughed foolishly, before shaking his head helplessly. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I just want to say that you look very good in this, but 1 want you to only wear it for me to see.¡± Shi Man pursed her lips speechlessly. ¡°Why are you looking for me here?¡± Yi Zheng suddenly lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes hiding the grievance in his eyes. ¡°I came to discuss a collaboration with your leader. I can¡¯t leave before the collaboration is successful.¡± Shi Man nodded in understanding. ¡°Then go quickly. 1 wish you a happy cooperation.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Yi Zheng tightened his grip on her wrist reluctantly. His usually cold eyes were like a pool of spring water in front of Shi Man, gentle and clingy. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for almost a week, and you haven¡¯t replied to my messages.¡± Shi Man waved his hand away and asked him, ¡°Can you prove your innocence?¡± Yi Zheng suddenly felt even more aggrieved. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Of course she believed him. However, Shi Man wanted him to remember his lesson and see if he still dared to keep anyone by his side in the future. She simply turned cold and said in an especially cold tone, ¡°Yi Zheng, if you can¡¯t prove your innocence, please don¡¯t waste your time with me. I don¡¯t want a man who has been touched by others.¡± These words seemed to have stabbed Yi Zheng¡¯s heart deeply, causing his eyes to turn red from the pain. ¡°Manman, I don¡¯t like any woman other than you. If I, Yi Zheng, am that kind of person, I wouldn¡¯t have stayed clean for so many years. When I was in G City, did you hear about me being involved with any woman?¡± Of course, Shi Man knew this, but she still deliberately stabbed him with words. ¡°That¡¯s in G City. People are fickle. Your status in the capital is unstable, so you might not know your limits for a moment. If you want to reconcile, you should think of a way to prove your innocence as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yi Zheng endured the dull pain in his chest and suddenly turned his head away from her. ¡°I understand. Before I can prove myself, I won¡¯t disturb you again, but we¡¯re still engaged. You can¡¯t look for anyone else!¡± ¡°Which eye of yours saw me looking for someone else?¡± Shi Man criticized in her heart, but she did not show it on her face. ¡°That depends on how long it takes for you to prove yourself. You can¡¯t make me wait endlessly!¡± Yi Zheng suddenly grabbed her wrist and stared into her eyes. ¡°I can do anything you want me to do. I can also understand if you push me away with your words, but if you dare to give up on me and look for someone else, no matter who it is, I¡¯ll break his legs!¡± ¡°That¡¯s your own business.¡± Shi Man shook off his hold coldly and turned to leave without hesitation. Yi Zheng stayed outside the changing room for a long time until his legs were a little numb. Only then did he leave with a self-deprecating smile. Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned around, he bumped into a panicking girl. Gao Shu had never seen such a good-looking man before, especially when the man¡¯s eyes were still filled with love. It made her heart race. She came late and did not see him arguing with Shi Man. She only saw Shi Man leave. Now that the handsome man looked at her so affectionately for a moment, she was so nervous that she did not know where to put her hands and feet. She could only raise her hand and greet him carefully. Unexpectedly, the handsome man didn¡¯t even look at her and walked around her. After being completely ignored by the handsome man, Gao Shu chased after him indignantly. ¡°Are you here to look for Instructor Shi?¡± Yi Zheng stopped in his tracks when he heard this person mention Shi Man. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Seeing that he was paying attention to her, Gao Shu hurriedly said in a coquettish voice, ¡°I was on the same field as Instructor Shi in that match just now, but my basketball skills are not as good as Instructor Shi¡¯s. Did you¡­ notice me just now?¡± Yi Zheng frowned and looked down at the girl¡¯s basketball jersey. It seemed that the team that had just competed with Shi Man was wearing this. He had been looking at Shi Man and did not notice anyone else. Gao Shu saw him looking at her figure and immediately puffed out her chest and raised her hips. She deliberately put on a gentle and charming posture to show off her graceful figure. ¡°I have a good relationship with Instructor Shi. You¡¯re Instructor Shi¡¯s friend, so you¡¯re my friend. Can I add your contact number?¡± Yi Zheng looked away indifferently and left. Gao Shu quickly reached out to grab his wrist. Before she could touch him, Yi Zheng shouted at her angrily, ¡°Get lost!¡± Gao Shu did not expect such a handsome man to be so fierce. She immediately cried aggrievedly. ¡°Why are you shouting? 1 just want to add your contact number. 1 don¡¯t mean anything else.¡± The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became. She was still immersed in her own world and did not notice Yi Zheng¡¯s changed expression. When she realized it, she felt a chill down her spine, as if she had been targeted by a poisonous snake. She couldn¡¯t help but shiver.. Chapter 723 - Chapter 723: Doing Her Best Chapter 723: Doing Her Best Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She turned around in fear, but she was caught off guard and met Shi Man¡¯s playful eyes. The fear from before instantly disappeared without a trace. ¡°Why are you standing there?¡± Shi Man walked up to her casually. ¡°I heard you say that you and I are very close.¡± Gao Shu¡¯s expression changed. She quickly glanced in Yi Zheng¡¯s direction and quickly smiled. ¡°Instructor Shi, it was Zhao Jing¡¯s idea on the court. I was only forced to help her. Don¡¯t affect our relationship over such a small matter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s my relationship with you?¡± Shi Man kept looking at Yi Zheng when she said this. This was the first time she had seen this man flare up. Seeing his cold face become angry the moment he faced her, Shi Man felt that this man was quite cute sometimes. Gao Shu clenched her fists nervously and smiled apologetically. ¡°Instructor Shi, actually, you¡¯ve always been the person I admire. By the way, is this your friend? Didn¡¯t the army forbid outsiders from entering casually? How did he get in?¡± She thought that she had something on Shi Man and wanted to take the opportunity to get Yi Zheng¡¯s contact information. Unexpectedly, before she could do so, she was ruthlessly pushed aside by the man. At this moment, Yi Zheng only had Shi Man in his eyes and heart. Seeing her return, he couldn¡¯t help but be happy, so he placed his hands on her shoulders. Shi Man glanced at his large hand warningly. Yi Zheng pretended not to see it and sighed deeply. ¡°Manman, my attitude was bad just now. Don¡¯t be angry with me, okay? I¡¯ll admit to everything I have done. I didn¡¯t do that. No matter what others say, I won¡¯t admit it. Give me a little more time. I¡¯ll definitely give you an explanation.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shi Man nodded. From the corner of her eye, she saw Gao Shu¡¯s shocked gaze. The smile in her eyes deepened. ¡°You can leave now. Don¡¯t you have something important to do? Call me if you need anything.¡± With that, Shi Man turned around and left. Yi Zheng wanted to take a few steps forward, but Gao Shu stopped him. ¡°What¡¯s your relationship?¡± ¡°Move.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s expression was extremely bad. This woman had pestered him several times. He should teach her a lesson. Gao Shu shrank her neck in fear, but she still pursed her lips and said carefully, ¡°Are you Instructor Shi¡¯s boyfriend?¡± ¡°I¡¯m her fiance.¡± Yi Zheng walked around her impatiently and left, leaving Gao Shu behind him with so much hatred that her nails dug into her flesh. Why did Shi Man have such a handsome fiance? She had taken a fancy to this man! She had to snatch him! Tang Zhe, who had been waiting outside, saw his President and Miss Shi coming out one after another. He immediately understood that the President had not coaxed her well this time. Now that he saw Yi Zheng¡¯s cold face, he quickly comforted him in a low voice. ¡°President Yi, Miss Shi just doesn¡¯t understand. I¡¯ll work harder to collect further evidence to prove that you were indeed unconscious that night. I believe Miss Shi will understand you then.¡± ¡°Understand me for what?¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s vicious eyes suddenly shot toward him. ¡°I said that I didn¡¯t do it. For your cousin¡¯s sake, are you listening to me anymore?¡± Tang Zhe lowered his head guiltily. ¡°I just feel that Cousin is innocent and kind. She doesn¡¯t covet your money. There¡¯s no reason for her to use her innocence to slander you. This won¡¯t do her any good.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he was suddenly pressed against the wall by a force. He looked up and met Yi Zheng¡¯s angry eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be the chief secretary anymore, you can simply submit your resignation application. But as long as you¡¯re in this position, you should do whatever I ask you to do!¡± Tang Zhe lowered his eyes and nodded without daring to resist. ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Zheng snorted and let go of his collar. ¡°Investigate Chen Jiao¡¯s family¡¯s recent financial situation.¡± Tang Zhe widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°You still suspect¡­¡± ¡°You know my rules.¡± Yi Zheng glanced at him coldly. His gaze was too cold. Tang Zhe suddenly realized that it had been a long time since he had seen President Yi reveal such a terrifying expression. Ever since he had Miss Shi, the President had become gentle and delicate. He had almost forgotten that this was a man who had relied on his hands to carve out a bloody path and gain a foothold in the black market of G City. If it was in the past, Tang Zhe might have died more than 800 times. Looking at it now, Yi Zheng had really done his best to tolerate him. Tang Zhe immediately restrained the emotions he shouldn¡¯t have and said seriously, ¡°Yes, President Yi, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll report everything I find to you in detail.¡± This was his duty as the President¡¯s secretary. That night, Tang Zhe placed his findings on the table in the President¡¯s office. Only then did he know that his cousin¡¯s name was not Chen Jiao in the past, but Chen Lan. According to Chen Jiao¡¯s mother, Chen Lan had insisted on changing her name after coming to the capital.. Chapter 724 - Chapter 724: True Love Chapter 724: True Love Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This was not a big deal, but Tang Zhe inexplicably felt something different from his investigation, so he still told Yi Zheng this news and let him make his own judgment. The lights outside had just been turned on. The light shone into the glass window, but it was blocked by the darkness inside. Yi Zheng sat behind his desk with a dark expression. His fingertips tapped on the documents on the table as he said calmly, ¡°Go and check who she has interacted with since she came to the capital. Your cousin is not as innocent as you think.¡± Tang Zhe went out silently. As soon as he walked out of the office, he bumped into the anxious Chen Jiao. ¡°Cousin, did President Yi cause trouble for you because of me again?¡± Tang Zhe said coldly, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take you to eat.¡± Chen Jiao immediately pulled an innocent face, but her gaze was still a little nervous as she looked in the direction of the office. ¡°Is President not eating today? How can his body endure this? Cousin, as the closest secretary to the President, why don¡¯t we bring a dinner back for the President?¡± Of course, Tang Zhe had thought of this too, but after experiencing the strange feeling in his heart just now, he saw that Chen Jiao was concerned about Yi Zheng. His gaze was meaningful. ¡°Jiaojiao, will you like President Yi because of what happened with him?¡± Chen Jiao was stunned for a moment before she shook her head hesitantly. ¡°President Yi is high up in the air. How can I be worthy of him? Moreover, he already has a fiancee. Won¡¯t I be annoying if I go up to him?¡± She didn¡¯t seem to be saying that she didn¡¯t like him. She was just expressing her pitiful and aggrieved thoughts. Tang Zhe could tell and said calmly, ¡°That¡¯s good. By the way, I¡¯ve been calling you Jiaojiao. Are you not used to it?¡± Chen Jiao blinked in confusion. ¡°No, I like it when Cousin calls me that.¡± ¡°It seems that you like this name very much,¡± Tang Zhe replied with a smile. As he walked out slowly with her, he said casually, ¡°Actually, I think the name Ah Lan is not bad. What do you think?¡± Chen Jiao forced a smile. ¡°1 don¡¯t like this name. Orchids have the bearing of orchids. 1 can¡¯t match this name. I think the name Chen Jiao suits me more.¡± Tang Zhe heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it. What do you want to eat?¡± Chen Jiao smiled and hugged his arm. ¡°Cousin, bring me to the new restaurant nearby. When the time comes, 1 can get the boss to make more and send it to President Yi.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Tang Zhe agreed happily, and most of the doubts in his heart disappeared. He felt that he was really possessed just now. For a moment, he actually felt that Chen Jiao was lying to him! This was her cousin. Her mother had also called and asked him to help take care of his sister, who had just entered the capital. What was there to suspect? However, although he thought so, he would still investigate what Yi Zheng asked him to. After all, the President¡¯s orders were his job. On the other side, Shi Man received a call from Shen Xian. She said that she had received a package with her name on it. The sender¡¯s name and address were unknown. She never bought things online. The only sender she could think of was the Netherworld Pavilion, which had agreed to return her bracelet after the system was repaired. It seemed that the other party had really figured out her background after not contacting her for so long. Shi Man narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Mom, help me put the things on the table in my bedroom. I¡¯ll go back tonight.¡± Shen Xian agreed and hung up without asking further. However, after she put down her cell phone, she thought about it and felt uneasy. She called Yi Zheng again and said that Shi Man would be back tonight. Yi Zheng immediately put on his coat and walked out, wishing he could fly home immediately. Tang Zhe and Chen Jiao returned with the thermal lunch box and saw Yi Zheng walking out anxiously. ¡°What happened, President Yi? 1¡¯11 get the chauffeur to bring the car out from the garage first.¡± Tang Zhe hurriedly put down his things and followed. Chen Jiao also jogged behind him. ¡°President Yi, is there anything I can help you with?¡± Yi Zheng stopped in his tracks and raised his hand to stop Tang Zhe. ¡°I¡¯ll drive home myself. Get off work.¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s hesitant gaze darted back and forth between Yi Zheng and Tang Zhe. He only gave Tang Zhe an order. Did he want her to be with him¡­ Before she could finish fantasizing about the next moment when she would be alone with Yi Zheng, the elevator door happened to open in the next second. She subconsciously entered the elevator, but Tang Zhe suddenly grabbed her arm. She watched as the elevator door closed, blocking Yi Zheng¡¯s cold face. For a moment, the entire elevator fell silent. Even the air froze for a moment. Chen Jiao came back to her senses and was secretly angry at her carelessness just now. She hurriedly defended herself. ¡°I just thought that President Yi had something else to instruct me to do, so I¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to say anything else.¡± Tang Zhe interrupted her and pulled her arm to another elevator. His chest heaved up and down for a moment. After holding it in, he finally looked at Chen Jiao coldly.. ¡°Have you really fallen in love with President Yi?¡± Chapter 725 - Chapter 725: Final Warning Chapter 725: Final Warning Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chen Jiao quickly waved her hand. ¡°No, I was just distracted. I don¡¯t have any intention of following President Yi.¡± Tang Zhe¡¯s expression did not soften because of her explanation. He was sure that he had not seen wrongly just now. The moment President Yi entered the elevator, a longing smile appeared on Chen Jiao¡¯s face. That was not the expression a special assistant should show to her boss! Coincidentally, the elevator door opened with a ding. Tang Zhe warned her one last time, ¡°Don¡¯t have any ill intentions towards President Yi. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for not being able to tolerate you.¡± Ever since Chen Jiao saw Tang Zhe, she had never seen such a stern side of him. She was momentarily stunned. By the time she realized it, Tang Zhe had already entered the elevator. Seeing that she was standing still and her eyes were glistening, he could only walk out of the elevator helplessly and grab her wrist again. ¡°Alright, Cousin was too fierce just now. I¡¯ll send you home, okay?¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, but she still pretended to be strong and nodded. She was always like this, as if she was willing to take on everything herself. She had clearly had that encounter, but she still stayed strong just to stabilize her job. In this world, it was always much harder for women to survive than men. It was not that Tang Zhe did not understand, that was why his heart softened for Chen Jiao again and again. However, if she had feelings for Yi Zheng, he would stop this relationship in time. When Shi Man returned home at night, she did not expect to see Yi Zheng as soon as she entered. When he heard the door open, his ears pricked up and he almost lost his grip on the teacup in his hand. Shi Man glanced at him calmly and walked to the sofa on the other side to sit down. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m back. Where is the item?¡± Shen Xian was happy to see her daughter. She smiled and said, ¡°I put it in your room. Aiya, look at what a coincidence today. Yi Zheng happened to be back from work. Our family can have a meal together.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Dad and Fourth Brother?¡± Shi Man glanced around and nodded at Bai Xue and Su Tang, but she pretended not to see Yi Zheng at all. Shen Xian hurriedly explained, ¡°Your father and brother are on a business trip. They won¡¯t be back for a few days.¡± Shi Man nodded and did not say anything else. The atmosphere in the living room was suddenly a little awkward. Shen Xian tried to find something to talk about. ¡°Manman, have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Shi Man replied calmly. Shen Xian immediately got up and went to the kitchen. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go and see if the chef has prepared your favorite dishes!¡± After saying that, she gave Su Tang and Bai Xue a look. The two of them immediately understood and hurriedly stood up. ¡°Manman, we¡¯ll go to the kitchen and see if there¡¯s anything we can help with!¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± Shi Man¡¯s cold voice suddenly made the two of them stop in their tracks. Su Tang smiled awkwardly and sat beside Shi Man without hesitation. Seeing this, Bai Xue sat down. ¡°Manman, why are you looking for us?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I look for you for no reason?¡± Shi Man suddenly looked up at them. After not seeing them for so long, these two girls looked thinner. Could it be that they had been bullied in school? Beside her, Yi Zheng¡¯s face darkened visibly. How could he not tell that Shi Man did not want to be alone with him! ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Su Tang saw that Shi Man¡¯s expression was not good and couldn¡¯t care less about Yi Zheng. She hurriedly held her arm and tried to please her. ¡°Manman, to be honest, after you weren¡¯t in school, Xue and 1 missed you very much.¡± ¡°Then why were you in a hurry to leave just now?¡± Shi Man glanced at her with a meaningful smile. Su Tang smiled apologetically and said, ¡°I was too excited to see you back, right? I just wanted to go to the kitchen to see if there was anything I could help with. I wanted to do something for you.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and did not expose her thoughts. Instead, she changed the topic. ¡°When I wasn¡¯t in school, did anyone cause trouble for you? If anyone targets you, tell me. I have a way to help you vent your anger.¡± ¡°No! No one really bullied us!¡± Su Tang saw that she didn¡¯t believe her and hurriedly explained to her, ¡°After you left, Tong Su has been treating us like biological sisters. The principal has also shown concern for the two of us. Who else would dare to find trouble with us!¡± That was the truth. The Tong family had already decided to change sides to support Shi Man. Since they had given up on Chu Yue, they would never lose the Shi family again. Therefore, the weight of Su Tang and Bai Xue could be imagined! Since that was the case¡­ ¡°Then why have you lost weight?¡± Shi Man couldn¡¯t help but ask what was on her mind. Unexpectedly, the two of them suddenly screamed excitedly when they heard this. Bai Xue looked at Shi Man with a frown and a deeper smile in her eyes. ¡°Manman, although you haven¡¯t been home recently, Tangtang and I haven¡¯t stopped training for a day! Look, aren¡¯t our muscles much more developed than before!¡± As she spoke, she really rolled up her sleeves and raised her arm for Shi Man to see. Shi Man pursed her lips and smiled as she looked at the weak arm. She nodded. ¡°Indeed, continue to work hard..¡± Chapter 726 - Chapter 726: The Package from the Netherworld Pavilion Chapter 726: The Package from the Netherworld Pavilion Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios During the meal, Shi Man did not say a word to Yi Zheng and refused to let him add food to her with the serving chopsticks. Yi Zheng¡¯s expression was terrible, but he could only hold it in. After the meal, he returned to his room alone in silence. Su Tang saw all of this and couldn¡¯t help but ask worriedly, ¡°Manman, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did you have a conflict?¡± She saw that Yi Zheng liked to stick to Shi Man today, but Manman looked indifferent. After eating and drinking her fill, Shi Man got up and returned to her room to open the package. She answered her question, ¡°Nothing happened. Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll go to school with you for the exam tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Su Tang agreed happily. However, she thought of something and hurriedly asked worriedly, ¡°Do you really not need me and Bai Xue to tutor you?¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and smiled at her. ¡°Could it be that the two of you haven¡¯t been studying hard recently and need to to cram?¡± ¡°No! I just saw that you didn¡¯t come to class. Would your exam results not be good?!¡± Su Tang pouted aggrievedly. Shi Man flicked her forehead in amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, since when did 1 need anyone to worry about my results?¡± With that, she bade farewell to Shen Xian and returned upstairs to rest. For some reason, Butler Qi did not turn on the lights today. The second floor was dark, but this did not delay Shi Man from looking behind the corner. There was someone there. Her sharp hearing told her so. However, Shi Man had no intention of dodging. She pretended not to see anything and continued walking forward. Just as she was about to turn the corner, she saw a pair of hands reach out from the darkness. Shi Man curled her lips slightly and instantly lowered her expression. She stared at the man in front of her. ¡°Who asked you to be here?¡± ¡°This is also my house,¡± Yi Zheng said matter-of-factly. Shi Man snorted. ¡°I can make you an outsider at any time.¡± ¡°Must you hurt me like this to vent your anger?¡± Yi Zheng sighed tiredly. Shi Man pushed him away expressionlessly. ¡°Who said I¡¯m doing this to vent my anger? Why should I be angry?¡± Yi Zheng compromised in a low voice helplessly. ¡°Manman, there¡¯s already progress. I don¡¯t want to do anything when I came to look for you this time. I just want to talk to you for a while. Even if it¡¯s just to let me see you, okay?¡± Shi Man crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, showing him openly. ¡°Tell me, what did you find out?¡± ¡°Chen Jiao¡¯s original name is Chen Lan,¡± Yi Zheng answered quickly. Shi Man listened quietly at the side. In the end, this person stopped talking after saying this. She couldn¡¯t help but urge, ¡°What else?¡± Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°No, her family doesn¡¯t lack money, and there¡¯s nothing that needs a huge expenditure recently.¡± ¡°Then didn¡¯t you uncover a bunch of useless information?¡± Shi Man wanted to roll her eyes and leave. Yi Zheng hurriedly pulled her back. ¡°Listen to me. I know myself that it¡¯s definitely impossible for me to have sex with her, so she must have been lying. Based on this, 1 have reasonable suspicions that it¡¯s definitely not a coincidence that she changed her name after arriving in the capital. I¡¯ve already asked Tang Zhe to investigate the rest.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Tang Zhe her cousin? Would he help you and not his cousin?¡± Shi Man pouted and raised her doubts reasonably. Yi Zheng shook his head and said, ¡°He won¡¯t. He can be by my side for so long because 1 know that he¡¯s a person who distinguishes between official and private matters. Otherwise, 1 wouldn¡¯t have placed him in an important position in the beginning.¡± That was the truth. Yi Zheng and Tang Zhe had experienced too much together. Tang Zhe knew many of Yi Zheng¡¯s secrets, and Yi Zheng also held all his assets. Neither of them would easily betray the other. Furthermore none of them wanted to do so. This relationship of mutual trust is very rare in the business world. Rather than saying that the two of them were superiors and subordinates, it was more like a pair of good brothers. Of course, Shi Man trusted Tang Zhe, but she still wanted to remind Yi Zheng, ¡°According to your hypothesis, Chen Jiao approached you on purpose. Then you have to be careful. Chen Jiao is very close to Tang Zhe now. You have to be careful not to be instigated by her.¡± Yi Zheng smiled and rubbed her head. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Shi Man threw away his hand angrily. She should not be nice to this man! ¡°You¡¯ve finished your nonsense. I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Yi Zheng grabbed her arm again. ¡°Recently, the people from the Netherworld Pavilion have been investigating you. They were the ones who sent the item today, right? You have to be careful. They must have ill intentions.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you investigating me too?¡± Shi Man turned her head and stabbed him with this sentence. Then, she took her wrist away and entered the room without looking back. Sure enough, there was an exquisite black box on the bedside table in the bedroom. The pattern printed on it was identical to the symbol of the Netherworld Pavilion. Shi Man narrowed her eyes and carefully confirmed that the box was not installed with any technological equipment. Only then did she open the lid with relief. There was an exquisite bracelet lying inside. She picked up the bracelet and was about to put it aside when she suddenly saw a note at the bottom of the box from the corner of her eye. As she frowned and looked at it, her expression turned very ugly.. Chapter 727 - Chapter 727: Apprenticeship Chapter 727: Apprenticeship Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next day was the military school examination. Shi Man applied for leave from the army in advance and the leader naturally approved it. Early in the morning, Su Tang and Bai Xue were waiting outside happily. The two of them had clearly just returned from a run. There were still a few drops of sweat on their foreheads. Yi Zheng followed Shi Man downstairs and tried his best to reduce his presence so that Shi Man wouldn¡¯t hate him. Seeing that the child was pitiful, Shen Xian gave him a look helplessly. ¡°The car at home broke down today. Let Yi Zheng send you to school.¡± Shi Man stopped in her tracks and turned to her worried mother expressionlessly. ¡°Mom, we have so many cars. Have they all broken down?¡± Shen Xian opened her mouth awkwardly. For the sake of her son-in-law¡¯s happiness, she made up her mind and said, ¡°Yes, they have all broken down. The butler hasn¡¯t had time to send them for repairs.¡± Butler Qi was confused, but he still lowered his eyes and echoed, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for delaying the ladies¡¯ school.¡± ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need to act.¡± Shi Man turned around speechlessly and looked at Yi Zheng¡¯s burning black eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t like to be late.¡± Yi Zheng was so happy that a smile immediately appeared on his face. He took the initiative to help the three of them carry their school bags. After getting into the car, he waved at Shen Xian gratefully. Shen Xian couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She instructed them to be careful and watched them leave from the door. The car was silent for a moment. Yi Zheng chatted with Shi Man. Sometimes, Shi Man would reply if she wanted to. When she didn¡¯t want to speak, she would lean back in her chair and close her eyes. Yi Zheng kept looking at her through the rearview mirror, wishing he could make up for what he couldn¡¯t see next. Although he wanted to drive slowly, he stopped the car at the school gate in advance in order for Shi Man and the others to not be late for the exam. When they got out of the car, Yi Zheng was even faster than Shi Man. He walked around the car and carefully opened the car door for her. ¡°Can 1 pick you up for dinner after the exam?¡± ¡°No, I still have to return to the army. Just send the two of them back,¡± Shi Man replied coldly. Yi Zheng pursed his lips aggrievedly. ¡°Then when can 1 see you again?¡± Shi Man suddenly looked up at him. ¡°Are you very free? Yi Zheng felt even more aggrieved. ¡°Manman, 1 don¡¯t ask you to forgive me immediately, but once 1 find evidence, you can¡¯t be so cold to me anymore.¡± Shi Man smiled gently. ¡°That depends on how long it takes you to prove yourself.¡± With that, without waiting for Yi Zheng to speak, she pulled out the their schoolbags from the backseat and entered the military academy with them. Tong Su had long known that Shi Man was coming today, so she brought people to welcome her at the class door in advance. When she saw her, she immediately came up to ask about her. The other students in the class were also very curious about Shi Man¡¯s life in the army. They had already heard that Shi Man had used only half a month to quickly improve the students¡¯ results and almost forced back a top student. The instructor involved had yet to return to the army to work again! A group of people surrounded Shi Man and the other two and asked themselves questions. Shi Man was annoyed. She couldn¡¯t help but frown and say coldly, ¡°Quiet.¡± Everyone immediately shut their mouths and only dared to look at her timidly. During this period of time, Shi Man did not come to school, so Bai Xue changed seats and sat beside Su Tang. Now that Shi Man was back, she naturally had to give up her seat. Unexpectedly, just as she was about to walk to the other side, Shi Man grabbed her arm. ¡°Just sit here. 1 can sit anywhere.¡± Bai Xue nodded obediently. She carefully looked at the students around her who were filled with thirst but did not dare to make a sound. She could not help but plead for them. ¡°Manman, the students are also concerned about you and want to know your recent situation.¡± Shi Man sighed softly and sat back in her seat with her long legs crossed. ¡°Ask whatever you want, but you can take back the unnecessary flattery.¡± Joy appeared on the students¡¯ faces as they looked at Bai Xue gratefully. Of course, Tong Su was at the front. When she saw Shi Man, she could not hide her admiration. ¡°Manman, do you know? My father tells me every day that he wants me to learn from you, but you¡¯re really improving too quickly. Do you have any secrets? You¡¯re so skilled. Can you teach me?¡± Shi Man held her forehead helplessly. She still remembered that this girl seemed to have a huge grudge against her when she first saw her. She did not expect her to become enthusiastic and lively after changing her stance. She had always been tolerant of girls, but this did not mean that this included Tong Su. She would never forget what these people had done to Su Tang. ¡°If you want to learn, sure. I¡¯ve already taught it to Su Tang. If you want to learn, acknowledge her as your master.¡± Tong Su did not expect Shi Man to throw the problem to others. Even Su Tang pointed at her nose in surprise and asked silently, ¡°Me?¡± Shi Man nodded gently. ¡°Su Tang and Bai Xue are my best friends. Of course I¡¯ll teach them what 1 know first. If you want to learn, you can beg them..¡± Chapter 728 - Chapter 728: Caught Cheating Chapter 728: Caught Cheating Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tong Su and the others looked at each other and understood what Shi Man meant. A few of them had ugly expressions. Until now, they could only wear fake hair. Their newly grown hair was very sparse, and they were no longer as beautiful as before. But so what if they were dissatisfied? In the past, they were the ones who targeted Su Tang and Bai Xue. Now, it was understandable for Shi Man to stand up for her two friends. The classroom was in a mess. When the teacher came in, she frowned unhappily. ¡°What are you all doing? Shouldn¡¯t you be preparing to head the examination hall to take the exam!¡± The contents of the written test in the military academy were randomly assigned classrooms. However, for some reason, Shi Man and the other two were in her classroom. Tong Su was also left behind. After the exam began, Shi Man was answering the questions seriously when she suddenly sensed a faint gaze staring at her not far away. She subconsciously looked up. Only then did he realize that Tong Su was trying her best to signal at her with her eyes. What did that mean? On the other side, Tong Su heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that Shi Man had finally noticed her. While the invigilator was not paying attention, she suddenly threw a ball of paper at Shi Man¡¯s feet. Shi Man was puzzled Su Tang had always paid special attention to Shi Man. Now that she saw this action, her mouth widened in surprise. ¡°Hurry up and turn around! Teacher is coming!¡± Su Tang mouthed for Tong Su. The other party naturally noticed her, but Tong Su clearly did not understand what Su Tang meant. She frowned and narrowed her eyes to carefully identify what she was talking about. Su Tang was so anxious that her face turned red. She wished she could gesture with her hands and feet. ¡°Turn around quickly. The teacher in the corridor is going to discover you!¡± Tong Su still did not understand what she meant. At this moment, the invigilator in charge of patrolling in the corridor was leaning against the back window to carefully check the movements inside. ¡°What was that noise?¡± The teacher who had been reading on the podium finally heard the muttering below and raised his head sternly to patrol. Tong Su quickly turned around and pretended to answer the questions seriously. Su Tang was about to relax when she saw Shi Man suddenly bend down and pick up the ball of paper on the ground. She was so frightened that she broke out in cold sweat because she could clearly feel the invigilator¡¯s sharp gaze from the corner of her eye. Just as Su Tang was anxiously thinking of a countermeasure, the teacher outside had already walked into the classroom angrily. He walked straight to Shi Man¡¯s table and stopped. ¡°Bring it over.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows at him and subconsciously tapped the table. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± The teacher still held out his hand to her. ¡°If you don¡¯t hand it over, I¡¯ll immediately terminate your exam and cancel all your exam results.¡± At this moment, the surrounding people immediately understood what had just happened. The way they looked at Shi Man changed. Cheating was not a glorious thing, let alone when it happened to Shi Man, who was the center of attention. Tong Su regretted it so much that her intestines turned green. If she had known earlier, she would not have taken the initiative to do this favor. She was also worried that Shi Man would fail the exam this time. The cultural class in the military school was still quite difficult. Shi Man had not attended many classes at all. If she failed the exam, she would be retained. At that time, her father would be in a dilemma between the Shi family and the school rules. However, she did not expect the invigilator to pass by coincidentally. This was really self-defeating. The atmosphere in the classroom became a little heavy. As time passed, the invigilator¡¯s expression became colder and colder. ¡°I¡¯ll say it one last time. Take it out and don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time.¡± Shi Man spread her hands casually and said, ¡°What do you want me to take out? Why don¡¯t you search for it yourself?¡± A body search was not a small matter, let alone a body search on Shi Man! Seeing that the invigilator was really going to attack, Tong Su hurriedly came over to persuade him. ¡°Teacher, Student Shi can¡¯t have cheated. You must have seen wrongly just now.¡± ¡°Tong Su, as the class monitor, you should stop this behavior. How can you cover up?¡± The teacher was in a fit of anger and criticized Tong Su. Tong Su was speechless. How could this teacher be so inflexible? She had already spoken, but he didn¡¯t give her any face! However, at this point, she could not say anything else. Just as she was about to admit that she had thrown the note out, Shi Man suddenly stood up slowly and stretched out her arms with a natural expression. ¡°Teacher, if you¡¯re worried, you can search me yourself. If you can¡¯t find it, you can move a chair and sit beside me to look at me personally to see if I¡¯ll cheat.¡± Hearing this, the teacher was slightly surprised. He had indeed seen Shi Man pick up something outside the window just now, but he did not see it clearly. After entering, he threatened her to hand it over. When she refused, he was certain that it was a slip of paper would facilitate cheating. However, when he heard Shi Man¡¯s words, his heart suddenly beat like a drum. Of course, he knew that a body search was not a small matter. Had he really misunderstood her? Chapter 729 - Chapter 729: No Need to Cheat Chapter 729: No Need to Cheat Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The examination hall had already been delayed because of this matter. It was impossible for the invigilator to search her. He reluctantly agreed with Shi Man and really moved a chair to the side to watch. Tong Su was extremely anxious. Shi Man took the initiative to let her teacher sit here. How could she pass the answer to Shi Man? If Shi Man failed all the exams, would her father punish her by making her repeat her grades? The invigilator crossed his arms and looked around calmly. ¡°Answer your questions seriously. Don¡¯t look around. You know the consequences of failing the exam.¡± The others hurriedly lowered their heads and focused on doing the questions. Tong Su was still rooted to the ground. The teacher felt that someone was still standing behind her. He suddenly turned around and looked at Tong Su, who was in a daze. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going back to continue the exam?¡± Tong Su bit her lower lip indignantly. ¡°Teacher, don¡¯t you need to patrol the various examination halls?¡± The teacher was about to tell his colleague about this when he waved his hand indifferently and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. Go back and take the exam.¡± No matter what Tong Su said, she could only sit back in her seat in a daze. She had been worried about Shi Man¡¯s exam results, so her mind was wandering. It was not until the bell rang that she suddenly realized that she had not even finished answering all the questions. She was really dead this time¡­ After collecting the papers, the invigilator walked out of the classroom. Tong Su stood up and jogged to Shi Man¡¯s side. ¡°Manman, come out with me for a while.¡± Su Tang followed worriedly. ¡°What happened just now? Did you really send Manman the answer?¡± Panic appeared in Tong Su¡¯s eyes. She took a deep breath and repeated, ¡°Manman, come out with me. I have something to say to you alone.¡± Su Tang looked at Shi Man uneasily. She still did not believe that Tong Su could really change for the better. What this person had done just now seemed to be helping Shi Man, but in fact, she had almost caused Shi Man to be disqualified from the exam. It was hard to tell if she did it on purpose. Shi Man patted her shoulder comfortingly, indicating for her not to let one¡¯s imagination run wild. She followed Tong Su to the quiet corner of the corridor alone. Only after confirming that there was no third person here did Tong Su suddenly bow deeply to Shi Man and apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. 1 took the liberty to almost harm you just now, but please believe that I really don¡¯t have any ill intentions. I¡¯m just worried that you won¡¯t pass the exam. I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for Father.¡± There was no response from the other party for a long time. Tong Su panicked. She had wanted to do a good deed but almost did something bad. If her father knew that she had taken the initiative to ruin the relationship between the Tong family and Shi Man, he would definitely be furious. She waited for a while longer. Seeing that the person in front of her still had no intention of speaking, she carefully looked up. Unexpectedly, she met Shi Man¡¯s smiling eyes. ¡°You¡­¡± Tong Su did not quite understand what she was laughing at. Without her help, Shi Man would definitely answer randomly. After all, some questions were too difficult for her, let alone Shi Man, who had almost never attended class. ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t handle the exam without your help?¡± Shi Man curled her lips in amusement. She suddenly felt that this eldest daughter of the Tong family was inexplicably more silly and looked a little cute. Tong Su stood up straight in surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Have you already thought of a way?¡± Could it be that Shi Man had already thought of how to cheat? But that was impossible! If Shi Man really wanted to cheat, why would she take the initiative to let the invigilator sit beside her and be monitored by the teacher? Could it be that she knew the questions in advance? When this thought suddenly appeared in her mind, even she was shocked. Military schools were different from ordinary universities. All the questions were strictly confidential. Other than the teacher who set the questions, no one knew what the questions would be this time. Even the principal, Tong Bin, did not know the difficulty of the exam questions. How did she get the questions? Shi Man saw the change in her expression and roughly guessed what she was thinking. She shook her head helplessly and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t do these unnecessary things anymore. I can score very well even without cheating.¡± ¡°How is this possible?¡± Thinking this, Tong Su blurted out. After saying that, she regretted it a little and looked for an answer with an awkward expression. ¡°What 1 mean is that this exam is quite difficult. You¡¯ve only attended to the first few classes. I¡¯m worried that there will be questions you can¡¯t handle.¡± ¡°Whether 1 can handle it or not, won¡¯t you know when the results are out?¡± Shi Man looked down at her with a smile. ¡°Remember what 1 said. Don¡¯t do anything unnecessary to add to my trouble.¡± Tong Su stared at her in a daze. She suddenly stuffed something into her hand. She only came back to her senses and looked down after the person had walked away. At this moment, what she subconsciously held in her palm was the ball of paper she had just thrown out. On it was all the answers to the first half of her test paper.. Chapter 730 - Chapter 730: Black Market Appointment Chapter 730: Black Market Appointment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The entire day of exams ended in fear. After all the written exam subjects were done, Tong Su was the first to rush to Shi Man¡¯s side to ask about the situation. Bai Xue and Su Tang packed up and surrounded her. ¡°Manman, I didn¡¯t solve a few questions. I¡¯m afraid the results of this exam are not ideal.¡± Shi Man smiled and comforted her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just do your best. It¡¯s just the midterm exam results. It doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± ¡°No! This can account for a lot!¡± Tong Su quickly denied her point of view. Under Shi Man¡¯s surprised gaze, she explained seriously, ¡°The total results of this exam will be tabulated into the final exam results according to the ranking. Therefore, if the results are not good this time, even if you score full marks in the final exam, you will still be a distance from others!¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Shi Man replied coldly. She packed her things and threw them to Su Tang. ¡°Help me take them back. 1¡¯11 go home later.¡± Su Tang hurriedly asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back with us? Brother Yi Zheng might be here to pick us up.¡± After saying this, she regretted it. What if Manman chose not to go home for the time being because of Yi Zheng? Shi Man did not think too much about it. She had something serious to do; it was not for a childish reason like avoiding Yi Zheng. In other words, if she really didn¡¯t believe Yi Zheng and really didn¡¯t want to see him again, she would have gotten him to scram instead of letting him stay in her house to slowly search for clues. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. 1 have something to do. I¡¯ll head back later. Don¡¯t we have a training assessment tomorrow?¡± Shi Man rubbed her head and said goodbye to Bai Xue before turning to leave. Tong Su thought that her words would more or less make Shi Man worry. She did not expect her to take it so casually. She subconsciously stopped her. ¡°You can¡¯t leave first. Come with me to the principal¡¯s office to see my father. If you don¡¯t pass the exam this time, my father will definitely have a hard time. We¡¯ll explain the situation to him now and let him think of a solution in advance.¡± Shi Man frowned impatiently. ¡°1 told you this morning not to be nosy.¡± Miss Tong Su¡¯s temper was provoked, and her voice immediately raised several times. ¡°Shi Man, why are you so ungrateful? Aren¡¯t 1 just worried about you?¡± Iler voice was so high that even the students in the corridor outside heard the commotion and stopped in their tracks. Shi Man¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. Tong Su¡¯s face turned red as she hurriedly apologized to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, 1 didn¡¯t do it on purpose, but this matter is really not as simple as you think. You should follow me to see Father. I beg you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Shi Man¡¯s patience ran out. She passed by her and lowered her voice to warn her. ¡°You can think whatever you want, but please don¡¯t do anything unnecessary, or you know the consequences.¡± Shi Man¡¯s low voice made Tong Su shiver. She had been too approachable when she came back this time. Tong Su had actually forgotten how ruthless this woman had been in the past. Hearing this, she didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. She obediently made way and watched Shi Man leave. Su Tang and Bai Xue followed closely behind. In the end, they could not be friends with Tong Su and did not want to be too involved with her. Now that Shi Man had left, there was naturally no need for them to stay. After leaving the school gate, Shi Man hid and sneaked into the Black Market. In front of the towering building, the small shop was still open. However, for some reason, there was only a man in white in the hall today, waving a fan in his hand. As he sipped the hot tea in his hand, he looked teasingly at the people coming and going on the street outside. Soon, the wind chime at the entrance of the shop suddenly rang. The man put away his fan and looked at the door with a smile. Behind Shi Man, the restaurant owner immediately understood and welcomed her into the hall with a smile. ¡°Miss, the restaurant is not open today. If you want to eat, you should go to someone else¡¯s house.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already invited me in, so you naturally know that I¡¯m not here for a meal. What¡¯s the use of talking so much nonsense?¡± The girl in the silver mask walked towards the man by the window with a cold and determined expression. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Shi Man leaned against the window and looked at the burly man on the street outside indifferently before quickly retracting her gaze. The shop owner hurriedly came over to pour tea for the two of them, then sensibly retreated to the kitchen where he could not hear them. Only then did the man smile and say, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t be anxious. We can be considered to have become friends after a fight. No discord, no concord. Sit down and have some tea first. We can be friends.¡± ¡°No discord, no concord?¡± Shi Man glanced at the cup of tea coldly, but it did not enter her mouth. ¡°When did we fight? 1 don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you before, right?¡± The man couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°Since you were invited here, you must know my identity. Since you know everything, it¡¯s meaningless to pretend to be innocent.¡± Hearing this, Shi Man narrowed her eyes and carefully sized up the man in white who was smiling warmly before getting up.. Chapter 731 - Chapter 731: Making Friends Chapter 731: Making Friends Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He had bright eyes and looked very easy to get along with, but there was a distant look between his eyebrows. That day, she saw an invitation from the Netherworld Pavilion Master at the bottom of the black box sent by the Netherworld Pavilion, inviting her to meet in the restaurant opposite the Black Market¡¯s Netherworld Pavilion. Shi Man was willing to be come because she wanted to see what the other party¡¯s goal was. ¡°Since Pavilion Master wants to make friends, you should show some sincerity. You¡¯ve already understood me quite well. Shouldn¡¯t you take the initiative to tell me your name?¡± Shi Man didn¡¯t continue to beat around the bush and asked directly. The man was indeed in a good mood when he heard this. He opened the fan with a whoosh and shook it gently. He lifted the bangs on his forehead, revealing a pair of bright eyes. ¡°Miss Shi is indeed straightforward. My name is Ji Yan. You¡¯re one of the few people who knows my real name now.¡± Shi Man did not express much joy about this. She still said expressionlessly, ¡°Mr. Ji, why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Miss Shi, you don¡¯t have to be so vigilant. I just admire your methods. First, you pretended to leave your items in our pavilion, but in fact, you took this opportunity to install your interference system equipment and then create chaos in the system to relax our defenses. Then, you took the opportunity to steal the treasure in my pavilion. Of course I want to befriend someone with such superb skills.¡± When the man said this, he was still as calm as ever, as if it was someone else¡¯s business and the theft had nothing to do with him. Shi Man narrowed her eyes, as if she wanted to determine his true motive from his expression. ¡°You didn¡¯t look for me to denounce me, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Ji Yan smiled and said, ¡°You and I both know that it¡¯s impossible for the group of people who deposited that good in the Netherworld Pavilion to come and collect the goods. I really don¡¯t know how to deal with a living person in the room. I have to thank Miss Shi for helping me clean up the aftermath.¡± This was a compliment. Shi Man didn¡¯t believe that he really couldn¡¯t deal with it. She sneered and said, ¡°Mr. Ji, since you like people who speak frankly, don¡¯t beat around the bush. If you have anything to say, just say it. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± Ji Yan pouted regretfully. ¡°What a pity. I still want to treat Miss Shi to a good meal. Actually, I really just want to be friends with you. I admire your skills. If my Netherworld Pavilion doesn¡¯t make friends with such a talent as soon as possible, wouldn¡¯t I be neglecting my duty as the Pavilion Master?¡± Shi Man raised her hand and turned the teacup slightly. As her fingers brushed against the hot cup, there was a sharp pain on her fingertips, but her expression did not change. ¡°Mr. Ji, I don¡¯t have the hobby of making friends casually.¡± Instead of being angry, Ji Yan smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to reject me. Of course, I¡¯ve prepared a greeting gift for Miss Shi.¡± As he spoke, he suddenly put away his fan and knocked on the table with the fan. On the other side, a few men in black masks immediately walked out of the warehouse. They surrounded two hunched and trembling men. Shi Man felt that their figures were familiar, but because they were both wearing sacks on their heads, she couldn¡¯t remember their faces. As if sensing Shi Man¡¯s confusion, he raised his fan slightly. The burly men immediately understood. They raised their hands and tore off the sacks on their heads, revealing two pale faces. The two of them seemed to have been in the dark for a long time. When they suddenly saw the light, they subconsciously raised their hands to block their eyes. When they adapted to the light in front of them, they slowly lowered their arms. However, when they saw Shi Man, their legs went weak and they knelt down. ¡°Missy, we listened to you and did that to Instructor Zhang, but when we went back, our boss was afraid of being implicated, so he wanted to kill the two of us. You have to save us!¡± Shi Man frowned slightly. Only then did she remember that these two were the men who had been asked by Zhang Rui to drug her that night. Her eyes darkened. ¡°Who¡¯s your boss?¡± The man had long lost his arrogance from that night. He kowtowed to Shi Man three times and was extremely humble. When he heard Shi Man¡¯s question, he didn¡¯t dare not to say it. He swallowed in panic and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Jiang Han! Zhang Rui contacted Jiang Han and asked him to help her. I was instructed to complete the task. You have to save me!¡± ¡°Jiang Han?¡± Shi Man slowly chewed on the name. Ji Yan answered her with a smile, ¡°The second young master of the Jiang family has been wandering in the gray area all year round. The police haven¡¯t been able to find evidence, so he¡¯s been getting away with his deeds. In fact, he¡¯s committed a lot of crimes.¡± ¡°Zhang Rui must have given Jiang Han some benefits for colluding.¡± Shi Man lowered her eyes confidently and fixed her gaze on the bruises on the two men. ¡°Mr. Ji, you really know a lot.¡± ¡°Otherwise, how can 1 be the Pavilion Master of the Netherworld Pavilion?¡± Ji Yan smiled and casually poured the cold tea to the side. He personally poured a cup of hot tea for her.. ¡°How is it? Can this greeting gift make me ATiss Shi¡¯s good friend?¡± Chapter 732 - Chapter 732: Classy Room Chapter 732: Classy Room Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man lowered her eyes to the steam that kept coming out of the cup. She suddenly reached out to take the teacup. The tip of her nose moved slightly, and in the next moment, she drank the tea in one gulp. Warmth flowed into her stomach, and her limbs and bones felt comfortable. The man laughed in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, from now on, we¡¯re friends. Since we¡¯re friends, I¡¯ll give you another big gift.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes and probed him silently. Ji Yan deliberately covered his mouth with the fan and lowered his voice mysteriously. ¡°Hurry up and contact your good fiance. If you¡¯re any later, I¡¯m afraid this man will become someone else¡¯s.¡± The hostility around Shi Man instantly erupted. She almost lost her composure as she stood up. Noticing the increasingly deep smile in Ji Yan¡¯s eyes, she said with a cold expression, ¡°Thank you for what happened today. 1 still have to ask the Netherworld Pavilion to keep these two for me. I¡¯ll settle the fees later.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you a 50% discount.¡± The man waved at her magnanimously. ¡°Go quickly, Miss Shi. You can only regret it if you¡¯re late.¡± Shi Man nodded slightly and left without staying for another second. Behind her, the man watched her leave meaningfully. The trusted aide at the side hesitantly went to his side and said, ¡°Boss, the Jiang family also has interests with us. Isn¡¯t it not good for us to let her know CEO Jiang¡¯s name?¡± The smile on Ji Yan¡¯s face instantly disappeared. ¡°How can Jiang Han compare to Shi Man? I¡¯m still useful to this woman. Keep an eye on her.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The trusted aide did not dare to say anything else. He hurriedly replied and instructed the others to lock the two of them up in the Netherworld Pavilion and send someone to guard them. The useless eldest daughter of the Shi family had become an invincible hacker. Interesting. Ji Yan looked at the window and secretly curled his lips. After leaving the tea money on the table, he slowly blended into the crowd in a good mood until he disappeared. Elsewhere. Yi Zheng pressed the woman in front of him against the wall angrily and roared at her in a low voice, ¡°Is this your trick, Chen Jiao? Do you really think I don¡¯t dare to touch you?¡± Chen Jiao had long cried. ¡°President Yi, how many times do 1 have to say it before you¡¯re willing to believe me? I¡¯m really not responsible for what happened today. I don¡¯t know why such a thing happened!¡± As she spoke, she choked on a large ball of white fog. It was so uncomfortable that she hurriedly bent down and retched. Yi Zheng¡¯s condition was slightly better than hers. His endurance had always surpassed others, but the thick smoke was still being absorbed by his body. He didn¡¯t know how long he could last. An hour ago, Yi Zheng was invited to a very important meeting, but there was a problem with the document Chen Jiao was in charge of. In order to protect Chen Jiao, Tang Zhe applied to Yi Zheng to personally return to the company to prepare a new document based on the data. Yi Zheng had a feeling that something was wrong, but he still agreed. Unexpectedly, after Tang Zhe returned to the company, he sent Chen Jiao to help him. He didn¡¯t know what Chen Jiao had done to Tang Zhe to make him believe in her innocence. Yi Zheng wanted to chase her away with a cold expression, but Chen Jiao refused to leave no matter what, claiming that this was her job. Yi Zheng was annoyed, and he could not throw a woman out in front of everyone. He could only finish the meeting with a cold expression and think of returning to the company to settle scores with Tang Zhe. Unexpectedly, halfway through the meeting, Old Master Huo, who was in charge of the meeting, suddenly had an emergency. The medical staff hurriedly sent him to the next room to rest. The Huo family was a business magnate in the capital. Yi Zheng could not leave the banquet in advance under such circumstances. After Old Master Huo informed him that his condition had stabilized, he wanted to visit him. Unexpectedly, he was led to this empty bedroom. Not long after he entered, thick smoke kept floating into the room. Yi Zheng had never smelled this before, but he could barely maintain his rationality. The doors and windows in the room were sealed. Yi Zheng could not get out, and Chen Jiao, who had followed him in, was also trapped here. With the previous lesson, Yi Zheng¡¯s first suspect was naturally Chen Jiao. He thought that she was using the same dosage to force him to betray Shi Man. Chen Jiao only tried her best to explain herself. As she covered her nose, she rushed into the washroom and soaked a towel in water before handing it to Yi Zheng. ¡°President Yi, use this first so that you don¡¯t inhale too much. The Huo family will definitely come looking for us when they discover that we¡¯re missing.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s expression was cold. At this moment, he did not want anyone to discover that he was in the same room with a woman. If Shi Man knew about this, he would not be able to explain himself again. ¡°Take it away. 1 don¡¯t need it.¡± Yi Zheng looked away and looked around the room coldly, looking for anything else that could help break the door. This room should be installed with something that blocked the signal. As long as he found that thing and destroyed it, he could contact the outside world. Thinking of this, Yi Zheng went to flip through every drawer and cabinet in the room that could hide things. Chen Jiao choked on the thick smoke and coughed violently. After retching a few times, she went forward to help him.. Chapter 733 - Chapter 733: Acting Skills Chapter 733: Acting Skills Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The smoke in the room became thicker. Yi Zheng shook his head and tried his best to stay sober as he looked around for the source of the smoke. At first, Chen Jiao was still obediently helping to find things. Later on, she was really dizzy and her body fell towards him uncontrollably. Yi Zheng avoided her without thinking and let her fall to the ground. There was no expression on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t play tricks. If I can leave safely today, I can keep you for a while. If you really do anything, I definitely won¡¯t let you off.¡± Chen Jiao gritted her teeth and got up from the ground aggressively. ¡°Although you¡¯re the President, can you not always be so narcissistic? I¡¯m also a victim in this matter. What makes you think I did it? I¡¯ve been following behind you just now. Why didn¡¯t I say that you had ill intentions towards me and deliberately set up a trap?¡± Yi Zheng frowned and glared at her. Through the thick smoke, he was extremely annoyed. ¡°I¡¯ll come to a conclusion after 1 go out and investigate. You don¡¯t have to explain.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve been wronged, you would have been anxious long ago!¡± Chen Jiao scolded angrily. She really couldn¡¯t understand what structure this man¡¯s body was made of. She even suspected that he really had some hidden illness! She had put in so much effort to set up such a good trap. A man and a woman were in the same room, and he was not conscious enough. How could he endure it? However, it did not matter even if he did not have any feelings for her now. This was a good opportunity to prove that she did not have any ulterior motives for him! As long as she acted innocent, she did not believe that Yi Zheng could be so certain that he had really not done anything to her. Thinking of this, Chen Jiao, who had been arrogant just now, suddenly squatted down weakly. She covered her face and cried in grief. ¡°I just want a good job. I just want to earn money in the capital. Why is it so difficult? I¡¯ve already compromised so much, so why can¡¯t I get an understanding?! If I had known this, I wouldn¡¯t have studied so hard back then.¡± Yi Zheng was stunned by her series of actions. If not for his strong willpower, he would have really been immersed in her show and believed that she was really a good girl who had been wronged. What he had not done was not done. However¡­ this did not stop him from taking the opportunity to expose this woman. Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes and squatted down. After hesitating for a long time, he still didn¡¯t want to reach out and touch any woman other than Shi Man. He just lowered his voice from a distance. ¡°Don¡¯t cry first. 1 believe you didn¡¯t do this. Let¡¯s find the signal interference device together and go out, okay?¡± When Chen Jiao heard his softened tone, she was delighted. Only then did she look up fearfully. ¡°Really? President Yi, do you really believe me and won¡¯t wrong me again?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yi Zheng stood up and pointed at the vent above the bathroom. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and take a look.¡± Chen Jiao hurriedly wiped her tears and followed. At this moment, the mirror in the bathroom was already covered in a layer of fog. The figure reflected on it was blurry, but Chen Jiao still smiled smugly at the outline of the two of them standing side by side. She knew that men could not bear to see women cry. Now, Yi Zheng had already begun to soften for her. As long as he sympathized with her, she would hold onto his heart and make him compensate her willingly. ¡°Up here.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s cold voice frightened her. Chen Jiao hurriedly looked up in the direction of his gaze and saw an endless stream of gas floating into the house from the ventilation pipe above. Chen Jiao understood and hurriedly pressed the switch to open the vent. The fog was really being sucked out of the bathroom bit by bit, and the range of vision gradually became clearer. Chen Jiao smiled in surprise. ¡°President Yi is still the best. You found the source so quickly. Now, even if Cousin comes a little late, we can wait!¡± Yi Zheng turned his head and looked at the little girl jumping happily beside him. His eyes were dark. ¡°How do you know that we can¡¯t wait anymore if this gas isn¡¯t expelled?¡± Chen Jiao was slightly stunned. Then, she pouted unhappily and acted coquettishly. ¡°I was just guessing. Think about it. The mastermind deliberately lured you here and locked you up. It can¡¯t be just some harmless gas. What good will it do him?¡± Yi Zheng nodded in agreement. Chen Jiao continued to act coquettishly. ¡°You suspected me again just now, right? 1 knew you still couldn¡¯t trust me wholeheartedly. But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t go back on my promise. As long as you need it, I can go to Miss Shi to clarify what happened that night. I don¡¯t need your money, as long as you don¡¯t make me lose this job, okay?¡± She begged pitifully, and her request was not greedy. Instead, she guaranteed her last bit of rights within the normal range. If it were any other man, his heart would probably soften. However, Yi Zheng was born cold-hearted and did not know how to have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex. Unfortunately, he still had to continue acting.. Chapter 734 - Chapter 734: The Valiant Miss Chapter 734: The Valiant Miss Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Of course,¡± Yi Zheng said. He walked to the sofa and sat down. He calmly instructed Chen Jiao to work. ¡°If you want to keep your job, you have to show your value and find the signal interference device.¡± Chen Jiao was stunned for a moment before nodding obediently. ¡°Alright, President Yi. I¡¯ll look for it now!¡± When she turned around, Chen Jiao gritted her teeth in hatred. Yi Zheng really thought of it! At this time, shouldn¡¯t ordinary men hug women and comfort them? At the very least, shouldn¡¯t he treat her differently? Why did this man look high up in the air and even instruct her to work as a matter of course? What value did she have? Her skills in the bedroom were very good. Why didn¡¯t he dare to try? However, Chen Jiao only dared to complain in her heart, but on the surface, she started working seriously. No matter what, her goal of arranging this show tonight had finally been achieved. At least Yi Zheng was not as cold to her as before. Next, it was time for her to make a perfect curtain call for this scene. Outside, Tang Zhe was already anxious. He went from room to room to bring people to look for Yi Zheng. Shi Man¡¯s expression was extremely cold. ¡°It¡¯s too slow to search like this. Yi Zheng has been locked up for so long and hasn¡¯t contacted you. He must be locked in a room that stops him from contacting the outside world. The signal jammer won¡¯t be limited to one room. Make multiple calls and get someone to wander around the entire building. Tell me immediately when the signal suddenly worsens.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Without Yi Zheng around, Tang Zhe treated Shi Man as his backbone. He believed in this Missy¡¯s judgment, so he immediately brought people to do it without hesitation. Sure enough, he quickly found the area where the signal was interfering. Shi Man only took a look at the report and immediately locked onto the specific room number. She immediately took the elevator to the top floor. ¡°It should be here.¡± The few of them stopped outside a room. Tang Zhe took the initiative to open the door, but he realized that he could not turn the handle, so he waved at the bodyguards behind him and asked them to knock the door open. Shi Man raised her hand slightly, indicating for them to stop moving. She held her breath and listened to the commotion in the door for a while. She seemed to be able to hear the faint panting inside, but it was not loud and was a little hurried. Shi Man could not hear it clearly. She narrowed her eyes and gestured for the people behind her to hit the door together. The rooms in this hotel were clearly made of the best materials. She definitely could not break through the door alone. Behind him, the bodyguards swarmed up and exerted strength. Finally, after three consecutive collisions, the door loosened slightly. Shi Man patted one of them on the shoulder and gestured for them to retreat first. Then, under everyone¡¯s surprised gazes, she raised her leg and kicked the door open. The door hit the wall with a violent sound, and the woman¡¯s scream came from the room. Tang Zhe was dumbfounded. At this moment, he couldn¡¯t help but pray that nothing had really happened inside this time. Otherwise, if this kick landed on President Yi, he didn¡¯t know if his boss could withstand it! After the door was opened, there was finally a vent in the room, and thick smoke poured out. Shi Man subconsciously held her breath. After confirming that Tang Zhe and the others were fine after inhaling the smoke, she was slightly relieved. When the thick fog dissipated and she could see, Shi Man brought them into the room. Yi Zheng and Chen Jiao were standing in the middle, fully dressed. Seeing Shi Man, Yi Zheng¡¯s eyes lit up. He subconsciously leaned towards her. ¡°Why are you here? Did you specially come to save me?¡± Shi Man ignored him and fixed her gaze on the uneasy Chen Jiao. Seeing her open collar, she sneered and said, ¡°As the President¡¯s special assistant, Secretary Chen should not be shocked when something happens. You were the one who screamed just now, right? In the future, if you embarrass yourself like this again, apply for transfer to the front desk to be an assistant. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself here.¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s face turned red from her words. She knew that she had lost her composure just now and hurriedly lowered her head obediently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know I was wrong. I¡¯ll definitely be careful next time.¡± Only then did Shi Man turn to look at Yi Zheng. After sizing him up for a moment, she saw the messy bed from the corner of her eye and her expression darkened. Yi Zheng hurriedly explained to her, ¡°Chen Jiao found a signal jammer under the pillow just now, so the bed was in a mess.¡± As soon as he said that, he regretted it. His fiancee had just criticized Chen Jiao for not being qualified as the President¡¯s special assistant, but he said this as if he was deliberately speaking up for her. He was a little worried that Shi Man would be angry because of this. He hurriedly grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. We¡¯ll talk when we get home.¡± ¡°No.¡± Shi Man retracted her hand and said expressionlessly, ¡°Go to the hospital for a checkup first. Although the gas here will only cause unconsciousness, it¡¯s hard to guarantee that there won¡¯t be other problems. You can go home after the checkup.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Yi Zheng asked worriedly. Shi Man glanced at him coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t like the smell of your perfume. I¡¯ll leave first..¡± Chapter 735 - Chapter 735: The Overlord of the Business World, the Huo Family Chapter 735: The Overlord of the Business World, the Huo Family Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yi Zheng was stunned and sniffed around guiltily. Indeed, he had the scent of Chen Jiao on him. Chen Jiao looked at him apologetically and timidly moved behind Tang Zhe to hide. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Yi. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose just now.¡± Actually, she did do it on purpose! When she heard the door slam just now, she was lying on Yi Zheng, looking completely frightened. Then, before Yi Zheng reached out to push her in exasperation, she hurriedly retreated to the side as if she wanted to avoid arousing suspicion. As a woman, she naturally knew how to make a woman jealous. Now that Yi Zheng was covered in her perfume, it would be strange if Shi Man would be nice to him! Wasn¡¯t that what men were like? He could coax a woman once or twice, but he would never have the patience to continue coaxing her. As long as Shi Man kept fighting with Yi Zheng, she would have an opportunity! When Tang Zhe heard Chen Jiao¡¯s muffled voice, he wanted to rub her head, but this was in front of President Yi. He could only resist this urge and say in a businesslike tone, ¡°Go and make an appointment for President Yi¡¯s physical examination in the hospital. Also, make an appointment for yourself.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chen Jiao agreed obediently and left the room. After she left, Tang Zhe frowned and reported, ¡°President Yi, I¡¯m afraid the attendant who brought you to the room was deliberately arranged by someone else. We can¡¯t find out where he went.¡± This was expected. There was nothing strange about it. Yi Zheng adjusted his clothes and his expression returned to normal. ¡°Let¡¯s go see Old Master Huo first.¡± In the hotel suite, a recliner swayed slightly. The old man on it, who had his eyes closed, let out a comfortable moan. The man who had been standing beside him for a long time immediately lowered his head. ¡°Old Huo, you¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Old Master Huo moved his body slightly. Beside him, the man immediately understood and helped him sit on the soft sofa on the other side. He poured him a cup of hot tea. ¡°What else do you need? I¡¯ll get someone to get it done immediately.¡± Old Master Huo raised his eyes slightly and swept his gaze across the faces of the people standing in the room. The air in the entire room was instantly oppressive to the point of suffocation. ¡°Where¡¯s that kid from the Yi family?¡± The man hurriedly replied, ¡°Master, Yi Zheng isn¡¯t here. His subordinates were searching the rooms just now. Something big seems to have happened.¡± Old Master Huo nodded and took a sip of tea. ¡°Sit down.¡± Only then did the others rush to sit beside Old Master Huo. They were all elites who had just come to the business meeting, but they could only be respectful when it came to the Huo family. In the capital, no one dared to take a step east when the Huo family said to go west. They could only flatter the family. In front of Old Master Huo, no matter how old they were, they were as obedient as mice seeing a cat. Sui Ze was closest to him, and his smile became wrinkles on his face. ¡°Old Master Huo, I got my subordinates to buy a lot of rare supplements for you while you were asleep. You¡¯re our backbone. You have to take care of yourself.¡± With that, Sui Ze¡¯s secretary handed it over. Old Master Huo had seen all kinds of good things in his life. He only glanced at them coldly before getting someone to put them aside. Sui Ze smiled awkwardly. ¡°It seems that my things haven¡¯t been delivered to Old Master Huo¡¯s heart. I know that Old Master Huo likes calligraphy, paintings, and antiques. I heard that a rare ancient painting will be auctioned at the auction next week. When the time comes, 1 will definitely bring it to Old Master Huo to appraise it personally.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s thoughtful.¡± Old Master Huo finally reacted. Sui Ze was delighted and quickly struck while the iron was hot. ¡°Then about the ownership of the mine rights in the west of teh city that we haven¡¯t finished discussing at the meeting just now¡­¡± ¡°President Sui, Old Master Huo has just woken up. Aren¡¯t you deliberately affecting Old Master Huo¡¯s rest?¡± On the other side, Gu Ting, who had always had a bad relationship with the Sui family, stopped Sui Ze¡¯s words with a cold expression. Then, he turned to Old Master Huo and put on a smile. ¡°Old Master Huo, rest well first. We¡¯ll talk about the rest when you recover.¡± Old Master Huo nodded in satisfaction. The Gu family was indeed a business family. Be it their outlook or their way of dealing with people, they were far above the Sui family. He had originally wanted to hand over a portion of the mining rights in the west of the city to the Gu family. Everyone in the room echoed Gu Ting¡¯s words. Sui Ze was so angry that his face turned red, but he did not dare to act rashly. Soon, there was a knock on the door. The person beside Old Master Huo immediately went to open the door. A man in a suit with a cold aura was standing at the door expressionlessly. There was not much of a flattering smile on his face, and he had a dignified aura. Old Master Huo looked at the young man at the door and took the initiative to ask, ¡°What happened that took you so long?¡± Old Master Huo¡¯s tone was dignified, but there was no lack of intimacy. Sui Ze immediately became vigilant. Yi Zheng slowly stepped into the room and naturally walked to the sofa closest to Old Master Huo and sat down. ¡°It was just a small incident. How¡¯s Old Master Huo¡¯s health?¡± Old Master Huo was amused by him. He patted his shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re done. Xiao Sui happened to be talking about the mining rights in the west of the city just now. You came at the right time..¡± Chapter 736 - Chapter 736: Mining Rights Transaction Chapter 736: Mining Rights Transaction Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sui Ze hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°President Yi has just come to the capital. I¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t know anything about mining rights. However, since you¡¯re here, you can listen and learn from us.¡± Old Master Huo glared at him and did not say anything. His shrewd eyes were fixed on the man in front of him. Yi Zheng said nonchalantly, ¡°Old Master Huo, you can decide. However, 1 heard that the Sui family has never taken over the mining rights. If I want to learn, 1 have to consult you and the Gu family head.¡± Gu Ting lowered his eyes and smiled in satisfaction. ¡°I can¡¯t say that 1¡¯11 be giving good guidance. President Yi, feel free to ask if you don¡¯t understand. 1¡¯11 definitely tell you everything I know.¡± The atmosphere suddenly became harmonious. Sui Ze gritted his teeth in hatred. In the past, when he wanted the mining rights, the Gu family would beat him to it every year. This year, he originally wanted to take a share of the loot. Even if he could only get a small portion of the mining rights, it would still be a good start. However, he did not expect Yi Zheng to appear out of nowhere this year. To think a newbie who was about the same age as his son actually dared to behave atrociously in front of him! Sui Ze interrupted unwillingly, ¡°Elder Huo, I have something to tell you when I came to see you this time. I heard that Miss Huo¡¯s illness can¡¯t be treated even by famous doctors, so I¡¯ve been paying attention to Miracle Doctor Jiang Huan¡¯s movements. Some time ago, 1 finally found out his whereabouts and have already sent someone to invite him.¡± Hearing this, Old Master Huo¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Where is Jiang Huan now?¡± Sui Ze smiled smugly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you his location. It¡¯s just that Divine Doctor Jiang instructed me not to tell anyone in advance. Otherwise, he will disappear again. For the sake of Miss Huo, 1 haven¡¯t dared to reveal anything to anyone.¡± With that, he stole a glance at Yi Zheng and chuckled softly. ¡°But Old Master Huo, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely invite Divine Doctor Jiang over for you.¡± Old Master Huo quickly regained his calm expression. Sui Ze knew about Miracle Doctor Jiang¡¯s whereabouts a few days ago, but he didn¡¯t mention anything. However, he said it in front of everyone. The meaning was obvious. Originally, Old Master Huo wanted to hand a portion of the mining rights to Yi Zheng this year, but for his granddaughter¡¯s sake, he could only choose Sui Ze. Beside him, Yi Zheng listened to Old Master Huo and Sui Ze¡¯s conversation calmly. There was no anxiety on his face. ¡°Old Master Huo, it¡¯s getting late today. I don¡¯t wish to disturb your rest. I¡¯ll leave first. It¡¯s not too late to talk when Old Master Huo is feeling better.¡± In the end, Old Master Huo was more biased towards Yi Zheng. He simply followed his words and said, ¡°All of you go out first. As for Divine Doctor Jiang, the Sui family¡¯s head will do his best. If Doctor Jiang can treat my granddaughter¡¯s illness, I will definitely thank you heavily.¡± Hearing this, Sui Ze¡¯s bad mood, which had been deliberately delayed by Yi Zheng, became clear. The reason why Miracle Doctor Jiang was called a miracle doctor was naturally because there were no patients he had come across that he couldn¡¯t treat. So what if Yi Zheng was delayed for the time being? When Divine Doctor Jiang cured Miss Huo, the mining rights would still fall into his hands. Thinking of this, Sui Ze smiled. ¡°Elder Huo, rest well. I¡¯ll definitely do my best for Miss Huo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Old Master Huo waved his hand and leaned against the sofa tiredly with his eyes closed. The old man clearly wanted to send the guests off. The others who had yet to speak to Old Master Huo could only leave regretfully. The group of people walked out of the corridor and dispersed. Gu Ting walked to Yi Zheng¡¯s side with a smile and was about to say something when he was suddenly interrupted by Sui Ze. ¡°President Yi, let me give you a piece of advice. You¡¯re new here, so don¡¯t nurse a big appetite. You should consider what you can and can¡¯t touch.¡± Yi Zheng looked straight at him with a cold expression. ¡°There¡¯s another sentence that could be relevant to you: No matter how much you fight for it, it can¡¯t be yours. The Sui Family Head is older, so you should know this logic better than me.¡± Sui Ze¡¯s expression turned cold as he turned to Gu Ting with a sinister gaze. ¡°Master Gu, we¡¯re old acquaintances. Don¡¯t ruin the long-standing relationship between the two families for a junior.¡± Gu Ting looked disdainful. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about who I want to interact with.¡± ¡°Very good, then let¡¯s wait and see!¡± Sui Ze said ruthlessly and turned to leave with a cold snort. Yi Zheng lowered his head guiltily. ¡°Uncle Gu, I¡¯ve caused you trouble.¡± Gu Ting changed his expression and waved his hand with a smile. ¡°Why are you so polite to me? Your father helped me in the capital back then. If not for his generosity back then, my Gu family probably wouldn¡¯t have survived that calamity. Now that you¡¯re back, of course 1 have to repay this favor to you.¡± Hearing this, Yi Zheng chuckled and said, ¡°Uncle Gu, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll only take my share of the mine rights this time. I won¡¯t touch the cake in Uncle Gu¡¯s hand.¡± The more Gu Ting looked at this kid, the more satisfied he felt. If he hadn¡¯t known that he already had a fiancee, he really wanted to recruit him as his son-in-law. Thinking of this, Gu Ting couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Bring your fiancee to my house next time. My wife has always wanted to see you and that girl..¡± Chapter 737 - Chapter 737: Date Chapter 737: Date Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll definitely go the next time Uncle Gu is free.¡± Yi Zheng politely sent him to the car before following Tang Zhe to the hospital for a checkup. When he returned home, it was already very late. Of course, Shi Man would not wait for him. Yi Zheng paced around the door of her room for a while before returning to his room to rest in disappointment. The next day was the school¡¯s training assessment. This matter was quite amusing. She had just been assessing students in the army as an instructor a few days ago. In the blink of an eye, she was actually going to be assessed by the school as an examinee. However, to her, today was just a matter of going through the motions. She really didn¡¯t need to go all out to get a high ranking in the military academy assessment. Shi Man treated an entire day of assessment as training her body. Anyone who saw her at ease could not help but admire her. Sean waited for Shi Man¡¯s assessment to end before contacting her and reporting all the information he had found about Jiang Han to her. ¡°Jiang Han is the youngest son of the Jiang family. He has an older brother who is overseas now and will be returning to the country soon. There aren¡¯t many people in the Jiang family who support him. Most of them support his older brother. There¡¯s news that he¡¯s been very close to the Sui family recently.¡± ¡°Sui Family.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes. ¡°What have you found out about the Sui Family?¡± Sean hurriedly said, ¡°The Sui family has a daughter and a son. The youngest son, Sui Ling, is more of a wastrel. He hangs out with a group of scoundrels all day long. Most of the Sui family¡¯s business is in the hands of his sister, Sui Yan. It¡¯s hard to say if Sui Ling wants to take his share of the loot.¡± This person¡¯s appearance to the outside world was really too profligate. After investigating, he almost sneered at Sui Ling¡¯s character. Very few people gave him a positive evaluation. On the other hand, Sui Yan had always been praised by everyone. In his opinion, even if Sui Ling wanted to fight for power, he was probably not his sister¡¯s match. He might as well be a playboy and enjoy wealth for the rest of his life. ¡°Oh, right, 1 also found a suspicious piece of news.¡± Sean thought of that matter and did not know if it was important, but he still wanted to inform Shi Man. ¡°The head of the Sui family, Sui Ze, seems to have contacted the Divine Doctor, Jiang Huan recently. I wonder why.¡± ¡°Divine Doctor?¡± Shi Man frowned slightly. She had heard of Jiang Huan. This person had always come and gone without a trace. He was said to have been able to treat any illnesses. No one in the Sui family was seriously ill. Why did they look for the divine doctor for no reason? ¡°Continue to find out why they¡¯re looking for Jiang Huan. 1 keep feeling that we can¡¯t ignore this matter. Let me know immediately once you find out,¡± Shi Man instructed cautiously. Sean quickly agreed. On the other side, the ambiguous atmosphere in the bedroom would make anyone blush. The man pressed against the woman¡¯s body and moved rhythmically. After a while, he got up from her and walked to the bathroom alone to cool himself. When he came out again, the man was already well-dressed. He looked down at the lewd scene on the bed. ¡°CEO Jiang¡­¡± The woman obediently wanted to lean over, but Jiang Han avoided her in disgust. ¡°I¡¯ll transfer the money to your card. Let¡¯s go.¡± After putting on his clothes, Jiang Han returned to his usual well-dressed self. He raised his hand to look at the time and instructed his assistant to inform the chauffeur that he was going on a date with Miss Sui soon. At the banquet, Sui Ling had been following his sister closely. Every time she took a step, he would follow. He refused to go far even if she wanted to go to the washroom. He had to wait outside. Sui Yan had never seen her brother so clingy. Her tone was a little doting. ¡°Are you hiding something from me? If you got into trouble, tell me.¡± Sui Ling smiled nonchalantly. ¡°Sister, do you still think I¡¯m a child? I didn¡¯t cause trouble. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t come often to such occasions. I¡¯m a little unaccustomed to not having you around.¡± Upon hearing this, Sui Yan patted her brother¡¯s head helplessly. Sui Ling also lowered his head to let her pat him. Sui Yan smiled from the bottom of her heart. ¡°Alright, 1 have a meeting later. Although Dad ordered you to come to this banquet, you¡¯ve already turned up. If you don¡¯t want to stay any longer, come to the company with me. Dad won¡¯t say anything about you.¡± Sui Ling smiled sweetly when he heard this. From the corner of his eye, he saw the man walking in from the door. A glint flashed across his eyes. ¡°Sister, I think 1 saw a friend. Do you want to go over with me to meet him?¡± Sui Yan followed his gaze in surprise and saw Jiang Han approaching at a glance. Her expression instantly turned cold. ¡°Xiaoling, did you insist that I come over to accompany you because of him? Is this the reason why you¡¯ve been keeping tabs on me?¡± ¡°Sister, why would you think that!¡± Sui Lingwei tugged at her sleeve aggrievedly. ¡°Sister, 1 really don¡¯t know why he came.¡± ¡°Then why did you become friends with him? Didn¡¯t Dad tell you to stay away from him?¡± Seeing that he was about to reach them, Sui Yan could only lower her voice and reprimand him. However, it was too late to leave now. As the eldest daughter of the Sui family, there was no reason for avoidance when she saw a man. She could only stay out impatiently. She had always had this expression when facing Jiang Han.. Chapter 738 - Chapter 738: Brother Jiang Chapter 738: Brother Jiang Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Han was already used to it. As usual, he leaned forward with a warm face. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Brother Sui Ling? 1 didn¡¯t expect to be lucky enough to see Miss Sui here today. 1 didn¡¯t come in vain this time.¡± ¡°Second Young Master Jiang.¡± Sui Yan greeted him expressionlessly. Jiang Han almost couldn¡¯t retain the smile on his face. What he hated the most in his life was being called Second Young Master Jiang! It was as if he had been suppressed by his brother since he was born. However, facing Sui Yan, he quickly changed his expression. ¡°Miss Sui, why don¡¯t you sit down and have a drink? I¡¯m afraid this banquet isn¡¯t to your liking. If you feel bored, I¡¯m willing to accompany you to relieve your boredom.¡± Hearing this, Sui Ling hurriedly stammered and echoed, ¡°Aiya, Sister, let¡¯s sit at the side for a while. The host of the banquet hasn¡¯t appeared yet. If we leave now, Dad will definitely be angry with me!¡± Sui Yan could not do anything to her brother. She could only nod helplessly and bring her brother to an empty table at the side to sit down. She was wearing a silver-white backless fishtail dress today. As she walked, it flickered and was very eye-catching. The large expanse of snow-white skin revealed on her back was also so beautiful that one could not take their eyes off her. The eldest daughters of the various families in the capital were all beautiful, but Jiang Han coveted Sui Yan¡¯s beauty. As long as he thought of her, even the woman he was pressing down on would become dull. The three of them quickly sat down. Jiang Han sat beside Sui Ling tactfully, which relieved Sui Yan¡¯s disgust. The waiter came over respectfully with a tray and asked if they needed help. Jiang Han ordered three sets of exquisite snacks and three glasses of fruit wine with low alcohol content. He even took care of Sui Yan¡¯s taste. They were all strawberry flavors that she liked. Sui Ling secretly gave him a thumbs up in his heart. It seemed that Jiang Han had put in a lot of effort to figure out his sister¡¯s preferences so quickly. During the meal, Sui Yan¡¯s expression was always cold. Jiang Han didn¡¯t care. He continued to talk about the interesting things that had happened around him. Sui Ling echoed and laughed. The atmosphere was quite warm. But no matter how warm it was, this place was in front of everyone. Jiang Han¡¯s true goal was to take her away. He knew that it was not so easy to win over Miss Sui, so he did not ask for anything else. He just wanted to have dinner with her and change the inherent image she had of him in her heart. However, what he did not expect was that before he could say his goal, the assistant ran over anxiously and whispered a few words to him. Sui Ling sat close and quietly eavesdropped. After the assistant finished speaking, Jiang Han¡¯s expression suddenly turned cold. The veins on his hand bulged, and he wished he could crush the wine glass. However, he still took into consideration that Sui Yan was present. He could only take a deep breath and smile apologetically at her. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Excuse me. My father has something urgent to discuss with me. 1 originally wanted to accompany Eldest Miss, so I owe you today. I¡¯ll definitely compensate you next time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Sui Yan rejected him coldly. Sui Ling hurriedly tried to smooth things over with a smile. ¡°Aiya, Brother Jiang Han, you have to compensate me well next time and treat me to a big meal!¡± ¡°Alright, no problem.¡± Jiang Han smiled and patted Sui Ling¡¯s shoulder. After taking one last look at Sui Yan, he turned around and left. When he turned around, the suppressed anger in his eyes could no longer be controlled. After Sui Yan and the others walked far away, she raised her hand and gently tapped Sui Ling¡¯s forehead. ¡°What did you eavesdrop on?¡± ¡°Eavesdrop?¡± Sui Ling subconsciously denied. Sui Yan narrowed her eyes and reached out to pull his ear. Sui Ling¡¯s face turned pale and he quickly surrendered. ¡°1 was wrong, I was wrong! Sister, I¡¯ll tell you! But I only overheard a little just now! It seems to be related to the young master of the Jiang family overseas.¡± ¡°Jiang Yu?¡± Hearing the news about that person, a rare smile appeared on Sui Yan¡¯s face. ¡°Is Brother Jiang Yu coming back?¡± Sui Ling opened his mouth in surprise. ¡°Sister, why are you happy about Jiang Yu coming back? 1 hate him the most! He keeps a straight face all day and looks at everyone as if he owes him money. He¡¯s sanctimonious and dressed like a beast.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Brother Jiang is just a little cold, but he¡¯s definitely not the kind of person you¡¯re talking about.¡± Sui Yan reprimanded him in a low voice and continued to ask, ¡°What else did you hear?¡± Sui Ling pouted unhappily. ¡°Sister, why are you always scolding me becuase of Jiang Yu? Aiya, I¡¯m so annoyed. I don¡¯t want to talk anymore. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°Where are you going? Didn¡¯t you say that the host of the banquet hassn¡¯t come out? Will you be scolded by Father if you leave?¡± Sui Yan hurriedly called out to him from behind. However, Sui Ling was already so frustrated that he only wanted to find a bar to drink. Without looking back, he said, ¡°Help me explain to Dad. Anyway, I¡¯ve already turned up!¡± Sui Yan couldn¡¯t do anything to him and could only attend this banquet on his behalf. However, ever since she heard Jiang Yu¡¯s name, she had been a little distracted. From time to time, she would take out her phone and wonder if she should send a message to him.. Chapter 739 - Chapter 739: Jiang Father and Son Chapter 739: Jiang Father and Son Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Jiang Yu was young, children his age were afraid of him because of his cold personality. However, Jiang Han was easy-going. Compared to Jiang Yu, everyone was more willing to call Jiang Han their buddy. She remembered that the first time she saw Jiang Yu was at a banquet brought to by her parents. A few children had gathered together and were mischievous. Not only did no one blame them, but they also made the parents laugh. The more lively it was here, the more deserted Jiang Yu¡¯s table was. Therefore, she easily noticed Jiang Yu. Although his face was still childish, his aura was no longer that of a child. Seeing that she was staring at his brother, Jiang Han looked disdainful. ¡°Yanyan, let¡¯s go over there to play.¡± Sui Yan was a year younger than Jiang Han. At that time, she was ignorant and naive, so she was naturally closer to Jiang Han. Later on, she saw Jiang Han bullying a little boy with a group of children. If Jiang Yu hadn¡¯t come out to stop him, Jiang Han would have beaten him to death. From then on, she kept a respectful distance from Jiang Han and developed feelings for Jiang Yu. All these years, she had deliberately distanced herself from Jiang Han. The two, who were originally childhood sweethearts and had a good relationship, gradually became strangers, and the two families rarely interacted. However, Jiang Han had inexplicably started pestering her this year, making her very troubled. On this night, the sky, was suddenly shrouded in dark clouds. The strong wind around the villa mercilessly swept up the dust and blinded the passers-by. Jiang Han stood at the door and looked coldly at the familiar car parked in the courtyard. ¡°Why did he come back early?¡± The assistant hurriedly lowered his head in panic. ¡°We have indeed followed your instructions and caused a lot of trouble for him overseas, but I don¡¯t know who helped Young Master resolve the problem so quickly. I¡¯m really incompetent.¡± Jiang Han curled his lips gloomily. ¡°Find out who helped Jiang Yu. You must find him!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The assistant received the order and immediately retreated to do his work. Jiang Han tidied his suit and suddenly smiled brightly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Big Brother inform me in advance that you were back?¡± Jiang Han walked into the house and opened his arms to give the man on the sofa a big hug. At this moment, the atmosphere in the living room was harmonious. Mrs. Jiang had not seen her eldest son for a long time and was holding his hand, unwilling to let go. Father Jiang was also asking about his well-being, but the moment Jiang Han entered, the smile on his face disappeared completely. Jiang Han saw the change in his father¡¯s expression, but he pretended not to see anything and went up to hug Jiang Yu¡¯s shoulder. Jiang Yu waited for him to finish hugging with a cold expression before saying indifferently, ¡°1 heard that the Huo family is distributing the mining rights in the west of the city recently?¡± The smile on Jiang Han¡¯s face froze for a moment before he recovered and sat on the sofa at the side. He smiled and said, ¡°Big Brother is very well-informed. Although you¡¯re overseas, you still know everything in the country.¡± Jiang Han was saying this for Father Jiang to hear. Like him, his father was only sanctimonious on the surface, but in fact, he had a terrifying desire for power. Sure enough, when he heard Jiang Han¡¯s words, the kinship that Father Jiang had because of his eldest son¡¯s return to the country was diluted. His expression turned extremely cold. ¡°Xiao Yu, don¡¯t worry about this for now. Jiang Han has already joined forces with the Sui family. As long as the Sui family finds the Divine Doctor, Jiang Huan, they will definitely obtain the mining rights. At that time, our family can take a share of the loot.¡± Hearing this, Jiang Yu frowned in confusion. ¡°Why would the Sui family share their interests with us?¡± ¡°This is all thanks to your brother!¡± Father Jiang looked at Jiang Han approvingly and smiled. ¡°Moreover, the youngest son of the Sui Family, Sui Ling, has agreed to help your brother woo the eldest daughter of the Sui Family, Sui Yan. 1 believe that not long after, our families will be even closer.¡± Jiang Yu clenched his fists and frowned. ¡°Jiang Han, what method did you use to make Sui Ling agree to help you?¡± Jiang Han looked at his father innocently for help and defended himself aggrievedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t use any methods. The Sui family originally had a good relationship with our family, but later on, everyone grew up and gradually distanced themselves. We¡¯re all friends. Is there a need to use any methods?¡± ¡°Did Sui Yan agree?¡± Jiang Yu probed calmly. Jiang Han scratched his head shyly. ¡°If Dad hadn¡¯t called me back just now, we would already be eating supper together.¡± When Father Jiang heard that his youngest son and the eldest daughter of the Sui family were progressing so quickly, he immediately smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Xiao Han, since the eldest daughter of the Sui family is interested in you, you two should get along well with her. Don¡¯t mistreat her.¡± ¡°I know, Dad.¡± Jiang Han agreed with a smile, his eyes never leaving Jiang Yu¡¯s increasingly ashen face. After the meal, Jiang Han pretended to catch up with Jiang Yu, but Jiang Yu rejected him. He could not be bothered to deal with this big brother and returned to his room to rest. Jiang Yu stood at the door of his room for a long time before moving his legs and going straight to his father¡¯s study.. Chapter 740 - Chapter 740: Welcoming Chapter 740: Welcoming Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next morning, Jiang Han woke up early to go out, but before he could walk out of the living room, he was sternly stopped by Father Jiang. ¡°Xiao Han, don¡¯t have any close contact with the Sui Family for the time being.¡± Jiang Han frowned in confusion. ¡°Father, why? I¡¯ve already agreed with the Sui family that the mining rights are already a sure bet. If we suddenly give up now, won¡¯t all our previous efforts be in vain?¡± ¡°Listen to me.¡± Father Jiang¡¯s face darkened. He put on a dignified posture, wanting to force his youngest son to let go. Jiang Han didn¡¯t dare to clash with his father in person, so he could only swallow his anger and lower his head. ¡°Alright, 1 understand.¡± With that, he rushed out of the door in an extremely bad mood without waiting for his father¡¯s instructions. Behind him, Jiang Yu slowly fastened his cufflinks and slowly walked down the stairs. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry and leave the mining rights to me.¡± ¡°Can you really persuade Divine Doctor Jiang?¡± Father Jiang¡¯s deep and shrewd eyes stared fixedly at his face. Jiang Yu didn¡¯t seem to feel threatened at all. He nodded calmly. ¡°I can. When I was overseas, I had some friendship with him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Father Jiang was completely relieved. Last night, Jiang Yu had a secret meeting with Father Jiang in the study with the intention of annexing all the mine rights. Compared to the benefits that leaked out from the Sui Family, the temptation of swallowing the entire cake was naturally greater. At the Shi family, Shen Xian happily made a large table of dishes when Shi Zhong and Shi Mu returned from their business trip. They were all their favorites. Shi Man was going to work in the army after breakfast. Yi Zheng suddenly grabbed her arm. ¡°The Jiang family is holding a banquet tonight to welcome Jiang Yu. Do you want to come?¡± ¡°The Jiang family¡­¡± Shi Man nodded. ¡°1¡¯11 go.¡± Only then did Yi Zheng let go of her wrist with a relaxed expression. ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you up in the afternoon. You can¡¯t wear a training suit to the banquet, right? 1¡¯11 bring you a gown that you¡¯ll like.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Shi Man replied and left with her coat. At four in the afternoon, Yi Zheng appeared at the entrance of the army on time. After Shi Man explained the next training project, she jogged out without even drying the sweat on her forehead. Yi Zheng smiled and wiped her sweat. He opened the car door for her personally. ¡°There¡¯s still time. Do you want to eat something to fill your stomach first?¡± Shi Man glared at him and mocked him angrily. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring your special assistant today?¡± Tang Zhe, who was sitting in front, immediately felt like he was being in an uncomfortable situation. He hurriedly answered for the President, ¡°There are still some things in the company. I asked Chen Jiao to work in the company.¡± After the two incidents, Tang Zhe really didn¡¯t dare to let Chen Jiao and the President go out alone again. Shi Man had already caught her twice. If she caught her again, the President would probably want to tear Chen Jiao apart. The atmosphere in the car suddenly became a little awkward. Tang Zhe hurriedly turned to look out of the window, trying his best to reduce his presence. After they arrived at the banquet hotel organized by the Jiang family, Shi Man went in to change first. She came this time to personally meet Jiang Han and see how bold this man who had secretly attacked her was. The protagonist of this banquet was Jiang Yu and Sui Yan¡¯s gaze did not leave him at all. Knowing that the Jiang family was holding a banquet today, she was already prepared. However, she didn¡¯t expect Jiang Yu to take the initiative to look for her and accompany her to the stylist¡¯s place for the entire afternoon without complaining. Sui Yan was decisive in the business world and was long past the age of a young girl yearning for love. However, facing Jiang Yu at this moment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel like a deer in the headlights. Although this person whom she had secretly admired for more than twenty years was still as cold as when she was young, there was a hint of flirtatiousness on his usually expressionless face. ¡°Brother Yu, welcome home.¡± Sui Yan smiled sweetly and clinked glasses with him. Jiang Yu glanced in his brother¡¯s direction and raised his wine glass indifferently. ¡°Thank you for coming to my welcome banquet.¡± ¡°Brother Yu, you don¡¯t have to be so polite to me. We were good friends when we were young!¡± Sui Yan was still immersed in her childhood memories and didn¡¯t notice the shock on Jiang Yu¡¯s face. In his impression, he really could not be considered friends with Sui Yan. It had always been Sui Yan following behind him unilaterally while he just ignored her. However, now that Sui Yan, a lady, said this first, he naturally could not embarrass her. The corners of his mouth curled into a rare smile. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re good friends.¡± When Sui Yan saw this smile, her face turned red and her heart beat even faster. Beside him, Jiang Han had been silently paying attention to all of this. He was so angry that veins popped out on his forehead. Sui Yan had always been cold and aloof in front of him. When had she ever revealed such a charming expression? However, now that Jiang Yu had just returned, she was in heat with him! How was he inferior to Jiang Yu? Jiang Yu had been overseas for so many years. Everything in the Jiang family relied on him! But now that Jiang Yu had returned, his father had erased all his efforts with a single sentence! Chapter 741 - Chapter 741: Agreed Chapter 741: Agreed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the other side, Shi Man had been secretly observing Jiang Han from the corner of her eye, so she naturally did not miss the hatred that flashed across his face. The Jiang brothers were very interesting. It seemed that they had fallen in love with the same woman. Shi Man slowly approached with a glass of wine and sat opposite him, ignoring the shock on his face. ¡°Young Master Jiang, it¡¯s our first time meeting, but I won¡¯t introduce myself. You should know me.¡± Jiang Han put away the shock on his face and smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°I should indeed know such a beautiful woman, but I¡¯m really sorry. 1 really don¡¯t know your name. Are you willing to tell me your name?¡± Shi Man pursed her lips and smiled. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend to be confused. Didn¡¯t you send someone to kill Liu Gang? He¡¯s in my hands now.¡± Hearing this, Jiang Han¡¯s expression changed, but he immediately returned to his normal smile. ¡°Who¡¯s Liu Gang? 1 don¡¯t know this person.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you say. I¡¯m not a police officer and don¡¯t need to have concrete evidence. 1 just want you to know that 1 know everything you¡¯ve done. Second Young Master Jiang, let¡¯s wait and see.¡± After saying this, Shi Man finished the wine in her glass and slammed it on the table before leaving. Jiang Han narrowed his eyes and stared at her back. A scheming glint suddenly flashed across his eyes. After Yi Zheng finished talking to the people he knew, he turned around and realized that Shi Man had disappeared. He hurriedly looked around anxiously. Seeing that she had come from the center of the venue, he immediately asked worriedly, ¡°Where did you go just now?¡± Shi Man said casually, ¡°1 went out to take a breather. By the way, are you quite familiar with the Sui family?¡± Yi Zheng shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°Our families don¡¯t have a good relationship. The Sui family and the Jiang family are close. I came this time just to go through the motions.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows in surprise. She thought that Yi Zheng would not be polite to people he could not stand at all. There must be another reason for him to do this. ¡°Who do you want to see at this banquet?¡± Shi Man asked with certainty. Yi Zheng blinked in surprise. ¡°I still can¡¯t hide anything from you. Actually, I came to see if Jiang Huan would appear at this welcome banquet. Rumor has it that Jiang Huan once helped the eldest young master of the Jiang family, Jiang Yu, overseas. The two of them have a good personal relationship.¡± ¡°Are you looking for Jiang Huan too?¡± Shi Man frowned at him in confusion. Yi Zheng nodded and said, ¡°You know Jiang Huan? This time, the Sui family used Jiang Huan as bait. If I can find Jiang Huan before him, 1 should have an additional chance of winning.¡± ¡°Why does the Huo family want Jiang Huan? Is someone seriously ill?¡± Shi Man had just arrived in the capital and had been working in the army¡¯s insufficient information environment, so she really knew nothing about the Huo family. Yi Zheng explained to her calmly, ¡°Old Master Huo has a granddaughter who has been ill for a long time. Over the years, he has searched for countless famous doctors but couldn¡¯t recover, so he wanted to locate Jiang Huan. After all, he¡¯s said to have cured many difficult illnesses.¡± Shi Man smiled indifferently. ¡°I think Old Master Huo is willing to feed this piece of fat meat to the Sui family because they can invite Jiang Huan, who can treat his granddaughter¡¯s illness.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yi Zheng asked in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shi Man smiled calmly and said, ¡°If I can cure his granddaughter, what does it matter if you can find Jiang Huan?¡± Hearing this, Yi Zheng could not hide the shock in his eyes. ¡°Are you really confident that you can treat her illness?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know after we try.¡± Although Shi Man said that, her eyes were filled with determination. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly into a provocative smile. ¡°Can you arrange it?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± His relationship with the Huo family was no small matter. It was still possible for Shi Man to meet the eldest daughter of the Huo family. Thinking that Shi Man could even cure the heat poison in his body, a trace of hope suddenly appeared in Yi Zheng¡¯s heart. ¡°Manman, if you can really cure Old Master Huo¡¯s granddaughter, the mine rights in the west of the city will definitely be ours.¡± ¡°When the time comes, I¡¯ll take 70% of your share.¡± Shi Man negotiated with him seriously. Yi Zheng was amused by her appearance. He shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with giving it all to you? Isn¡¯t what¡¯s mine yours? Besides, 1 wouldn¡¯t have contribted anything should you be able to cure her.¡± This man was always like this. In the face of benefits, he was never willing to fall behind. However, when it came to Shi Man, he did not care about all benefits. It was as if in his heart, Shi Man was the greatest treasure. Everything other than her had to take second place. Shi Man also liked this man very much. If he dawdled and was unwilling to hand over the small benefits in his hands, she would have despised him. The two of them agreed and Yi Zheng began to make arrangements. When Old Master Huo heard that Yi Zheng was bringing his fiancee along, he agreed without thinking. He couldn¡¯t hide the smile on his face. ¡°You finally have a conscience in letting me see your future wife. By the way, tell me what your fiancee likes and doesn¡¯t like to eat so that I can get someone to prepare it in advance.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Yi Zheng knew Shi Man¡¯s likes and dislikes very well. He chatted with Old Master Huo for a while before hanging up.. Chapter 742 - Chapter 742: Friendship Between Women Chapter 742: Friendship Between Women Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Yu took the initiative to toast Yi Zheng. The two of them had never interacted before, but recently, the Yi family¡¯s power in the capital had risen too quickly. Jiang Yu was very curious about what kind of person Yi Zheng was, so he specially sent the invitation to Yi Zheng this time. ¡°President Yi, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. I¡¯m very happy to meet you today. I hope we can have a chance to work together in the future.¡± Yi Zheng raised his glass politely. ¡°I hope so. Welcome back.¡± Sui Yan followed suit. ¡°President Yi is young and promising. I¡¯ve long heard of you. This must be President Yi¡¯s fiancee, Miss Shi.¡± Shi Man raised her glass expressionlessly. ¡®Miss Sui, it¡¯s our first time meeting. Please take care of me in the future.¡± Sui Yan smiled and drank the glass of wine. When she put down the glass, she saw Shi Man suddenly take a step closer to her. Just as she was about to retreat in avoidance, an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist and pulled her forward. Shi Man slowly pulled her into her arms and rested her chin on her shoulder. She smiled and said, ¡°You have to be careful of Jiang Han. He¡¯s been looking at you.¡± Sui Yan, who was about to struggle, paused and looked at Shi Man in disbelief. She did not expect this girl, who had just met her for the first time, to be willing to remind her of this. As if sensing her surprise, Shi Man smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know better than me what kind of person Jiang Han is. I just don¡¯t want another girl to be harmed.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Sui Yan frowned and asked in a low voice, ¡°Who else was harmed by him?¡± She usually didn¡¯t pay attention to Jiang Han¡¯s movements, but she knew very well what a ruthless man he was. Could it be that he had harmed some girl recently? Shi Man did not intend to answer her question. She just shrugged indifferently. ¡°You just have to be careful.¡± Sui Yan suddenly smiled and looked at Shi Man with a closer gaze. ¡°Thank you, Miss Shi. You¡¯re much gentler than what the rumors calimed.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rumored me like?¡± Shi Man slowly drank her wine and naturally sat side by side with Sui Yan on a chair. The atmosphere between the two of them was like a reunion of good friends. Jiang Yu smiled as he looked at Sui Yan¡¯s back. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at himself. ¡°Because of her identity, Sui Yan has been tense. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen her so relaxed in such an occasion.¡± Yi Zheng smiled proudly. ¡°This is because my Manman is very popular.¡± Jiang Yu looked at her for a while before chuckling. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect President Yi to have such a side. It¡¯s my honor to be able to be friends with you today.¡± The two men complimented each other while Shi Man and Sui Yan chatted happily. After the banquet ended, Sui Yan even took the initiative to add Shi Man as a friend on her phone. The friendship between girls was sometimes that simple. Without any benefits involved, Shi Man also wanted to be good friends with Sui Yan. Unfortunately, Sui Yan liked Jiang Yu, so the two families were destined to become business competitors in the future. The next day, Yi Zheng brought Shi Man to the Huo family. The two of them had brought a very generous greeting gift. Tang Zhe wanted to go with them in case the President had any instructions. However, Yi Zheng did not expect Tang Zhe to bring Chen Jiao along. Seeing that woman, Yi Zheng¡¯s expression turned ugly. However, when he thought of what he had said previously when he decided to go along to expose her, he reluctantly gave her a good attitude. Chen Jiao was delighted to see that Yi Zheng was not as repulsed by her as before. She looked at Shi Man with disdain. She knew that these young ladies from aristocratic families were easy to deal with. They thought highly of themselves and couldn¡¯t let go of their pride to coax men, so she took advantage of them. In fact, men needed to be coaxed the most. As long as she coaxed them with a little trick, she could get anything she wanted through their hands. Chen Jiao had always judged that these young ladies from aristocratic families who were unwilling to humble themselves to coax men. She felt it was simply a very stupid action. How could a man like Yi Zheng, who was rich and not short of looks, be willing to put up with a woman¡¯s cold treatment? He would definitely like a gentle, affectionate, and coquettish woman like her more. It seemed that she was one step closer to Shi Man being eliminated! Thinking of this, Chen Jiao couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Tang Zhe looked at her curiously and patted her shoulder to remind her, ¡°Stop laughing foolishly. Hurry up and get in the car. Don¡¯t delay CEO Yi¡¯s arrangements.¡± Chen Jiao hurriedly said seriously, ¡°I understand, Cousin.¡± As she spoke, she reached out to open the car door and naturally sat in the front passenger seat. Then, she realized that this car was not an extended car. Yi Zheng and Shi Man would definitely sit in the back row together. If she occupied that seat, wouldn¡¯t Tang Zhe have nowhere to sit? Just as she was feeling conflicted, Tang Zhe took the initiative to say, ¡°Go sit in the car behind and be with Miss Shi. Don¡¯t talk nonsense..¡± Chapter 743 - Chapter 743: Love Rival’s Provocation Chapter 743: Love Rival¡¯s Provocation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chen Jiao was stunned for a moment before she reacted. It was impossible for Shi Man to let go of this opportunity to get close to Yi Zheng. That could only mean that Shi Man wanted to see her today. Could it be that Shi Man had already felt threatened and decided to use her status as her fiancee to force her to leave Yi Zheng? If that was the case, Shi Man was too naive. When two women fought for a man, whoever the man sided with would be able to stand firm and not be eliminated. This was not something that could be achieved by suppressing one¡¯s identity. After getting into the car, Chen Jiao switched from the obedient attitude she had in front of Tang Zhe and Yi Zheng. She sat in the front passenger seat arrogantly and looked at Shi Man with her head raised. ¡°Miss Shi, are we setting off?¡± Shi Man could see the smugness on her face and smiled faintly. ¡°Drive.¡± The chauffeur stepped on the accelerator and rushed out of the courtyard. He kept feeling that the air pressure in the car was extremely low today; it was so oppressive that he could not breathe. Large beads of sweat flowed down his forehead, forcing him to take out a tissue to wipe his sweat. ¡°Turn on the air conditioner.¡± Shi Man glanced at him coldly and ordered. The chauffeur seemed to have been pardoned. ¡°Thank you, Missy!¡± Miss Shi usually looked cold, but she was still very caring. She was much better than those arrogant young ladies who looked down on others! Soon, the cold breeze from the air conditioner blew away the sweltering heat in the car. The chauffeur heaved a sigh of relief. But before he could catch his breath, Chen Jiao, who was sitting in the front passenger seat beside him, suddenly shivered and said in a pitiful voice,¡± Chauffeur, don¡¯t turn on the air conditioner. I¡¯m so cold.¡± Her voice was gentle and sweet, making one¡¯s bones go soft. However, Missy was the one who gave instructions for the air conditioner to be switched on. He did not have the guts to turn it off. He could only ask Missy through the rearview mirror. Shi Man only took a casual look before closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to turn it off. Turn on the ventilation while you¡¯re at it. The smell in the car is suffocating. It should be removed.¡± The chauffeur was slightly stunned. He subconsciously sniffed the car, but the only thing lingering in his nose was the sweet perfume smell of Chen Jiao beside him. He felt it was quite fragrant. How could there be a pungent smell? However, he could only obey Missy¡¯s orders. After the ventilation in the car was turned on, he asked with a puzzled expression, ¡°Missy, why don¡¯t I smell anything pungent in the car?¡± ¡°It smells like green tea (troublemaking vixen). Can¡¯t you smell it?¡± Shi Man only opened one eye lazily and looked at him in the rearview mirror. Seeing his silly expression, she didn¡¯t want to say anything else. She closed her eyes again and put on a posture of keeping strangers away. Chen Jiao gritted her teeth in anger. She was sitting in this position and had to endure the air conditioner as she blocked Shi Man. She was wearing a suit and short skirt today, revealing a pair of slender white legs. She was already trembling from the cold. Shi Man clearly wanted to torture her! Chen Jiao¡¯s thoughts raced. She suddenly turned around and smiled at Shi Man. ¡°Missy¡¯s nose is so sensitive. Then can Missy smell the familiar smell on me? I was with President Yi all day today and might have accidentally gotten his scent on me.¡± After saying that, she covered her mouth in pretended surprise, looking very unpretentious. ¡°Aiya, I accidentally said the wrong thing. I don¡¯t mean anything else. Missy, please don¡¯t be calculative with me.¡± Shi Man curled her lips slightly and said with a faint smile, ¡°Since you know you said the wrong thing, you have to apologize properly and not make a mistake with a clear conscience just because the other party is magnanimous.¡± Chen Jiao was stunned for a moment before she smiled and said, ¡°As President Yi¡¯s special assistant, I have to follow President Yi in and out every day. Thinking about it carefully, I¡¯ve really spent more time by President Yi¡¯s side than you, Missy. That¡¯s why I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll have a grudge against me.¡± Shi Man nodded softly and suddenly opened her eyes. ¡°You can rest assured about that. Yi Zheng isn¡¯t interested in you. I don¡¯t have to be calculative with you.¡± Chen Jiao smiled shyly and said, ¡°President Yi is indeed a good man. The last time President Yi and I were locked in the room, he saw that I was afraid and even comforted me very gently. If not for him, I would have cried from fright.¡± Any normal woman would be furious after hearing her love rival¡¯s provocation. She thought that a woman like Shi Man was definitely no exception, so she waited for Shi Man to make a scene. It would be best if she fell out with Yi Zheng. At that time, she would continue to pretend to be innocent and pitiful, and Shi Man would appear unreasonable. However, she did not expect Shi Man to have no reaction after hearing this. Chen Jiao couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and said, ¡°Missy, President Yi is very good at comforting girls. It¡¯s all because you taught him well.¡± Shi Man smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Tang Zhe didn¡¯t tell you that this car has a recording function?¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She almost immediately turned around to look at the central console. Her eyes searched back and forth anxiously before finally landing on the chauffeur¡¯s face in disbelief. The chauffeur did not dare to speak. No matter how stupid he was, he could tell that there was animosity between the two of them. To him, Chen Jiao was the President¡¯s special assistant, so he naturally could not provoke her. The person behind her was a proper young lady, so he would be in greater trouble should he get on the wrong side of her. In such a dilemma, he could only choose to shut up and play dead.. Chapter 744 - Chapter 744: Deceived Again Chapter 744: Deceived Again Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chen Jiao panicked. She had yet to establish absolute trust in Yi Zheng. If Yi Zheng knew what she had just said, her previous efforts would be in vain! This damn Shi Man actually learned to hold back! Just as she was panicking about how she would deal with Yi Zheng¡¯s questioning later, she heard Shi Man suddenly laugh behind her. She immediately looked over warily. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Shi Man looked at her as if she was a fool. ¡°I was just teasing you. There¡¯s no recording equipment in this car. Don¡¯t tell me you took it seriously?¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°How dare you lie to me!¡± ¡°So what if I did?¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes and smiled at her, looking dignified. Chen Jiao flew into a rage out of humiliation and said, ¡°Miss Shi, you can¡¯t tease me like this just because of CEO Yi¡¯s normal relationship with me! You¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Shi family after all. If this gets out, you¡¯ll only be mocked!¡± Shi Man smiled faintly and said, ¡°You only dare to talk to me like this knowing that there¡¯s no recording equipment here. It seems that your relationship with Yi Zheng isn¡¯t that good. Otherwise, why would you worry so much?¡± Chen Jiao¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°President Yi and I only have a business relationship now, but everything I said that night is true. Although President Yi ordered me not to tell you about this, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to you. Your fiance was with another woman before marriage, and he selfishly hid it from you. Now that you know this, will you still choose to marry him?¡± Chen Jiao was provoking Shi Man almost hysterically. At this point, she wanted to see Shi Man break down. No one would be able to bear it if her fiance had another woman before marriage. If Shi Man endured it, Chen Jiao would look down on her. However, if Shi Man couldn¡¯t bear it, it would suit her. In short, she didn¡¯t want Shi Man to feel good! The atmosphere in the car suddenly turned cold. Chen Jiao smiled proudly and was already prepared to see Shi Man¡¯s embarrassed expression. However, she did not expect Shi Man to only move her body slightly. She seemed to be tired of sitting. She changed into a more comfortable position and leaned against the back of the seat. She raised her hand and picked up her cell phone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chen Jiao. I only said that there¡¯s no recording equipment in this car. I didn¡¯t say that my phone wasn¡¯t on the recording mode just now.¡± The chauffeur couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Chen Jiao was so angry that her face turned green. This time, she couldn¡¯t care less. She raised her hand and pointed at Shi Man¡¯s nose as she scolded, ¡°You sinister bitch, you tricked me! I just want to tell the truth. I don¡¯t mean anything else. Don¡¯t twist the truth!¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows innocently. ¡°What you mean would be interpreted based on Yi Zheng¡¯s own understanding.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the car had already stopped steadily in front of the villa. Chen Jiao looked at the car in front of her in panic and met Yi Zheng¡¯s cold eyes. She was so frightened that she immediately shivered. However, she forced herself to swallow calmly. She opened the car door and walked up to Yi Zheng as if nothing had happened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Yi. 1 didn¡¯t take good care of Miss Shi¡¯s emotions in the car just now. If she misunderstood anything, you can just blame me. I¡¯m willing to take responsibility.¡± She wanted to take the blame first so that Yi Zheng would not be so angry when he heard the recording later. After saying this, she did not forget to look up at Tang Zhe timidly. ¡°Cousin, I really didn¡¯t mean to make Miss Shi angry. Miss Shi asked about that night and I couldn¡¯t lie, but I really didn¡¯t mean to say the wrong thing!¡± She wanted to gain Tang Zhe¡¯s sympathy for her by saying this. After all, this man had been very loving and doting on her from the beginning. There was no reason for him not to stand up for her at this time. However, after she finished performing the scene she thought was perfect, she did not expect face silence. How could this be? Chen Jiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When she looked up, she saw Tang Zhe¡¯s angry face and Yi Zheng¡¯s bloodthirsty gaze. Her heart skipped a beat as she retreated until she bumped into a soft body behind her. She subconsciously turned around. After seeing that it was Shi Man, the hatred that flashed across her eyes quickly turned into a pitiful grievance. ¡°Miss Shi, please don¡¯t blame President Yi for what happened that night. President Yi and I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t interfere in your relationship. I just want to protect my hard-earned job!¡± Shi Man watched indifferently as Chen Jiao continued her act. After she finished saying her lines, she smiled and pressed the screen to hand it to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t make myself clear just now. I wasn¡¯t not recording. 1 was on the line with Yi Zheng, so Chen Jiao, you don¡¯t have to act anymore. The two of them have long heard what you didn¡¯t mean just now..¡± Chapter 745 - Chapter 745: Close Brothers Chapter 745: Close Brothers Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Chen Jiao.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s cold voice suddenly sounded from behind. Chen Jiao was so frightened that her entire body trembled. She almost immediately ran to Yi Zheng¡¯s side and begged with tears in her eyes, ¡°President Yi, listen to my explanation. I really don¡¯t mean anything else. I just think we should let Miss Shi know about what happened between us. Otherwise, this won¡¯t be fair to her at all and it will become a knot in your hearts in the future.¡± Hearing this, Yi Zheng sneered and said, ¡°Then it seems that I have to thank you for thinking for my sake?¡± He knew that this woman had ill intentions! Not to mention that it was impossible for him to really have sex with her, even if they did, she would not be the one to tell Shi Man about it. Moreover, she had used that provocative tone. This woman was deliberately trying to squeeze Shi Man away so that she could occupy the position of Madam Yi! ¡°Listen carefully.¡± Yi Zheng¡¯s expression suddenly turned cold. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely investigate what happened that night. You don¡¯t have to spout nonsense here. Also, as a special assistant, you were disrespectful to my future Madam. Now, I officially announce that you¡¯ve been fired by me. From today onwards, you have nothing to do with me!¡± ¡°No!¡± Chen Jiao cried as she wanted to pounce on Yi Zheng. However, before her outstretched hand could touch the corner of Yi Zheng¡¯s clothes, she was grabbed tightly by a pair of large hands. Tang Zhe¡¯s expression was already extremely cold, but because Chen Jiao was his cousin after all, he forced himself to hold back his anger and said, ¡°Stop talking. Come with me now, or I won¡¯t be able to protect you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Chen Jiao suddenly shook off his hand like a lunatic. Then, she realized what she had just done. She stole a glance at Tang Zhe¡¯s increasingly cold expression and immediately shrank her neck in fear. ¡°Cousin, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± She had almost forgotten that Tang Zhe was the only piece of driftwood that could save her life now. If even Tang Zhe hated her, then she really had no chance of winning. After trying to cozy up to Yi Zheng for so long, she had long figured out Tang Zhe¡¯s status in Yi Zheng¡¯s heart. As long as this good cousin was still willing to protect her, she would not lose completely. Thinking of this, Chen Jiao immediately held Tang Zhe¡¯s hand aggrievedly and pitifully, shaking it gently like a child. ¡°Cousin, I¡¯m sorry. 1¡¯11 go with you. I can give an explanation for what happened today. Please believe me.¡± Tang Zhe stuffed her into the car without a word. Then, he returned to the two of them and apologized humbly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Yi, Miss Shi. 1 didn¡¯t manage Chen Jiao well enough to let her speak nonsense today. Please punish me.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Tang Zhe, think about it carefully. This matter has nothing to do with you. Why do you have to take the blame for her?¡± Tang Zhe had been unwilling to get involved in this matter. But ever since he heard Chen Jiao provoke Shi Man in the car, he was certain that Chen Jiao was not a naive girl on the surface. No matter what, he was the one who brought her into the company. It was due to him believing Chen Jiao¡¯s words that caused today¡¯s disaster. If he hadn¡¯t been negligent that night, Chen Jiao wouldn¡¯t have had so many inappropriate thoughts. In the end, Chen Jiao was his cousin and he had personally brought her into the company. He should bear the responsibility. Shi Man nodded in understanding and patted his shoulder comfortingly. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to take all the blame. After all, Chen Jiao is not simple. There are many things that still need further investigation. When the investigation results are out, you can consider taking back what you said today.¡± Tang Zhe frowned in confusion, not understanding why Shi Man would say that. He thought that Shi Man still cared about that night, so he quickly nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll listen to Miss Shi.¡± ¡°Alright, Yi Zheng, don¡¯t make the people inside wait. Let¡¯s go in first.¡± With that, she turned around and left without waiting for Yi Zheng¡¯s reaction. Yi Zheng did not look at Tang Zhe again and followed Shi Man. Actually, he had some doubts in his heart that needed to be confirmed, so he did not flare up too much today. After the matter was investigated, he could find someone to settle it carefully. On the second floor of the villa, Old Master Huo stood by the window and took in the commotion at the door. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s that woman?¡± The butler also looked down and guessed in confusion, ¡°Maybe that girl said something to make President Yi unhappy?¡± ¡°What kind of petty child do you think he is?¡± Old Master Huo ordered with a fake smile. ¡°Investigate that woman¡¯s identity. Yi Zheng is at the center of the storm now. Don¡¯t let anyone who shouldn¡¯t appear around him take advantage him.¡± The butler hurriedly responded and smiled gently. ¡°Old Master, you¡¯re really good to President Yi as if he¡¯s your biological grandson!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± A trace of nostalgia gradually appeared in Old Huo¡¯s eyes.. ¡°Back then, his grandfather and 1 were best friends who lived in the bunkhouse!¡± Chapter 746 - Chapter 746: Diagnosis Chapter 746: Diagnosis Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Yi Zheng brought Shi Man in, Old Master Huo was coming downstairs. When he saw the two of them, he immediately instructed the butler to pour tea. ¡°The two of you are finally willing to come and see me?¡± In front of them, Old Master Huo did not want to look dignified at all. Instead, he looked more like a grandfather who doted on his juniors. Yi Zheng smiled apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s indeed our fault for taking so long to visit you.¡± Hearing this, Old Master Huo pretended to be angry and pursed his lips. ¡°Kid, don¡¯t drag her along if you¡¯re the one that¡¯s rude.¡± With that, he looked at the girl beside Yi Zheng with a benevolent smile. ¡°Manman, if Yi Zheng dares to bully you in the capital in the future, come and complain to me. I¡¯ll help you deal with him!¡± Shi Man could tell that Old Master Huo doted on Yi Zheng. She was slightly surprised by the relationship between the two of them, but she still smiled and said, ¡°Okay, Grandpa Huo.¡± Elder Huo was stunned and tears welled up in his eyes. ¡°What did you call me just now?¡± Shi Man blinked in confusion. She looked at Yi Zheng and then at the stunned Old Master Huo. She could only repeat the greeting. ¡°Grandpa Huo.¡± Old Master Huo was so happy that he couldn¡¯t close his mouth. ¡°Yi Zheng, Manman is much better at talking than you. For Manman¡¯s sake, 1 have to give my future grand daughter-in-law a greeting gift today.¡± As he spoke, he instructed someone to immediately go to the storeroom to retrieve the pair of bracelets that had been treasured for many years. Shi Man quickly refused. She was just being polite. How could she take such an expensive gift from Old Master Huo? However, because of Old Huo¡¯s insistence, she could only accept it for the time being. She thought that she would hand it to Yi Zheng when she returned. The three of them ate happily. After dinner, Shi Man suggested visiting Old Master Huo¡¯s granddaughter. Elder Huo agreed without thinking. He thought that Shi Man just wanted to visit and show concern about his granddaughter¡¯s condition. He had no idea that Shi Man had come this time to treat his granddaughter¡¯s illness. The dark bedroom was silent. The butler went in first to check on Missy¡¯s condition. Then, he turned on the dim yellow bedside lamp and invited Shi Man and the others in. The room was filled with the nauseating smell of medicine. The butler hurriedly opened the window to ventilate. Ever since Elder Huo entered this room, the smile on his face disappeared completely. He pointed at the chair by the bed and walked to the sofa on the other side to sit down. ¡°Sit down too. Xiao Ning has been like this for two years. I¡¯ve looked for doctors for her, but they couldn¡¯t treat her illness.¡± As he spoke, he sighed deeply. ¡°Yi Zheng, don¡¯t blame me for handing the mining rights to the Sui family. Jiang Huan is the only person who can cure Xiao Ning. For Xiao Ning, I can give up everything.¡± Yi Zheng nodded in understanding. It was impossible for him to be angry with Elder Huo because of this. Shi Man did not care what Old Master Huo had just said. Now, all her attention was focused on Huo Ning. On the hospital bed, the young girl who seemed to have fallen asleep was pale to the point of being bloodless. There seemed to be a frown between her brows, as if she was not comforted by sleeping. There was also a dried trail of medicine on her lips that extended all the way to her collar. She suddenly took out a tissue at the side and raised her hand to personally wipe the mark for her. When she retracted her hand, her fingertips seemed to have accidentally pressed against the aorta on her neck, carefully feeling the weak heartbeat under her finger. She frowned and threw the ball of paper in her hand into the trash can. Only then did she block herself from view and secretly take Huo Ning¡¯s pulse. Beside her, Yi Zheng saw what she was doing and took the initiative to understand Huo Ning¡¯s condition from Old Master Huo. He wanted to obtain as much information as possible for Shi Man so that he could temporarily divert Old Master Huo¡¯s attention from discovering what Shi Man was doing. He was not worried that Shi Man would not be able to treat Huo Ning¡¯s illness in the end. He just did not want the old man to be hopeful and disappointed again. However, he had clearly underestimated Shi Man¡¯s strength. She only placed her hand on Huo Ning¡¯s wrist and retracted her hand in less than a minute. The tension between her eyebrows relaxed, and her face was relaxed. Yi Zheng looked over and saw Shi Man giving him a reassuring expression. She stood up and slowly walked to Old Master Huo¡¯s side. Under Old Master Huo¡¯s surprised gaze, she asked in a low voice, ¡°Grandpa Huo, did Miss Huo have symptoms like diarrhea, retching and dizziness before she got sick?¡± Even someone like Old Master Huo could not help but stand up in surprise. ¡°How did you know?¡± Shi Man smiled and said, ¡°Because I already know the cause of Miss Huo¡¯s illness and am confident that I can treat her. It depends on whether you¡¯re willing to believe in me.¡± Hearing this, not only Old Huo, but even the butler could not help but ask in shock, ¡°Miss Shi, do you actually know how to treat illnesses?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shi Man gave an affirmative answer without hesitation and continued to explain to them, ¡°Miss Huo is actually not sick. Otherwise, the hospital would have diagnosed her illness.¡± ¡°Then she is¡­¡± Old Master Huo was already 70 to 80% convinced and couldn¡¯t help but ask.. Chapter 747 - Chapter 747: Promise Chapter 747: Promise Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sure enough, Shi Man said the answer he had guessed right on the heels of that. ¡°Poisoned.¡± But what kind of poison could exist in the body for two years without being diagnosed by a doctor? Old Master Huo was puzzled and could only look at Shi Man in confusion. ¡°Manman, since you can tell, do you also cure this poison?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Shi Man replied firmly. She was not a famous doctor who could cure illnesses. The reason why she knew how to cure this poison was all because she had been deeply harmed in her previous life. Prolonged sickness made a doctor out of a patient and she had seen many dirty things in the darkness. Gradually, she understood many ways to cure poisons. As she spoke, she took out silver needles from her bag. Old Master Huo was shocked. His hesitant gaze darted back and forth between Yi Zheng and her. In the end, he probed uncertainly, ¡°You actually came this time to treat Ah Ning¡¯s illness, right?¡± Yi Zheng nodded and said, ¡°I told Manman about the Sui family looking for Jiang Huan at the banquet last time, so she suggested trying it herself to see if she could treat Ah Ning¡¯s illness.¡± Elder Huo¡¯s eyes were filled with shock. He had long used his identity to inquire about Shi Man. He knew that she was skilled and could even gain the favor of Lu Jun. He also knew that she was a capable girl. She was able to gain a foothold in the army at such a young age and had even completed a very dangerous mission. However, he had never heard that Shi Man was actually a divine doctor! As if seeing the disbelief in his eyes, Shi Man stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Old Master Huo. ¡°The poison in Miss Huo¡¯s body is called hallucinogenic powder. Once this poison enters the body, it will paralyze the brain, making the central system unable to give orders to various parts of the body as usual. Therefore, the person who is poisoned will quickly be paralyzed. Then, her internal organs will gradually lose control, but it won¡¯t take her life.¡± This poison allowed the inflicted to live and it was the same as the heat poison that Yi Zheng had been poisoned with back then. However, it was used to keep people alive to slowly torture them. Most people who could use such poison were ruthless. They either had a deep conflict of interest with the person involved or hated the person to the core. Huo Ning was still young when she was poisoned. She did not have any enemies who could hate her to this extent. Therefore, at the end of the day, they still had to investigate from Old Master Huo. Hearing this, Old Master Huo almost swayed to the point of losing his balance. After a long time, his face turned pale and his lips trembled as he said, ¡°Yes, who wanted to harm my granddaughter like this?¡± Shi Man frowned and told him her guess. ¡°Old Master Huo, as far as 1 know, Huo Ning¡¯s parents passed away when she was very young. She¡¯s your only granddaughter. If she wasn¡¯t poisoned, the burden of the Huo family would definitely fall on her shoulders in the future.¡± Elder Huo sighed deeply and fell back onto the sofa in a daze. ¡°I didn¡¯t take good care of her and let her be harmed to this extent. All Ning has been very smart since she was young. She¡¯s good at being a strong woman. I¡¯ve always had high hopes for her.¡± ¡°But now, the Huo family¡¯s company is actually handed over to Huo Liang, the young cousin of the Huo family.¡± As Shi Man disinfected the silver needles, she casually mentioned this person¡¯s name. Elder Huo nodded heavily and said, ¡°I watched Huo Liang grow up.¡± At this point, Old Master Huo looked up in disbelief. ¡°Manman, are you suspecting that Huo Liang was behind the entire incident?¡± Shi Man said extremely honestly, ¡°Old Master Huo, don¡¯t be agitated. I¡¯m just guessing. After all, I don¡¯t know Young Master Huo very well. I just think that he¡¯s the biggest beneficiary of Huo Ning¡¯s poisoning, so I¡¯m reasonably suspicious. If you think it¡¯s impossible for him to have done it, pretend I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°No.¡± Old Huo had also experienced all kinds of devious methods used by his family members to fight for power. He had lived for so long and would not naively believe Huo Liang. It was just that he had always thought that Huo Ning was just sick and had never considered that she could be poisoned. Now that he thought about it, Huo Liang was indeed the most suspicious. At the thought of this, Old Master Huo¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°This kind of poison is rare. Go and find out if Huo Liang has any channels to come into contact with this medicine.¡± The butler understood the seriousness of the matter and immediately followed his instructions. Shi Man lowered her eyes and continued to fiddle with the silver needles in her hand. Old Master Huo was still a little worried. ¡°Manman, are you really confident that you can cure this poison?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, 1 can pack up and go back now.¡± Shi Man had a calm smile on her face, making one feel at ease. Hearing this, Old Master Huo couldn¡¯t help but laugh from the bottom of his heart. He shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°Forget it, I believe you. Manman, treat her as much as you want. If you can really treat All Ning¡¯s illness, I¡¯m willing to agree to anything you want.¡± This was what Shi Man wanted. She raised her eyebrows in satisfaction and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll start. However, 1 have to say in advance that this poison is not easy to detoxify. After I administer the acupuncture, she has to take the medicine on time for a month. Otherwise, it will still be not be effective..¡± Chapter 748 - Chapter 748: Effective Chapter 748: Effective Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Elder Huo agreed repeatedly before Yi Zheng helped him sit down on the sofa. The two of them held their breaths and focused. They did not dare to move for fear that they would disturb Shi Man¡¯s movements. Shi Man¡¯s hands were very stable. After the silver needle pierced through the skin and into the acupuncture point, she let go and continued to repeat her previous actions. Soon, after Shi Man placed the last silver needle, she retracted her hand. Just as Elder Huo was about to ask something, he heard the unconscious person on the bed suddenly let out an inaudible moan. He hurriedly rushed to the bed and lowered his body to listen carefully to what Huo Ningwas saying. After waiting for a long time, Huo Ning did not say anything. Old Master Huo could not help but feel a little disappointed. He couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since he had spoken to his granddaughter properly. However, it made sense. How could Huo Ning¡¯s poison be so easy to cure? It was normal for Shi Man¡¯s method to fail. Thinking of this, Old Master Huo sighed deeply as his eyes were filled with disappointment. ¡°Alright, Manman, you must be tired by now. Why don¡¯t you stay and rest for the night?¡± Even if Shi Man¡¯s method did not work, she was still bent on saving Huo Ning. Logically speaking, the Huo family should treat her well. However, just as he finished speaking, the person on the hospital bed suddenly spoke again. Huo Ning opened her eyes and saw the old man with his back facing him. She couldn¡¯t help but swallow and call out, ¡°Grandpa.¡± Old Master Huo immediately turned around excitedly. Seeing that Huo Ning¡¯s eyes were filled with clarity, he held her hand in disbelief and said, ¡°Ningning, are you really awake? How do you feel now?¡± Huo Ning had not felt her body for a long time, but for some reason, she felt a burning pain in her chest today. Other than the numbness in her limbs, she could actually move simply. This made her overjoyed. ¡°Grandpa, I think 1 can try moving!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Old Master Huo immediately helped Huo Ning up to see if she had really recovered. However, before he could move, Shi Man had already raised her hand to stop him. ¡°Not yet.¡± Old Master Huo was very obedient to Shi Man now. When she said no, he immediately retracted his hand, but he still asked worriedly, ¡°Why not? Manman, when can Ningning get out of bed?¡± ¡°A month later.¡± Shi Man bent down and lifted Huo Ning¡¯s eyelids. She carefully observed her physical condition and said slowly, ¡°There¡¯s still poison in her body. I¡¯ll write down the medicine she has to take every day later. She has to take it once every morning, noon, and night. A month later, she can go to the rehabilitation center to recuperate and her body will gradually return to normal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Old Master Huo was so excited that tears streamed down his face. He grabbed Shi Man¡¯s hand and was so grateful that he was almost speechless. ¡°Manman, I really don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± Huo Ning¡¯s condition had worsened recently, and her tongue was stiff, making it difficult for her to speak. He had not heard her call him ¡°Grandpa¡± for a long time. He did not expect Shi Man¡¯s method to have such a huge effect after just one round of acupuncture. Now, he completely believed Shi Man¡¯s words that his granddaughter would return to normal in a month. Therefore, Old Master Huo did not hesitate at all. He immediately asked the butler to bring the contract and handed over more than half of the mining rights to Yi Zheng. However, Yi Zheng remembered his previous promise and got the butler to redraft the contract to give the mining rights to Shi Man. Old Master Huo was slightly surprised for a moment before patting Yi Zheng¡¯s shoulder in satisfaction. He did not expect this kid to be so infatuated. It was very rare for a man to give up everything for the person he liked. Yi Zheng would definitely be a good husband in the future. However, Shi Man did not really want to take it all for herself. After all, she didn¡¯t want to invite unnecessary troubles. She still gave some to Yi Zheng symbolically. At this moment, the Sui family and the Jiang family did not know that the mine rights had been decided. At the Sui family residence, Sui Ze looked at the huge gift that had been returned in front of him again and sighed worriedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this Jiang Huan wants, but he actually returned everything we gave! Even if he¡¯s a divine doctor, he¡¯s just a doctor. Doesn¡¯t he know the principle of not overdoing it?¡± Sui Yan frowned and was at a loss. ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t I go over personally tomorrow to show our family¡¯s sincerity?¡± Hearing this, Sui Ling suddenly raised his head and said, ¡°Yes, make a trip there yourself. Perhaps Jiang Huan will agree if you go. Remember to dress up beautifully.¡± Sui Yan¡¯s face turned pale. She bit her lower lip to suppress the humiliation in her heart. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m only going to send gifts on behalf of our family. I won¡¯t do anything else, nor can I do anything else.¡± Sui Ze looked at his daughter deeply and sneered. ¡°I know who you¡¯ve been thinking about all these years, but his status in the Jiang family is unstable.. What can he do at this time? If he really has feelings for you, let him go with you and think of a way to get Jiang Huan to agree!¡± Chapter 749 - Chapter 749: Brothers’ Conflict Chapter 749: Brothers¡¯ Conflict Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sui Yan could only listen. The next day, she dressed up carefully and went to the Jiang family. At that moment, Jiang Han had just come downstairs. His eyes lit up when he saw Sui Yan. ¡°Miss Sui, you¡¯re here. Take a seat. Why did you come personally today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to look for Jiang Yu,¡± Sui Yan said coldly as she sat on the sofa. The smile on Jiang Han¡¯s face froze, and his eyes were dark. ¡°Why are you looking for him?¡± Sui Yan didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore. She turned to the butler and said, ¡°Can you help me get Jiang Yu out to meet me?¡± After the butler served her a cup of hot tea, he agreed with a smile. ¡°Miss Sui, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll ask Eldest Young Master to come down now.¡± After they left, Jiang Han took a deep breath and suddenly stood up to sit beside Sui Yan. His body was almost close to hers, and he was very oppressive. ¡°Sui Yan, am 1 not good?¡± Sui Yan was shocked by his sudden action. She hurriedly stood up from the sofa, but her wrist was grabbed tightly. She could only struggle hard. ¡°Jiang Han, let go of me. Let¡¯s talk nicely. I came to look for your brother for something serious!¡± Hearing her say this, Jiang Han reluctantly agreed to let go, but his cold eyes were still fixed on her. ¡°What is it?¡± Sui Yan felt uncomfortable under his gaze and subconsciously stood further away. ¡°I want to ask him to help persuade Jiang Huan.¡± Jiang Han narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to look for me? I was the one who told Sui Ling about Jiang Huan!¡± Sui Yan widened her eyes in surprise. She really didn¡¯t know about this. Now that Jiang Han was staring at her, she looked a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know, but my father asked me to come this time. You helped my family, so my father definitely won¡¯t treat you badly.¡± Jiang Han sneered with a cold expression. ¡°You won¡¯t treat me badly? If 1 want to be the son-in-law of the Sui Family, will he agree?¡± Sui Yan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Her face turned pale, and her voice rose. ¡°Jiang Han, you¡¯re crazy! Don¡¯t talk nonsense! How can a relationship be a deal? 1 won¡¯t marry you!¡± Jiang Han leaned forward and hugged her waist, pressing her against him. A suppressive aura immediately surrounded the two of them. ¡°Listen up. I know what you¡¯re thinking, but as long as it¡¯s something 1 want, no one can stop me from getting to it. This includes you.¡± Sui Yan pushed his chest hard and scolded, ¡°Jiang Han, are you crazy? Let go of me quickly! Let go! If you continue like this, 1¡¯11 scream!¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± Jiang Han smiled mockingly and lowered his head slightly. A pair of cold lips was about to touch her when she was interrupted by a cold voice behind her. ¡°Stop!¡± Jiang Yu quickly walked over and grabbed Sui Yan¡¯s arm. He pulled her behind him and confronted Jiang Han with a cold expression. ¡°What do you want?¡± Jiang Han smiled indifferently. ¡°Brother, can¡¯t you tell what 1 want to do? Isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate to come out to disturb us at this time?¡± Jiang Yu gritted his teeth. ¡°She¡¯s unwilling!¡± ¡°How do you know she¡¯s unwilling?¡± Jiang Han glanced behind him casually and saw the little woman¡¯s obedient expression behind his brother. The smile on his lips became even more mocking. ¡°Brother, this is the woman I like. Are you going to snatch her from me?¡± Jiang Yu held his breath and didn¡¯t say a word. He snorted and grabbed Sui Yan¡¯s wrist to leave the Jiang family. Behind him, Jiang Han smiled coldly as he watched the two of them leave together. It was the same again. As long as Jiang Yu was around, he, Jiang Han, would not receive anyone¡¯s attention! His father could ruin his entire plan in one day just because Jiang Yu returned. The woman he liked had never treated him well for Jiang Yu¡¯s sake for many years. It was all because of Jiang Yu. If he had known, he would have gotten someone to kill Jiang Yu overseas! Outside, Jiang Yu pulled Sui Yan into the car before letting go of her hand. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry 1 was late. My brother offended you. I apologize.¡± Sui Yan blushed and lowered her head. The corners of her lips couldn¡¯t help but curl up. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Brother Jiang Yu. I¡¯m already very happy that you can help me.¡± Jiang Yu paused and rubbed her head. ¡°Alright, what are you going to do?¡± Sui Yan had never been so intimate with Jiang Yu before. She was delighted and the smile on her lips became brighter. ¡°To see Jiang Huan. My father wants you to help persuade Jiang Huan.¡± Jiang Yu was stunned. Thinking of his plan, he looked away guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help you with this.¡± Sui Yan blinked in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Brother Jiang Yu, is there something wrong?¡± Jiang Yu subconsciously clenched the steering wheel. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me to tell you the reason, so I won¡¯t go with you. Work hard yourself.¡± Sui Yan hid the disappointment in her eyes and nodded obediently. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± With that, Sui Yan opened the car door and walked back to her car. After watching Jiang Yu¡¯s car drive away, she felt like deflated and indescribably sad.. Chapter 750 - Chapter 750: Each With Their Own Schemes Chapter 750: Each With Their Own Schemes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Jiang Yu drove away, he called Jiang Huan in the car. At that moment, Jiang Huan had yet to get out of bed. With his messy hair, he sat up from the big bed and shook away the various medicine boxes on his body. He muttered into his cell phone angrily, ¡°Why are you calling me so early in the morning? Don¡¯t you know that 1 researched new medicine late into the night? You¡¯re really rude!¡± Jiang Yu ignored his nagging and said in a deep voice, ¡°Sui Yan is going to look for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jiang Huan jolted awake. ¡°Does the Sui Family have to pursue me so relentlessly?! Didn¡¯t 1 return the gifts to them?¡± Jiang Yu¡¯s expression was not good. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be blocked by a woman in bed, come to the clubhouse now. I¡¯ll wait for you there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Jiang Huan hurriedly got out of bed. After washing up, his shabby appearance changed drastically. He looked more suave, and the silver glasses on the bridge of his nose added a hint of schoiarliness to him. Half an hour later, Jiang Huan drove to the clubhouse. There was already someone waiting downstairs to bring him to the private room where Jiang Yu was. As soon as he entered, Jiang Huan sat on the sofa and took a sip of cold tea before complaining, ¡°Is your little lover sick? I studied the new medicine last night until dawn! Do you know how sleepy 1 am now?¡± Jiang Huan¡¯s mouth was faster than his brain. After complaining for a long time, he realized that the man beside him had not spoken for a long time. He was stunned for a moment before he reacted and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Look at what I¡¯m saying. How can Sui Yan be sick? Even if she¡¯s really sick, I can treat her!¡± Jiang Yu looked away and slowly took a sip of red wine. ¡°She¡¯s not my little lover.¡± Of course, Jiang Huan knew that Sui Yan wasn¡¯t Jiang Yu¡¯s lover, but this girl had been chasing after Jiang Yu recently. Even a fool could tell how she felt about Jiang Yu. He immediately felt a little regretful and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that a good girl fancies an emotionless demon like you. Why doesn¡¯t any girl like me?¡± ¡°There are many girls who like you,¡± Jiang Yu mocked him expressionlessly. This guy¡¯s fangirls could line up from their home country to overseas. With the reputation of a divine doctor, there were countless girls who wanted to marry him. Why was he pretending to be innocent in front of him now? Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan nudged him with his shoulder in amusement. ¡°Do you think Miss Sui will continue to like you if she finds out that you schemed against her behind her back?¡± Jiang Yu¡¯s pupils constricted for a moment before returning to normal. ¡°Whatever.¡± Jiang Huan snorted and poured the medicine on the coffee table from his bag. He began to continue his work and could not be bothered with this sanctimonious fellow. Jiang Yu clearly knew that the Sui family wanted the mining rights in the west of the city, but he wanted to occupy the best bargaining chip before the Sui family and take the opportunity to monopolize all the mining rights. He didn¡¯t even tell the girl the truth and made her anxious. In Jiang Huan¡¯s opinion, to a certain extent, the Sui family should continue to work with Jiang Han on this matter and not be swayed toward Jiang Yu, an ambitious guy. If they continued to join forces with Jiang Han, the chips they offered might really suit him. Then it was also possible for him to agree. But now, Jiang Yu would not leave the Sui family with any hope. Thinking of this, Jiang Huan sighed with emotion. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a big baddie?¡± Jiang Yu, who was drinking pensively, was speechless. Jiang Huan did not explain to him. There was a long silence in the private room, and only the faint sound of Jiang Huan fiddling with the pills could be heard. When Sui Yan arrived at Jiang Huan¡¯s house, she was told by the butler that Jiang Huan had left in a hurry early in the morning. No one knew where he went. Sui Yan panicked. If this matter could not be done, she would not be able to go back and report to her father. She could imagine how angry her father would be when she returned. Just as she was at a loss, a pair of hands suddenly reached out from behind her to cover her eyes. She was shocked and immediately screamed. A hand slid to her mouth and a finger was placed in front of her eyes, telling her not to make a sound. Then, the man¡¯s unique smell of tobacco assaulted her. ¡°Don¡¯t scream. I¡¯m here to help you.¡± Jiang Han¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from behind. There was a hint of anger in Sui Yan¡¯s frightened eyes. She pulled Jiang Han¡¯s hand down and stared at him fiercely. ¡°What exactly do you want? Who asked you to follow me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not following you. I¡¯m just looking for Divine Doctor Jiang. I happened to meet you at the door.¡± Jiang Han spread his hands innocently. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve both been rejected, but I know where he went. Do you want to get in the car with me?¡± Sui Yan sized him up distrustfully. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Jiang Han smiled indifferently. ¡°Of course you can choose not to believe me.. Then 1 can only look for Jiang Huan on my own!¡± Chapter 751 - Chapter 751: Breaking Through Chapter 751: Breaking Through Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Wait!¡± Sui Yan subconsciously stopped him when she saw him turn around and leave. But when he really stopped, she suddenly regretted it. This man was undoubtedly not trustworthy. How could she fall into his trap so easily?! With this thought in mind, Sui Yan waved her hand in frustration. ¡°Forget it. You can leave. I still have something to tell Father.¡± ¡°Sui Yan.¡± Jiang Han took a step forward and pressed her against the wall. His ruthless eyes were filled with indignance. ¡°Am 1 a dog that you can summon and wave away?¡± ¡°Jiang Han, let go. Are you crazy again?¡± Sui Yan tried her best to break free from his hand that was restraining her shoulder, but the man was very strong. She moved around for a long time but only managed to spread her clothes. The hand on her shoulder still did not move. ¡°You always think I¡¯m crazy. In your eyes, am I a mad dog that can bite at any time?¡± Jiang Han gritted his teeth and shouted at her in a low voice. Sui Yan was frightened by his appearance. She blinked at him in a daze, and her eyes gradually became moist. Jiang Han sighed deeply. The hand that was holding her shoulder grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the car. ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll take you to Jiang Huan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Sui Yan grabbed the car door tightly. Jiang Han was annoyed by her. His expression suddenly darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know who Jiang Huan suddenly went out to see early in the morning? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much of a coincidence? Why did he suddenly leave as if he was deliberately avoiding you?¡± Sui Yan was stunned for a moment. She loosened her grip and was pushed into the front passenger seat by Jiang Han. The car door was locked by him. Sui Yan kicked the car door angrily and glared at Jiang Han warily. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. If you dare to lie to me, 1 won¡¯t forgive you for the rest of my life.¡± Jiang Han sneered and drove away without saying a word. Sui Yan was so frightened that she hurriedly buckled her seatbelt. When the car arrived at the clubhouse, Sui Yan felt dizzy. Along the way, Jiang Han¡¯s car drove very quickly. Sui Yan was already a little carsick. Now that the car stopped, she hurriedly opened the car door. The strong nausea almost made her vomit. Jiang Han supported her and forced her hands into his arms. Sui Yan barely propped her head up to look at him. Her face was pale. Jiang Han caressed the side of her face tenderly. ¡°Be good and hold on a little longer. You can¡¯t be absent from that good show later, right?¡± Sui Yan opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but just as she opened her mouth, the nausea surged again. She hurriedly pressed her mouth shut and took a deep breath. Jiang Han dragged her closer to the clubhouse¡¯s door. When the waiter came over to welcome her, he saw Sui Yan¡¯s abnormality and asked her if she needed help. Jiang Han stood between them and smiled. ¡°My girlfriend is a little carsick. Please prepare some ice water and send it to private room 8802 upstairs.¡± When the waiter heard the room number, he felt an sense of respect. Their clubhouse was the top high-class clubhouse in the capital. The private room with the number 8 was a top-notch VIP room, and the guests inside were either rich or noble. The waiter¡¯s initial worry for Sui Yan instantly dissipated, replaced by respect for Jiang Han. He led the two to the door of the room and left respectfully. Sui Yan finally caught her breath, but her face was still a little pale. ¡°Jiang Han, why did you bring me here?¡± She had never set foot in a place like the entertainment clubhouse. There were all kinds of people here, and the motives of the people coming and going were not simple. Although she was about to take over the Sui Family¡¯s company, she still kept a respectful distance from such an occasion. Other than official business, she would never come to such a place in private. Hearing this, Jiang Han suddenly smiled evilly. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him. ¡°Missy, don¡¯t be too surprised when you see someone who shouldn¡¯t be here later. If you want to cry, my arms are always open for you!¡± Sui Yan glared at him and did not say anything. However, she still seemed to be bewitched by him. She slowly reached out and placed her hand on the doorknob. Her heart was beating violently in her chest. She could even clearly hear it. But before she could think about whether to listen to Jiang Han and open the door, the door was opened from the inside. Sui Yan¡¯s hand was still tightly holding the door handle. When she was pulled, she staggered into the private room and bumped into an exceptionally hard chest. ¡°Who¡¯s here? Why do I hear high heels?¡± In the private room, Jiang Huan put down the pill in his hand in surprise and looked up at the door, but the situation outside was blocked by Jiang Yu. He didn¡¯t have time to see anything. ¡°No one.¡± With that, Jiang Yu closed the door with a cold expression and pulled her to the corridor. His gaze wandered back and forth between the two of them unhappily.. ¡°Why are you here? And why are you with him?¡± Chapter 752 - Chapter 752: Losing One Chapter 752: Losing One Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sui Yan had yet to recover from the shock because she had only seen the familiar face of the person in the room before her vision was blocked by Jiang Yu. However, this glance was enough. Sui Yan was good at recognizing people. She was almost certain that the other man in the private room was Jiang Huan. But¡­ why was Jiang Huan with Jiang Yu? Thinking of what Jiang Yu had said in the morning, her heart suddenly tightened. She asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Brother Jiang Yu, is this the reason why you refused to accompany me to look for Jiang Huan this morning? You knew that he wasn¡¯t at home?¡± Jiang Yu turned his head away and didn¡¯t answer her question directly. Instead, he looked at Jiang Han impatiently. ¡°Why did you bring her here?¡± Jiang Han said with a faint smile, ¡°I just saw that Miss Sui was in a bad mood and wanted to bring her here to have fun. Who would have thought that you would be here too, Brother? What a coincidence. You interrupted our date.¡± Jiang Yu frowned even more. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have brought her to this place.¡± This time, before Jiang Han could answer, Sui Yan suddenly plucked up her courage and grabbed Jiang Yu¡¯s sleeve. Her voice was weak and sobbing. ¡°Brother Jiang Yu, answer me. Are you here to look for Jiang Huan, or did you agree to come here with Jiang Huan from the beginning?¡± Upon hearing this, Jiang Han could not help but laugh. He placed his arm on Sui Yan¡¯s shoulder naturally and acted intimately and domineeringly. ¡°Eldest Miss, don¡¯t you understand? My brother and Jiang Huan have a close relationship. If he had wanted to bring you to see Jiang Huan, you wouldn¡¯t have been kept in the dark at all.¡± Sui Yan could only hear her heart breaking. She even forgot to shake off Jiang Han¡¯s hand. She asked with a trembling voice, ¡°Is that so? Brother Jiang Yu, you didn¡¯t plan to let the Sui family enter the game from the beginning, right?¡± She was not a fool. At this point, what else did she not understand? From the beginning, Jiang Yu had no intention of letting her come into contact with Jiang Huan. Jiang Yu couldn¡¯t refute her. He could only frown and reprimand her coldly. ¡°Go back first. I¡¯ll explain this to you later.¡± Sui Yan smiled bitterly in disappointment and shook her head. ¡°Brother Jiang Yu, you¡¯ve left me for too long. It¡¯s been so long that you might not understand the current me.¡± Jiang Yu looked over inexplicably flustered, but he could only see determination on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. 1 have my own plans for this.¡± Sui Yan took a step back and distanced herself from the Jiang brothers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being presumptuous this morning. 1 won¡¯t disturb you again in the future. Our families should compete fairly regarding the mine rights. Now, 1 want to go in and see Dr. Jiang. Jiang Yu, please move aside.¡± Ever since she was young, Sui Yan had never spoken to him in such an unfamiliar tone. In front of Jiang Yu, she had always been like a little girl who couldn¡¯t grow up. She was innocent and kind. She had only shown this side to Jiang Yu. Even her father didn¡¯t know that she had a sweet girl¡¯s heart. But at this moment, this heart had already been shattered by Jiang Yu and could no longer be pieced together. She was the eldest daughter of the Sui family, so she shouldn¡¯t just be stuck in love. Since Jiang Yu didn¡¯t have any feelings for her, why did she have to cling to him? After all, she was no longer the insensible little girl from before. Jiang Yu¡¯s heart ached, but the interests of the Jiang family were right in front of him. Even if he wanted to give in, his father would never allow it. Thinking of this, Jiang Yu softened his tone and coaxed, ¡°Yanyan, don¡¯t make a fuss. 1¡¯11 give you an explanation about Jiang Huan, but I can¡¯t let the two of you meet yet. Please forgive me, okay?¡± This was one of the few times Jiang Yu called her that. However, Sui Yan only felt that it was ironic. ¡°Please call me Miss Sui, Young Master Jiang. You can¡¯t compare to Second Young Master in this aspect.¡± Sui Yan smiled gratefully at Jiang Han and was about to walk around the two of them into the private room. Jiang Yu turned around and blocked her. ¡°Be good. Go back first. When the time is right, 1¡¯11 introduce Jiang Huan to you.¡± ¡°When the time is ripe?¡± Sui Yan smiled sarcastically. ¡°Young Master Jiang, I¡¯m not a three-year-old child anymore. When the time is ripe, the mining rights in the west of the city will have nothing to do with our family. What¡¯s the use of me seeing Jiang Huan then?¡± Jiang Yu frowned. ¡°Yanyan, don¡¯t be so stubborn!¡± ¡°Jiang Yu! Move!¡± Sui Yan confronted him without avoiding him. Jiang Han watched the show for a long time and finally couldn¡¯t help but smile as he walked over and put his arm around Sui Yan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Brother, let Miss Sui meet Dr. Jiang. It¡¯s just a meeting. What are you worried about?¡± Jiang Yu glared at him coldly. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± He knew! Of course he knew! Jiang Yu wanted to take everything from him. He couldn¡¯t let Jiang Yu occupy both his status and woman! If Jiang Yu wanted to use the mining rights as a pledge to win the old man¡¯s trust, he had to pay a price! This time, Sui Yan didn¡¯t avoid Jiang Han. Instead, she glared at Jiang Yu with a stubborn face. ¡°Dr. Jiang isn¡¯t under your control.. If I want to see him, you have no right to stop me!¡± Chapter 753 - Chapter 753: Mutual Benefits Chapter 753: Mutual Benefits Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was a stalemate outside. Jiang Huan walked out of the private room when he heard the commotion. There was a smile in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Sui family, right? 1 won¡¯t accept your family¡¯s gift. Please go back.¡± Sui Yan immediately pushed Jiang Yu away and walked stubbornly to Jiang Huan. ¡°Dr. Jiang, 1¡¯11 agree to any condition you raise. Please stand on the Sui family¡¯s side this time. My Sui family will give you double what Jiang Yu can give you.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re so generous?¡± Jiang Huan looked at Jiang Yu with a faint smile and finally turned his teasing gaze to Sui Yan. ¡°My relationship with Jiang Yu can¡¯t be shaken by money. Miss Sui, I don¡¯t look like I¡¯m short of money. What 1 lack is a woman who¡¯s willing to chase after me.¡± ¡°Jiang Huan! Don¡¯t joke!¡± Jiang Yu stared at Jiang Huan with a dark expression, as if his eyes were poisoned. Jiang Huan raised his hands in surrender. ¡°1 was just joking. Miss Sui, don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Sui Yan frowned and said seriously, ¡°Dr. Jiang, this matter is really important to the Sui Family. Please consider my suggestion seriously. No matter what you want, the Sui Family will definitely do it for you.¡± Jiang Huan raised his eyebrows slightly and finally put away his smile. He put his hands in his pockets and said seriously, ¡°Miss Sui, not everything in this world can be bought with money. You should understand this principle well. You don¡¯t have to look for me in the future. Take care.¡± Sui Yan chased after him anxiously, but Jiang Huan had already turned around and returned to the private room. Jiang Yu followed closely behind. When he passed by Sui Yan, he apologized and left without looking back. The corridor was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Sui Yan could almost hear her heart shattering. Jiang Han sneered. ¡°Now you should know Jiang Yu¡¯s character. Don¡¯t harbor any hope for him anymore. He¡¯s not your best choice.¡± Upon hearing this, Sui Yan composed herself and turned to look at Jiang Han with a straight face. ¡°He¡¯s your biological brother. What he did was most beneficial to the Jiang family. Why are you helping me?¡± Jiang Han looked at her deeply and said, ¡°I know. You won¡¯t believe me if I say that everything 1 do is for you.¡± Sui Yan did not deny it. She raised her head and looked at him steadily. Jiang Han sighed. ¡°I admit that 1 didn¡¯t do this for you, but at least you should know now that what I wanted to do was to let the Jiang family and the Sui family win. Jiang Yu only wants to monopolize all the benefits. Therefore, you can only join forces with me now. You can take back the benefits that belong to the Sui family. I¡¯ll chase Jiang Yu away and let him scram back overseas. This is good for both our families.¡± Sui Yan suddenly lowered her head as if she was afraid that the crystal tears in her eyes would fall in front of him. After a moment, she composed herself and said, ¡°I have to go back and discuss this with Father first. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± With that, she turned around and left Jiang Han. Not long after she left, Jiang Yu came out of the private room and called Jiang Han in coldly. As soon as the door closed, the atmosphere in the private room suddenly became gloomy. ¡°Why did you bring her here?¡± Jiang Yu¡¯s gloomy eyes were fixed on his face. Jiang Han smiled indifferently. ¡°If she discovers your true intentions, it won¡¯t affect what you¡¯re going to do next. What are you worried about?¡± ¡°Who said it won¡¯t affect anything?¡± Jiang Yu took a deep breath and the veins on his arm bulged. ¡°The Sui family will definitely think of other ways to obtain the mining rights next. You shouldn¡¯t cause trouble at this time!¡± ¡°Jiang Yu.¡± Jiang Han¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°Whether your plan can be carried out has nothing to do with me. That¡¯s your own business. However, my previous efforts were ruined by you. 1 will let Father know that your actions will only ruin the previous plan. It won¡¯t have any effect.¡± ¡°As expected of my good brother. You¡¯re as ambitious as me. But don¡¯t forget that I¡¯ve had a clean foundation overseas all these years. 1¡¯11 tell Father what you¡¯ve done truthfully. If this plan falls into the hands of the Sui family, you won¡¯t be able to escape responsibility. However, if it falls into the hands of the Shi family, do you think Father will continue to trust you like before and entrust you with heavy responsibilities?¡± Although Jiang Yu had been overseas all these years, his spies had always been in the country; hence,he knew everything Jiang Han had done, including the matter of Jiang Han and Zhang Rui colluding to have ill intentions towards Shi Man. Hearing this, Jiang Han¡¯s eyes widened. He suddenly remembered Shi Man¡¯s threat to him at the banquet last night. A bad feeling arose in his heart, making him lose the mood to waste time here with Jiang Yu. Now, he just wanted to hurry to the Huo family to verify it. Previously, he was so focused on dealing with Jiang Yu that he almost forgot that the Yi family, which was engaged to Shi Man, was also a powerful opponent for the mine rights. At this moment, in the Huo family. Old Master Huo sat by the bed with tears streaming down his face. He fed his granddaughter some easily digestible fruits bite by bite, and his eyes curved into slits. ¡°If Ningning likes it, Grandpa will get the butler to buy more now.¡± ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s been hard on you while I was sick.¡± Huo Ning¡¯s eyes were filled with guilt as he looked at Old Master Huo¡¯s gray hair.. Chapter 754 - Chapter 754: Let Go of the Past Chapter 754: Let Go of the Past Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Huo Ning had not completely recovered. In order not to let anyone else take advantage of her, Old Master Huo did not intend to let anyone know that Huo Ning had woken up, lest she be harmed again before she could protect herself. However, he still had to investigate clearly. At the same time, he could publicize the mining rights. That night, Old Huo held a meeting in the front hall. He called over the representatives of several families other than the Sui Family and signed the contract for the ownership of the mine rights this year. By the time the Sui family knew, it was already too late. Sui Ze was so angry that he swept all the neatly packed documents on the desk to the ground. He scolded angrily, ¡°Bastard, their entire family has joined forces to deceive our trust! I didn¡¯t expect them to collude with the Shi family behind our backs!¡± Sui Yan was also shocked when she heard this news. The mine rights had nothing to do with the Shi family, but the portion of the mine rights that should have belonged to the Sui family had now entered the Shi family¡¯s pocket. She really could not guess the reason. Thinking of Jiang Yu¡¯s attitude during the day, Sui Yan¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Dad, we don¡¯t know if the Jiang family and the Shi family are secretly working together, but it¡¯s very clear now that if Jiang Yu hadn¡¯t suddenly returned, the mining rights would have been a shoo-in.¡± Hearing this, even Sui Ze couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°You mean you want to deal with Jiang Yu?¡± He knew a little about his daughter¡¯s thoughts, so he was a little surprised to hear what she was implying. He did not expect his daughter to be such a ruthless person. However, he had to admit that he was feeling more satisfied with Sui Yan. ¡°You¡¯re right. Then do you plan to join forces with Jiang Han?¡± Sui Ze asked with a dark expression. Sui Yan nodded without hesitation. ¡°The enemy of an enemy is a friend, but Jiang Han is not much better than Jiang Yu. I will be careful and not be close to him.¡± Sui Ze smiled in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m relieved to leave this matter to you. You¡¯re indeed much stronger than your brother. As long as you work hard and focus on the Sui Family, everything in the Sui Family will be yours in the future.¡± At the Shi family. Ever since Yi Zheng returned from signing the agreement with the Huo family, he had been staring at Shi Man with a smile, unwilling to even blink. Shi Man could only cover his eyes speechlessly. ¡°You¡¯ve seen my face at least a thousand times. Haven¡¯t you seen enough?¡± ¡°How can I have enough of you?¡± Yi Zheng smiled and pulled her hand down. He boldly rubbed it in his palm. ¡°Today is a good day. Do you know why?¡± Shi Man glanced at him coldly but did not retract her hand. ¡°You¡¯re so excited just because you got a little mining rights?¡± Yi Zheng chuckled. While the Shi family left the living room to give them space, he lowered his voice and whispered into Shi Man¡¯s ear, ¡°Of course not because of this. When I said it was a good day, I mean that I know that Manman has always believed in me.¡± Shi Man glanced at him from the corner of her eye and couldn¡¯t help but smile. However, she said unforgivingly, ¡°Don¡¯t be smug. You haven¡¯t resolved your matter yet. You¡¯re still under observation.¡± Yi Zheng pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°If you didn¡¯t believe me, why would you deliberately expose Chen Jiao? Actually, you trusted me from the beginning. The reason why you did that was to let me resolve the matter as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Then have you resolved it?¡± Shi Man looked at him with a faint smile. Yi Zheng nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°Manman helped me so much. If 1 don¡¯t speed up, won¡¯t I be letting you down? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already investigated.¡± Shi Man raised her eyebrows and waited for him to continue. Yi Zheng said slowly, ¡°In this mining rights incident, I found out that the Sui family has the help of the Jiang family. The reason why they could find traces of Jiang Huan is because of the eldest son of the Jiang family, Jiang Yu. However, the person who joined forces with the Sui family is Jiang Yu¡¯s younger brother, Jiang Han.¡± ¡°So?¡± Shi Man waited patiently for him to continue. Yi Zheng didn¡¯t leave her hanging. He picked up the main point and explained, ¡°1 found out that Jiang Han¡¯s relationship with the youngest son of the Sui family, Sui Ling, has suddenly improved recently. When Chen Jiao was brought into the company by Tang Zhe as a secretary, the head of the Sui family, Sui Ze, had always wanted to deal with me, but on the surface, he didn¡¯t make a move for a long time. Therefore, 1 suspect that they have already linked up.¡± ¡°Chen Jiao was sent by them, or rather, Jiang Han sent her to your side to help the Sui family.¡± Coupled with the information she knew previously, Shi Man easily came to a conclusion. ¡°Therefore, Chen Jiao¡¯s identity has become intriguing. I¡¯m investigating along this line with Tang Zhe. I believe the results will be out in the next two days.¡± Yi Zheng smiled and flicked her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t keep frowning. After this matter is over, I have something very important to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we discuss it now?¡± Shi Man asked in surprise. Yi Zheng smiled mysteriously. ¡°That won¡¯t do, but you¡¯ll know soon..¡± Chapter 755 - Chapter 755: Siblings’ Secret Talk Chapter 755: Siblings¡¯ Secret Talk Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next day, Shi Man accompanied Shen Xian back to G City. Shen Xian couldn¡¯t wait to see her son. After getting off the plane, she went straight to the Shi family¡¯s manor. When she entered and saw Shi He quietly reading a script in the living room, her tears almost fell from excitement. Having heard the commotion at the door, Shi He hurriedly put down the script and walked over to welcome them. ¡°Mom, Sister, I should have gone to the airport to pick you up, but my body really can¡¯t be exposed to the elements ¡°Sit tight.¡± Shen Xian pressed her son¡¯s shoulder and made him sit on the sofa. Then, she grabbed a blanket from the other side and covered her son¡¯s legs. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I heard from your brother that your external injuries have already healed. Why are you still afraid of the wind and cold?¡± The matter of the heat poison was too unbelievable. If Shen Xian heard it, she would only be worried. Therefore, the siblings tacitly did not mention it in front of Shen Xian. Upon hearing this, Shi He first glanced at Shi Man carefully before lying, ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. I just haven¡¯t completely recovered. The doctor said that 1 still need to recuperate. There¡¯s nothing else wrong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Thinking of the scene of Shi He being injured and sent to the hospital, Shen Xian felt a lingering fear. If her son could be saved at that time, she would probably not be able to live. Although she had four sons and a daughter, each of them was a treasure that she could not lose. She only hoped that her children would be safe and sound. She wanted nothing else. Shi He did not want Shen Xian to be sad again because of him. He quickly changed the topic and asked about their recent situation in the capital. At the mention of this, a smile appeared in Shen Xian¡¯s sorrowful eyes. ¡°Although your sister hasn¡¯t graduated yet, she has already been recruited by the army as an instructor in advance. Xiao Mu has improved a lot with your father. The two of them have gone on a business trip. Otherwise, had Xiao Mu known that I¡¯m heading back, he would definitely have made a fuss about coming to see you.¡± Among the brothers, Shi He and Shi Mu were the closest. After all, Shi He had raised Shi Mu personally. At that time, Shi He was only a half-grown child. The two stubborn boys stayed together all day long and even gave the servants and maids at home a headache for many years. It was only when Shi Man was born that the two mischievous brothers turned their attention to their sister. The house was finally no longer in a tizzy. Recalling the past, Shi He felt as if a lifetime had passed. After experiencing so much, he could no longer be an actor without worries like before. At the thought of the hands pushing him down from the rooftop, he would wake up even in his sleep. ¡°Brother.¡± As if seeing the fear in Shi He¡¯s eyes, Shi Man suddenly called out to him. When he looked up at her in surprise, she smiled gently and said, ¡°Mom and I haven¡¯t eaten yet. Let the chef cook more food.¡± After being interrupted by Shi Man, Shi He immediately put away his uneasy emotions and nodded with a smile. ¡°Look at my negligence. I¡¯ve already asked the kitchen to prepare it. Let¡¯s eat first. Eldest Brother and Second Brother should be back soon.¡± The Shi brothers seemed to have telepathy. As soon as he finished speaking, the door was pulled open from the outside. Shi Ke and Shi Yu walked in with smiles on their faces. ¡°Mom, Sister, we came back late. There were some things to do at the company. Don¡¯t be upset with us.¡± ¡°The company¡¯s matters are more important.¡± Shen Xian was relieved to see that her children had already grown up and had the ability to settle down. It had been a long time since the brothers sat down with Shen Xian for a good meal. The family chatted as if they had endless things to say. After the meal, Shi Ke called Shi Man into the study alone. The warmth on his face disappeared and was replaced by the seriousness of a big brother. ¡°Manman, tell me the truth. Have you and Yi Zheng been participating in the black market?¡± Shi Man did not expect Shi Ke to find out so much in just a month. However, she was only surprised for a moment before her expression quickly calmed down. ¡°Yes, how did Brother know this?¡± Shi Ke smiled bitterly and said, ¡°In the words of outsiders, the Shi family is almost invincible in G City. I¡¯ve taken over the Shi family¡¯s business for so many years, so how can I not know what¡¯s going on?¡± At this point, the siblings no longer planned to hide anything from each other. Shi Ke was worried about his sister¡¯s safety, so he told her about the recent major incident in G City. ¡°Your classmate, Zhu Wen, fought with Jun Mo not long ago and was sent to the hospital after being shot. He¡¯s already out of danger.¡± ¡°What about Jun Mo?¡± Shi Manjin frowned and asked. ¡°Jun Mo has absconded again. The police and the people in society are looking for him everywhere. Do you have any clues?¡± Shi Ke could only confirm that his sister had once been involved, but he still did not know how far she had wadded into the matter, so he mentioned this matter to test her. He didn¡¯t expect her sister to really know Jun Mo! Hearing this, Shi Man could only shake her head regretfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know where else he can hide, but Brother, once you have news of him, you must call me immediately..¡± Chapter 756 - Chapter 756: Luring the Tiger Away Chapter 756: Luring the Tiger Away Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man had yet to settle the score with him regarding the drugs. When they met again, she would definitely not let him off. Late at night, there were not many stars in the dark sky. The wind blew through the treetops, stirring up a rustling sound, looking especially mysterious in the quiet night. In a moment of negligence, two figures quickly passed by and broke the peace in the night. The man running in front curled his lips mockingly. He suddenly stopped in the depths of the forest and turned around to slowly take off his mask. ¡°Long time no see, Boss.¡± In front of him, a slender girl stood alone in the dark. Her pure white skirt swayed gently with the cold wind, making her look a little weak and beautiful. However, if one looked carefully, they would discover that there was no surprise or panic on the girl¡¯s face. The man laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°It seems that I¡¯ve overestimated my position in Boss¡¯s heart. We haven¡¯t seen each other for so long, but Boss doesn¡¯t miss me at all.¡± ¡°Lin Si.¡± Shi Man¡¯s face darkened as she stared at the man in front of her. ¡°Sean has been looking for you for a long time. Don¡¯t you want to see him?¡± Hearing that person¡¯s name, Lin Si¡¯s pupils constricted, but hd immediately regained his composure. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for me to see him again. If we really meet, we¡¯ll definitely fight to the death.¡± ¡°You also know that he won¡¯t forgive you for what you¡¯ve done.¡± Shi Man sneered. Lin Si smiled nonchalantly and said, ¡°Boss, do you think that with Sean¡¯s regard for me I can¡¯t do it if I really want to kill everyone ? The reason why I didn¡¯t touch you is that you have nothing to do with what I want to achieve. I¡¯m doing this for your own good and asking you not to be nosy and get involved in things you don¡¯t dare to get involved in.¡± ¡°Lin Si, you¡¯re taking revenge for your parents. You want to take revenge on Yi Zheng¡¯s entire family.¡± To this day, Shi Man knew Lin Si¡¯s true identity without even investigating. Back then, the Lin couple who kidnapped Yi Zheng¡¯s mother and killed Yi Zheng¡¯s grandmother with a bomb did not only have that child who was known to the public. At that time, when Shi Man heard that the child of the Lin family had suddenly changed his personality, she thought that it was because he had transmigrated like her. However, after thinking about it carefully, had that child had only transmigrated, he might not have set up such a big trap to avenge the Lin couple. Then there was only one possibility. Lin Si was also a child of the Lin family, but he had been hidden for so many years for an unknown reason. ¡°Boss, I really can¡¯t bear to kill you. If you break off the engagement with Yi Zheng, I¡¯ll let the Shi family off. This deal will only be beneficial to you. There¡¯s no harm. For the sake of the Shi family, shouldn¡¯t you consider it carefully?¡± When Lin Si said this, he smiled , but that smile did not reach his eyes. In the depths of his dark eyes, there was still monstrous hatred. Shi Man frowned and asked, ¡°Did you crawl to my window in the middle of the night to say this to me?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Lin Si smiled and raised her chin. He pointed in the direction of the Shi family¡¯s manor not far away and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be so charming that you could chase after me without caring. Boss, you were careless this time and didn¡¯t bring Sean back. You¡¯ll regret it.¡± Suddenly, the aura around Shi Man changed. In a flash, she flashed in front of Lin Si and raised her hand to strangle his neck. However, Lin Si¡¯s movement technique was nimble enough to avoid her attack in a flash; he even found the time to tease her. ¡°Boss, are you sure you want to continue wasting time with me? This bet has just begun. Don¡¯t lose your chips as soon as the game starts!¡± Hearing this, Shi Man suddenly retracted her hand and turned around to run back to the Shi family. She had indeed been careless. When she realized that something was wrong outside the window, she subconsciously chased after him. Now, it seemed that this was clearly a trap he had carefully arranged to capture Shen Xian. When she returned to the Shi family¡¯s manor, the villa was already in chaos. Seeing that she had returned, Shi Ke did not ask further. He only hurriedly told her the bad news. ¡°Not good, Mom was just taken away.¡± Hearing this, Shi Man felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her from above. The blood in her body turned cold, and her expression became even darker and more terrifying. ¡°Did you see who it was? Where did they go?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get a good look.¡± Shi Yu hurriedly explained, ¡°Big Brother and I suddenly heard the sound of an intense fight in Mom¡¯s room. But when we came out to take a look, Mom was already gone, but we heard a car. We have to chase after her immediately.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll go after her.¡± Without thinking, Shi Man picked up her car keys and walked out. Shi Ke suddenly grabbed her wrist worriedly. ¡°No, I¡¯ll go. This matter is too dangerous. Sister, you should stay at home¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be long-winded. There¡¯s no time now.¡± Shi Man shook off his hand and said, ¡°Brother, get your people to retrieve the surveillance cameras along the way immediately. Report the location of the car at any time..¡± Chapter 757 - Chapter 757: Scenes Reappear Chapter 757: Scenes Reappear Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shi Man drove out alone. It had been a long time since she was so anxious. However, when she thought about how Shen Xian was in Lin Si¡¯s hands now, she couldn¡¯t calm down. From the initial explosion of the firearms to the proliferation of drugs, everything proved Lin Si¡¯s ruthlessness. She was very worried that Lin Si would lose control and attack Shen Xian when he wanted to take revenge on the Yi family. Damn it, if only she could confirm Shen Xian¡¯s safety before acting! However, no matter how much she blamed herself, it was useless. Shi Man could only drive as fast as possible and try her best to track the car that took Shen Xian away. Soon, Shi Ke called. ¡°Where?¡± Shi Man¡¯s voice was terrifyingly gloomy. Shi Ke paused for a moment before reporting an intersection. Shi Man immediately turned the steering wheel and drove over. On the other end of the phone, Shi Ke said worriedly, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to follow. When the time comes, I¡¯ll follow you. If you encounter danger, let them go. Don¡¯t take the risk yourself.¡± ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± After saying that, Shi Man narrowed her eyes and looked at the intersection in front of her. She asked coldly, ¡°Next, which direction do I turn in?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Shi Ke didn¡¯t say anything else. He continued to look at the surveillance cameras and track the location of the car. ¡°From the looks of it, it should be driving towards the Yi family. Who will want to take Mother away?¡± ¡°Lin Si.¡± After Shi Man said this name, she explained Lin Si¡¯s identity and background. Hearing this, everyone in the Shi family was shocked speechless. Shi Yu reacted quickly and took out his phone. ¡°It seems that they want to take revenge on the Yi family. I¡¯ll inform Uncle Yi now and let them be prepared in advance.¡± ¡°By the way, tell Yi Zheng to take the fastest flight back.¡± After Shi Man finished speaking, a large truck whistled past the intersection ahead. Shi Man hurriedly threw the phone on the front passenger seat and turned the steering wheel with both hands to avoid it. The large truck sped past her car. If Shi Man had reacted a little slower just now, she would have died. She didn¡¯t know if this was Lin Si¡¯s plan to stop her, and she wasn¡¯t in the mood to think about this. No matter what, she had to save Shen Xian! ¡°What happened?¡± When loud sound of a car horn suddenly came from the phone just now, Shi Ke hurriedly sought to confirm his sister¡¯s safety. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Shi Man took back her cell phone and placed it in the pocket on the chest of her shirt, freeing her hands to drive. ¡°Brother, at the next intersection.¡± Shi Ke immediately understood. ¡°To the left.¡± ¡°But the way to the Yi family is straight ahead.¡± Shi Man narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. In a flash, she seemed to understand what Lin Si¡¯s true goal was. ¡°That¡¯s right. Wasn¡¯t that car going to the Yi family?¡± Shi Ke stared at the screen, afraid that he would miss the slightest bit of the surveillance cameras. Unfortunately, what worried him finally happened. Shi Ke was silent for a moment before saying in a deep voice, ¡°Sister, the surveillance video can only capture this much. No one knows where they¡¯re going next.¡± After saying this, everyone in the Shi family seemed to be shrouded in a haze. The car was clearly going further and further away. There were countless possibilities. At that time, it would be no different from finding a needle in a haystack. Heavy and angry emotions lingered in everyone¡¯s hearts. After Shi Yu informed Uncle Yi and Yi Zheng, he learned that they had lost track of the car. Even though he had always been gentle and had a good temper, he punched the wall angrily. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for not protecting Mother well!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first. The most important thing now is to find Mother¡¯s whereabouts. We still have a chance. I¡¯ll get someone to set up defenses along the way now. Once we find any traces, we¡¯ll immediately chase after her. 1 don¡¯t believe a car will disappear into thin air!¡± Shi Ke quickly pulled himself together and arranged the following matters according to what he said. Although the chance was slim, he could not give up just like that! Just as everyone was panicking, Shi Man¡¯s cold and calm voice suddenly sounded from the phone. ¡°I know where they¡¯re taking Mother.¡± Hearing this, Shi Ke¡¯s pupils constricted and he hurriedly asked, ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯ll send someone to follow immediately.¡± Shi Man¡¯s voice was deep. ¡°Ask Second Brother to call Yi Zheng now and ask him where Auntie Lu was kidnapped and Yi Zheng¡¯s grandmother was unfortunately blown up.¡± Since she said this, what did Shi Yu not understand? Lin Si clearly wanted the scene to repeat itself and use the same method to force Lu Xiang to save her. Then, she would detonate the bomb and let the Yi family suffer the consequences! If things really developed to this point, there would be no way to end it! Shi Yu did not dare to delay and immediately called Yi Zheng to explain the situation. On the other end of the phone, Yi Zheng¡¯s palms were covered in cold sweat. After hearing Shi Yu¡¯s question, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t let Shi Man go over alone. I¡¯ll definitely be there in two hours. If Lin Si has to let my mother save her, try to stall for time until I come back!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shi Yu agreed and hurriedly sent Shi Man the exact location. As he spoke, he realized that his voice was trembling.. Chapter 758 - Chapter 758: Confrontation Chapter 758: Confrontation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When the car turned into an abandoned factory area, it was already dark and there was no movement. Shi Man took out the pistol behind her waist and held it tightly in her hand. She walked forward gently. She relied on her excellent hearing to carefully distinguish every subtle movement in the air. Her eyes were fixed on her surroundings and feet, not letting go of any traces. At this moment, this empty space was already filled with weeds and there were no traces of the past. Clearly, ever since the explosion, this place had never been passive and allowed such a large piece of land to rot and desolate. Suddenly, after Shi Man walked through a withered grassland, she suddenly discovered a mark left behind by a heavy object. She quickly walked over and squatted down. She used the flashlight to carefully investigate the mark and immediately identified the car model through the inconspicuous wheel marks. It was the most common white van. Shi Man frowned and was about to continue forward when her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. Shi Man hid in a safe corner to answer the call. Yi Long¡¯s anxious voice suddenly came from the receiver. ¡°Manman, the other party called and asked Lu Xiang to go to the location 1 just sent you to get to the hostages. Are you safe?¡± ¡°I¡¯m safe.¡± Shi Man looked at the message she had just received on the screen. When she zoomed in, she could clearly see Shen Xian¡¯s tear-stained face. At this moment, she was tied to a chair. Her hands and feet were tightly tied with hemp rope and she could not break free. There was also a white cloth stuffed in her mouth. Her long hair, which was always beautifully combed, was wrinkled and messy. Shi Man¡¯s heart suddenly constricted, and her eyes turned red. ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly. Leave this to me.¡± ¡°No, if anything happens to you now, 1 won¡¯t be able to explain it to your father. Listen to me. Drive to a safe place immediately and wait for me to come.¡± Yi Long urged the chauffeur to speed up as he held his wife¡¯s hand reassuringly. After their family received Shi Yu¡¯s call, they immediately understood the other party¡¯s intentions and left without even changing. Unexpectedly, as soon as they got into the car, they received a photo of Shen Xian being kidnapped. Lu Xiang was so frightened that she cried. The terrifying memories of the past appeared in front of her again. If not for Yi Long supporting her, she would have collapsed to the ground in fear. However, this matter had nothing to do with the Shen family. Lu Xiang did not want to implicate Shen Xian. No matter how afraid she was, she still rejected her husband¡¯s suggestion to stay at home. She resolutely chose to get into the car and rush to the event location with them. After Yi Long finished speaking, the car fell into a long silence. No one dared to disturb Shi Man. At this moment, she was in the most dangerous position. If they accidentally exposed Shi Man, Yi Long would probably not be able to appease the Shi family¡¯s anger even if he died. However, just as Yi Long¡¯s heart tightened, Shi Man¡¯s abnormally cold voice suddenly came from the receiver. ¡°Uncle Yi, listen to me. Don¡¯t bring Auntie Lu over. 1 can handle it.¡± With that, Shi Man decisively hung up the phone and turned to walk into the darkness. The next second, she was caught off guard and met a familiar pair of eyes. Shi Man frowned and quickly loaded the pistol to face the person in front of her. However, she didn¡¯t expect the person behind her to be faster than her. The moment she flipped her wrist, that person grabbed her arm tightly. In the next moment, she felt a sharp pain in her wrist, and right on the heels of that, a cold liquid was injected into her body. Shi Man loosened her wrist and the gun was snatched from her hand. Then, she felt cold all over, as if she was in the middle of winter. Her body could not help but tremble. She could only lean against the dusty wall and barely hold on without slipping. ¡°Indeed, 1 can only use some extraordinary methods to deal with Miss Shi. Otherwise, 1 really wouldn¡¯t dare to fight you.¡± Lin Si raised her hand to take the pistol and put it in his waist. Then, he slowly walked up to Shi Man and slowly raised her chin. ¡°Boss, when you trained me back then, you didn¡¯t expect to fall into my hands one day, right?¡± Shi Man raised her eyes and glared at him, but her peripheral vision was fixed on the person still hiding in the darkness. She felt that that person¡¯s figure was especially familiar. Sure enough, in the next second, that person walked out of the shadows. His originally scholarly face was filled with hatred and anger. ¡°Shi Man, did you kill my brother?!¡± When he said this, Zhu Wen felt as if his heart had been pierced by a dagger. He had not interacted much with Shi Man, but he trusted her wholeheartedly and had never dared to link Zhu Meng¡¯s death to her. However, when Lin Si placed the evidence in front of him, he had no choice but to believe that he had been wrong all along. Back then, Zhu Meng wanted to use Yi Zheng¡¯s power to annex Jun Mo, but he did not expect have been targeted long ago, which was why he died! At this point, Shi Man did not want to deny it, but she had never regretted attacking that day.. Chapter 759 - Chapter 759: Everyone Is Here Chapter 759: Everyone Is Here Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Your brother¡¯s hands are stained with the blood of so many innocent people. Back then, he even sent people to my territory to cause trouble and caused so many casualties. Since he offended me, I definitely won¡¯t let him off easily.¡± Shi Man endured the pain in every blood vessel in her body, but her words were still powerful. Zhu Wen¡¯s eyes were red as he clenched his fists by his side. ¡°You killed my brother. I want to avenge my brother!¡± A sharp pain suddenly spread in her body. Shi Man groaned and fell forward, but her hands gripped the armrest tightly to prevent herself from losing control. ¡°Lin Si, I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t attack my mother. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off even if I lose my life.¡± In front of her, the thin man¡¯s lips curled up with a faint smile. ¡°Do you think I care? When 1 was hidden by my parents back then, I had already disappeared from this world and became a living dead. Do you think I would be afraid of death now?¡± With that, he gave the person beside him a look. Two strong men immediately went forward and carried Shi Man away. Zhu Wen was about to chase after her angrily, but just as he took a step forward, he was stopped by Lin Si. ¡°What do you mean by this? Don¡¯t stop me from taking revenge!¡± Zhu Wen roared at him crazily. Lin Si was not angry, but there was a hint of warning in his voice. ¡°When I¡¯m done, I won¡¯t affect your revenge. Don¡¯t worry, the medicine you injected can easily knock down an elephant. She won¡¯t be able to escape.¡± Zhu Wen was still worried as he followed Shi Man in the direction she was being carried away. It was not until the figure completely disappeared in the darkness that he retracted his gaze hesitantly. ¡°We agreed that after you¡¯re done, you must hand her to me to deal with.¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± Lin Si agreed with a smile. He turned around and made way. Even if Zhu Wen didn¡¯t want to leave now, he could only obey. However, he didn¡¯t have to wait too late. Shi Man would definitely fall into his hands the next day! On the other side, after Yi Zheng got off the plane, he hurriedly called Shi Man. Unexpectedly, his father called him first. As soon as he picked up the call, Yi Long¡¯s anxious voice suddenly came from the receiver. ¡°Yi Zheng, you got off the plane? Hurry up and come over according to the address. We¡¯ve lost contact with Shi Man and her phone is completely switched off. None of us can contact her now.¡± Hearing this, Yi Zheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Sean stole a look at his expression, and his heart sank. ¡°Did something happen to Boss?¡± Yi Zheng hung up the phone and personally drove towards his destination. On the way here, he had already explained the ins and outs of the matter to Sean. After learning the truth, Sean was in a daze for a long time, and the temperature of his body suddenly dropped to the freezing point. He did not expect that the child he had raised to have such a big secret in his heart. But Sean would not go easy on him this time. The car quickly arrived near the factory. Yi Long and Lu Xiang were waiting there anxiously. When Lu Xiang saw Yi Zheng, she seemed to have found her backbone and hurriedly went up to him. ¡°Son, what should we do now? We were too sliw and harmed Shen Xian and Manman!¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry first.¡± Yi Zheng comforted her before nodding at Yi Long. ¡°Dad, wait here with Mom first. 1¡¯11 send someone to protect you. Leave the rest to me.¡± ¡°Yi Zheng, where did the people behind you come from?¡± Yi Long was referring to the mighty group of people following behind Yi Zheng. In order to save her, Yi Zheng had almost mobilized everyone from the Blood Oath. Now, what Yi Zheng had been doing could no longer be hidden. However, in order to successfully save Shi Man, he could not care less. Yi Zheng instructed Tang Zhe to bring people to secretly surround this place first to prevent anyone from secretly escaping in the dark. Then, he loaded the gun and sneaked into the night with Sean. There were still three hours before dawn; they had already lost contact with Shi Man for a period of time. If they didn¡¯t hurry, the lives of both mother and daughter would be in danger. Dust rose in the gloomy building. When Shi Man woke up, her hands and feet were tied tightly. There were two burly men standing guard at the door. Clearly, Lin Si had specially sent someone to guard her in order to prevent her from escaping. She moved her hands and feet gently, but the hemp rope around her wrist did not move. If an ordinary person was tied up here, they would probably only be able to wait for death quietly. However, Shi Man had been on the verge of death too many times in her previous life. How could she not have a way to protect herself? She moved her wrist slightly, and an exquisite blade slid out of her sleeve. Shi Man held the blade tightly and exerted a little strength in her hand before starting to sever the rope carefully. Outside, Lin Si was standing proudly in front of Shen Xian and showing her the surveillance cameras that had been set up around the factory in advance. ¡°Your good sister hasn¡¯t come to save you yet. Looks like you were careless in making friends. But it doesn¡¯t matter. She left my mother in the lurch back then.. I can¡¯t take revenge on Lu Xiang, so I¡¯ll use your life to pay respects to my mother first!¡± Chapter 760-END - Chapter 760: Finale Chapter 760: Finale Translator: Atlas Studios | Editor: Atlas Studios The cloth in Shen Xian¡¯s mouth had already been removed. Her voice was weak as she said, ¡°Are you a child of the Lin family? Your parents brought what happened back then on themselves. You want to avenge them, but why don¡¯t you think about it? Didn¡¯t Yi Zheng¡¯s grandmother lose her life for no reason? When will the cycles of vengeance end?¡± ¡°If the Yi family hadn¡¯t insisted on snatching my parents¡¯ business back then, my parents wouldn¡¯t have had no choice but to rely on threats to survive. Lu Xiang prided herself on being as close as sisters with my mother, but she secretly instigated her husband to snatch everything from my mother. Shouldn¡¯t they die?¡± At this moment, Lin Si had already thrown away his usual calmness and indifference and became a little hysterical. Shen Xian shook her head with tears streaming down her face. ¡°Child, when will the cycles of vengeance end? Why don¡¯t you put down your hatred and live your life properly? It¡¯s useless even if you kidnap me. Your parents won¡¯t be able to live again!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll let you all go down and accompany them!¡± Lin Si shouted crazily at the side. On the other side, Yi Zheng rushed into the building with his men and split into three directions to search for Shi Man and Lu Xiang. Sean and Yi Zheng walked together and went straight to the top floor. Upstairs, Shi Man finally cut the rope in her hand and reached under her feet with the blade. Coincidentally, the man outside suddenly looked in. When he saw the loose rope beside her, he immediately rushed into the room angrily and reached out to grab Shi Man¡¯s hair. However, he was clearly not Shi Man¡¯s match. Before his hand could touch Shi Man, he felt a chill on the front of his neck. Then, his body fell to the ground uncontrollably with a muffled sound. Shi Man found a dagger on him. After quickly dealing with the rope on her feet, she took the pistol from his waist. In the other room, Shen Xian was still persuading Lin Si to withdraw his revenge plans. Lin Si seemed to be annoyed by her persuasion and grabbed the cloth ball at the side again to stuff it into her mouth. Zhu Wen did not leave the building. He wanted to get to Shi Man as soon as he could, so he casually found an empty room to rest. Suddenly, he heard light footsteps outside and immediately sat up warily. Yi Zheng also heard the commotion and hurriedly gestured to Sean to lighten his footsteps. He leaned against the wall and slowly approached the closed door in front of him. Neither side made a sound first. In the next second, the door suddenly opened. Before Yi Zheng could see who the man was, he saw him swing the dagger and pounce on him. In the next second, he pulled the trigger and shot the man in the chest. The deafening gunshot immediately alerted Lin Si. Panicking, he subconsciously wanted to poke his head out to check on the commotion outside. However, just as he stretched his neck out, his forehead was suddenly pressed by a cold object. ¡°Don¡¯t move. You know I won¡¯t be soft-hearted.¡± Shi Man approached step by step, and Lin Si retreated step by step. Soon, he was forced to walk back into the empty room. Shen Xian was tied to a chair at the side and kept shaking her head at Shi Man. Shi Man understood what she meant, but Lin Si was sinister and vicious. She could not let him off easily. Thinking of this, Shi Man fired two shots at his legs, making him twitch in pain and unable to move. Only then did she put down the pistol. She didn¡¯t have time to care about Shen Xian¡¯s current emotions. After untying her, she grabbed her wrist and ran out. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll send you out.¡± ¡°Manman, are you alright?¡± Shen Xian nervously pulled her daughter and sized her up. Her heart ached when she saw the dust all over her. Shi Man couldn¡¯t stand her gentle and doting gaze and hugged her. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry. I was careless and made you suffer. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely protect you well in the future.¡± As the two of them were talking, messy footsteps sounded from the long corridor again. Shi Man subconsciously hid Shen Xian behind her, but the moment she raised her gun defensively, she saw Yi Zheng rushing over to save her. Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Shi Man had never felt more at ease than now. As Yi Zheng ran up to her and hugged her, his eyes were filled with cherishment. ¡°Manman, I haven¡¯t made my proposal yet. I won¡¯t allow any more accidents to happen to you.¡± ¡°Propose?¡± Shi Man pushed him away expressionlessly. ¡°Is this what you wanted to say that day but didn¡¯t have the time to?¡± Yi Zheng revealed an innocent and pitiful expression. He pursed his thin lips and begged her in a low voice, ¡°When we go back this time, we¡¯ll get married. Don¡¯t ever leave my side, okay?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s appropriate to talk about this on such an occasion?¡± Shi Man rolled her eyes speechlessly and gestured for Sean to go in and take Lin Si away first. Then, she slowly blushed under Yi Zheng¡¯s still burning gaze. ¡°The proposal has to be formal. Plan it well and I¡¯ll consider it seriously.¡± Yi Zheng suddenly smiled. He held Shi Man¡¯s hand tightly, as if he had finally found his heartbeat at this moment. His heart, which had been suspended in anxiety the entire night, finally relaxed. Shi Man was his world. This time, he would keep a close eye on her and not let anything happen to her..